 By using the word topics, Aristotle means the places a writer might go to discover methods for proof and strategies for presenting ideas.  The word topos means place.

 The most important use of the topics for invention is in the types of reasoning a writer might engage in to create an argument.  These topics represent a place where writers can use particular patterns of reasoning to generate ideas and supporting material that audiences will accept as valid and legitimate

 Basic Topics (Aristotle called them konnoi topoi, which means the “people’s topics)  Possible and impossible Argues that if X is possible, then so is Y, or that if X is impossible, then so is Y.

 Example: You are writing a letter to your congressman asking that he support increased funding for cancer research. Arguing the possible, you might say that since science found cures for typhoid fever, diphtheria and polio, it is possible for them to find a cure for cancer if there is sufficient funding for research.

 Example: You are writing about life-supporting conditions on planets other than Earth. Arguing the impossible, you might reason that since the polar caps on Earth cannot support much life, it is certainly impossible for life as we know it to survive on planets largely covered by ice.

 Example: You are writing about Babe Ruth, examining whether he really did “call the shot” on his famous home run at Wrigley Field. You read the inconclusive accounts. Based on what you have read about Babe Ruth’s bold personality and showmanship, you argue that he did indeed point with his bat to the place in the stands where he intended to hit the home run just before he hit it right to that spot.

 Example: You are writing a paper about Harry Truman’s decision to order the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of WWII. Given the historical facts and interpretations surrounding those events, you might argue that the US was, as Truman maintained, simply trying to end the war more quickly.

 Example: You are writing a paper analyzing the proposals to build a Star Wars defense system. You argue that, given the history of defense systems built for defensive purposes being used instead to attack other countries, in all probability any Star Wars system would be used offensively rather that defensively.

 You are writing an analysis of whether increased standardized testing will lead to higher achievement in public schools.  Arguing the greater, you could claim that if the state of Tennessee can show gains in student performance from the rigorous program of testing in the schools, so can all the states if they simply follow the Tennessee model.

 Example: You are writing a paper for an education class about vertical teams, groups of teachers at different grade levels who try to sequence instruction so that one grade leads carefully to the next. Arguing the less, you could claim that if large corporations can improve their product by creating vertical teams, so can schools.

 Definition Using this topic for invention, you generate material by defining key terms according to its category or class. Example: You are writing a paper about learning disabilities. You would clearly demonstrate what you mean by the term learning disability and then clarifying which disabilities specifically influence a person’s learning.

 Division You divide some or all of your subject matter into parts. Example: You are writing a paper on how to perform a major role in a play. You might divide this whole topic into two parts: how to rehearse and how to perform.

 Comparison and Contrast (similarities and differences) Example: You are writing a brochure about the best colleges for a person who is interested in community service. After consulting websites and brochures from several colleges with community service programs, you might show how the colleges are similar and different in these areas: relation of service to students’ majors, proximity and accessibility, range of community needs.

 Relationships (cause and effect) Example: You are writing a paper analyzing whether increasing the number of lanes on a highway will eliminate most of the traffic jams. You could point out that increasing the number of lanes will actually make traffic worse because expansion of the lanes will cause more homes and businesses to be built along that route.

 Circumstances These topics include 3 of the basic topics  Possible and Impossible  Past fact  Future fact

 Testimony You can generate material by investigating what authorities or people with extensive experience with your subject say about it. You can generate material through research.

 Example: You are writing a paper about the growth of women’s sports in high schools and colleges. You could collect testimony by interviewing the athletic directors of several schools and asking about their experiences with the growth of female participation in sports. You could also research primary sources from the government about Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.