SECRET CODES
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JKLMNOPQR
STUVWXYZ
DBU=CAT
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ARGUMENT S
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Q UARREL
GOAL:
Define argumentative
texts
who gets to eat
the first/last
piece of cake
who gets to
control the tv
channel/
program
5 SILLY THINGS
SIBLINGS
FREQUENTLY
ARGUE ABOUT?
who gets to do the
household chores
who gets to
feed
the pets
who gets to
have the toy
ARGUMENTATIVE
TEXT
Argumentative Text
• It is a text that specializes in expressing
positions and ideas through opinions on certain
topics.
• It uses persuasive writing in order to persuade
and convert the audience.
• Its purpose is to share an idea that is supported
by your reasoning and is intended to
demonstrate the truth or otherwise of an issue.
Argumentative Text
• It contains the following: the claims, the evidence,
the reason, and the counterclaim.
• It is a text that argues in a sense that it proves a
hypothesis, a proposition, a theory, or an opinion to
an opposite hypothesis, proposition, theory, idea, or
opinion.
• It is usually written in five paragraphs to show the
pros and cons, with claims and subpoints for each.
Argumentative Text
• It uses a declarative sentence in stating your
argument.
• It uses connectives or transitions to have a logical
flow of ideas.
• It is supported with research, statistics quotes from
experts, or facts from solid evidence.
• It ends with a striking conclusion, a solution, or a
call to action.
Direction: Write T if the given statement is True. write F if
it is false. Then, write the word that makes the statement
incorrect.
1. It uses interrogative sentence in stating your argument.
2. It uses descriptive writing in order to persuade the
audience.
3. It is usually written in three paragraphs to show the pros
and cons, with claims and subpoints for each.
4. It is a text that specializes in expressing positions and
ideas through opinions on certain topics.
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CLAIMS
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E VIDENCE
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REBUTTAL
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REFUTATION
GOAL:
Identify key structural elements
argumentative texts
Remarkable Arachnid
Spiders are the best creatures. An air-breathing
class of arachnids — eight-legged invertebrate
arthropods — spiders are a misunderstood and
widely feared creature. They are not insects, as
some people believe, and they generally pose no
real threat to humans. In fact, spiders contribute
to the world through insect control.
They also provide a source of natural beauty
and wonder, and a potential source of new
medicines to treat debilitating diseases. While all
spiders are venomous, only 9 or 10 species of
the nearly 50,000 species of spiders pose any
threat to humans. Furthermore, even the more
dangerous spiders do not seek to hurt humans;
it is only through accidental contact that spider
bites occur.
Spiders do, however, pose a real threat to insects,
including those that are truly dangerous to
humans. For instance, spiders eat mosquitoes and
cockroaches, two insects that are known to spread
deadly diseases. They also eat pesky insects like
earwigs and flies. Spiders are a real boon in home
gardens and on large farms, too, because they
serve as a natural form of pest control: they feast
on aphids, moths, and beetles that can be
devastating to flowers and crops.
Processing Questions:
1. What is the general topic all about?
2. What is the position of the writer
about the topic?
3. Cite two pieces of evidence that
would support the writer’s position on
the topic.
Key Structural
Elements of
Argumentative
Text
Key Structural Elements of
Argumentative Text
COUNTERCLAIM
REASON
ARGUMENTATION
REBUTTAL
EVIDENCE
CLAIM
CLAIM
“Argument for an opinion”
It is the position taken by
the writer; what the writer
is trying to prove or argue.
Claim: What do I think?
CLAIM
• Spiders are the best creatures.
• Children should have cellphones.
• Everyone should stop wearing belts because it
would save lives.
• Eating too many carbohydrates is the primary
reason some people are overweight
COUNTERCLAIM
“Rebuttal to a claim.”
It is the opposing position,
the counterargument.
Counterclaim:
What is the other side?
COUNTERCLAIM
• Spiders are not the best creatures.
• Children should not have cellphones.
• Everyone should not stop wearing belts
because it would save lives.
• Eating too many carbohydrates is not primary
reason some people are overweight
COUNTERCLAIM
• Many people argue that bullying is a natural
part of our humanity and that preventative
measures are ineffective against this element
of the human condition; however, they fail to
understand that bullying is a cycle that has
been perpetuated for centuries and that all
cycles can be broken.
COUNTERCLAIM
• Advocates of the use of E-cigarettes claim that
these electronic cigarettes are not toxic to others
in the smoker's vicinity because it is just water
vapor that is expelled into the air; they
emphasize that there is no tobacco or carbon
monoxide released. While this is true, what
these proponents fail to mention are the other
harmful elements that are in the released vapor.
REASON
“What reason can you give me to believe that?”
It is provided to support a claim;
reasons are supported by
evidence.
REASON: What reason can you give me to
believe that?” ?
REASON
• They are not insects, as some people
believe, and they generally pose no real
threat to humans.
• Spiders contribute to the world through
insect control.
REASON
• Liberal arts is best [claim] because it
teaches students independent thinking
[reason];
• Everyone should stop wearing seat belts
[claim] because it would save lives [reason].
REASON
• That was Newman's best [claim] because it
presented the most difficult role [reason];
• Global warming is real [claim] because the
most reputable science points in that
direction [reason].
EVIDENCE
“How do I know (proof)?”
It is used to support or prove
a reason; statistics, facts,
quotations, surveys, etc.
Evidence: How do I know?
EVIDENCE
“Rebuttal to a claim.”
