Purpose: Show what conversation your argument enters.
This sentence should identify the topic, standard view, unresolved problem, or ongoing debate. It prepares the reader for why your claim matters.
Template forms:
“In recent discussions of __________, a controversial issue has been whether __________.”
“Conventional wisdom claims that __________.”
“Many people tend to believe that __________.”
“Researchers have long assumed that __________.”
“One important debate in __________ concerns whether __________.”
“A common assumption about __________ is that __________.”
“On the one hand, __________ argue that __________; on the other hand, __________ claim that __________.”
“Although __________ is often treated as __________, the issue is more complicated because __________.”
“The question is not simply whether __________, but whether __________.”
“A recurring problem in discussions of __________ is that __________.”
Example sentence:
“In recent discussions of critical thinking education, a controversial issue has been whether students need explicit argument structures or whether they can develop reasoning skills through general discussion alone.”
Purpose: Make your position clear.
This sentence should state exactly what you are arguing. It should be debatable, specific, and strong enough to require support.
Template forms:
“My own view is that __________.”
“I argue that __________.”
“This paper claims that __________.”
“The most reasonable position is that __________.”
“I maintain that __________.”
“A stronger approach is to __________.”
“Rather than __________, educators should __________.”
“Although __________, I still maintain that __________.”
“While __________ may be useful, it does not necessarily follow that __________.”
“The central claim is that __________.”
Example sentence:
“I argue that the Six Sentence Argument should be used as a core practice tool in critical thinking courses because it makes reasoning visible, repeatable, and assessable.”
Purpose: Explain why the claim is justified.
This sentence should directly support the claim. It should not merely repeat the claim in different words.
Template forms:
“This is because __________.”
“The main reason is that __________.”
“This claim is supported by the fact that __________.”
“I think this position is justified because __________.”
“The value of __________ lies in the way it __________.”
“__________ matters because __________.”
“This approach is useful because it sheds light on the difficult problem of __________.”
“The strength of this method is that it helps students __________.”
“A major advantage of this structure is that __________.”
“This position rests on the assumption that __________, an assumption that is reasonable because __________.”
Example sentence:
“This is because the 6SA requires students to perform the essential moves of critical thinking: identifying an issue, making a claim, giving reasons, using evidence, considering objections, and explaining significance.”
Purpose: Make the reason concrete and credible.
This sentence can include an example, research reference, quotation explanation, classroom observation, or application.
Template forms:
“For example, __________.”
“This can be seen when __________.”
“Evidence for this appears in __________.”
“As __________ demonstrates, __________.”
“According to __________, __________.”
“In other words, __________.”
“Basically, this means that __________.”
“A common case is __________.”
“One classroom example is __________.”
“When students __________, they are forced to __________.”
Example sentence:
“For example, when students write one sentence for the claim and a separate sentence for the reason, they are forced to notice whether they have actually justified their position or merely stated an opinion.”
Purpose: Show intellectual fairness and strengthen the argument.
This sentence should acknowledge a serious concern. It may concede part of the opposing view while still defending the main claim.
Template forms:
“Some may argue that __________.”
“A possible objection is that __________.”
“Although I grant that __________, I still maintain that __________.”
“While __________ is true, it does not necessarily follow that __________.”
“Although I agree with __________ to a point, I cannot accept the conclusion that __________ because __________.”
“Though I concede that __________, I still insist that __________.”
“__________ is right that __________, but this view overlooks __________.”
“Critics may claim that __________; however, __________.”
“This concern is valid, but it underestimates __________.”
“The limitation of this view is that __________.”
Example sentence:
“Some may argue that a six-sentence structure is too formulaic, but this concern underestimates its value as a temporary scaffold for helping students practice the basic architecture of reasoning.”
Purpose: Show why the argument matters.
This sentence should answer “So what?” It should point to a larger implication, practical consequence, or educational value.
Template forms:
“Therefore, __________.”
“For this reason, __________.”
“These conclusions have significant implications for __________.”
“This matters because __________.”
“The broader implication is that __________.”
“If this argument is accepted, then __________.”
“As a result, __________.”
“This approach can help __________.”
“The significance of __________ is that __________.”
“Ultimately, __________.”
Example sentence:
“Therefore, the 6SA belongs in a critical thinking course because it gives students a practical method for turning abstract reasoning standards into visible, revisable sentence-level choices.”
“In recent discussions of critical thinking education, a controversial issue has been whether students need explicit argument structures or whether they can develop reasoning skills through general discussion alone. I argue that the Six Sentence Argument should be used as a core practice tool in critical thinking courses because it makes reasoning visible, repeatable, and assessable. This is because the 6SA requires students to perform the essential moves of critical thinking: identifying an issue, making a claim, giving reasons, using evidence, considering objections, and explaining significance. For example, when students write one sentence for the claim and a separate sentence for the reason, they are forced to notice whether they have actually justified their position or merely stated an opinion. Some may argue that a six-sentence structure is too formulaic, but this concern underestimates its value as a temporary scaffold for helping students practice the basic architecture of reasoning. Therefore, the 6SA belongs in a critical thinking course because it gives students a practical method for turning abstract reasoning standards into visible, revisable sentence-level choices.”
“Conventional wisdom claims that critical thinking develops naturally when students discuss difficult topics.”
“Researchers have long assumed that exposure to complex academic content is enough to improve students’ reasoning.”
“A recurring problem in critical thinking education is that students are asked to ‘think critically’ without being shown the sentence-level moves that critical thinking requires.”
“My own view is that students need compact argument structures before they can reliably produce longer forms of academic reasoning.”
“I maintain that the 6SA is useful because it turns critical thinking into a visible and teachable sequence.”
“Rather than treating critical thinking as a general attitude, educators should teach it as a set of repeatable reasoning moves.”
“The main reason is that students often confuse having a position with having an argument.”
“This approach is useful because it separates the claim, reason, evidence, objection, and implication into distinct thinking tasks.”
“The value of 6SA lies in the way it makes weaknesses in reasoning easier to locate and revise.”
“For example, a student who writes a strong claim but weak evidence can immediately see that the argument needs support rather than merely stronger wording.”
“This can be seen when students compare two 6SAs on the same issue and notice how different reasons lead to different implications.”
“In other words, the structure allows teachers to assess not only what students conclude, but how they arrive at that conclusion.”
“Although I grant that templates can become mechanical, I still maintain that they are useful when students are learning the basic moves of academic argument.”
“While formulaic writing is a real risk, it does not necessarily follow that structured practice prevents original thinking.”
“Critics may claim that 6SA oversimplifies argument, but this criticism overlooks the difference between a learning scaffold and a final writing form.”
“This matters because students need practical routines for testing the quality of their own reasoning.”
“These conclusions have significant implications for critical thinking instruction, academic writing, peer review, and AI-era learning.”
“Ultimately, the 6SA helps students move from unstructured opinion-giving toward disciplined, fair-minded, and evidence-sensitive argument.”