Long analytical reading
What the argument rests on, what it leaves unsaid, and how strong its evidence actually is.
A C1 argument has a hierarchy: one main claim, two or three supporting claims, and examples serving the supporting claims. Readers who treat every paragraph as equally important end up unable to summarise the text, because a summary is exactly a statement of that hierarchy.
To find the main claim, ask what the other claims are for. A supporting claim can be removed and the text still argues something; remove the main claim and the rest has no purpose.
| Question to ask | What you are looking for |
|---|---|
| What is everything else for? | the main claim |
| What must be true for this to follow? | the implicit premise |
| Why is this paragraph here? | its function, not its content |
| Where does the evidence come from? | study, figure, anecdote, assertion |
| What would change the conclusion? | the load-bearing assumption |
| Where does the wording get warmer or sharper? | the tone shift |
Judging evidence quality is a C1 reading skill, not an opinion. German analytical texts usually flag what they are offering: nach den vorliegenden Erhebungen is data, anekdotisch berichten mehrere Branchen is explicitly not, and in einem häufig zitierten Versuch signals a controlled trial with all that implies.
Nach den vorliegenden Betriebsfallstudien ist der zweite Fall häufiger.
According to the available company case studies, the second case is more common.
case studies — suggestive, not representative, and the text says so
Anekdotisch berichten mehrere Branchen von Schwierigkeiten.
Anecdotally, several sectors report difficulties.
the author marks the weakness of the evidence himself
Der Gewinn entfiel fast vollständig auf weniger erfahrene Beschäftigte.
The gain fell almost entirely to less experienced staff.
a distribution, which supports a narrower claim than an average would
An implicit premise is what has to hold for the conclusion to follow, and the text does not state it. Finding one is not a criticism: every argument rests on some. Naming it is how you decide whether you agree.
The author mentions navigation devices, so he thinks the worry is baseless.He raises them as the counter-argument, accepts it is serious, and then says why this case may differ.
At C1, an author’s own counter-argument is usually the paragraph immediately before their answer to it. Read the pair, not the half.
Words from this topic
- die die Ersatzgrößethe proxy measure
- die die Zurechnungattribution (of an effect to a cause)
- die die Prämissethe premise
- der der Ertragthe yield, the return
- aufzehrento consume, to eat up
- einkalkulierento factor in
- unterbesetztunderstaffed
- beanstandetobjected to, complained of