Writing Argumentative Essays
Mack Gipson, Jr.
Tutorial and Enrichment Center
Gayla S. Keesee
Education Specialist
10/2006
An argument presents logical reasons
and evidence to support a viewpoint.
Parts of an
Argument
ISSUE - problem or controversy about
which people disagree
CLAIM - the position on the issue (Thesis)
SUPPORT - reasons and evidence that the
claim is reasonable and should be
accepted
REFUTATION - opposing viewpoints
Thesis
Statements
Topic—Issue
ControllingIdea—Claim
Supporting Details
Must be concise and to the point
Organizing
Your Argument
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
Similar to Comparison/Contrast Organizational Patterns
Organizing
Your Argument
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
CLAIM OF FACT - statement that can be
proven or verified by observation or
research
“Within ten years, destruction
of the rain forests will cause
hundreds of plant and animal
species to become extinct.”
Types of Claims
CLAIM OF VALUE - states that one thing
or idea is better or more desirable than
another.
“Requiring community service
in high school will produce more
community-aware graduates.”
Types of Claims
CLAIM OF POLICY - suggests what should
or ought to be done to solve a problem.
“To reduce school violence, more gun and
metal detectors should be installed in public
schools.”
Types of Support
EVIDENCE—show why the claim is valid
Reasons
Facts
Statistics
Personal experiences
Comparisons
Examples
EMOTIONAL APPEALS
Ideas targeted toward needs or
values readers likely to care about
Errors in
Supporting Evidence
Do not weaken your argument
Unfair Emotional Appeals
Invalid or unstated assumptions
Conclusions that do not logically
come from the evidence
Unfair
Emotional Appeals
Emotionally Charged or Biased Language
“Modern universities are infested by the
whining of idle intellectuals who force their
decadence and discontent onto our captive
youth.”
infested, whining, idle, force, decadence,
and discontent imply writer’s disdain for
scholars and will immediately alienate many
readers
Unfair
Emotional Appeals
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
Appeal to “Common Folk”
an ad showing a product being used in an average
household
a politician suggesting he is like everyone else
“Join the Crowd” Appeal or Bandwagon
Everyone else is, so why don’t you…?
Everyone else believes that …, so you should also.
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Ad Hominem - attack on the person rather than
his/her viewpoint
“She says we need more military spending, but that is
false, since she is only saying it because she is a
Republican.”
“I think that we should reject what Father Jones has to
say about the ethical issues of abortion because he is a
Catholic priest. After all, Father Jones is required to hold
such views.”
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Guilt by association - a person rejects a
claim simply because it is pointed out
that people she dislikes accept the claim.
“You think that 1+1=2. But, Adolf Hitler, Charles
Manson, Joseph Stalin, and Ted Bundy all believed
that 1+1=2. So, you shouldn't believe it.”
Bin Laden supports Iraq in opposition to the U.S.
There is an “alliance of terror” between bin Laden
and Iraq, and this is a reason to make war on Iraq.
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Hasty Generalization - conclusion based
on insufficient evidence or bias
Someone who is a sexist might conclude
that all women are unfit to fly jet fighters
because one woman crashed one.
“Because one apple is sour, all
of them in the bowl must be sour.”
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Either-Or Fallacy - states that only two
alternatives exist when in fact there
are more than two.
“Because of the violence, TV must be
either allowed or banned.”
“My country: love it or leave it.”
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Non Sequitur - a conclusion that
does not follow from the original
statement.
“Because my doctor is young, I’m
sure she’ll be a good doctor.”
“Science has not ‘proven’ that EMF
can cause cancer ... so what are you
worrying about ... it's safe.”
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Circular Reasoning/Begging the Question
– author supports a conclusion by giving a
reason that says the same thing.
Conclusion: Gun control legislation needs
serious and drastic revision.
Supporting Reason: Our country cannot
afford to continue without legislative
revision.
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
Slippery Slope - assumes that if one thing
is allowed, it will be the first step in a
downward spiral
If a teenager uses birth control, he/she will
have sex more often.
If a person uses marijuana, he/she will
naturally start using hard drugs soon.
Errors in
Logical Reasoning
False Cause - assumes that because
one event follows another, the first
is the cause of the second
“Because I brought my umbrella today,
it didn’t rain.”
“Because I washed my car, it will rain.”
Checklist for
Evaluating Arguments
Relevancy and Sufficiency of Evidence
Is there enough of the right kind to support your claim?
Definition of Terms
Terms should be carefully defined and used
consistently
Cause-Effect Relationships
Evidence that the relationship exists
should be present
Checklist for
Evaluating Arguments
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
Refuting Opposing Viewpoints
Address opposing viewpoints clearly and
fairly
Refute the opposing viewpoint with logic and
relevant evidence
Question the accuracy, relevancy or
sufficiency of the opponent’s evidence
For a fantastic tutorial
The unit is built around one particular type of
argumentative essay. It is important to understand that
there are many other ways of structuring
argumentative essays than the one proposed in this
unit. However, the structure outlined here has proved
to be very effective in giving students a clear,
accessible and useable model for their own essays.
http://www.ltn.lv/~markir/essaywriting/frntpage.htm
