THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ARGUMENT

Things to think about when writing your persuasive essay.

AN ARGUMENT MAKES A POINT

Use sound reasons and relevant evidence to support a point.

Listing random facts about a topic is useless unless it is supporting your main claim.

ARGUMENT ASSUMES AN AUDIENCE

You must change the way listeners or readers think about an issue; try to make them agree

with you.

Accept counterarguments and use them so those who oppose you know that you understand their point and value their

assertions.

RECOGNIZE COMPLEXITIES AND REALITY OF OPPOSING VIEWS

Do not oversimplify complex issues or assume that your claim is “clearly right.”

Do not think that everyone agrees with what you are trying to argue.

A GOOD ARGUMENT MAKES CLEAR THE VALUES AND BELIEFS THAT WE CONSIDER

RELEVANT TO THE ISSUE.

Recognize values as part of your reasoning.

For example: If you argue that abortion is wrong because it is murder, you believe that that fetus is a human being at the moment of

conception.

You MUST make this clear immediately, or only those who agree with you will know this

information.

PRESENT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT A CLAIM WITH A VALID OR LOGICAL CONNECTION

BETWEEN EVIDENCE AND CLAIM

Known as a WARRANT

Know your assumptions because you will have to defend them to support your argument.

“When you argue that abortion is wrong because it is murder, you assume or

WARRANT that the fetus is a human being who can be murdered.”

Argument includes the use of Persuasive Strategies

Present yourself to readers as a reasonable person who has done your homework on the

topic and wants to find some common ground with those who disagree.

Don’t get too emotionally involved or you will not be able to argue logically.

(Remember Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes? CAT class?)

What arguments are persuaded too often and make the audience lose interest?

AbortionSmoking in PublicThe Death Penalty

Legalizing

Marijuana

Lowering the Drinking Age

Why You Should RecycleEating Disorders

Capital Punishment

What do you want to argue about?