Argumentation Skills.english lecture slideshare.pptx

Argymentation skills

1. Argumentation Skills

2. An academic argument is your stance, your claim, or your take on your topic. This stance, claim, or take is your contribution to the current conversation on your topic and provides your readers with a position, perspective, and/or point of view on your topic. An academic argument is also based in the research, what we often call "evidence-based." This means you must support your argument with findings from sources you read.

3. An academic argument is not .... An academic argument is not a fight, a battle, or a negative confrontation. An academic argument is also not emotional nor focused on one person's opinion.

4. Distinguishing Argumentation from Persuasion

5. Persuasion appeals to readers’ emotions to make them believe something or take specific action. Persuasion can also use logic and evidence . Advertising uses persuasion. Example: Imagine the life of an abandoned house pet—unwanted, hungry, and cold. Your donation to an animal shelter can make all the difference.

6. Argumentation relies on logic and evidence to build a case for a specific claim. Argumentation de-emphasizes appeals to emotion. Science and law use argumentation. Example: Communities without animal shelters often struggle to control the proliferation of stray and feral dogs and cats.

7. Features of an Argumentative Essay: The following five features make up the structure of an argumentative essay : Creating an Introduction and Thesis: The argumentative essay begins with an engaging introduction that presents the general topic. The thesis typically appears somewhere in the introduction and states the writer’s point of view.

8. Acknowledging Opposing Ideas and Limits to Your Argument: An argument implies differing points of view on the subject, you must be sure to acknowledge those opposing ideas. Acknowledging points of view different from your own also has the effect of fostering more credibility between you and the audience. They know from the outset that you are aware of opposing ideas and that you are not afraid to give them space.

9. In short, you are acknowledging early on that your argument is not the ultimate authority on a given topic. Audience members will know from the beginning that you are a reasonable writer, and audience members will trust your argument as a result . Example: Although tougher gun control laws are a powerful first step in decreasing violence in our streets, such legislation alone cannot end these problems since guns are not the only problem we face . The writer advocates for stricter gun control laws, but admits it will not solve all of our problems with crime.

10. Bias in Writing Handling bias in writing and in daily life can be a useful skill. It will allow you to articulate your own points of view while also defending yourself against unreasonable points of view. The ideal in persuasive writing is to let your reader know your bias, but do not let that bias blind you to the primary components of good argumentation: sound, thoughtful evidence and a respectful and reasonable address of opposing sides.

11. The weakness of bias is when the bias begins to take over the essay—when, for example, you neglect opposing ideas, exaggerate your points, or repeatedly insert yourself ahead of the subject by using I too often.

12. The Use of I in Writing: Be mindful of the use of I in your writing because it can make your argument sound overly biased . Facts and Opinions Facts are statements that can be proven using objective data . Opinions are personal views, or judgments, that cannot be proven . In writing, you want to strike a balance between credible facts and authoritative opinions.

13. For example, you seek the opinion of your dentist when it comes to the health of your gums, and you seek the opinion of your mechanic when it comes to the maintenance of your car. Both have knowledge and credentials in those respective fields, which is why their opinions matter to you. But the authority of your dentist may be greatly diminished should he or she offer an opinion about your car, and vice versa . In short, Facts can be proved, but opinions can only be supported, explained, and persuaded.

14. Using Visual Elements to Strengthen Arguments Adding visual elements to an argument can often strengthen its persuasive effect. There are two main types of visual elements: quantitative visuals and qualitative visuals . Quantitative visuals present data graphically and visually. They allow the audience to see statistics spatially. The purpose of using quantitative visuals is to make logical appeals to the audience.

15. Qualitative visuals present images that appeal to the audience’s emotions. Photographs and pictorial images are examples of qualitative visuals.

16. Avoiding Logical Fallacies: An effective argument uses clear and logical thinking. Sometimes, though, students get so eager to fight for a point of view that they accidently (or intentionally) make misleading or illogical claims to prove their points.

17. Things To Avoid In An Argumentative Essay Don’t Start A Remark With Statements Such As, You Believe, Or Think. Avoid Writing An Essay With No Evidence To Back Up. 3. Do not Have An Unclear Or Weak Thesis Statement. 4. Don’t Steal Or Plagiarize . 5. Do Not Conclude Abruptly Or Without Thought. 6. Don’t Skimp On Proofreading And Editing . 7. Avoid Mistakes In Citation . 8. Don't Ignore Opposing Viewpoints