Research outline

Counterargument and Refutation: Practice 1. Pretend you are writing an essay in favor of allowing smoking on campus. You think students should be allowed to smoke on campus. To make your argument, you need to defeat the arguments of people who hold the opposite view (the counterargument). Your thesis is “Smoking should be allowed on campus.” Thesis: Smoking should be allowed on campus. Counterargument: Some people say that smoking should NOT be allowed on campus because_____________________________________________________ Refutation: (Think of an argument that will destroy the counterargument above.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 2. Pretend you are writing an essay in favor of allowing students to use iPhones in class. You think students should be allowed to use their iPhones in class. To make your argument, you need to defeat the arguments of the people who hold the opposite view (the counterargument). Your thesis is “Students should be allowed to use iPhones in class. Thesis: Students should be allowed to use their iPhones in class. Counterargument #1: Some people say that students should NOT be allowed to use their iPhones in class because________________________________________________ Refutation: (Think of an argument that will destroy the counterargument above.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Counterargument #2: Yet other people say that students should NOT be allowed to use their iPhones in class because________________________________________________ Refutation: (Think of an argument that will destroy the counterargument above.) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________