Building your argument
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Question
Topic vs line of inquiry?
Answer
A topic names what you'll discuss; a line of inquiry is your argument about it.
Question
What must the line of inquiry cover?
Answer
Both works — the literary and the non-literary.
Question
Why do you need one?
Answer
It keeps the oral focused (Criterion C) — otherwise it's a list.
Question
A line of inquiry argues…
Answer
HOW each work explores the global issue.
Question
Must it be developable?
Answer
Yes — rich enough to sustain ten minutes of analysis.
Question
What does every point in the oral do?
Answer
Develops the line of inquiry.
Question
Which criterion does it serve most?
Answer
Criterion C — focus and organisation.
Question
The commonest weak IO?
Answer
One built on a topic, not an argument — it becomes a list.
Question
How specific should it be?
Answer
Specific enough to argue, broad enough to develop for ten minutes.
Question
Line of inquiry in one line?
Answer
One developable argument about how both works explore the issue.
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Building your argument
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