In this article
In 30 seconds
- 01An argumentative text stands on its thesis, its evidence and the soundness of its reasoning.
- 02Anatomy of a Text separates those pieces and flags assumptions and weak points.
- 03Fix the argument first and the style later, and decide for yourself what to change.
01What to look for when reviewing an argumentative text
Beyond spelling, an essay stands or falls on its argument. When you review it, ask yourself four questions:
- What is the thesis? If you cannot sum it up in one sentence, neither will your reader.
- What supports it? Every important claim needs data, examples or sources.
- What am I taking for granted? What seems obvious to you may not be obvious to the reader.
- Where does the reasoning jump? A missing step between two ideas is the first thing an examiner will point out.
- Paste the full text
- Click Analyze
- Start with the central thesis
- Review the evidence and the assumptions
- Fix the weak points
02How to use Anatomy of a Text in 5 steps
Paste the full text
It can be an essay, an article, a speech or a chapter of your thesis. It needs at least a couple of paragraphs, and long texts of up to about 15,000 words are accepted.
Click Analyze
The tool reads the text and takes it apart. With long texts, this can take up to a minute.
Start with the central thesis
Check whether it matches what you meant to argue. If the tool tells you the thesis is not stated and had to be inferred, that is a clear signal: it is worth stating it explicitly.
Review the evidence and the assumptions
Under Evidence you will see what the text claims and what backs it up, with a rating of how solid each piece of support is. Under Assumptions, what the text treats as obvious without arguing for it.
Fix the weak points
The Weak points section flags the jumps in the reasoning. If it is empty, that is good news. If not, each point shows you where to add a step, a fact or a qualification.
Whoever writes a text reads it with what they meant to say. Whoever grades it reads only what is written.
03Example: from analysis to revision
This is how each part of the analysis translates into a specific change in your text:
| Part of the analysis | What to check in your text |
|---|---|
| Central thesis | That it is stated explicitly, ideally in the introduction. |
| Structure | That each part has a purpose and the most important one gets the space it deserves. |
| Evidence | That the key claims have the strongest support. |
| Assumptions | That those not obvious to your reader are explained or justified. |
| Weak points | That each jump in the reasoning gets the step it is missing. |
| Rhetorical devices | That the text persuades through its arguments, not just its tone. |
04Tips for a good review
- Review after a break. Set the text aside for at least a few hours: you will see what you missed before.
- Fix the argument first and the style later. There is no point polishing sentences in a paragraph you may delete.
- You decide what to change. The analysis flags possible problems, but not all of them require a fix. Your judgment is what counts.
- Use it to read others too. Analyzing an academic article helps you understand its argument before you cite it.
Frequently asked questions
What teachers ask most often.
What kinds of text can I analyze?
Any text that argues for an idea: essays, articles, speeches, reports or thesis chapters. It works better with argumentative texts than with narrative ones.
Does it correct spelling?
No. Anatomy of a Text focuses on the argument: the thesis, the evidence, the assumptions and the weak points. Spelling calls for a separate review.
How long should the text be?
At least a couple of paragraphs, so there is an argument to analyze, and no more than about 120,000 characters, roughly 15,000 words.
Does it write the text for me?
No. It shows you how your argument is built and where it weakens. You decide on the changes and write them yourself.
