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Catherine Welk
Professor Young
English 102
24 September 2014
Defining Argument
Argument An attempt to sway someone to understand or share a different viewpoint than their
own
Offers statements as reasons for other statements (Barnet 70
Synonym !isa"reement
Premise #remises are stated assumptions used as reasons in an ar"ument (Barnet $%&
Synonym Assumption
Example' (erms su)h as *sin)e+* *,e)ause+* *for+* and *in as mu)h as* often introdu)e a premise
(Ar"ument&
Evien!e #roof in the form of )on)rete data
Synonym #roof& -erifi)ation&
Example' .n a )ourtroom+ eviden)e ,earin" on the "uilt of the a))used is introdu)ed ,y the
prose)ution+ and eviden)e to the )ontrary is introdu)ed ,y the defense (Barnet /0&
One form of eviden)e is an e0ample (Barnet /0&
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2a)ts or opinions that support an issue or )laim3 may )onsist of statisti)s+ reports of personal
e0perien)e+ or views of e0perts (4lossary&
"easons 5upportin" fa)ts for opinions
Synonym 60planation& 7ause&
Example'
5ome sample reasons'
5o)rates is a man&
8ohn threw for thirty9nine tou)hdowns last season&
One of my friends says #rofessor Ostwald:s )lass is too easy&
;y tuition ,ill is %0< of my in)ome&
!inosaur toys are a perennial favorite with )hildren (Ostwald&
#pinion .deas and )on)lusions drawn from one*s own e0perien)es
Synonym Belief& 8ud"ment&
Example'
5ome people have the opinion that life ,e"ins at ,irth and that a,ortion should ,e ille"al
or restri)ted only to rare situations su)h as when the life of the mother is in dan"er& Other
people have the opinion that a,ortion is a woman*s health issue and that women should
have the freedom to )hoose whether to a,ort a )hild or not (Opinion 60amples&
Assumption .deas and )on)lusions drawn from superfi)ial means
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Synonym Belief& 5pe)ulation&
Example' .f the law helped to keep teena"ers from droppin" out of s)hool+ then that was a "ood
thin" for them and for so)iety in "eneral (Barnet %1&
Claim A proposed idea usually supported ,y eviden)e
(he )on)lusion of an ar"ument3 what the ar"uer is tryin" to prove (4lossary&
Synonym !e)laration& 5tatement&
Example'
5ome sample )laims'
5o)rates is mortal&
8ohn is a "ood =uarter,a)k&
#rofessor Ostwald:s )lass is too easy&
;y tuition ,ill is too e0pensive&
!inosaurs are popular (Ostwald&
Proposition 5u""ested plan or idea
A proposition is a senten)e that is either true or false (Ar"ument&
Synonym (heory&
Example'
All of the followin" are e0amples of propositions'
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*(he ?& 5& holds presidential ele)tions every four years&*
*Bo, ,ou"ht a new )ar&*
*5u@anne has the measles&*
*;ore than forty people are enrolled in this )lass&*
*An advan)ed form of life e0ists on the planet ;ars* (Ar"ument&
Con!lusion (he )omposition of fa)ts+ data+ and eviden)e supportin" a proposed ar"ument+
issue+ opinion+ reason+ or assumption often ,ased on trial and error
Synonym !edu)tion& Aeasonin"&
Example'
(hus+ the "reat dete)tive 5herlo)k Bolmes was )redited ,y his admirin" )ollea"ue+ !r&
Watson+ with unusual powers of dedu)tion& Watson meant in part that Bolmes )ould see
the lo"i)al )onse=uen)es of apparently dis)onne)ted reasons+ the num,er and )omple0ity
of whi)h left others at a loss (Barnet $%&
(erms su)h as+ *therefore+* *hen)e+* *thus+* *)onse=uently+* or *so*+ normally introdu)e a
)on)lusion (Ar"ument&
$ssue 5our)e of disa"reement
A final result or )on)lusion+ as a solution to a pro,lem (.ssue&
Synonym #ro,lem& ;atter in =uestion&
Example' 2eminism+ a,ortion+ and "ay marria"e are )ommon so)ial issues&
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Works 7ited
DAr"ument&D We,& Ehttp'FFfa)ulty&un)fsu&eduFGyoun"Far"ument&htmH&
Barnet+ 5ylvan+ and Bu"o Bedau& From Critical Thinking to Argument& >th ed& Boston'
BedfordF5t& ;artin*s+ 101>& #rint&
D4lossary of Ar"ument (erms&D We,&
Ehttp'FF"rossmont&")))d&))&)a&usFmus"rave1F"lossary&htmlH&
.ssue& (he Ameri)an Berita"eI !i)tionary of the 6n"lish Jan"ua"e+ 2ourth 6dition& 100%&
Bou"hton ;ifflin 7ompany 1> 5ep& 101>& We,&
DOpinion 60amples&D We,& Ehttp'FFe0amples&yourdi)tionary&)omFopinion9e0amples&htmlH&
Ostwald+ 8amel& DAr"ument ;appin" 1' 7laims and Aeasons&D Austhink+ 11 8uly 1007& We,&
Ehttp'FFGostwald&)omFAr"ument;appin"FAr";ap197laims&pdfH&