Narrowing an Academic Argument | Learn French in English

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Use Narrowing an Academic Argument to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

Mon essai s'appuie sur des recherches, mais l'argument central manque de clarté.

mohn eh-SAY sah-POO-ee syr day ruh-SHAIRSH, may lar-gyu-MAHN sahn-TRAL mahnk duh klah-RAY. My essay draws on research, but the central argument feels unclear.

Les éléments de preuve sont pertinents, mais il faut mieux délimiter l'affirmation.

lay zay-lay-MAHN duh PREUV sohn pair-tee-NAHN, may eel foh MYUH day-lee-mee-TAY la-feer-mah-SYOHN. The evidence is relevant, yet the claim needs sharper boundaries.

Je crois que j'essaie de répondre à trop de questions.

zhuh KRWAH kuh zheh-SAY duh ray-POHNDR ah troh duh keh-STYOHN. I think I am trying to answer too many questions.

Cela arrive souvent quand le sujet est intéressant, mais très vaste.

suh-LAH ah-REEV soo-VAHN kahn luh syu-ZHAY eh ahn-tay-ray-SAHN, may tray VAST. That often happens when the topic is interesting but broad.

Comment puis-je le resserrer sans le rendre simpliste ?

koh-MAHN pwee-ZH luh ruh-sair-RAY sahn luh RAHNDR sahn-PLIST? How can I narrow it without making it simplistic?

Choisissez une tension qui apparaît dans plusieurs sources.

shwah-zee-SAY oon tahn-SYOHN kee ah-pah-RAY dahn ploo-ZYUR SOORS. Choose one tension that appears across several sources.

Je pourrai ainsi comparer les points de vue sans perdre l'idée principale.

zhuh poo-RAY ahn-SEE kohm-pah-RAY lay PWAHN duh VYUH sahn PAIRDR lee-DAY prehn-see-PAHL. Then I can compare perspectives without losing the main point.

Cette orientation permettra à chaque paragraphe de soutenir la même affirmation.

SET or-yahn-tah-SYOHN pair-may-TRAH ah SHAK pah-rah-GRAHF duh soo-tuh-NEER lah MEM ah-feer-mah-SYOHN. That focus will make each paragraph support the same claim.

Word by Word

Mon “Mon” means “my” here and introduces the speaker’s essay. It is used before the singular noun “essai” in “Mon essai”. A new example is “Mon projet avance bien.”

essai “essai” means “essay” here, the academic text being discussed. It is the noun after “Mon” in “Mon essai”. A new example is “Cet essai présente une thèse claire.”

s'appuie “s'appuie” means “draws on” or “relies on” here: the essay uses research as support. It belongs to the reusable pattern “s'appuie sur” followed by a source or basis; the citation form is s'appuyer. A new example is “Son analyse s'appuie sur des données récentes.”

sur “sur” means “on” or “upon” in “s'appuie sur des recherches”, linking what relies on something to its supporting basis. The pattern “s'appuyer sur” is followed by the source being used. A new example is “Cette conclusion s'appuie sur plusieurs études.”

des “des” introduces the plural noun “recherches” in “des recherches”, referring to research without specifying particular studies. It is used before a plural noun in this sentence. A new example is “Elle consulte des articles.”

recherches “recherches” means “research” here, referring to research that supports the essay. It follows “des” in “des recherches”. A new example is “Le rapport présente des recherches récentes.”

mais “mais” means “but” and introduces a contrast between the essay’s research support and the unclear central argument. It commonly links two contrasting statements. A new example is “L’idée est intéressante, mais elle reste imprécise.”

l'argument “l'argument” means “the argument” here, specifically the central claim or line of reasoning in the essay. The article is shortened before the vowel-starting noun in “l'argument central”. A new example is “L'argument principal apparaît dans l'introduction.”

central “central” means “central” or “main” here and identifies which argument is being discussed. It follows “l'argument” in “l'argument central”. A new example is “Le problème central concerne les sources.”

manque “manque” means “lacks” here: the central argument does not have enough clarity. In “manque de clarté”, the construction places “de” before what is lacking. A new example is “Cette explication manque de précision.”

de “de” links “manque” to the quality that is lacking in “manque de clarté”. The reusable pattern is “manquer de” followed by a quality or resource. A new example is “Le texte manque de cohérence.”

clarté “clarté” means “clarity” here, the quality missing from the central argument. It is the noun after “de” in “manque de clarté”. A new example is “La clarté de l’analyse est importante.”

