IV. Argument 4.1 Introduction to Argument

Arguing a position on a controversial issue Argument isn’t like fighting with your roommate. fighting with your roommate. It’s reasoned debate, dependent on reasons and support (evidence).

Arguing a Position There are no right or wrong positions on controversial issues. on controversial issues. Argumentative essays are judged by how persuasive they are, by how persuasive they are, not by how right they are. not by how right they are.

What Makes an Argument Convincing: 1)Strong, clear evidence 2) Good counterargument: either acknowledge or refute the opposition’s arguments. 3) Earned trust with reader: common values, fair fighting

Fighting Unfairly: three ways people fight unfairly 1) They bring up irrelevant things simply to confuse the issue. 2) They bring up things from the past that have nothing to do with the issue. 3) They make up things—statistics, pseudofacts.

Three more ways people fight unfairly: 4) They tell the opposition what it thinks, and why they think that. 5) They use words like always, never—put things in black and white. 6) They take only part of what the opposition says, or take it out of context.

These are ways that people (and sometimes writers) fight unfairly. But the writer who uses these tactics quickly loses trust and credibility. So, don’t.