Argument

Lecture Notes for Argument

Your reading assignments for the Argument essay in your Composition and Rhetoric Guide is:

“Argument” (pages 110-113). While it is important to read both sections about the Toulmin and

Rogerian models for argument, focus mostly on understanding the Toulmin method (pages 110 -

111) as this is the method you will be using for this assignment.

From your Composition/Rhetoric Guide: “as a mode, Argument means that writers follow a specific

method to support the argumentative position.” While there are two different ways that we can go about

creating an Argument essay (the Toulmin method and the Rogerian method), you will be using the

Toulmin method to write your essay as it more closely resembles the basic essay structure you’ve been

using all semester. The Comp/Rhet guide also tells us that “the term argument…does not denote anger or

hostility.” What this means is we have to keep audience awareness in mind. It is unlikely we’ll convince

readers to seriously consider our position about a topic if we immediately begin trying to persuade our

readers with anger or hostility. Anger and hostility do the very opposite. They call our credibility into

question.

For this assignment, it is important to keep Logical Fallacies (pages 85-88) in mind, so please read

the list of Fallacies for reference.

Here’s a little information about Logical Fallacies from your Composition and Rhetoric Guide:

A fallacy is a defect; essentially, a logical fallacy indicates false logic or a defective argument.

Any time a writer uses a fallacy when arguing, the writer loses credibility. Not only does it allow

the audience to disregard the particular claim that is flawed, it allows readers to discredit the

writer and the entire argument as careless. Metaphorically, a logical fallacy is a hole in the

perimeter that leaves the argument vulnerable and allows it to be easily attacked.

What this means is, no argument can be held together by holes. There must be logical evidence to support

and to connect the claims that you make between cause and effect relationships. So, again, make sure you

use concrete examples to support whatever claims you make.

The most common ways we see logical fallacies used every day are in: the political world, in family

arguments, and in commercials. Your book gives you a list of 15 types of Logical Fallacies and examples

of each type. Make sure you are familiar with these most common types of logical fallacies, so that you

can avoid them in your writing.

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Remember how I told you all that exemplification never ever goes away? Well, the same is still true with

this essay. We always need to support claims with examples and, for the Argument essay, this hold

especially true, or we risk developing arguments that are not logically sound. Understanding Argument is

the beginnings of understanding what follows next: researching writing in English 102. Almost all of

your upper level English courses will require you to write using the Argument mode, though varying

professors will probably have a particular method (Toulmin or Rogerian) they’d like you to use.

The information that is new for this assignment are three terms: Claim, Grounds, and Warrant.

Your Comp/Rhet guide explains these quite clearly. We’ve been using these terms all semester, but

we’ve been referring to them as something different. To clarify, and in short, when we think about the

basic essay having a three part structure, these terms are interchangeable with terms with which you are

already familiar. Claim means Thesis. Grounds means Body/Body Paragraphs. Warrant means

Conclusion.

A Claim can also mean any point that requires support. For example, your essay’s thesis is its main

claim. Your thesis requires support from three smaller claims. These smaller claims are your three topic

sentences for your three body paragraphs. Topic Sentences are smaller claims that require support. The

support for your Topic Sentences are your examples. Examples are Grounds. Grounds require Warrants.

Warrants are Analyses.

At this point in the semester, the most important concept that you can demonstrate that you’ve

mastered is understanding how to construct an essay using basic essay structure format:

1. Introduction Formula = Attention Grabbing Sentence, Scope Sentences, Thesis Statement

2. Body Paragraph Formula = Topic sentence, Unfolding Sentence(s), Example 1, Analysis 1,

Example 2, Analysis 2, Example 3, Analysis 3, Unifying Sentence, Transition Sentence

(rinse/repeat this formula two more times since we need three well-developed body paragraphs to

create an essay using basic essay structure)

3. Conclusion Formula = Reminder of Thesis Statement, Reminder of Topic Sentence 1, Reminder

of Topic Sentence 2, Reminder of Topic Sentence 3, Last Words – this can be a sentence (or two

or three), but don’t go overboard.

To show you the basic essay formula with the Toulmin argument method in mind, you’ll notice how

you’ve been using the Toulmin method all along. As I’ve said, the three new terms really are

interchangeable with terms you already know. For example, the basic essay formula with the

Toulmin method looks like this:

1. Claim Formula = Attention Grabbing Sentence, Scope Sentences, Main Claim

2. Grounds Formula = Small Claim, Unfolding Sentence(s), Grounds 1, Warrant 1, Grounds 2,

Warrant 2, Grounds 3, Warrant 3, Unifying Sentence, Transition Sentence (rinse/repeat this

formula two more times since we need three well-developed Grounds paragraphs to create an

essay using basic essay structure)

3. Warrant Formula = Reminder of Main Claim, Reminder of Small Claim 1, Reminder of Small

Claim 2, Reminder of Small Claim 3, Last Words – this can be a sentence (or two or three), but

don’t go overboard.