Mastering Argumentative Writing: Strategies and Techniques

1. The Argument Essay AP English Language and Composition

2. The Argument Prompt • You will be given a statement, excerpt, quotation, or anecdote and you will be asked to either: • defend, challenge, or qualify the assertion. • support, oppose, or qualify the assertion. • agree with, disagree with, or qualify the assertion.

3. Argument Prompt continued… • What does it mean to qualify an assertion? • Agree with some and disagree with other parts of the text

4. How do you argue a point? • Present the issue/situation/problem. • State your assertion/claim/thesis. • Support your claim with facts, details, personal experience, and examples to name a few. • Acknowledge and respond to real or possible opposing views. • Make your final comment or summary of the evidence. • Use ethos, pathos, logos. • Avoid logical fallacies.

5. Elements of Effective Writing • Diction • Details • Imagery • Tone • Syntax

6. Modes of Argument • Ethos • Pathos • Logos

7. Ethos • Establishing your credibility as an author • Citing people with authority to support your argument • Ethics—right/wrong

8. Pathos • Be careful not to rely solely on appeal to emotion. • It will weaken your argument. • However, used carefully it can be very powerful. • Be sure the emotion contributes to not detracts from the argument.

9. Logos • Facts or statistics • Personal experience • Authority • Values (can be tricky if you evoke a value your reader doesn’t share)

10. Patterns of Logic • Inductive reasoning • Drawing conclusions based on evidence • Specific to general • Deductive reasoning • Begins with a basic truth and proceeds (The Declaration of Independence is a good example.) • General to specific

11. Deductive reasoning • Premise • The truth, right, or belief from which a writer deduces an argument. • The Syllogism • A three-part argument in which the conclusion rests on two premises. • Major premise: All people have hearts. • Minor premise: John is a person. • Conclusion: Therefore, John has a heart.

12. Logical Fallacies • Non-sequitir • Conclusion that “does not follow” from the premise. • Hasty generalization • Draws a conclusion about an entire group based on insufficient evidence. • Post hoc: attributing false causes • Cites an unrelated event that occurred earlier as the cause of a current situation

13. More Logical Fallacies • Begging the question • The assertion/premise really remains to be proven. • Circular Reasoning • Restates the premise rather than giving a reason for holding the premise

14. More Logical Fallacies • Equivocating • Uses vague or ambiguous language to mislead an audience • Ignoring the question • Changing the subject • Jumping to conclusions • Conclusion has not been adequately supported by the evidence • Straw Man • Exaggerating opponents views or only responding to an extreme view

15. Yes…More Logical Fallacies • Presenting a false dilemma • Posing only two choices without looking at other alternatives • Slippery slope • Censoring pornography will end freedom of the press. • Red Herring • Throwing in a side issue to distract • Attributing guilt by association • Politicians use this. • Ad hominem: attacking the character of opponents

16. More Logical Fallacies • Appealing to pity • Should never stand alone • Appealing to prejudice • Seen as an attempt to distract the reader • Appealing to tradition • Especially if tradition is the justification for a position • Arguing by analogy • Can be used wrong; need to be careful