BASICS of ARGUMENT



BASICS of ARGUMENT

A sound written argument uses the following techniques:

• Focusing on a debatable proposition or claim. This claim becomes your thesis.

• Analyzing the audience. Knowing what your audience believes will help you convince them of your position or persuade them to act on your thesis.

• Representing and evaluating the opposing points of view on the issue fairly and accurately. The key to a successful arguing paper is anticipating and responding to the most important opposing positions.

• Arguing reasonably against opposing arguments and for your claim. State and refute opposing arguments. Present the best arguments supporting your claim. Argue reasonably and fairly.

• Supporting your claims with sufficient evidence. Use firsthand observations; examples from personal experience; statistics, facts, and quotations from your reading; and results of surveys and interviews.

TYPES OF CLAIMS:

• Claims of Fact

✓ Grades do not measure intelligence or achievement.

✓ Polygraph tests do not accurately detect lies.

✓ Women face serious discrimination in the job market.

• Claims about Cause and Effect

✓ Capital punishment does not deter violent crime.

✓ Rap music weakens the moral fiber of America’s youth.

✓ A.P. courses prepare students for the rigor of college courses.

• Claims about Value

✓ Boxing is a dehumanizing sport.

✓ The Ford Mustang is the finest automobile ever built in America.

✓ George Orwell is the most influential writer of the 20th century.

• Claims about Solutions or Policies

✓ Marijuana should be legalized in Illinois.

✓ The penalty for drunk driving should be a mandatory jail sentence and loss of driver’s license.

✓ To reduce exploitation and sensationalism, the news media should not be allowed to interview victims of crime or disaster.

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