AWA - Here are my notes that i used for the exam

Points to note:
1) Write at least 4-5 paragraphs. I normally wrote 4 paras.
- In the first para, I re-iterated what the author concluded or recommended. Then explained the evidence the author
gave to support the conclusion. In the end, I focused on suggesting that the conclusion is flawed and the reasons are
explained in the following paragraphs
- Second and third paras, I attacked two or three flaws or discussed the unstated assumptions that the author has not
considered.
- Forth para, I said that the argument is flawed and then gave reasons as to how can the author make the argument
more logically acceptable.
You can used any of the examples in different paras to create the structure of the essay. I practised around 20 paras
before the exam so that the main structure was embedded in my brain and I just needed to identify the flaws and
logically argue those points.
Para 1
- Citing facts drawn from the....
- In the argument, the author concludes that [X is Y]. The conclusion is based on the following two facts: (1) [Fact
1] ; (2) [Fact 2]
- [X] recommends that...... To support this recommendation, the author points out that....
- Based on [X], the author predicts/recommends/concludes that [X is Y]
- The line of reasoning is problematic for several reasons.
- The conclusion is not warranted by the evidence and is unconvincing for several reasons
- Neither of the reasons provide sufficient support
- This conclusion is not convincing as it stands
Para 2 and 3
- First of all, the author's conclusion goes beyond the evidence.
- Secondly, the author fails to mention/consider/establish [X] and/or [Y]
- The author's argument is based on the assumption [X]
- The only reason offered by the author is the claim that.....
- Withoug compelling evidence to support this critical assumption, the author's recommendation/conclusion is not
worthy of consideration.
- But the authors generalisation is based on [X] is unreliable
- The statistics cited in the [X] maybe misleading because .....
- The problem with the argument is that [X] is/are not necessarily representative of the views of [Y] in general.
Para 4
- The conclusion is not convincing as it stands
- Consequently, I am not convinced that .....
- In conclusion, to convince me that [X], the author would have to provide evidence that.....
- In conclusion, the argument is weak. To make the argument more logically acceptable, the author must
demonstrate that.....
- In addition, to further strengthen the argument, the author must provide evidence to show that....
- The argument is weak because it depends on an oversimplified assumption about the causal connection between
[X] and [Y]. To strengthen the argument, the author must identify and explore relevant factors beyond [X] before
concluding [Y]