Practical Argument

Part 1—Understanding Argument

An Introduction to Argument

Recognizing Arguments

　　　　 Why Instructors Assign Argument [box]

Defining Argument

　　　　 What Kinds of Statements Are Not Debatable? [box]

Arguments in Real Life

Winning and Losing Arguments

The Rhetorical Situation

Considering the Writer

Considering the Purpose

Considering the Audience

Considering the Question

Considering the Context

Logos, Pathos,　and　Ethos

　　　　 The Appeal to Reason (logos)

　　　　　Logos　in Action

　　　　 The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

　　　　　Pathos　in Action

　　　　 The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

　　　　　Ethos　in Action

The Rhetorical Triangle

AT ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

The Elements of Argument

　　　　 Thesis Statement

　　　　 Evidence

　　　　 Refutation

　　　　 Concluding Statement

　　　　 Checklist: Does Your Argument Stand Up?

　　　　 Nia Tuckson,　Why Foreign-Language Study Should Be Required　[student essay] 　

　　　　*Andy Kessler,　Learn a Language, But Not a Human One

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

*Derek Tharp,　Is College Worth It? The Answer Isn’t as Simple as You Think

Marty Nemko,　We Send Too Many Students to College

Jennie Le,　What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad?

*Bryan Caplan,　What’s College Good For?

Mary C. Daly and Leila Bengali,　Is It Still Worth Going to College?

*University of the People,　Does College Still Matter in 2018?

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything?

　　　　 Using Critical-Thinking Skills [box]

Reading Critically

　　　　 Guidelines for Reading Critically [box]

Becoming an Active Reader

　　　　　Previewing

　　　　 Close Reading

　　　　 Comprehension Clues [box]

　　　　*John Tierney, The Reign of Recycling

　　　　 Highlighting

　　　　Suggestions for Highlighting [box]

　　　　 Annotating

　　　　 Checklist: Questions for Annotating

　　　　 　 *Los Angeles Times, It’s Time to Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic

　　 *Bob Holmes, Waste Not…

　 *Jenny Luna, We Are So Forked

Writing a Critical Response

Checklist: Questions for Critical Reading

　　　　*Neena Thomason, Response to "It’s Time To Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic"　[student response]

Template for Writing a Critical Response

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything? [continued]

Thinking Critically about Visual Arguments

　　　　 Visuals versus Visual Arguments [box]

Using Active Reading Strategies with Visual Arguments

　　　　 Comprehension Clues [box]

　　　　 Appeals:　Logos, Pathos,　and　Ethos　[box]

　　　　　National Geographic Cover　[visual]

　　　　Recycling Bar Graph　[graphs]

　　　　Bird Trapped in Plastic [photo]

Recycling cartoon [cartoon]

Waste Pie Chart [chart]

Straws Suck! [infographic]

What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [advertisement]

Last Earth Day [advertisement]

Responding Critically to Visual Arguments

　　　　 Checklist: Questions for Responding to Visual Arguments

　　　　What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [student response]

　　　　 Template for Responding to Visual Arguments

AT ISSUE: Is It Ethical to Buy Counterfeit Designer Merchandise?

What Is a Rhetorical Analysis?

　　　　 Overview: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. [box]

Considering the Rhetorical Situation

　　　　 Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation [box]

　　　　 The Writer

　　　　Analyzing the Writer [box]

　　　　 The Writer’s Purpose

　　　　Analyzing the Writer’s Purpose [box]

　　　　 The Writer’s Audience

　　　　Analyzing the Writer’s Audience [box]

　　　　 The Question

Analyzing the Question [box]

　　　　 The Context

　　　　Analyzing the Context [box]

Considering the Means of Persuasion:　Logos, Pathos, Ethos

　　　　 The Appeal to Reason (logos)

　　　　 The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

　　　　 The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

Considering the Writer’s Rhetorical Strategies

　　　　 Thesis

　　　　 Organization

　　　　 Evidence

　　　　 Stylistic Techniques

Assessing the Argument

　　　　 Checklist: Preparing to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Sample Rhetorical Analysis

　　　　 Dana Thomas,　Terror's Purse Strings

　　　　 Deniz Bilgutay,　A Powerful Call to Action　[student essay]

　　　　 Rajeev Ravisankar,　Sweatshop Oppression

　　　 Template for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

　　　　　*Jerome Sieger,　Sweatshops Are Good

AT ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

What Is Deductive Reasoning?

Constructing Sound Syllogisms

　　　　 Syllogism with an Illogical Middle Term

　　　　 Syllogism with a Key Term Whose Meaning Shifts

　　　　 Syllogisms with Negative Premise

Recognizing Enthymemes

　　　　 Bumper-Sticker Thinking [box]

Writing Deductive Arguments

　　　　　Crystal Sanchez,　College Should Be for Everyone　[student essay]

What Is Inductive Reasoning?

　　　　 Reaching Inductive Conclusions [box]

Making Inferences

Constructing Strong Inductive Arguments

　　　　 Generalization Too Broad

　　　　 Insufficient Evidence

　　　　 Irrelevant Evidence

　　　　 Exceptions to the Rule

Writing Inductive Arguments

　　　　 William Saletan,　Please Do Not Feed the Humans

Recognizing Logical Fallacies

　　　　 Begging the Question

　　　　 Circular Reasoning

　　　　 Weak Analogy

　　　 　Ad Hominem　Fallacy (Personal Attack)

　　　　 Creating a Straw Man

　　　　 Hasty or Sweeping Generalization (Jumping to a Conclusion)

　　　　 Either/Or Fallacy (False Dilemma)

　　　　 Equivocation

　　　　 Red Herring

　　　　 Slippery Slope

　　　　 You Also (Tu Quoque)

　　　　 Appeal to Doubtful Authority

　　　　 Misuse of Statistics

　　　　 Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc　(After This, Therefore Because of This)

　　　　 Non Sequitur　(It Does Not Follow)

　　　　 Bandwagon Fallacy

Patrick J. Buchanan,　Immigration Time-Out

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

*Thane Rosenbaum,　Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free Speech?　　

