ARGUMENT, in Language Arts, is not just a question of stating your preferences as opposed to another person's preferences. In an argument, you must have the following:
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Claim
The claim is the central idea of the argument; it is the thesis, the idea that will be proven in the rest of the text. Unlike informational text, where a central idea can be implied, an argumentative idea should be clearly stated. Otherwise, you may have an ineffective text. If you are reading an effective text, you should easily be able to identify the claim, or thesis. An effective thesis statement should:
EXAMPLES and NON-EXAMPLES: 1. About a debatable or controversial topic. No one is going to waste their time reading or listening to an argument that has nothing to argue. No one will debate about the need for oxygen, for instance. So, the text should focus on something about which people have differing, and supportable, ideas.
2. Pick a side. If a writer doesn't know their own mind, neither will their readers or listeners. If you don't take a side, you don't have an argument. Even if you may, in fact, understand the other side of the argument, and in some ways even sympathize with it, your job in argumentation is to put forth what you hold to be the BEST position on the issue.
4. Not be too broad. Generalization is a useful skill in some situations, but not argument. An argument should be specific. The thesis should apply to what it applies to, and the writer or speaker should not try to make it apply to what it doesn't.
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Evidence and ElaborationEVIDENCE is what a writer or speaker uses to prove a claim. For an argument to be effective, it must have strong evidence. That is, it must have sound reasoning, and provide relevant and sufficient evidence.
TYPES OF EVIDENCE
Caveat Lector (Let the Reader Beware!) of Faulty Reasoning Be wary of the following logical mistakes that sometimes appear in argumentative texts:
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Counterclaim and Rebuttal
Not all arguments will seek to refute an opponent's perspective, but effective ones do. If an argument does not address the opposing side of the issue, the counterclaim, it is more persuasive than argumentative.
Rebuttal of a counterclaim adds to the strength of an argument because you have taken the time to consider the other judgements on the issue and found evidence to debunk them. After all, an argument is about taking a position on an issue, and explaining why you support it. Showing how the opposition is weak only makes your position seem stronger, and you can more easily bring others to your view. Rebuttals should be done with sound reasoning and credible evidence. If your author uses faulty logic to rebut the counterclaim, they may invalidate their argument. It is important to play fair. Authors and speakers have a variety of methods for refuting/rebutting an opponent's argument, the counterclaim. Some are:
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