1. The Parts of Argument Writing
Creating Arguments
The Parts of Argument Writing

2. Journal Entry

3. Components of an Argumentative Essay
Claim
Data
Warrant
Counterclaim
Rebuttal

4. Claim Another term for your thesis
The overall thesis the writer will argue
The backbone of the paper
Without this sentence, there is no argument
Example:
There is no doubt that Potbelly is better than Jimmy John’s.

5. Data Evidence gathered to support the claim (thesis)
Information that you use to prove that your opinion is correct and justified
Example:
To elaborate, the service is better at Potbelly than at Jimmy John’s. In fact, according to the franchise’s mission statement, they hold friendly employees in the highest regard; their motto is, “Fresh. Fast. Friendly.” Jimmy John’s fails to mention the quality of their service in their mission statement; furthermore, their motto is, “freaky fast delivery.”

6. Warrant Explanation of why or how the data supports the claim
Without explaining your evidence, there is no bridge between the facts and your argument
Example:
Good service is the cornerstone of any good food establishment; without it, the customer may receive the wrong order or not be satisfied with the atmosphere, causing them to not return again. Jimmy John’s doesn’t seem to hold customer service as a high priority when compared to Potbelly. This demonstrates that Potbelly has the better business model.

7. Counterclaim A claim that negates or disagrees with the claim
Also known as the counterargument
Example:
Many people may argue that Jimmy John’s sandwiches taste better than Potbelly’s sandwiches.

8. Rebuttal Evidence that negates or disagrees with counterclaim
A way of proving that although the counterclaim exists, your argument is still superior
Example:
However, according to a poll taken by the New York Times in their article titled “A Tale of Two Sandwiches,” more voters liked Potbelly sandwiches over Jimmy John’s sandwiches.

9. Let’s Try and Apply This Using Op-Eds
Op-ed is short for Opinion Editorial
Writers of newspapers and magazines make observations about things that happen in every day life and argue why their opinion about the particular issue is the best opinion
Lend themselves well to learning argument writing
Some of them can be humorous too!

10. Hello, Stranger We are going to take a look at this op-ed together
Along the way, you need to find and label (so mark these up):
The claim
Data
Warrant
Counterclaim
Rebuttal
You will also need to recognize different modes of persuasion being used

11. Now, on your own Choose between the following op-eds:
“The Media has a Woman Problem” (New York Times)
“Let Them Drink Chocolate” (New York Times, Child Obesity)
“Climbing Everest Shouldn’t Just be an Item on Someone’s Bucket List” (Los Angeles Times)
“Ninth Grade is the Key to Graduation” (Chicago Tribune)
“FDA vs. E-Cigarettes: Our View” (USA Today)
Do the same type of analysis!