• While all spiders are venomous, only 9 or 10
species of the nearly 50,000 species of spiders
pose any threat to humans.
• For instance, spiders eat mosquitoes and
cockroaches, two insects that are known to
spread deadly diseases.
REBUTTAL
“My response to the other side?”
It refutes or disproves the
counterclaim; addresses the
criticism of the claim.
My response to the other side?
QUESTIONS?
Identify the following statements whether CLAIM,
COUNTERCLAIM, REASON or REBUTTAL.
1. However, it would be a serious mistake to replace
libraries with tablets. First, digital books and
resources are associated with less learning and more
problems than print resources. A study done on
tablet vs book reading found that people read 2030% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information,
and understand 10% less of what they read
compared to people who read the same information
in print.
Identify the following statements whether
CLAIM, COUNTERCLAIM, REASON or REBUTTAL.
2. As online learning becomes more common
and more and more resources are converted to
digital form, some people have suggested that
public libraries should be shut down and, in
their place, everyone should be given an iPad
with an e-reader subscription. It is necessary for
me to obtain a new cellphone.
Identify the following statements whether CLAIM,
COUNTERCLAIM, REASON or REBUTTAL.
3. Proponents of this idea state that it will
save local cities and towns money because
libraries are expensive to maintain. They also
believe it will encourage more people to read
because they won’t have to travel to a library
to get a book; they can simply click on what
they want to read and read it from wherever
they are.
Identify the following statements whether CLAIM,
COUNTERCLAIM, REASON or REBUTTAL.
4.While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like
a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend
even more time looking at digital screens, despite the
myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end
access to many of the benefits of libraries that people
have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such
an important part of the community network that
they could never be replaced by a simple object.
The Official Language of the United States
(1) The official language of a country refers to the language that is used by the government, which includes courts,
post offices, and police stations. Over half of the countries in the world have an official language. The United
States currently has no official language, nor should it designate one. Although many people have pushed for
English to be the official language of the country for many years, having only one language would only make things
difficult for a large portion of the population.
(2) Making English the official language of the U.S. ignores the diversity of languages and experiences that can be
found in the country. Although English is the most widely spoken language in the United States, it is just one out of
over 350 languages spoken or signed by the population. This also includes the 176 indigenous languages spoken by
the various Native American tribes. Besides English, the most commonly spoken languages in the U.S. are Spanish,
Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Tagalog, Vietnamese, and Arabic. Currently, around 20% of the American
population speaks a language other than English at home.
(3) Of the people who speak a language other than English, around 8.5% have limited English proficiency (LEP),
meaning that they do not speak English very well. In states like California and Texas, where a large portion of the
population speaks another language, businesses and communities often offer services in multiple languages. If these
areas were English-only, the LEP community would have a much more difficult time completing normal tasks, such as
going to the post office or getting a driver's license.
(4) Promoting English as the official language of the country may be used to discriminate against minority groups. In
the past, Native American children were forced to attend boarding schools and only allowed to speak and write English.
They were routinely punished for speaking their own language. During World War II, many Japanese schools in Hawaii
were forced to shut down because of anti-Japanese sentiments. Today, many non-English speakers have also been barred
from speaking their native languages while at work even when they're not conducting any official business.
(5) Making English the official language of the United States would not be beneficial for the country. It has been used in
the past to discriminate against non-English speaking populations and would only make life more difficult for the
millions of people in the country who have limited English proficiency. The lack of an official language in the U.S.
allows the country to embrace the diversity of its people and meet their needs more effectively.
Question:
What is the claim in the passage above?
The United States should have multiple official languages to reflect the many different languages spoken.
People with limited English proficiency should put in more effort to learn English.
English and Spanish should be made the official languages of the United States.
The United States should not make English the official language of the country.
A claim is the position that an author takes in an argumentative text. It is sometimes
referred to as the main argument or thesis.
The claim in the passage is that The United States should not make English the
official language of the country. The position taken by the author is that making English
the official language ignores the other languages spoken in the country and would make
things more difficult for non-native English speakers.
Currently, around 20% of the American population speaks a language other than English at home.
How is this information used as evidence to support the argument?
It gives examples of the different languages spoken in the United States.
It provides a quote from an expert about the different languages spoken in the United States.
It indicates that a good portion of the United States speaks more than just English.
It tells readers the downsides of having English as the only available language in a community.
Evidence refers to information that is used to support an idea or position. Evidence can include facts, details,
examples, expert opinions, and anecdotes.
The information from the second paragraph indicates that a good portion of the United States speaks more than
just English. English is not the only language spoken in the United States, so if English is made the official language,
the other languages will be overlooked, even though a large number of people speak them.
Who is the likely intended audience of the passage above?
Non-English speakers
The general public
Students learning a foreign language
Medical doctors
the audience of a work refers to the people or group that the author is directing his
or her message toward. Sometimes, the audience can just be the general public, but
other times, the audience may be more specific.
The likely intended audience of the passage is the general public. The goal of the
passage is to convince people that making English the official language of the U.S. is
not a good idea. It does not target a specific group or organization to take action.
Who is the likely intended audience of the passage above?
Non-English speakers
The general public
Students learning a foreign language
Medical doctors
the audience of a work refers to the people or group that the author is directing his
or her message toward. Sometimes, the audience can just be the general public, but
other times, the audience may be more specific.
The likely intended audience of the passage is the general public. The goal of the
passage is to convince people that making English the official language of the U.S. is
not a good idea. It does not target a specific group or organization to take action.