Recap
A line of reasoning is the logical sequence of claims, evidence and commentary that leads a reader to the thesis. The sequence of paragraphs reveals it. Writers may lead readers through reasoning and then arrive at the thesis, or state the claim and then develop the reasoning. When you read, describe the line and decide whether it supports the thesis; when you write, develop the line and explain it with commentary throughout.
Two patterns
| Pattern | What happens | Helps when |
|---|---|---|
| Claim then reasoning | Thesis early, reasons follow | The audience is receptive or needs the position at once |
| Reasoning then claim | Steps lead to the thesis at the end | The audience may resist |
Ordering principles
- Chronological (past, present, future).
- Cause to effect.
- Least to most important, or most to least.
- Concession then refutation.
- Problem then solution.
- Broad to narrow.
Linking ideas
Addition: moreover. Consequence: therefore. Contrast: yet, however. Example: for instance. Sequence: first, next, finally. Use them only when the relation is real.
Checking a line of reasoning
- State the thesis in your own words.
- Summarise each paragraph in a phrase.
- Ask whether each leads toward the thesis.
- Look for gaps (missing steps).
- Look for detours.
- Judge whether the whole supports the thesis.
Worked mini-example
Lincoln, Gettysburg (1863): past (“Four score and seven years ago… dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal”), present (“Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation… can long endure”), future (“It is for us the living… to be dedicated here to the unfinished work”). Reasoning then claim: founding ideal, test, task, ending on “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”.
Scrambled claims about personal finance: gap (b), consequence (d), remedy (a), objection (c), recommendation (e).
Writing tips
- Decide the order for a reason you can state.
- Let topic sentences and closing sentences link paragraphs (“Having shown…, we must ask…”).
- Place the counterargument after the remedy and before the conclusion, or before your own case if you wish to answer it first.
- Test: could the paragraphs be shuffled without changing the sense? If so, strengthen the links.
Mistakes to avoid
- Listing points with no order.
- Using “however” or “therefore” where no real contrast or consequence exists.
- Leaving a gap between a claim and its conclusion.
- Including a paragraph that wanders from the thesis.
- Treating an outline as the line of reasoning.
- Forgetting that the order should suit the audience.
Quick self-check
- What reveals the line of reasoning in a text? The sequence of its paragraphs.
- Name the two arrangements of thesis and reasoning. Claim then reasoning; reasoning then claim.
- What does commentary between paragraphs do? It shows how one claim leads to the next.
- What would you look for as a gap? A missing step between a claim and the conclusion drawn from it.
- What is the ordering in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address? Past, present, future.
For the full explanation and worked examples, return to the study guide.