Argumentation
Agree or Disagree
Argumentation
Have you ever argued with others?
How do you argue with others?
Argument ≠Shouting Match.
a conflict of opinions
controversial
convince
rational and reasonable
Warm-up Activity
You and your partner are discussing what you are going to do together
during this coming summer vacation. Your partener prefers to work in a big
company to earn some money. You prefer to do some voluntary work for
society. You try to persuade each other by giving various reasons.

Please note down what methods/views are
used to persuade others to believe you.
Argumentation
 To
argue is to persuade your audience
to agree with your opinion or position
by presenting logical reasoning and
solid evidence.

--to convince

--to defend

--to attack
Viewpoint
A debatable point
Evidence
Sufficient evidence
Argument
Substantiation
Sound logic
Refutation
(1) A direct disapproval to the viewpoint
(2) A disapproval to the evidence, then to the viewpoint
(3) A disapproval to the substantiation, then to the viewpoint
Essential Elements of Argumentation
 The
issue—a debatable idea about which people
disagree and hold different points of view
 The
claim—the point of view the writer tries to
prove about the issue, usually the writer’s view on
the issue
 The
support—ideas and information intended to
convince readers that the claim is sound or
believable. The three common types of support are
reasons, evidence, and emotional appeal.

The refutation,which recognizes and argues
against opposing viewpoints
A Debatable Point
An issue that is both
controversial and significant.

Forest Gump is my favorite movie.
(personal preference)

The smartphones are more and more popular recently.
(mere statement of fact)

Noise pollution is harmful to people’s health.
(generally accepted viewpoint)
Having a dink family makes it possible
to maintain a relatively stable marital life.
Major Stages
I. Introduction (提出问题/引论)
•Identification of issue
•Background to issue
•Thesis statement
Are cash incentives a good way to motivate
employees?
 Intro
1
 Money
makes the world go round, and nowhere
is this more true than in the workplace.
Employers know that money is one of the best
motivators. However, are bonuses or cash awards
always the best way to reward employees? In
this essay, I will look at some of the arguments
for cash as a reward.
 Intro
2
 Many
people argue that cash incentives are an
unfair means of motivating employees. Others
love the simple, practical, down-to-earth gift of
money for a job well done. I feel that while there
are some circumstances where money is the best
recognition for extra work, there are other times
it is inappropriate.
Thesis sentence: comes at the end
of introduction.
 In this essay, I will outline the arguments for and
against .....
 This essay looks at ideas in favour of.... and
against ....
 This essay will discuss the benefits of ....
 I am going to analyse the effects of ....
 .....is completely unnecessary.
 Words to use in the thesis sentence
 analyze, look at, examine, discuss, outline,
consider, describe
Avoid “I think…”
My belief is that…/In my view…/
For my part/As to me/As far as I am concerned, I'd
like to agree to the former point of view.
My favor goes to the first point of view.
There are two main reasons why I oppose/favor…
It would be more accurate to say that…
All things considered, I am in favor of…
There is sufficient evidence to show that…
“It…” constructions
(it could be argued that…; most people would
agree…)
 The
first thing we have to consider is
 First
 The
 It
I
of all I should like to consider
first thing to be considered is…
is a fact that…
believe that…
 There
is no doubt that…
II. Body （分析问题/本论）
Layout of an essay:
3773: a four paragraph essay
35553: a five paragraph essay
 3773
means
 35553 means
a
3-sentence Intro
a
3-sentence Intro
a
7-sentence para
a
5-sentence para
a
7-sentence para
a
5-sentence para
a
3-sentence conclusion
a
5-sentence para
a
3-sentence conclusion
Should Smoking Be Banned?
It has become fashionable in the world today to condemn
smoking. However, although I feel that smoking can be
harmful, I do not think it should be banned.
Claim
First, smoking undoubtedly helps many people to relax.
For some, it ······ .
Support
A further point is that governments throughout the world
make huge profits from levying taxes on cigarettes. This
provides funds ······ .
Support
I would also argue that people should have the right to
choose whether they smoke or not. People should not
smoke ······ .
Support
III. Conclusion （解决问题/结论）
 rephrase
the question
 summarize
 look
the main ideas
to the future (say what will happen if the
situation continues or changes)
Conclusions
 Should
we beat children?
 In conclusion, physical punishment can be a
useful method of discipline. However it should be
the last choice for parents. If we want to build a
world with less violence we must begin at home,
and we must teach our children to be responsible.
(summarize and look to the future)
 Who are the better parents - men or women?
 It is not an either-or question. Both men and
women have strengths and skills that are
important for children's psychological growth. We
need to ensure that both parents play an important
role in the family in order to give children a good
start in life. (opinion)
Language features of argumentation
Persuasive language
One way of giving emphasis is by using
“negative inversion”
When those words are at the beginning of a
sentence, inversion is used:
 Rarely
had such a noise been heard.
 Never
 Hardly…..when
 Not
only…but also
 Under no circumstance
 Under no account
 Seldom
 Little
 Few
The degree of sureness
(to make the statement more or less forceful)
It could be argued that …
Most people would agree…
We have an obligation to … (instead of “we
must…”)
There is a tendency to …
The likelihood that …
He is probably right when he says/writes
that…
The preciseness
We could stand a better chance to
persuade the readers if we make our
writing more precise by using limiting
words.
Moreover, interview is not an effective way
of recruitment because of the subjectivity it
involves in decision making. Interviewers
build their judgment on the first impression of
candidates. Besides, interview is open to
favoritism and nepotism.
Moreover, interview is not always an effective
way of recruitment because of the subjectivity it
involves in decision making. Many interviewers are
likely to build their judgment on the first impression
of candidates. Besides, in extreme cases, interview is
open to favoritism and nepotism.
Limiting words
Quantity: many, a number of, few,
Frequency: sometimes, usually, always, seldom, rarely
Extent: almost none/ all, nearly, to some extent,
in general, generally speaking
Condition: if…, when…, as long as…, with/ without…
Possibility: be likely to do, tend to do,
there is a danger/hope that…
Homework

Finish the peer evaluation.