Rachel · Class 02 · September 19, 2026
Review the key ideas below alongside your class annotations.
A quotation must support every part of the claim, including the relationship between those parts. Intense emotion alone does not show that the speaker considers it justified.
“I know that my anger is fierce, but the broken promise gives me reason to feel it.”
Awareness: “I know … my anger is fierce.” Justification: “the broken promise gives me reason.” Both are needed for the combined claim.
Persuade requires evidence that someone is brought to accept a view. Shared interests or fluent talking alone do not establish that change. In an academic context, an argument can be reasons supporting a position.
“At first, Leo rejected the interpretation; after Mina explained the final stanza, he accepted it.”
Initial disagreement → Mina’s explanation → acceptance supplies evidence of persuasion.
A weakening finding makes the conclusion less convincing. It may provide a counterexample or a credible alternative explanation; it need not prove the conclusion completely false.
Claim: Review emotionality is unrelated to ticket sales.
Weakening finding: Films with more emotional reviews consistently have higher ticket sales.
A positive or negative relationship challenges unrelated. Keep the same two variables. A relationship alone does not establish causation.
Claim: The new lamp caused the plants to grow faster.
Alternative explanation: The plants under the new lamp also received extra fertilizer.
The additional factor weakens the claim that the lamp explains the difference by itself.
A finite verb group anchors a clause in tense or includes a modal. An -ing form, infinitive, or participle on its own does not automatically form a main predicate.
The artist used recycled wood.
The materials used in the sculpture highlight his background.
The materials were used in the sculpture.
In the first sentence, used is a past-tense main verb. In the second, used in the sculpture modifies materials; highlight is the main verb. In the third, were used is the complete finite passive verb group. The ending -ed alone does not decide the word’s job.
The materials that the artist uses in his work highlight his background.
Main core: materials / highlight. Inside the relative clause: artist / uses. Do not put a comma before highlight merely because the subject is long.
The materials the artist uses in his work highlight his background.
The object relative pronoun that can be omitted here. Its omission does not create a parenthetical clause.
The sculpture, which stands near the entrance, attracts many visitors.
The two commas enclose supplementary information. The comma before attracts closes that insertion; it is not a comma added just because the subject is long.
Dr. Chen, a marine biologist, repeated the trial.
Dr. Chen, who studies marine life, repeated the trial.
A marine biologist is an appositive: a noun phrase renaming Dr. Chen. Who studies marine life is a relative clause with its own verb. Both are supplementary here; neither replaces the main predicate repeated.
The result was inconclusive; after checking the equipment, the researchers repeated the trial.
The two independent cores are result / was inconclusive and researchers / repeated. After checking the equipment belongs to the second clause. A comma alone at the semicolon position would create a comma splice.
The result was inconclusive, but the team continued.
Although the result was inconclusive, the team continued.
But coordinates two independent clauses. Although makes the first clause dependent; that dependent opening must attach to a main clause.