Developing a Rebuttal
If a claim is in fact arguable, whether it is your thesis or some claim you make in the process of building support for your thesis, then
you must be able to imagine someone who would disagree with the claim in some way or another. In order to present a fair and
convincing message, you may need to anticipate and address that dispute. It isn’t always easy to see the need for rebuttals from our
own perspective, so it is helpful to imagine the dissenting audience.
In most cases, your primary audience will be fence-sitters. Fence-sitters are people who have not decided which side of the argument
to support. People who already agree with your argument will not need a lot of information to align with your position. People who
are completely against your argument will probably never align with your position no matter how much information you provide.
Therefore, the audience you should consider most important are those people who haven't decided which side of the argument they
will support—the fence-sitters. However, one way to reach the fence-sitters and more clearly establish your own position is to clearly
respond to critics, whether real or imagined. You can do this by taking a “They say, while I say” approach.
Start by clearly identifying your own claim (this can be your primary claim or thesis, or some smaller claim that supports your thesis).
Then, imagine as many possible ways an imagined opponent might disagree or complicate that claim (if you can’t think of any
opposing views, then you don’t have a claim and may need to revisit your thesis or at the very least the idea you have identified as a
claim). Think of it this way:
While I say _________, “they” say _________.
If you can, try to define who the “they” might be: simply other readers? people of a different age? from a different culture? teachers?
students? administrators? Consider your “they” when you craft your rebuttal. If you shoot for convincing the unconvincable critic, you
have a better chance of reaching the fence-sitters who are your real audience.
Once you have done some thinking about your critics’ objections, consider your response:
While I say _________, “they” say _________. However, I would respond with _________.
Writing Your Rebuttal
When you rebut or refute an opposing position, use the following three-part organization:
The opponent’s argument: At the beginning of your paragraph, you need to state, accurately and fairly, the main points of the
argument you will refute. If you identified a specific “they,” name them in the sentence. “Some school administrators might say…”
Your position: Next, make clear the nature of your disagreement with the argument or position you are refuting. Your might assert,
for example, that a critic’s objection is unfounded because it relies on evidence that is outdated, or that the argument is filled with
fallacies, or that the benefits/strengths of your opinion outweigh the objection in specific ways.
Your refutation: The specifics of your counterargument will depend upon the nature of your disagreement. If you challenge the
critic’s evidence, then you must present more recent or relevant evidence. If you challenge assumptions, then you must explain why
they do not hold up. If your position is that the piece is filled with fallacies, then you must present and explain each fallacy.
Adapted in part from the Purdue University OWL - owl.english.purdue.edu