Here’s what each part of this structure means:

HOW – how does the author present their argument (quotes? literary techniques? visuals?)

WHAT – what are the arguments of the author (what is the author saying about the topic)

WHY – why does the author present their argument in this particular way (another way to view this is, how does the author’s argument make audiences think , feel and respond?

So, an example of a HOW-WHAT-WHY could include

Drawing heavily upon inclusive language (how), the author repeatedly asserts that “we have to act now in implementing this ban” (what). This is designed to instill a sense of panic within the audiences who are encouraged to place political pressure on government officials (why).

With the HOW-WHAT-WHY structure in mind, the overall structure of an argument analysis may look like (but is not limited to) this:

[1] Introduction (100-150 words)

[2] Paragraphs x 3 (250-300 each paragraph)

[3] Conclusion (50-75 words)

And then breaking down each paragraph, the structure may look like:

[1] Topic Sentence

[2] HOW-WHAT-WHY (x 3)

[3] Linking Sentence

Now of course the structure shown here and the numbers are only a rough guide, but the main idea being conveyed here, is that the HOW-WHAT-WHY is what takes up most of your body paragraphs. Using this structure will help you avoid one of the most common mistakes which is summarising the article rather than analysing it