Formal writing and argumentation
Essay architecture, evidence, hedging, cohesion, subjunctive evaluation, and revision.
Formal writing guides the reader through a claim, evidence, limits, and consequence
A strong Catalan essay does not merely collect advanced connectors. It announces the problem, defines scope, advances a controlled line of reasoning, acknowledges counterevidence, and closes with a conclusion proportional to the evidence. Paragraphs need one governing idea and explicit reference.
A reusable essay architecture
| Stage | Purpose | Useful language |
|---|---|---|
| introduction | frame the issue and thesis | Aquest text examina... · La qüestió que es planteja és... |
| first line of argument | present a reason/evidence | En primer lloc... · D’una banda... |
| contrast/qualification | test the claim | Tanmateix... · Ara bé... · Tot i això... |
| second perspective | add or oppose | D’altra banda... · Pel que fa a... |
| consequence | show logical outcome | Per tant... · En conseqüència... |
| conclusion | answer without adding new evidence | En conclusió... · En definitiva... |
Argumentation and evidence
Distinguish the source from your inference: Segons les dades..., l’estudi assenyala que..., aquests resultats suggereixen que.... Use d’acord amb for a framework/source and arran de for a cause triggered by an event. Avoid vague es diu que when a source is available.
Hedging without vagueness
| Strength | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| strong supported claim | les dades demostren que | Les dades demostren que la bretxa s’ha reduït. |
| measured inference | sembla que / tot indica que | Tot indica que la tendència continuarà. |
| possible interpretation | es podria dir que / podria indicar | Això podria indicar un canvi d’hàbits. |
| scope limit | en part / fins a cert punt | La mesura és, fins a cert punt, efectiva. |
| explicit uncertainty | no es pot descartar que + subj. | No es pot descartar que hi hagi altres factors. |
Hedging is not weakness; it aligns grammatical certainty with evidence. Do not stack several empty hedges in one sentence.
Subjunctive in formal evaluation
Use subjunctive after non-assertion and evaluation: és probable que augmenti; cal que es revisi; no es pot descartar que hi hagi; convé que les dades siguin públiques. Use indicative when you assert the proposition: les dades mostren que augmenta.
Cohesion and revision checklist
- Can every demonstrative—aquest fet, aquesta situació—be traced to one clear antecedent?
- Does each paragraph begin with a claim or frame and then support it?
- Have you varied connectors by logical meaning rather than as decoration?
- Are nominalizations hiding an actor who should be named?
- Does the conclusion match the evidence and avoid a new argument?
- Have you checked apostrophes, accents, pronoun combinations, and agreement?
Examples in context
En primer lloc, cal definir amb precisió l’abast del problema.
First, the scope of the problem must be defined precisely.
D’una banda, la mesura redueix els costos; de l’altra, pot limitar l’accés.
On the one hand, the measure reduces costs; on the other, it may limit access.
Tanmateix, les dades disponibles encara són insuficients.
Nevertheless, the available data are still insufficient.
D’acord amb l’informe, la participació ha augmentat un dotze per cent.
According to the report, participation has increased by twelve percent.
Aquests resultats suggereixen que caldria ampliar la mostra.
These results suggest that the sample should be expanded.
No es pot descartar que hi hagi un biaix de selecció.
It cannot be ruled out that there is a selection bias.
Podria dir-se que el model és útil, si bé presenta limitacions importants.
It could be said that the model is useful, although it has important limitations.
Per tant, convé que les institucions revisin els criteris actuals.
Therefore, the institutions should review the current criteria.
En conclusió, la reforma és necessària, però requereix més consens.
In conclusion, the reform is necessary, but it requires more consensus.
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