Les “Les” means “the” before the plural noun phrase “Les éléments de preuve”. It identifies the evidence being discussed as a defined group. A new example is “Les résultats sont cohérents.”

éléments “éléments” means “elements” here and forms part of “Les éléments de preuve”, meaning the pieces of evidence. It is followed by “de preuve” to specify which elements are meant. A new example is “Les éléments du dossier sont complets.”

preuve “preuve” means “evidence” or “proof” here in the expression “éléments de preuve”. The pattern “éléments de preuve” refers to pieces of evidence supporting an argument. A new example is “Le chercheur présente des éléments de preuve.”

sont “sont” means “are” here and links “Les éléments de preuve” to the description “pertinents”. It is used in the pattern “sont + adjective” to describe a plural subject. A new example is “Les arguments sont convaincants.”

pertinents “pertinents” means “relevant” here, describing evidence that is connected to the claim. It follows “sont” and agrees with the plural subject “Les éléments”. A new example is “Ces exemples sont pertinents pour l’analyse.”

il “il” is the impersonal “it” in “il faut mieux délimiter l'affirmation”; it does not refer to a particular person or object. Together with “faut”, the expression presents something as necessary. A new example is “Il faut vérifier les sources.”

faut “faut” contributes the meaning “is necessary” in the impersonal expression “il faut mieux délimiter l'affirmation”. The reusable pattern “il faut” is followed by an infinitive for an action that is needed. A new example is “Il faut préciser le contexte.”

mieux “mieux” means “better” here and indicates that the claim should be delimited more effectively. It modifies “délimiter” in “mieux délimiter l'affirmation”. A new example is “Il faut mieux organiser les idées.”

délimiter “délimiter” means “to define the boundaries of” here, referring to making the claim more precise. It follows “il faut mieux” and takes “l'affirmation” as its object. A new example is “L’auteur doit délimiter son sujet.”

l'affirmation “l'affirmation” means “the claim” here, the statement whose boundaries need to be made clearer. The article is shortened before the vowel-starting noun. A new example is “L'affirmation doit être soutenue par des preuves.”

Je “Je” means “I” and marks the student as the person reflecting on the essay. It appears before the verb “crois” in “Je crois”. A new example is “Je comprends le problème.”

crois “crois” means “think” or “believe” here and introduces the student’s personal assessment. The pattern “Je crois que” introduces an opinion or belief. A new example is “Je crois que cet exemple est utile.”

que “que” means “that” here and introduces the content of the belief in “Je crois que j'essaie...”. It commonly follows expressions such as “Je crois” before a full clause. A new example is “Je pense que la conclusion est claire.”

j'essaie “j'essaie” means “I am trying” here and describes the student’s current effort to answer too many questions. It is followed by the infinitive “répondre” in “j'essaie de répondre”; the citation form is essayer. A new example is “J'essaie de préciser mon idée.”

répondre “répondre” means “to answer” here, referring to answering questions in the essay. The reusable pattern is “répondre à” followed by the question or person receiving the answer. A new example is “L’article cherche à répondre à cette question.”

à “à” means “to” in “répondre à trop de questions” and marks what is being answered. The verb “répondre” is commonly followed by “à” and its object. A new example is “Elle répond à son professeur.”

trop “trop” means “too many” here and shows that the number of questions is excessive for the essay’s focus. It comes before the plural noun phrase “trop de questions”. A new example is “Le texte contient trop d’idées.”

questions “questions” means “questions” here, the issues the student is trying to answer. It follows “trop de” in “trop de questions”. A new example is “Ces questions demandent une réponse précise.”

Cela “Cela” means “that” here and refers to the student’s difficulty of trying to answer too many questions. It is used as the subject of “Cela arrive souvent”. A new example is “Cela arrive dans les premiers brouillons.”

arrive “arrive” means “happens” here and describes the occurrence of the problem. The pattern “Cela arrive quand...” introduces a situation in which something happens. A new example is “Cela arrive quand le sujet est trop large.”

souvent “souvent” means “often” and says that this problem happens frequently. It is placed after “arrive” in “Cela arrive souvent”. A new example is “Les étudiants hésitent souvent au début.”

quand “quand” means “when” and introduces the condition or situation in which the problem occurs. It is followed by the clause “le sujet est intéressant”. A new example is “Je prends des notes quand le cours commence.”

