Qualifying An Argument
Softening the Blow
If you qualify a statement, you add
some information, evidence, or phrase
in order to make it less strong or less
generalized (recommended).
It is not good practice to produce lots
of strong (or categorical) statements.
These are statements which you
appear to support one hundred
percent.
If for example you say “It is undeniable
that . . . ,” you are making a categorical
statement (not recommended).
You might think that by making strong
statements you sound confident.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Your reader will probably think you lack
wisdom (which is a euphemism for
“sound arrogant”). It is far better to
write in a cautious style than to commit
yourself absolutely to generalizations.
Useful phrases
The data suggests
In effect
It would seem
Practically
Apparently
The evidence implies
It may be inferred
It is reasonable to assume
It is no exaggeration to say that
It would be safe to conclude
Here are some conclusions that were really
written by freshmen Writing students. Decide
whether they are:
Qualified
Unqualified!
In conclusion, Christ is the founder
and the foundation of the church and
the church began after his death in 33
A.D. and the name of the church is the
church of Christ. Remember, if we are
all worshiping God and it doesn’t matter
what church you attend, then why is
there only one God, one Christ, and one
Holy Spirit? There is only one church,
the church of Christ.
Unqualified!
The bottom line is, murder is
wrong, whether it is committed with
a knife or an electric chair. The
right to play God should not be
reserved by any person. Therefore, killing people should be
banned in all forms.
Unqualified!
Okay, down to brass tacks—it’s all a
money issue. The revenue generated from
issuing seat-belt tickets is astronomical per
year, per state. That’s the whole thing: a lot of
highway repair is generated by seat-belt
violations. My point is this—I know that a lot of
people feel the same way I do. We need to all
get together and create a lobby, like the bikers
did to veto the helmet law. Talk to your
councilmen, your governor, your senators, and
get something started—this can be won!
Unqualified!
In conclusion, smoking should be banned in all
areas (unless it is a “smoking-only” building) for many
important reasons, all of which are health-related.
Smoking can create not only horrible effects in people
who smoke, but also in people who breathe in secondhand smoke. In restaurants that have already banned
smoking, the atmosphere is much healthier and the
smoke smell that most non-smokers hate is gone.
Lastly, second-hand smoke alone kills about 53,000
Americans a year! Don’t you think that those 53,000
Americans will appreciate your decision to ban
smoking in public places?
Qualified
In closing, the death penalty needs to
be administered more often. If the terrorists
who flew the planes on September 11th were
still alive, would you want them to live, to eat,
to sleep, and to use America’s resources? I
would not tolerate it. This nonsense needs to
be stopped. With the high costs of living and
prison overcrowding, the only real solution is
to punish those serious repeat offenders by
means of death. Those who commit horrific
crimes need to face the consequences, no
matter how harsh they may be.
Unqualified!
Although some people will be convinced that the
minimal evidence that supports capital punishment deters
murder, it comes at too great a price. The United States is a
great country of freedom and justice. By keeping the
outdated punishment of the death penalty, the United
States is in company with a small group of nations that still
use capital punishment, among them the former Iraq and
modern Iran, both of which have a notorious human rights
record. In this time of economic hardship for many states,
it would seem logical to cut the death penalty from the
budget and save nearly a million dollars for each person
who is incarcerated for a lifetime rather than see them
executed. By eliminating capital punishment, there will
never be a threat of another innocent person executed by
the government, which seems like something that should
have been a goal a long time ago.
Qualified
Abortion is nothing more than the
murder of a helpless unborn child. Murder
is illegal when committed upon a person.
However, abortion, the murder of a helpless
human, is perfectly legal. The child has the
right to become a human being. Civil rights
have been an ongoing problem in America.
Why are the rights of an unborn person not
a problem? . . . Abortion is legal in the
United States, but should it be?
Unqualified!
PowerPoint Presentation by Mark A. Spalding, 2008.
The End