LESSON 4.6
Grade 3 (optional grades 1-2)
Circular Reasoning
Now let’s tell the bigger reason your animal is important. We will use the aye-aye as an example.
What the Why Statement Is
Have you ever had to do something but were not told why it was important? Wouldn’t you do the task better if you knew why? The Why Statement tells why the What Statement is important.
The Organization of an Essay
So far you have learned that an essay has a What Statement:
A What Statement has two ideas joined by a verb phrase
In this example essay, the What Statement looks like this:
If I could be any wild animal,
Now we will add the Why Statement:
Now we will add the Why Statement:
| What Statement | Why Statement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-hand (LH) | Verb Phrase | Right-hand (RH) | because | Why (Y) |
| I | would be | an aye-aye lemur | because | ? |
The Why tells why the What is important.
What you are talking (writing) about Why it is important
| What Statement | Why Statement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-hand (LH) | Verb Phrase | Right-hand (RH) | because | |
| I | would be | an aye-aye lemur | because | |
Don’t Repeat Yourself
For example:
I like aye-aye lemurs because they are cute.
| What Statement | Why Statement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-hand (LH) | Verb Phrase | Right-hand (RH) | because | Why |
| I | would be | an aye-aye lemur | because | they are cute |
Wouldn’t you have said that in the New?
| What Statement | Why Statement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-hand (OLD) | Verb Phrase | Right-hand (NEW) | because | Why |
| I | would be | an aye-aye lemur | because | they are cute |
You would be saying this: If I could be any wild animal, I would be an aye-aye lemur (which is a cute animal) because they are cute animals.
Circular Reasoning
Let’s say your teacher told you to write about what you like to do and why you like to do it. You wrote, I like carving ivory swans because it’s fun.
| What Statement | Why Statement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-hand (OLD) | Verb Phrase | Right-hand (NEW) | because | Why |
| I | like | carving ivory swans | because | it’s fun. |
However, don’t we know it’s fun? After all, you said you like to do the activity.
So your Summary Statement looks like this:
| What Statement | Why Statement | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left-hand (OLD) | Verb Phrase | Right-hand (NEW) | because | Why |
| I | like | carving ivory swans | because | it’s fun. |
Task 4.6.1 – Small Group
Tell which of the following have circular reasoning.
- Mop the kitchen floor. It’s dirty.
- We can save money by heating with wood, because heating with wood isn’t expensive.
- You need to obey the law because it’s the law.
- My sister is the prettiest girl in school because she’s beautiful.
- Mop the kitchen floor. One of you kids spilled syrup on it this morning.