Advice and evidence
A personal method, a study with critics, and an advice column — reading for what is claimed and how well.
An argued text does three things: it claims something, it supports the claim, and — if it is any good — it names the objection. B1 questions ask you to tell those apart.
Watch for the turn. Kritiker weisen darauf hin …, Interessant ist, was … nicht gefunden haben, Es gibt aber einen Fehler — each one introduces the other side.
A study reported in a text is not the same as the writer’s opinion, and a criticism quoted in it is not the writer’s either. Ask each time: whose sentence is this?
Die Forscher bestreiten das nicht, halten die Richtung der Ergebnisse aber für gesichert.
a concession and a defence in one sentence
the aber marks where the defence starts
Wer nur hingeht, um sein Deutsch zu verbessern, wird schnell ungeduldig.
a general claim, not about anyone in particular
Wer … is how German states a rule about people
Reading "Kritiker weisen darauf hin, dass …" as the writer’s own view.Noting that the writer is reporting an objection, then seeing what they do with it.
The next sentence usually tells you whether the writer accepts it.
Words from this topic
- die die Untersuchungthe study
- der der Kritikerthe critic
- die die Empfehlungthe recommendation
- das das Ergebnisthe result
- nebenbeion the side, incidentally