Level 4 — Upper Intermediate · Spoken Argument
Drill 33: Evaluating Your Own Argument, Out Loud
State a short argument live, then evaluate it out loud as established or not established, naming a fallacy it avoids — the spoken half of Lesson 33's argument evaluation skills.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this drill, you should be able to:
- State a short argument immediately, without a long planning pause
- Evaluate the argument out loud using 'established' or 'not established' rather than 'right' or 'wrong'
- Name one specific fallacy the argument avoids, live, and explain how
Introduction
Lesson 33 gave you a precise vocabulary for judging an argument's strength — "not established" instead of a blunt "wrong," and eighteen named fallacies to recognize on sight. This drill asks you to turn that same precise judgment on your own spoken argument, live, immediately after you make it.
Shadow the Model
Two of our five staff had fewer errors with the new scanner this month. That's not established proof it works for everyone — it's a hasty generalization from a very small sample.
Listen once all the way through. Notice the flat, level tone on "not established" — it's spoken as a calm judgment, not a dramatic accusation, which is exactly the tone calibrated evaluation should carry.
Your Turn
Your Turn
State a short argument on a real or plausible topic you know something about — evidence leading to a conclusion. When the timer starts, say the argument, then immediately evaluate it out loud using "established" or "not established," and name one specific fallacy (hasty generalization, post hoc reasoning, or another) your wording avoids or narrowly escapes.
Speak now — argument, then your live evaluation
Record Yourself
Record your argument and evaluation, then check whether you used 'not established' rather than a blunt 'wrong.'
Model Answer
Show a model answer
There's no single correct answer — what matters is the shape. For example: "Our sales rose the same week we changed the store layout, so the new layout worked. That's not established, though — it's close to post hoc reasoning, since the week also had a public holiday that could easily explain the rise on its own." Check that your evaluation named a specific fallacy, not just a vague "this might not be true."
Vocabulary in Context
not establishedphraseformal
a calibrated spoken judgment for a claim that is unproven, without claiming it's actually false (অপ্রমাণিত)
Often with not yet established, remain not established, claim is not established
“That the policy caused the drop is not established; we only know accidents fell afterwards.”
post hoc reasoningnoun phrasetechnical
assuming that because one event followed another, the first caused the second (পরবর্তী-অতএব-কারণ যুক্তি)
Often with avoid post hoc reasoning, fall into post hoc reasoning, example of post hoc reasoning
“Crediting the new rule just because accidents fell afterwards is post hoc reasoning.”
Self-Check
Self-Check
- Did you state your argument immediately, without a long planning pause?
- Did you use "established" or "not established" rather than a blunt "right" or "wrong"?
- Did you name one specific fallacy your argument avoids or narrowly escapes, live?
- Did you speak directly in English, without translating from Bangla first?
Next: Speaking 34 — Rhetorical Structure & Author Purpose: speaking a concession-then-rebuttal passage live, then naming your own purpose out loud.