Smoking in public. arguments essay

Argumentative

Essays

Tiffin University

Presented by Lynne Wagner

What is an argument?

1. An argument is a REASONED, logical

way of demonstrating the writer’s

position, belief, or conclusion is valid.

2. Arguments seek to make people believe

that something is true or to persuade

people to change their beliefs or

behavior.

5 Tips For Supporting

Claims in an

Argumentative Essay

1. Introduce precise claims

2. Develop claims and counterclaims

3. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link

4. Establish and maintain formal tone

5. Provide concluding statement

Identify your thesis or

argument in a yes/no fashion.

Distinguish YOUR claims

from alternative or counter

claims.

Create organization that

establishes relationship

between claims,

counterclaims, reasons, and

evidence.

Develop claims and

counterclaims in detail.

Supply evidence for each-

pointing out strengths and

limitations of both.

Anticipate readers’

knowledge level and

concerns.

Link the major sections of text

Create cohesion

Clarify the relationship between

claims & reasons

Clarify the relationship between

reasons & evidence

Clarify the relationship

between claims &

counterclaims

Establish and maintain a

formal style of writing.

Establish and maintain an

objective tone.

Attend to the norms and

conventions for APA citations.

Provide a concluding

statement that supports

the argument presented.

Provide a concluding

statement that reinforces

your viewpoint.

Provide a summary of the

claims.

Argument vs. Persuasion

A persuasive essay

May make claims based on opinion

May not take opposing ideas into account

Persuades by appealing to the audience’s emotion

or by relying on the character or credentials of

the writer – less on the merits of the his/her

reasons and evidence

Argument vs. Persuasion An argumentative essay

Makes claims based on factual evidence

Makes counter-claims. The author takes opposing

views into account.

Neutralizes or “defeat” serious opposing ideas

Convinces audience through the merit and

reasonableness of the claims and proofs offered

Logic-based

Often compares texts or ideas to establish position

Key Terms

• Claim

• Counterclaim

• Rebuttal

• Support

• Refute

• Qualify

Claim

Your basic belief about:

A particular topic

A particular issue

A particular event

A particular idea

Counterclaim

A solid argument that OPPOSES your claim

A solid argument that DISAGREES with your claim

This is KEY for identifying problem spots!

Rebuttal

A written or verbal response to a counterclaim.

The object is take into account the ideas presented in

the counterclaim and explain WHY they aren’t:

persuasive enough

valid enough

important enough

The object is take into account the ideas presented in

the counterclaim and explain WHY can’t outweigh

your claim.

Support

Specific facts used to support your claim

Specific evidence used to support your claim

Support can be found in numerous sources:

Articles

Reports

Research projects

Census

Court cases

Refute

Argue against a position

Prove a position to be wrong

Qualify

A “partly-agree” stance in which you agree

(IN PART) with another argument or position

You need to state how or why you disagree with parts

of another argument or position

This is a great way of introducing your counterclaims!

Things to double check

Support

Make sure all examples and details support your claims

Unity

Does all of your evidence lead to a logical conclusion?

Cohesiveness

Do you have a clearly defined relationship between

claims, counterclaims, evidence, etc?