Identifying Reasons Behind a Speaker's Points · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Finding the reasons behind what a speaker says

English · Speaking & Listening · ages 9-10
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. When you listen to a speaker's argument, what should you pay closest attention to?

    • Only how loud they talk
    • Reasons and evidence
    • How long the speech is

  2. A classmate says, 'We should read this book because it won an award and the author visited our school last year.' What are the reasons given?

    • Award and author visit
    • The book has a lot of pages
    • The teacher likes it

  3. A speaker's evidence should be directly connected to the claim they are making.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. A speaker says, 'We should get more recess because the cafeteria smells good.' Is this reasoning logical?

    • Yes, it makes complete sense
    • No, no link to the claim
    • Yes, because it's about school

  5. A speaker claims, 'Our school should start later because teens need more sleep,' and adds, 'Doctors say teens need 8 to 10 hours of sleep, and starting later helps them get it.' Is the evidence relevant?

    • No, it's about something else
    • Yes, but only because a doctor said it
    • Yes, it connects directly to the claim

  6. In a class debate, Noah says, 'Our school should ban homework because my cousin's school did.' You are not sure that reason is strong enough. What should you do?

    • Agree with Noah so the debate moves faster
    • Stay quiet and stop listening
    • Ask how the ban worked out

  7. A speaker argues, 'Our team should get new uniforms because the old ones are three years old and ripped in several spots.' Which part is the evidence?

    • 'Our team should get new uniforms'
    • 'Three years old and ripped'
    • 'I really like the color blue'

  8. A speaker says, 'You should choose me for class president because I am the tallest kid in class.' What follow-up question best probes this reasoning?

    • 'What else makes you good?'
    • 'What is your favorite color?'
    • 'How tall are you exactly?'
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Finding the reasons behind what a speaker says W1-mt_iodbOOmEQs-s1

  1. Reasons and evidence · Reasons and evidence are what actually support a speaker's point.
  2. Award and author visit · The speaker names two specific reasons: the award and the author's visit.
  3. True · Evidence only counts as relevant when it truly connects to the claim.
  4. No, no link to the claim · How the cafeteria smells has nothing to do with needing more recess.
  5. Yes, it connects directly to the claim · The evidence directly explains why a later start time would help teens.
  6. Ask how the ban worked out · A follow-up question pushes Noah to back up his reason with real evidence.
  7. 'Three years old and ripped' · The condition of the old uniforms is the specific evidence backing up the claim.
  8. 'What else makes you good?' · Height doesn't logically support being a good president, so the best question pushes for a real reason.
Worksheet · LightMySky