Writing a Logical Argument: Televisions

Introduction:

If you look at the history of the world, television is a relatively new invention. Although we think of it as a necessary part of day-to-day life, human beings have survived without it for thousands of years. It has the power of reaching millions of people with information, but it has been corrupted so badly that the world would now be a better place if it had never been invented. Below I will outline some of the main reasons why.

According to this introduction, what is the main problem with television?

The ideas television spreads:

Most television channels charge companies to advertise between their programmes; that is how they make their money. This means that the ideas the programmes spread are often trying to persude people that they would be happier if they bought a certain item, or dressed a certain way. This is bad for people's self-esteem and makes them unhappy.  

This paragraph begins without a connective to link it to the previous paragraph. Which of the following would be the best word or phrase to use at the very beginning of this paragraph?

How people use television:

In the early years of television, there were much fewer channels, no programmes at night time and fewer children's shows. Consequently, people were much more selective about what they watched and when; they knew when their programme was on and they only turned on the T.V. at that specific time. Nowadays, there are many homes where the T.V. is on almost constantly, and the number of channels for children means that many children are watching television far more than they are playing with other children, outside.

How could the writer make the argument stronger in this paragraph? Which of the following facts and statistics would be the most helpful? Tick two boxes.

Using a counter-argument:

Match up the arguments with their counter-arguments below. Hover your mouse over the boxes to read the text in full.

Using a Rhetorical Question:

Most people like to think that they could live without TV for a whole month, but ______________?

Choose one of the rhetorical questions below which would appeal to the most readers and challenge the reader personally.

Using emotive language:

For some people, there is little choice. Pensioners get a free T.V. licence, so it is free to watch. When you struggle to get out and about, the nights are dark and the weather is cold, T.V. provides company for many ____ people. Without it, they would be very lonely indeed.

Use the text box to write the missing word from the paragraph.

Developing the argument:

To develop an argument, we need to suggest ways things can be moved forward, or what can happen next.

Which of the following options do you think would be most popular with readers? Tick two boxes.

Conclusion:

Television is not doing the job it was originally invented for, more people watch it to pass the time than to actually find out information. It is also having a negative impact on those children who watch far too much of it. Overall, I feel that life would be better without television, but it is clearly here to stay. The best way to move forward is to promote the idea of finding different, more active, ways of spending family time. 

According to this argument, what are the pros and cons of television?

Introduction:

If you look at the history of the world, television is a relatively new invention. Although we think of it as a necessary part of day-to-day life, human beings have survived without it for thousands of years. It has the power of reaching millions of people with information, but it has been corrupted so badly that the world would now be a better place if it had never been invented. Below I will outline some of the main reasons why.

According to this introduction, what is the main problem with television?

The ideas television spreads:

Most television channels charge companies to advertise between their programmes; that is how they make their money. This means that the ideas the programmes spread are often trying to persude people that they would be happier if they bought a certain item, or dressed a certain way. This is bad for people's self-esteem and makes them unhappy.  

This paragraph begins without a connective to link it to the previous paragraph. Which of the following would be the best word or phrase to use at the very beginning of this paragraph?

How people use television:

In the early years of television, there were much fewer channels, no programmes at night time and fewer children's shows. Consequently, people were much more selective about what they watched and when; they knew when their programme was on and they only turned on the T.V. at that specific time. Nowadays, there are many homes where the T.V. is on almost constantly, and the number of channels for children means that many children are watching television far more than they are playing with other children, outside.

How could the writer make the argument stronger in this paragraph? Which of the following facts and statistics would be the most helpful? Tick two boxes.

Using a counter-argument:

Match up the arguments with their counter-arguments below. Hover your mouse over the boxes to read the text in full.

Using a Rhetorical Question:

Most people like to think that they could live without TV for a whole month, but ______________?

Choose one of the rhetorical questions below which would appeal to the most readers and challenge the reader personally.

Using emotive language:

For some people, there is little choice. Pensioners get a free T.V. licence, so it is free to watch. When you struggle to get out and about, the nights are dark and the weather is cold, T.V. provides company for many ____ people. Without it, they would be very lonely indeed.

Use the text box to write the missing word from the paragraph.

Developing the argument:

To develop an argument, we need to suggest ways things can be moved forward, or what can happen next.

Which of the following options do you think would be most popular with readers? Tick two boxes.

Conclusion:

Television is not doing the job it was originally invented for, more people watch it to pass the time than to actually find out information. It is also having a negative impact on those children who watch far too much of it. Overall, I feel that life would be better without television, but it is clearly here to stay. The best way to move forward is to promote the idea of finding different, more active, ways of spending family time. 

According to this argument, what are the pros and cons of television?