Using Argumentative
Strategies (WT 423-438)
 For
the position paper, you will be
discussing both sides of a current issue or
event, and then arguing why one is
stronger or better than the other.
 An argument involves making reasonable
claims with evidence and support. The
objective is not to “win” but to persuade
others that you position is strong, credible,
and beneficial.
So What is Arguable
 Turn
to p. 424
 You want to strive for an arguable claim:
one where neither side can prove that it is
factually right nor that the other side is
factually wrong.
 You want to avoid claims based
exclusively on personal judgments.
Arguable Claims Generally
Arise from Four Different
Sources:
 Turn
to p. 425
 Issues of Definition
 Issues of Causation
 Issues of Evaluation
 Issues of Recommendation
Issues of Definition
 An
arguable claim that debates how to
define something.
 Ex: Animals, like humans, are sentient
beings who have inalienable rights;
therefore, killing and eating animals is
unethical.
 Ex: A pregnant woman who smokes is a
child abuser who needs to be stopped
she further harms her unborn child.
Issues of Causation
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An argument that states that one thing
caused another.
Ex: Advocates of gun control incorrectly
blame the guns when a school shooting
happens. Instead, we need to look at the
sociological and psychological causes of
school violence, such as mental illness,
bullying, gang violence, and the shooters’
histories of aggression.
Ex: Pregnant mothers who choose to smoke
are responsible for an unacceptable number
of birth defects.
Issues of Evaluation
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An argument that something is good or bad,
right or wrong, or better or worse.
Ex: The movie The Pirates of the Caribbean is
better than the classic pirate movie, Captain
Blood, because Johnny Depp plays a more
realistic pirate than Errol Flynn’s overtly
romantic portrayal.
Ex: Although both are dangerous, drinking
alcohol in moderation while pregnant is less
damaging to an unborn child than smoking in
moderation.
Issues of Recommendation
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An Argument that makes a recommendation
about the best course of action to follow.
These kinds of claims are signaled by words
like “should,” “must,” “ought to,” and so forth.
Ex: The meat industry is heavily subsidized by
the American taxpayer; therefore economists
recommend removing all subsidies, making
vegetarians a financially viable choice.
Ex: We must help pregnant women to stop
smoking by developing smoking-cessation
programs that are specifically targeted
towards this population.
Writing a Position Argument
(WT 221-245)
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Definition: an argument that defends a plausible
position that is reasonable, supportable, and
worthy of being taken seriously.
Goal: your goal is to fairly explain your side and
your opponents’ side of the issue, while
highlighting the differences between opposing
views.
You need to use solid reasoning and factual
evidence to persuade your readers that your view
is more valid or advantageous than your
opponents’ view. Turn to rage 221 (last
paragraph).
Key Features
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Necessary Background Information: provide
background/context on a topic and define
key words.
Good reasons: reasonable, supportable, and
worthy reasons to back up your position.
Convincing support for each reason: this can
include facts, statistics, expert testimony,
anecdotal evidence, case studies, and
textual evidence.
Key Features continued
 Appeals
to readers’ values and emotions.
 A trustworthy tone that demonstrates you
know what you are talking about.
 Careful consideration of other positions:
consider and acknowledge other views,
and if possible, respectfully refute them.
Possible Topics
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It needs to be appropriate for the assignment.
It needs to be fairly easy to research and write
about.
It needs to be something you know enough about to
write about comfortably.
It needs to not be too broad (i.e. too large of a topic
to cover in detail within the page length limits).
It needs to not be too narrow (i.e. too small of a topic
to fill up enough pages for the assignment).
It needs to be interesting and important to you (or
else you're going to get very bored).
It needs to be creative. Professors hate tired topics
that everybody writes and speaks about.
Good Topics/ Popular Culture
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Reality television as a positive or negative cultural phenomenon
Makeover programs
Hip-hop music lyrics
Disney films
Images of women in the media
Images of minorities in the media
Images of homosexuals in the media
Illegal music downloading
Violent video games
Violent movies
Television, movie, music, or video game ratings
Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction"
Sexual imagery in the media
MySpace and Facebook as a cultural phenomenon
Internet cyberstalkers
Internet pornography
Internet filters
Internet privacy issues
The effect of cell phones on society
The effect of iPods on society
The effect of Facebook on society
The amount of television and other media used by children
Advertising in the public schools
Advertising that targets children
Alcohol or cigarette advertising
Requirements for children's educational programming
Public radio/public television
Celebrity gossip and the paparazzi
SPORTS TOPICS
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Salary caps for professional athletes
Sports and steroid use
Funding issues for women's sports
Publicity for women's sports
The use of the Olympic basketball "Dream Team"
The designated hitting rule in baseball
Professional athletic strikes
Drafting of athletes out of high school
The rising price of tickets to professional games
Public funding of professional stadiums
Public funding of community sports programs
Academic expectations of college athletes
College sports recruitment practices
The benefit of team sports to children
Alcohol sales at sporting events
Athletes as role models
Beer commercials
Sports gambling
Violence and sports (hockey, boxing, etc.)
