English 102
Assessing Reasoning Checklist
- Find points you think are assumptions
- Decide if they really are assumptions. Apply the definition: something the author doesn’t even try to prove.
- Look for proof.
- If you find an attempt to prove the point, even if you think the attempt fails, it’s not an assumption.
- Once you have found some assumptions, pick one or two to focus on. They should be important for the article’s thesis.
- Decide if the assumptions are reasonable. Do you agree with them? Do they sound right to you?
