Elements of an Argument

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Elements of an Argument
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(No Transcript)
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Argument Claim Reason (Assumption) Evidences

• Claim Mina should do well in college.
• Reasons She has worked at her parents
  restaurant for six years.
• Warrant Working at a restaurant is a good
  preparation for college.
• Backing Restaurant workers must work under
  pressure and juggle several tasks at oneskills
  that are necessary to success in college courses.

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Claim Mina should do well in college.
Reasons She has worked at her parents
restaurant for six years.

• Warrant Working at a restaurant is a good
  preparation for college.

• Backing Restaurant workers must work under
  pressure and juggle several tasks at oneskills
  that are necessary to success in college courses.

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• Claim First-year students at large universities
  benefit academically from a job.
• Reason (Because) The social contacts they make
  at work help them feel less isolated on campus.
• Evidence 1. A recent poll conducted by the
  admissions office found that working students
  have more friends than students who do not work.
• Evidence 2. Your ex-roommate developed a network
  of friends and study partners while working part
  time in a campus copy shop.

Do you agree with this argument? Tell us your
counter-argument
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Organizing your argument

• Title
• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs
• Constructing Topic Sentences
• Building Main Points
• Countering the Opposition
• Conclusion

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How do you write an argument that appeals to
readers?

• Draw on shared beliefs and values.
• Present opposing arguments fairly.
• Dont oversimplify.
• Dont use hostile language.
• Consider refuting opposing argument.
• Question the claim
• Question the evidence
• Question the warrants and backing
• Avoid fallacies of reasoning

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A List Of Fallacious Arguments

• http//www.don-lindsay-archive.org/skeptic/argumen
  ts.html