+Introduction to Argument

From The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing andNorton Field Guide to Writing

+What Is Argument?

Taking a position The position is the writer’s main claimmain claim

Supporting that position with reasons Additional claims may be included as support

Providing evidence to support the reasons

Identifying and responding to alternative positions: counterargumentscounterarguments

+Stating the Position

A thesis statement is a sentence (or two) that encapsulates your paper’s argument

Parts of a thesis statement: Claim + Reasons + Evidence

Qualifying a claim makes refuting it more difficult After-school jobs are bad for teenagers After-school jobs are often bad for teenagers

+Types of Evidence Summaries of research studies

Statistics

Expert testimony

Observation Used in ethnographic studies Used in fields such as education and marketing

Interviews

Surveys

+Evaluating Evidence Field specificity

Is this type of evidence commonly used and respected in the field?

Recency Is this evidence current?

Relevance Does this evidence apply to the topic being examined?

Impartiality What are the biases of this evidence?

Sufficiency Are there enough examples to justify the point?

+Counterarguments

Two ways to respond to anticipated objections to your position

Rebutting Explaining why this objection is not valid

Conceding Admitting that this objection is valid

+Types of Appeals

Logos

Ethos

Pathos

+Logos

Appeals to reason and logic Just the cold, hard facts, ma’am “Any reasonable person would see…”

+Ethos

Appeals based on credibility Establishing one’s experience, knowledge, and ability Taking a reasonable tone for one’s audience “I’m not a doctor, but I play one on TV.”

+Pathos

Appeals to emotions and shared values “Do it for the kids… [or the community, the environment,

your country, and so forth]” The heart-string tug