le “le” means “the” before the singular noun “sujet” in “le sujet”. It identifies the topic already under discussion. A new example is “Le texte présente une difficulté.”

sujet “sujet” means “topic” or “subject” here, referring to the essay topic. It is the subject of “est intéressant” in “le sujet est intéressant”. A new example is “Le sujet de l’essai est complexe.”

est “est” means “is” here and links “le sujet” to the descriptions “intéressant” and “vaste”. It is used in the pattern “est + adjective”. A new example is “Le sujet est important.”

intéressant “intéressant” means “interesting” here and describes the topic as engaging. It follows “est” in “le sujet est intéressant”. A new example is “Cette question est intéressante.”

très “très” means “very” and strengthens the adjective “vaste” in “très vaste”. It is placed directly before the adjective it intensifies. A new example is “Le domaine est très vaste.”

vaste “vaste” means “broad” or “very wide-ranging” here, describing a topic that covers too much. It follows “très” in “très vaste”. A new example is “Le thème de la recherche est vaste.”

Comment “Comment” means “how” and asks about the method for narrowing the topic. It begins the question “Comment puis-je le resserrer...”. A new example is “Comment puis-je améliorer cette phrase ?”

puis-je “puis-je” expresses “can I” in this question about whether the student can narrow the topic. It is the inverted question form used after “Comment”, with the pronoun placed after the verb. A new example is “Puis-je utiliser cette source ?”

resserrer “resserrer” means “to narrow” or “tighten” here, referring to making the argument more focused. It follows “puis-je” and takes “le” as its object in “le resserrer”. A new example is “Il faut resserrer l’argument principal.”

sans “sans” means “without” and introduces an action or result that should be avoided. In “sans le rendre simpliste”, it is followed by an infinitive construction. A new example is “Elle résume le texte sans perdre les détails importants.”

rendre “rendre” means “to make” or “to render” here, describing the result of making the argument simplistic. In “sans le rendre simpliste”, it is followed by the object “le” and an adjective. A new example is “Cette modification peut rendre le texte plus clair.”

simpliste “simpliste” means “simplistic” here, describing an argument that is reduced in an overly simple way. It follows “rendre le” in the construction “rendre le ... simpliste”. A new example is “Une réponse simpliste ignore les nuances.”

Choisissez “Choisissez” means “choose” here and gives the student direct advice about selecting one tension. It is an imperative form addressed to the student; the citation form is choisir. A new example is “Choisissez une source fiable.”

une “une” means “a” or “one” here and introduces the singular noun “tension”. It presents one selected item in “une tension”. A new example is “Choisissez une question précise.”

tension “tension” means “tension” here, referring to a recurring conflict or opposition in the sources. It is the object after “Choisissez une” in “Choisissez une tension”. A new example is “L’essai examine une tension entre deux perspectives.”

qui “qui” means “that” or “which” here and introduces a relative clause describing “une tension”. It is followed by “apparaît” in “une tension qui apparaît...”. A new example is “C’est une idée qui revient dans plusieurs textes.”

apparaît “apparaît” means “appears” here, saying that the tension is present in several sources. It is the verb in the relative clause introduced by “qui”; the citation form is apparaître. A new example is “Cette distinction apparaît dans l’introduction.”

dans “dans” means “in” here and places the tension within several sources. It is followed by “plusieurs sources” in “apparaît dans plusieurs sources”. A new example is “Cette idée apparaît dans le rapport.”

plusieurs “plusieurs” means “several” here and indicates more than one source without giving an exact number. It comes before the plural noun “sources”. A new example is “Plusieurs auteurs défendent cette position.”

sources “sources” means “sources” here, referring to the texts in which the tension appears. It follows “plusieurs” in “plusieurs sources”. A new example is “Il faut comparer plusieurs sources.”

pourrai “pourrai” means “will be able to” here and expresses the student’s future ability to compare perspectives after narrowing the argument. It is followed by the infinitive “comparer” in “Je pourrai ainsi comparer...”; the citation form is pouvoir. A new example is “Je pourrai vérifier cette information demain.”

ainsi “ainsi” means “in this way” or “thus” here and connects the chosen focus with the resulting ability to compare perspectives. It appears before “comparer” in “pourrai ainsi comparer”. A new example is “Ainsi, l’analyse reste centrée.”

