ENG102_MH_V5 | Writing Assignment 5: Researched Argument

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Assignment Guide: Researched Argument

Assignment OverviewAssignment Overview
What is an argument?

In academic writing, an argument is a claim, or a debatable stance, backed up with evidence. An argument is always debatable. This means that whatever your claim is, someone,
somewhere will not agree with you. An argument is a closed form of writing, and it follows a somewhat predictable pattern. The originality within an argument stems from the
evidence you gather and the appeals you wield to make your point. As one might imagine, choosing your evidence or sources, as well as which appeals to consider, is greatly
influenced by the audience. Without question, to whom you are addressing your claim will help determine the writing choices you make.

What spearheads my argument?

Ultimately, what guides your argument is one very important question: What’s the point for drafting and presenting this argument? In other words, what am I trying to prove? The
thesis statement, or claim, is the point of the essay.  It is the debatable point you are trying to make.

Where do I state my claim?

The thesis statement (which will likely be more than one sentence) usually appears at the end of your introduction and presents your specific argument or claim to the reader. Your
claim or thesis statement should include the reasons that will support the claim.This will help you determine how the argument will flow. To put it another way: the thesis should only
cover what you will discuss in your essay (Claim + Reasons 1, 2, 3 etc.)

A claim serves many purposes, including the following:

To prepare your readers for the purpose of your paper and the content

To set the focus for your paper

To state your side on an issue

To preview the “reasons” you will address

How do I support the claim I’m making?

Strong and thorough evidence supports an argument or “claim,” providing explanation in the form of indirect and direct quotes and statistics, to name a couple. Yet, just including a
statistic or quote is not enough: To build a sound argument, it is important to “warrant” or explain the reasons why your claim should be considered.

What are the components of an argument?

Item Description

Thesis or Main Claim

The main claim is your thesis–the point you’re trying to make. The main
claim is debatable, should be complex, and must be paired with ideas and
evidence to support it. Essentially, it is both your main point and what you
want your audience to believe.

 Reasons/Points   

The reasons, in many ways, are the second part of your claim. Developing
and clearly articulating the “reasons” for your position is key to developing
your argument. As you can imagine a well-articulated claim + reasons will
drive your argument.

Warrant
(the Bridge)

A sentence or two (per reason or point made) that explains each reason or
point you’re making. This explains why you think your evidence is relevant to
your claim.

Evidence
The evidence (data or grounds) is information you’ve collected to support
your claim and reasons.

Counterclaim

This is where you illustrate that you’re familiar with what the opposition
claims. (Be sure to explore each counterpoint, gathering source information
to fully understand why people hold that position and to more fully evaluate
the counterargument.)

Rebuttal

While you will always consider the opposition’s point of view, do not hesitate
to reiterate the points that support your claim. The rebuttal functions as a
reiteration of your evidence in support of your claim. Be sure to always make
a clear connection between the rebuttal, your claim and the evidence that
points in your direction.

What can weaken my argument?

Logical fallacies weaken arguments.  Logical fallacies can look or sound like a hasty generalization, a missed point, assumptions, weak correlations or analogies, just to name a
handful. Writers/speakers should always review their own work for fallacies that might inappropriately sway their audience.

Last modified: Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 11:26 AM

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