12.2 Argumentative

Argumentive (or persuasive) essays are not the loud, assertive, unwavering statement of your opinion in the hopes of conquering the opposition. In the context of writing essays, an argument is the combination of a point you are trying to make and the support you offer to make that point. This can be called academic argumentation, especially when the argument is supported by rational explanations, reliable evidence, and similar rhetorical strategies. Argumentative

When you are tasked with crafting an argumentative essay, you are likely to do so based on several sources–all of which should support your topic in some way. Whether or not you are asked to do additional research, an argumentative essay should be comprised of these basic components.

Claim: What do you want the reader to believe?

The thesis in an argument paper is often called a claim.  This claim is a statement in which you take a stand on a debatable issue. A strong, debatable claim has at least one valid counterargument–an opposite or alternative point of view that is as sensible as the position that you take in your claim. In your thesis statement, you should clearly and specifically state the position you will convince your audience to adopt.

A closed thesis statement includes sub-claims or reasons why you choose to support your claim, think of a roadmap for your readers.  An open thesis statement does not include sub-claims and might be more appropriate when your argument is less easy to prove with two or three easily-defined sub-claims.

When in doubt about how to structure your thesis statement, you should seek the advice of your instructor.

Context: What background information about the topic does your audience need?

Before you get into defending your claim, you will need to place your topic (and argument) into context by including relevant background material. Remember, your audience is relying on you for vital information, such as definitions, historical placement, and controversial positions. This background material might appear in either your introductory paragraph/s or your body paragraphs. How and where to incorporate background material depends a lot upon your topic, assignment, evidence, and audience.

Counterargument/ Rebuttal: How do you address other perspectives?

The whole point of the counterargument is to further strengthen your argument, not to contradict it. Addressing opposition and counterarguments is a way for you to test out the validity and resilience of your ideas, and to show your readers that you have thought through the issue thoroughly rather than having taken a narrow-minded shortcut. Remember not to assume that your interpretation of the evidence is the only valid possibility. Instead, state an opposing interpretation.

Next, the rebuttal is your explanation to defend your ideas against the acknowledged opposition. Don’t forget this rebuttal. A common error is to end on just the acknowledgment, which only creates contradiction and confusion. Another common error is to get aggressive or bombastic, but this only weakens your argument. Instead, remain focused, reasonable, and professional.

Evidence or Grounds: What makes your reasoning valid? 

To validate the thinking that you put forward in your claim and sub-claims, you need to demonstrate that your reasoning is not only based on your personal opinion. Evidence, sometimes referred to as grounds, can take the form of research studies or scholarship, expert opinions, personal examples, observations made by yourself or others, or specific instances that make your reasoning seem sound and believable. Evidence only “works” if it directly supports your reasoning — and sometimes you must explain how the evidence supports your reasoning (do not assume that a reader can see the connection between evidence and reason that you see).

Rhetorical appeals strengthen an argument through the use of logos, ethos, and pathos. Logos relies on logic, evidence, and sufficient support to demonstrate the practicality and rationality of ideas. A logically sound argument includes clear reasoning, credible evidence, relevant examples, and avoids logical fallacies. Ethos focuses on establishing the writer’s credibility and trustworthiness through the ethical and balanced use of rhetorical strategies, as well as careful attention to the audience’s expectations regarding presentation and style. Pathos appeals to the audience’s emotions by using examples and language that encourage readers to care about the topic. In academic writing, pathos is often most effective in introductions, conclusions, or transitions between ideas, while logos and ethos generally receive greater emphasis in college-level arguments.

Structure and Style: How organized is your claim?

A well-structured argument is carefully and optimally planned. It is organized so that the argument has a fluid building of ideas, one onto the other, to produce the most persuasive impact or effect on the reader. You should avoid repeating ideas, reasons, or evidence. You must consider how each idea in your argument connects to the others.  Should some ideas come before others? Should you present the counterargument before your reasons?

When we discuss style in academic writing, we generally mean the use of formal language appropriate for the academic audience and occasion that avoids idioms and cliché or dull or simple word choices. However, some writing assignments allow you to choose your audience, and in that case, the style in which you write may not be formal. For some writing assignments, you may even be asked to use, where appropriate, poetic or figurative language or language that evokes the senses.

It is important to understand what kind of style of writing your audience expects, as delivering your argument in that style could make it more persuasive  Remember, the thesis statement is the driving force of organization in your essay, so each paragraph needs to have a specific purpose in proving or explaining your thesis; linking sentences completes this task.