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Flashcards · AP® English Language and Composition · Unit 3

Unit 3: Commentary, Line of Reasoning and Methods of Development flashcards

28 cards on topics 3.1 to 3.7. Pick a topic or study the whole unit.

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3.1 Commentary that links evidence to a claim

What is commentary?
The writer's explanation of how and why evidence supports a claim. It names the feature that matters, interprets it and links it back to the argument. It is the main source of marks in a paragraph.
What is the lead-in, evidence, commentary sandwich?
The lead-in names the source and context, the evidence gives the quotation or detail, and the commentary explains it. It keeps evidence from being dropped into a paragraph unexplained.
How do you improve weak commentary?
Choose one word or feature in the evidence and say what it does. Replace "this shows" with an exact verb and tie the effect to the audience, then return to the claim.
How can commentary refine a claim?
A precise word in the evidence may show that the claim should be narrower or more exact. Letting the evidence change the wording of your claim shows careful reading.

3.2 Synthesis and acknowledging sources

How do you acknowledge a source in your own writing?
Name the author or source, signal quotations or paraphrases clearly and keep the source's idea distinct from your own. In a synthesis task you may cite by "Source A" or by a short description.
What is the difference between quotation, paraphrase and summary?
Quotation reproduces exact words in quotation marks; paraphrase restates a specific passage in your own words; summary condenses a whole text. All three need attribution.
How can you extend or qualify a source's idea?
Extend: apply the idea to a new case or push it further. Qualify: say where it works and where it does not. Either way, the source supports your argument without replacing it.
Why should a synthesis essay not just summarise sources one by one?
A summary is a report. A synthesis combines sources under your own claims so that they work together in an argument you control.

3.3 Following and building a line of reasoning

What is a line of reasoning?
The logical order of claims through which an argument develops. Each claim follows from the one before and leads to the next, so the whole supports the thesis.
How do you check your own line of reasoning?
Read only your topic sentences. If you can place "therefore" or "but" between them and they make sense as an argument, the line holds. If they could be reordered freely, it is a list.
How does commentary build a line of reasoning?
Each piece of commentary links the evidence to the paragraph's claim and the claim to the thesis, so that the paragraphs form a chain, not a set of separate points.
What is the difference between a line of reasoning and an outline?
An outline lists topics in order. A line of reasoning shows why each point is needed and how it follows from the last. Order of topics alone does not make an argument.

3.4 Commentary across a whole argument

How does commentary work across a whole argument?
It connects each piece of evidence to the paragraph claim and shows how that claim moves the thesis forward. It also looks back to earlier points and ahead to later ones.
What is the difference between relevance and significance?
Relevance explains how evidence connects to the claim. Significance explains why that connection matters to the larger argument, the audience or the issue.
How can you comment on a writer's own use of a source?
Explain what the writer chose to quote or cite, what the choice allows and how it serves the writer's purpose for this audience.
What does strong commentary on a whole text include?
It names the writer's strategy, traces how it develops across the text, explains the effect on the audience and avoids describing each paragraph in turn.

3.5 Flaws in a line of reasoning

What is a flaw in reasoning?
A weakness in the logic linking claim and evidence, such as an unsupported leap, a false dilemma, a hasty generalisation or irrelevant evidence. Spotting one helps you evaluate and rebut arguments.
What is a false dilemma?
Presenting only two options as if there were no others. It forces a choice and hides reasonable alternatives, which is why writers often use it to push their own option.
What is a hasty generalisation?
A broad conclusion drawn from too few or unrepresentative examples. "Two shops closed, so the town is dying" treats a small sample as proof of a general trend.
Why do satirists sometimes use deliberately flawed reasoning?
The visible flaw makes readers question the premises behind real arguments. The reasoning is wrong on purpose, so ask what the writer wants readers to notice and reject.

3.6 Methods of development

What are common methods of development?
Narration, description, definition, comparison, cause and effect, process, classification and illustration with examples. A writer chooses one or combines several to suit the claim and audience.
What does a writer gain by using an extended example or story?
It makes an abstract claim concrete and memorable, builds shared understanding and can let the audience feel the point before it is stated.
How do you decide which method of development to use?
Match the method to the claim: cause and effect for consequences, comparison for choices, definition for contested terms, narration for human stakes. Then check it suits your audience.
How do you analyse a method of development in an essay?
Name the method, point to where it appears and explain how it supports the writer's claim or purpose for this audience, not just that the writer "uses" it.

3.7 Developing ideas through narration and cause-effect

What is narration used for in an argument?
To show events in order so that readers experience the problem or the point. A short story can introduce a claim, support it or give human weight to an abstract issue.
What is the difference between cause and effect and correlation?
A cause produces an effect. Correlation means two things occur together. An argument that claims a cause needs reasoning that rules out coincidence or a third factor.
How can narration and reflection work together?
The narration shows what happened and the reflection explains what it means. The combination lets the writer move from an event to a general claim.
What signals a cause-and-effect structure?
Words such as because, so, therefore, as a result and led to, and sentences that link a condition to a consequence. A strong writer also explains why the link holds.

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