Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Gayla S. Keesee
Education Specialist
10/2006
An argument presents logical reasons
and evidence to support a viewpoint.
Parts of an
Argument
Topic—Issue
ControllingIdea—Claim
Supporting Details
Clustering pattern—present
information in sections
1. Background 1. Background
2. Evidence 2. Refutation
3. Counterarguments 3. Evidence
4. Rebuttal 4. Summary
Similar to Comparison/Contrast Organizational Patterns
Organizing
Your Argument
Alternating pattern
Shift between evidence,
counterargument, and rebuttal
for each separate piece of
evidence
Problem—Solution
1. General introduction to the problem—background
Include thesis statement
2. History of the problem
Past attempts at a solution (Sources needed)
3. Extent of the problem
who is affected
how bad it is (Sources needed)
4. Repercussion if not solved (Sources needed)
5. Conclusion
Restatement of thesis and summary of main ideas
Types of Claims
Testimonials/false authorities—
assumes that an expert in one
field is also an expert in another.
athletes endorsing SUV’s
movie stars selling shampoo
Unfair
Emotional Appeals
Personal Experience
May be biased—need additional support
Examples
Should not be used by themselves
Statistics
Can be misused, manipulated or misinterpreted
Comparisons and Analogies
Reliability depends on how closely they correspond
to the situation
Offering a
Counterargument
Demonstrates your
credibility
Researched multiple
sides of the argument
Made an informed
decision
Counterarguing
Effectively
Consider your audience
Conceding some of your
opposition’s concerns
demonstrates respect for their
opinions
Remain tactful yet firm
No rude or mocking language
can cause your audience to reject
your position without carefully
considering your claims.
Checklist for Evaluating
Counterarguments
http://www.ltn.lv/~markir/essaywriting/frntpage.htm