comparer “comparer” means “to compare” here, referring to examining different perspectives side by side. It follows “Je pourrai ainsi” and takes “les points de vue” as its object. A new example is “L’étudiant doit comparer les résultats.”

points “points” means “points” here as part of “points de vue”, meaning perspectives or viewpoints. The expression “points de vue” is used after “comparer” as the perspectives being compared. A new example is “Les points de vue diffèrent selon les auteurs.”

vue “vue” contributes “view” in the expression “points de vue”, which means perspectives or viewpoints here. It combines with “points de” rather than being interpreted alone in this context. A new example is “Elle présente un point de vue différent.”

perdre “perdre” means “to lose” here, referring to losing the main idea while comparing perspectives. It follows “sans” in “sans perdre l'idée principale”. A new example is “Il compare les sources sans perdre son objectif.”

l'idée “l'idée” means “the idea” here, referring to the main idea of the essay. The article is shortened before the vowel-starting noun in “l'idée principale”. A new example is “L'idée apparaît dans la conclusion.”

principale “principale” means “main” here and specifies that “l'idée” is the central idea. It follows the noun in “l'idée principale”. A new example is “La question principale reste ouverte.”

Cette “Cette” means “this” here and points back to the focused direction just described. It introduces the singular noun “orientation” in “Cette orientation”. A new example is “Cette méthode facilite la lecture.”

orientation “orientation” means “direction” or “focus” here, referring to the chosen narrow direction for the essay. It is the subject of “permettra” in “Cette orientation permettra...”. A new example is “Cette orientation donne une unité à l’analyse.”

permettra “permettra” means “will allow” or “will make possible” here and describes the future effect of the focused direction. It is followed by “à chaque paragraphe de soutenir...”; the citation form is permettre. A new example is “Cette structure permettra au lecteur de suivre l’argument.”

chaque “chaque” means “each” or “every” here and refers to the paragraphs one by one. It is followed by the singular noun “paragraphe”. A new example is “Chaque section présente une idée.”

paragraphe “paragraphe” means “paragraph” here, referring to each part of the essay. It follows “chaque” and is the subject associated with “soutenir”. A new example is “Chaque paragraphe doit avoir une fonction claire.”

soutenir “soutenir” means “to support” here, describing what each paragraph should do for the same claim. It follows “permettra ... de” in “permettra à chaque paragraphe de soutenir...”. A new example is “Les données soutiennent l’hypothèse.”

la “la” means “the” before the singular noun “même affirmation” in “la même affirmation”. It identifies the specific claim that all paragraphs should support. A new example is “La conclusion reprend la même idée.”

même “même” means “same” here and emphasizes that every paragraph should support one identical claim. It appears before “affirmation” in “la même affirmation”. A new example is “Les deux paragraphes défendent la même position.”

affirmation “affirmation” means “claim” or “assertion” here, the clear statement supported by every paragraph. It is the object of “soutenir” in “soutenir la même affirmation”. A new example is “L’affirmation doit être appuyée par des preuves.”

Grammar Points

s'appuyer sur + nom

L'essai s'appuie sur des recherches pertinentes.

lay-SAY sah-POO-ee syr day ruh-SHAIRSH pair-tee-NAHN.

The essay draws on relevant research.

The pronominal verb s'appuyer requires sur before the source or basis.

permettra de + infinitif

L'orientation permettra de soutenir l'idée principale.

lor-yahn-tah-SYOHN pair-may-TRAH duh soo-tuh-NEER lee-DAY prehn-see-PAHL.

The focus will allow us to support the main point.

After permettra, use de followed by an infinitive to express what will be allowed.

French Vocabulary

affirmation noun

ah-feer-mah-SYOHN claim

argument central phrase

ar-gyu-MAHN sahn-TRAL central argument

crois verb

KRWAH think

délimiter verb

day-lee-mee-TAY to define boundaries for

éléments de preuve phrase

ay-lay-MAHN duh PREUV evidence

essai noun

eh-SAY essay

essaie verb

eh-SAY am trying

manque de clarté phrase

mahnk duh klah-RAY lacks clarity

pertinents adj

pair-tee-NAHN relevant

recherches noun

ruh-SHAIRSH research

répondre verb

ray-POHNDR to answer

s'appuie verb

sah-POO-ee draws on

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

claim

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affirmation

relevant

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pertinents

essay

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essai

research

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recherches