Constructing your Argument

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Constructing your Argument
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Basic Principle

• The right way to construct your argument
  depends upon your claim, your appeals, and your
  readers point of view.

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Basic Components

• Background
• Thesis (claim)
• Confirmation

• Refutation
• Concession
• Reaffirmation

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Background

• Information to orient the reader to your topic
  and/or establish the need to consider the topic
  at all
• Maybe in the introduction or early paragraph(s)
  of body

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Thesis

• One sentence that sums up your position on the
  issue.
• Your thesis is your central claim (fact, value,
  or policy)

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Confirmation To prove the truth of something

• Logical, ethical, emotional appeals
• Evidence examples, testimony, statistics

• Presenting your arguments
• Supporting your thesis

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Refutation To prove something false or wrong

• Logical, ethical, emotional appeals
• Evidence examples, testimony, statistics

• Anticipating objections
• Show weakness of opposing points of view

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Concession To grant or admit something as true.

• Acknowledging good ideas, legitimate concerns, or
  sincerity of opposing points of view
• Reinforcing your own position as more valid

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Reaffirmation

• Emphasizing the importance of your topic, the
  validity of your point of view (perhaps over
  others), or the need for some action or change
• Probably handled in the conclusion