The commercialization of sports
Youth athletic participation in sports like gymnastics and figure skating
Tired Topics
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Here is a list of tired persuasive speaking topics that you
probably want to avoid:
The death penalty. In my experience, this is by far the number
one tired topic chosen by students. I have no idea why, as I
doubt many students have personal experience with the death
penalty.
Why you should join a fraternity or sorority. There's nothing
wrong with this topic, but everyone on campus has heard
these arguments before. Your audience will tune you out.
Why marijuana should be legal. If you choose this topic, you
need to give an excellent speech or the class will dismiss you as
a stoner.
More tired Topics:
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Why the drinking age should be 18. See #3.
Abortion. This topic isn't as tired as you think,
but everyone has heard these arguments
before.
Why you should wear your seat belt. Or why
you should wear your helmet. This is not new
information.
Why you shouldn't smoke. Also not new
information. Why you shouldn't binge drink is
kind of a tired topic too, but it's more timely.
More Tired Topics
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Why you should give blood. Another useful topic that unfortunately
has been overused.
Why you should recycle. “”
Violence in the media. This topic is both tired and difficult. There's so
much information out there about violence in the media, and lots of
it is conflicting. Sex in the media also is a tired topic.
Why you should adopt a pet. This speech always goes the same: cute
pictures of kitties and doggies, followed by horrible stats about how
many animals are put down. The get your pet spayed or neutered
speech is not as tired, but avoid any cheesy references to Bob
Barker.
Affirmative Action. There's nothing wrong with a controversial topic,
but this one has been overused big time.
Read more at Suite101: Tired Persuasive Speaking Topics: Avoid these overused persuasive speech topics in your
public speaking class http://www.suite101.com/content/tired-persuasive-speaking-topics-a11704#ixzz10khlXe1T
Choosing Good Topics
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So, how do you come up with a good term paper
topic that meets all these criteria? Here are some
steps to help you get started.
How to Choose a College Essay Topic
1) Be sure that you understand the assignment. Read
the assignment sheet carefully, and ask the professor
if you have any questions.
2) Brainstorm topic ideas. If you have trouble thinking
up creative topics to write about (and most people
do), start simple. Take out a piece of paper or open
a new document on your computer, and start writing
down whatever ideas come into your head. Here are
some questions you might ask yourself.
Questions to ask yourself:
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What am I interested in?
What do I like to do for fun that might translate into
an interesting paper topic?
What do I feel strongly about?
What do I know a lot about?
What would I like to know more about?
What are some issues or topics that are in the news
right now that I find interesting and important?
What are some issues or topics on my college
campus that I find interesting and important?
Can my friends or family members offer me
suggestions for topics that I find interesting and
important?
3) Evaluate each possible topic for appropriateness. Look at your list and
look at the assignment sheet. Which topics match, or could be made to
match? Eliminate topics that aren't appropriate.
 4) Evaluate each appropriate topic for ease and quality. How difficult
will this topic be to research and write about? Is the topic too broad? Is
the topic too narrow? Is the topic creative enough? This might be a
good time to go to your professor for input about the topics you are
considering. You also might need to do some library and computer
research to find out how much information is available about your
proposed topic.
 5) Pick the topic on your list that you find most interesting and important.
Remember, it's much easier to write a paper that you find interesting
than one you do not, so take the time to pick out a topic you truly care
about.
Read more at Suite101: Fun Persuasive Essays and Speeches: Fun topic
ideas for persuasive speeches and persuasive essays
http://www.suite101.com/content/fun-persuasive-essays-speechesa12556#ixzz10khRwBZQ
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Possible sources
 Use
at least one credible online, print, or
empirical source to defend your position.
 Turn to p. 227
How to Organize a Position
Argument
 Readers
need to be able to follow the
reasoning of your argument from
beginning to end; your task is to lead
them from point to point as you build your
case.
 The two ways that you can organize your
arguments are on p. 222.
Opponents’ position is described up front with
limitations; then your own position is explained with its
strengths
Introduction paragraph
--Introduce the issue
--provide necessary background information
--state your thesis statement/position
 Body paragraphs
--Summary of opponents’ position
--Limitations of opponents’ position
--Your understanding of the issue
 Paragraph(s) before conclusion
--Reasons why your understanding is better than your
opponents’ understanding
 Conclusion
-- restatement your thesis, and look to the future.
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Point-by-point Comparison
Introduction paragraph
-- Introduce the issue
--provide necessary background information
--state your thesis statement
 Body paragraphs: interchange between opponents’ position and
your position
--give your reasons with support
--include evidence/example
--make connections back to your thesis
 In the paragraph(s) before your conclusion
--Reasons why your understanding is better than your opponents’
understanding
 Conclusion
--restate your thesis, and look to the future
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Choosing Appropriate Style
 Use
plain style and avoid being sarcastic
or dismissive.
 Use similes, metaphors, and analogies to
describe your position.
 Use Top-Down paragraphs with clear
topic sentences.
 Make sure to define unfamiliar terms.
 Turn to page 229.