Argument
“The end of argument or discussion
should be, not victory, but
enlightenment.”
--Joseph Joubert
Argument
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“Everything we say or do presents some
kind of argument, takes some kind of
position” (82).
“A genre of writing that uses reasons and
evidence to support a claim or position
and, sometimes, to persuade an audience
to accept that position” (489).
Key Features
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A clear and arguable position—a position
must be arguable and have at least two
sides or points of view. You must argue
something that is plausible, reasonable,
supportable, and worthy of being taken
seriously.
Key Features
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Necessary background information—
sometimes there is additional information
that must be presented so the reader can
fully understand the argument
Good reasons—a position itself cannot
make an argument; the argument comes
from the reasons provided to back up the
argument
Key Features
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Convincing support—in order for your
argument to be fully understood, you
must provide support for your reasons.
Support can include: facts, statistics,
expert testimony, anecdotal evidence,
case studies, textual evidence, etc.
Key Features
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Appeals to the readers values—appeals try to
reach the reader on three possible levels.
Emotional appeal—soliciting (playing to)
emotions in people using such emotions as fear,
rage, hope, vanity, etc.
Logical appeal—establishing truths, opinions
from experts, expert testimony, primary sources,
statistics, personal experiences, etc.
Ethical appeal—this is the image portrayed of
the writer; the writer sounds fair minded,
pleasant, objective, etc.
Key Features
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A trustworthy tone—the perception the
audience has of the writer (or presenter);
it is how we sound to the audience. You
win the audience by sounding like you
know what you are talking about.
Key Features
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Careful consideration of other positions—there
will always be people who disagree with your
position. We need to consider those positions
and acknowledge those views and opinions, and
if possible refute them in our own arguments.
Considering others’ views gives the writer
credibility by making the audience believe that
the writer has considered all possible “parts” to
the argument and fully understands the issue.
Choosing a Topic
Pick a topic:
• Of interest to you
• That you aren’t too close to
• That is focused, but not too narrow
• That you have a personal connection to
Choosing a Topic
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Think about roles you play such as:
personal, family, school, work, public, etc.
Make sure the argument covers only one
issue
Proof
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Thesis—a claim or statement of the
writer’s position or main point
Qualify your thesis:
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Can
Can
Can
Can
it
it
it
it
be
be
be
be
true
true
true
true
in some cases?
at some times?
for some groups or people?
under certain circumstances?
Proof
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Come up with good reasons?
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Why is this true?
How can we prove it?
Develop support:
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Facts
Statistics
Scenarios
Expert testimony
Textual evidence
Case studies or observations
Anecdotal evidence
Acknowledging Other Positions
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Remember that this goes to your credibility. It
appears that you have done the research fully.
Acknowledge others by:
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Conceding doubts, concerns, objections, etc.
Refute other positions
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Is their reasoning flawed?
Is their evidence inadequate?
Are there short comings?
Watch for fallacies
Writing a Draft
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Beginnings—are important to attract our readers
and tell them what is to come. Here is how:
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Offer background information
Define key terms
Get the readers’ attention
Explain the context for your position
State your thesis
Forecast your organization
Ask a question
Give a quote
Connect your subject to the readers’ interests
Writing a Draft
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Ending—these are the last words the
reader will read, so you want them to
remember your piece. Here is how:
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Restate your main points
Discuss the implications of your argument
Refer to the beginning
Propose an action
Give a quote
Ask a rhetorical question
Think About Design

How will the textual layout influence the
reader? Look at:
 Typeface
 Headings
 Lists
 Graphs
 Illustrations
 White
Space
Revising
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Is there sufficient background or contextual information?
Is there a clear thesis?
Are the reasons plausible?
Is there enough support?
Are the sources appropriate?
Do you have enough sources?
Are they credible?
Can readers follow your line of reasoning?
Have you considered potential objections?
Are the sources documented fully and carefully?
Looking at Your Work
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What did you do well?
What could be improved?
How did you go about researching this topic?
How did others respond to your work?
How did you go about drafting your piece?
Did you do graphic elements?
Did they help?
What would you do differently next time?
What have you learned about your writing ability?
What do you need to work on for future writings?