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Reading / Main idea / Grade 9 / rm901

Trace Claims, Reasons, and Counterarguments

Analyze the structure of an argument without confusing a concession with its conclusion.

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Find the recommendation, the reasons supporting it, and any objection the writer acknowledges. Then identify the response to that objection. A concession can limit a claim while leaving the main recommendation intact.

Worked example

'A later opening costs more, but a one-month trial would measure demand' acknowledges cost and responds with a limited test. It does not claim the trial will be free.

A Later Study Room

The school should trial keeping one study room open an extra hour on Tuesdays. Several students report that bus schedules leave them waiting on campus after the study room has closed. Staffing an extra hour has a cost, and a survey alone cannot prove future attendance. A four-week trial could record actual visits and staff time before a permanent decision. The proposal is for a measured test, not an immediate year-round change.

1. What is the main recommendation?
2. Which reason supports testing later hours?
3. Which objection does the writer concede?
4. How does the proposal respond to uncertain demand?
5. Which statement would overstate the argument?