How to Write a Well-Supported Argument—Video 3 of How to Pass the GED Extended Response

Hey, GED test takers. I'm Alice.

I passed the GED Reasoning Through Language Arts test,

and I'd like to help you pass too.

I studied with the "Writing for the GED Test" series

from New Readers Press.

Practicing with these books boosted my confidence

and helped me to write a great extended response.

In this video, I'll share some tips from "Writing for the GED Test"

that will help you maximize your score on the extended response.

In video two, I talked about how to analyze the passages

and determine which is stronger.

Each passage is an argument,

and your response will also be an argument.

But... what is an argument?

Every argument starts with a claim:

a statement saying that something is true.

The claim states your position.

When you support your claim

with reasons and evidence to prove that it is true,

you build an argument.

But just adding reasons and evidence

does not mean you have a convincing argument.

As you'll see, you need strong evidence to build a strong argument.

Look at the two passages.

The prompt asks you to choose the position that is best supported.

In video two, I explained how to analyze the evidence

and determine which argument is stronger.

In the example passages, Mayor Lin says,

"The City of Hope Valley needs to be greener."

She is in favor of recycling.

Mr. Grimley says, "This whole mandatory recycling idea

is just plain crazy."

He is opposed to mandatory recycling.

In your response, you will write about how both authors

make their arguments and why one argument is stronger than the other.

In the last video, we talked about strong and weak evidence.

In addition to using the evidence to determine the stronger position,

you will need to discuss this evidence when you write your response.

Remember, strong evidence is specific and detailed,

cites experts or authorities,

quotes statistics or facts,

cites recent surveys or study results.

Let's look at some specific examples of strong evidence.

"Seattle's mandatory recycling program

"has been around since 2006,

"and statistics show it prevents 400,000 tons of waste

from going into landfills each year."

Here, authors cite specific data from an ongoing program.

"We estimate that Hope Valley can save $10 million in landfill fees,

while earning $5 million over the next five years

selling its recyclables."

The author uses data from the Seattle program

to estimate the cost savings and earnings for Hope Valley.

And remember that weak evidence may be:

vague or unclear,

based on opinion instead of facts,

from an unreliable source,

outdated.

Here are some specific examples of weak evidence.

"Mandatory recycling is costly."

This author writes about high cost

but doesn't cite any supporting data.

"Mandatory recycling is complicated, waste of time."

This is an author's opinion based on his own experience.

He doesn't give any facts.

In addition to facts and details,

authors use reasoning to show a logical connection

between their claim and the evidence.

Reasoning explains why the evidence validates the claim.

For example, "Mandatory recycling will save our city money

"because Seattle's program has saved $200 million

in landfill dumping fees over the past 15 years."

But watch out for faulty reasoning.

Faulty reasoning is not logical.

It's a sign of a weak argument.

Watch out for personal attacks like name calling,

or falsely claiming that one action

will lead to a series of bad events.

That's a "slippery slope."

Or, jumping on the bandwagon

where "everybody knows," or "everyone believes."

"What's next?

Mandatory teeth flossing enforced by the tooth fairy?"

This is a ridiculous claim with no logical evidence to back it up.

Make notes of strong and weak evidence.

You will use them when you write your response.

Now you know which argument is stronger,

and you have gathered the evidence to support your argument.

In the next video,

I'll show you how to plan and write your response.

Remember, you should only spend about 15 minutes

reading and analyzing the text and taking notes,

so you'll have plenty of time to write your response.

Here's a tip to improve your score:

choose two or three ideas that have strong evidence

and fully explain them

to write a well-supported argument.

Remember to use your own words.

If you want to learn more about or practice analyzing arguments,

purchase "Writing for The GED Test," Book 3

by New Readers Press.