Argumentative Writing

What Is Argument?

A persuasive discourse, a coherent and considered movement from a claim to a conclusion

A means of better understanding other people’s ideas as well as your own

Why We Argue? Arguments to Convince

› Establish significance/concern Arguments to Persuade

› Move to action Arguments to Inform

› Provide information Arguments to Explore

› Analyzes varying views of the same data/idea Arguments to Make Decisions

› Encourage wise decisions

Occasions For ArgumentPAST FUTURE PRESENT

What is it called?

Forensic Deliberative Epideictic

What are its concerns?

What happened in the past?

What should be done in the

future?

Who or what deserves praise or blame?

What does it look like?

Court decisions, legal breifs, legislative hearings,

investigative reports,

academic studies

Proposals, bills, regulations, mandates

Eulogies, graduation speeches, inaugural addresses, roasts

Staking a Claim

Claim = an assertion or proposition› Must be arguable (can’t be a statement of

fact)› Answers What’s your point? Where do you

stand on that?› Statement supported by evidence

› 3 Types: claims of fact, claims of value, and claims of policy

Evidence & Reasons So Claim

Which of these are claims?

1.) SUV owners should be required to pay an energy surcharge.2.) Charter schools are an alternative to public schools.3.) Requiring students to wear uniforms improves school spirit.4.) The terms global warming and climate change describe different perspectives of a complex issue.5.) Students graduating from college today can expect to have more debt that any previous generation.6.) Print newspapers will not survive another decade.7.) People who read novels are more likely to attend sports events and movies than those who don’t.

Claims of Fact

Assert that something is true or not true› Ex: Zimbabwe has an unstable government

Facts are arguable when they are questioned, when they raise controversy, or when they challenge people’s beliefs

Read Amy Domini’s “Why Investing in Fast Food May Be a Good Thing”› Find her claims› Which ones are claims of fact?

Claims of Policy

Change proposal Argument of policy: Definition of the

problem (claim of fact), explanation of why it’s a problem (claim of value), and then an explanation of the change that needs to occur (claim of policy)

Read Anna Quindlen’s The C Word in the Hallways excerpt

Claims of Value Argues that something is good or bad, right

or wrong, desirable or undesirable Personal judgments based on preference or

objective evaluations based on external criteria

Ex: Leonardo DiCaprio is the best leading man in Hollywood

Need to establish specific standards or criteria

Read Roger Ebert’s “Star Wars”

Activity

In small groups, read “Felons and the Right to Vote” and annotate the claims. Identify each claim as fact, value, or policy.

Revision Time

Think about what claim(s) you want to make in your revised essay.

If you are choosing 1 claim, then you need to establish your criteria.

Think about potential evidence- examples, facts, quotes (you don’t need to be specific yet)

Are you going to address a counterargument?

From Claim to Thesis More specific about what you are arguing Sets purpose and point of view

› Look at “The C Word in the Hallways”- find the thesis statement

Traditionally, a single sentence in the introduction (typically the final sentence)

Should preview the essay with clear, unambiguous language while establishing main points

Types: Closed Thesis (Restricted), Open Thesis, Counterargument Thesis

Closed Thesis Main idea of the argument that also

previews the major points Limits the number of points

› Ex: “The three-dimensional characters, exciting plot, and complex themes of the Harry Potter series make them not only legendary children’s books but enduring literary classics” (Shea 95).

› Reliable for a short essay› Organizational help

Open Thesis

Doesn’t list all of the author’s points› Ex: “The popularity of the Harry Potter

series demonstrates that simplicity trumps complexity when it comes to the taste of readers, both young and old” (Shea 96).

› More effective for longer essays

Counterargument Thesis Both open and closed thesis Summary of a counterarguments, typically

qualified by although or but, precedes the writer’s opinion› Ex: “Although the Harry Potter series may have

some literary merit, its popularity has less to do with storytelling than with merchandising” (Shea 96).

› Immediately addresses counterarguments› Argument seems both stronger and more

reliable

Revision

Look at your essay- do you have a thesis statement? Where is it located?

Revise your thesis statement- needs to fall into one of the three categories.

First-Hand Evidence

Personal Experience› Adds a human element, appeals to pathos› Effective for intro and conclusion

Anecdotes (stories about other people)› Appeals to pathos

Current Events (locally, nationally, globally)› Connects with reader› Beware of bias and confusion of multiple

perspectives

Second-Hand Evidence

Historical Information (verifiable facts)› Background to current events/debates› Keep account brief

Expert Opinion› Make sure the “expert” is credible

Quantitative Evidence (stats, surveys, polls)› Appeal to logos

Always Have

*Relevant, Accurate, and Sufficient Sources*

Activity

Read Dana Thomas’ “Terror’s Purse Strings”

Annotate the essay below by identifying the different types of first- and second-hand evidence

As a group discuss which type of evidence was most effective for Thomas’ argument?

Finding Evidence

Consider your audience- which type of evidence will appeal to them?

Consider your purpose*Remember that the research method

varies by assignment*

Evaluating Sources Relevance: How closely related to your topic is the

source? Author Credentials: Is the author an expert on your

topic? Author Stance: What is the author’s position on the

issue? Does it affect the information provided? Publisher/Sponsor Credentials: Is the

publisher/sponsor well-known or widely-read? Publisher/Sponsor Stance: Any biases? Currency: Date of publication? Accuracy: Other information cited? Specialization Level: Is general or specific sources

preferred?

Special Considerations for Electronic Sources

Who can post on the website? What type of site?

› .com (commercial), .org (nonprofit organization), .edu (educational institute), .gov (government agency), .net (network)

› Location: .ca (Canada) or .uk (United Kingdom) Can you determine credibility? Are other sources credited and well-

documented? How current is the website? What perspectives are represented?

Synthesizing Sources

Grammar

Work Cited

Lunsford, Andrea A., John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters. Everything's an Argument with Readings. Boston: Bedford, 2013. Print.

Shea, Renee Hausmann, Lawrence Scanlon, and Robin Dissin Aufses. The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric. 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Bedford, 2013. Print.