Hello, everyone!
Today we are going to learn how to build a strong argument.
So first we've got to know what an argument is.
In academic writing, an argument is usually a main idea
often called a "claim" or "thesis statement"
backed up with evidence that supports the idea.
In order to build your argument, you need to answer four questions.
Number one, what is my claim?
Number two, what reasons support my claim?
Number three, what evidence supports my reason?
And number four, do I acknowledge alternatives/ complications/ objections
and how do I respond?
What is a claim?
It is a statement you make to support your argument.
It can be a fact or a claim of value
which raises issues about what is good or bad,
right or wrong or it is a claim of policy
which deals with the realms of rules, regulations and laws.
Once you have decided your claim,
you would like to support your claim with reason and evidence.
Reason is a statement that gives your readers cause to accept your claim.
Evidence is a piece of information that supports a claim.
When you present your argument, you start with your claim
because of your reason based on your evidence.
From the example, we can see that the claim is
"It is almost known to all that smoking is harmful to people's health"
because it can lead to heart disease, cancer and other problems.
The evidence is statistics from an authentic organization.
After writing a claim,
support your claim with evidence.
Remember that your evidence must appeal to reason.
The following are different ways to support your argument:
facts, statistics, quotes, and examples.
Facts come from your reading, observation, or personal experience.
Facts cannot be disputed so it makes them a strong form of evidence.
Do not confuse facts with truths.
A "truth" is an idea believed by many people, but it cannot be proven.
Statistics can provide excellent support for your argument
because they are logical and factual.
Be sure your statistics come from good sources.
For example,
over 61% of Americans are overweight;
unemployment in Illinois is at 5%.
Quotes from leading experts or authorities will support your claim.
It is extremely important to make sure
that the authoritative information you choose is actually accurate
and relevant to your point.
Look at the following examples
and decide whether it is a good quote or not.
Obviously the first one is a good quote
while the second one is a biased source.
For the third example, the reader will doubt who Dr.Petrelli is.
Using examples from your own experience can enhance your meaning
and make your ideas concrete.
For personal experience to be convincing, however,
it must also be applicable,
present reasonable background understanding,
show a universal or general situation
and be related to the thesis somehow.
For example,
for many years,
my best friend's husband beat her--the police did nothing about it;
therefore, we need better laws
so domestic abusers can be punished more stringently.
I've never been to Australia,
but it seems from all the movies I've seen about the place
that they all like to drink and barbecue.
The second example cannot show a general situation.
After collecting the evidence,
you should say why and how this evidence supports your argument.
That is to say
you have to explain the significance of the evidence
and its function in your paper.
What turns a fact into evidence is the link it has with the claim
so you have to make it clear.
Finally,
acknowledging counterarguments or objections
can strengthen your argument
and show that you have a deep understanding of the issue you are discussing.
So you begin by acknowledging the objections
then you respond to it with your argument.
So you can modify your claim in this way
the initial claim "It is almost known to all that smoking is harmful
to people's health because it can lead to heart disease,
cancer and other problems."
can be modified as "Many people think that smoking can help boost memory
and concentration but it is really harmful to people's health
because it can lead to heart disease, cancer and other problems.
Now it is your turn. Write a paragraph of argument on the following topic.