Opposing Claim and Rebuttal

Purpose of an Opposing Claim The purpose of an opposing/counter claim is to show the reader you have considered all sides of the question or issue. An opposing claim and rebuttal strengthen your essay by showing that you have looked at all sides and made an educated choice.

Rebuttal The purpose of a rebuttal is to show readers why the opposing view is wrong, that your claim is clearly stronger, and your point of view is “right.”

Writing an Opposing Claim State the opposing point of view fairly and objectively, and give reasons why someone has that point of view. To do this, put yourself in the other person’s shoes. Image source: ianrodwell-limited.com

Strategies for Writing an Opposing Claim Use the following “sentence starters” to write an opposing claim. However, On the other hand, ………….. Others may argue that.... Opponents say/claim/argue …… Many people (believe/ feel/ argue) that… *********include the reason WHY

Review Counter-argument definition: An argument offered in opposition to another argument. The opposing claims and reasoning to your argument Rebuttal definition: A refutation or contradiction. You may also hear the term “counterclaim” used to describe the same thing.

EXAMPLE Claim: Teenagers should have a set bedtime. Evidence and reasoning: Sleep has long been proven to boost thinking and ability. Teenagers need a certain amount of sleep in order to be successful students. Counterargument and rebuttal: Others may claim that because teenagers are young, they do not need as much sleep. However, teens are still growing and sleeps helps a healthy body

PRACTICE Example topic: Should students in the United States learn a foreign language? Example claim: students in the United States should learn a foreign language. Example evidence: Students who learn a foreign language are better able to understand the structure of English as well as a second language. Example reasoning: Knowing more about language can help with all types of writing in any school subject. Studying a foreign language helps students excel in school. Example counter-argument: Some people think learning a foreign language will not help in every school subject. Example rebuttal: That’s not true because learning how to think in a new way will benefit all learners- no matter the subject. Put together in a complex sentence: While some people think learning a foreign language will not help in every school subject, learning how to think in a new way will benefit all learners- no matter the subject.