*Sol Stern,　The Unfree Speech Movement

*American Association of University Professors,　On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes　　

*Wendy Kaminer,　Progressive Ideas Have Killed Free Speech on Campus

*Judith Shulevitz,　In College and Hiding from Scary Ideas

*Eric Posner,　Universities Are Right to Crack Down on Speech and Behavior

Template for Writing a Deductive Argument

Template for Writing an Inductive Argument

AT ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?

Understanding Rogerian Argument

Structuring Rogerian Arguments

Writing Rogerian Arguments

　　　　　Zoya Kahn,　Why Cell Phones Do Not Belong in the Classroom　[student essay]

Understanding Toulmin Logic

Constructing Toulmin Arguments

Writing Toulmin Arguments

　　　　 Jen Davis,　Competitive Cheerleaders Are Athletes　[student essay]

Understanding Oral Arguments

Planning an Oral Argument

Checklist: Designing and Displaying Visuals

Delivering Oral Arguments

Dealing with Nervousness [box]

Composing an Oral Argument

　　　　　Chantee Steele,　An Argument in Support of the "Gap Year"　[student speech] 　

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?　　　　

　　　　　**Olivia Nicholas, **What Are You Going to Do with That Major?*

                     **Olga Khazan, **The More Gender Equality, the Fewer Women in STEM*

　　　　 *Stuart Reges,　Why Women Don’t Code

　　　　 *Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers,　The Science Doesn’t Support the Google Memo

　　　 *Barbara Oakley,　Why Do Women Shun STEM? It’s Complicated

　　　　　Template for Writing a Rogerian Argument

Template for Writing a Toulmin Argument

AT ISSUE: Should College Campuses Go Green?

Choosing a Topic

　　　　 Topics to Avoid [box]

Thinking about Your Topic

　　　　 Freewriting

　　　　 Brainstorming

　　　　 Clustering

　　　　 Informal Outline

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Understanding Your Purpose and Audience

Gathering Evidence

　　　　 Evaluating the Evidence in Your Sources

　　　　 Detecting Bias in Your Sources

　　　　Using Analogies as Evidence [box]

Refuting Opposing Arguments

　　　　　Strategies for Refuting Opposing Arguments

Revising Your Thesis Statement

Structuring Your Essay

　　　　 Supplying Background Information [box]

　　　　 Using Induction and Deduction

Identifying a Strategy for Your Argument

　　　　 Constructing a Formal Outline

Establishing Credibility

　　　　 Being Well-Informed

　　　　 Being Reasonable

　　　　 Being Fair

　　　　 Maintaining Your Credibility [box]

Drafting Your Essay

　　　　 Suggested Transitions for Argument [box]

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism

Revising Your Essay

　　　　 Asking Questions

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Purpose and Audience

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Structure and Style

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Supporting Evidence

　　　　 Using Outlines and Templates

　　　　 Getting Feedback

　　　　 Guidelines for Peer Review

Polishing Your Essay

　　　　 Editing and Proofreading

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Contractions vs. Possessive Pronouns

　　　　 Choosing a Title

　　　　 Checking Format

Shawn Holton,　Going Green　[student essay]

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?

Finding Sources

　　　　 Finding Information in the Library

　　　　 Finding Information on the Internet

Evaluating Sources

*Zeynep Tufekci, The Privacy Debacle

*David N. Cicilline and Terrell McSweeny, Competition is at the Heart of Facebook’s Privacy Problem

　　　　*Daniel Lyons, Facebook: Privacy Problems and PR Nightmare　

Evaluating Websites

　　　　 Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [box]

　　　　 Avoiding Confirmation Bias [box]　　　　

*The Chronicle of Higher Education,　Home Page　[website]

　　　　 *Glamour Magazine,　Home Page　[website]

　　　*The Chronicle of Higher Education,　About　The Chronicle [website]

　　　　 *Glamour　Magazine,　About　Glamour　[website]

　*Bart Lazar,　Why We Need a Privacy Label on the Internet

　 *Douglas Rushkoff,　You Are Not Facebook’s Customer

　　　　*Igor Kuksov,　All Ears: The Dangers of Voice Assistants

　 Sam Laird,　Should Athletes Have Social Media Privacy? One Bill Says Yes

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy? (continued)

Summarizing Sources

　　　　 When to Summarize [box]

　　　　 Summarizing Sources [box]

Paraphrasing Sources

　　　　 When to Paraphrase [box]

　　　　 Paraphrasing Sources [box]

Quoting Sources

　　　　 When to Quote [box]

　　　　 Quoting Sources [box]

　　　Shelley Fralic,　Don’t Fall for the Myths about Online Privacy

Working Source Material into Your Argument

　　　　 Using Identifying Tags

　　　　 Template for Using Identifying Tags [box]

　　　　 Working Quotations into Your Sentences

　　　　 Distorting Quotations [box]

Synthesizing Sources

Using Parenthetical References

Preparing the Works-Cited List

　　　　 Periodicals 　　　　

　　　　Books

Audiovisual Sources

　　　　 Internet Sources

　　　　 Legal Case

　　　　 Government Document

MLA Paper Guidelines [box]

　　　　 Erin Blaine,　Should Data Posted on Social Networking Sites Be "Fair Game" for Employers?　[Model MLA Paper]

AT ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

Understanding Plagiarism

　　　　 Two Definitions of Plagiarism [box]

Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism

　　Internet Sources and Plagiarism [box]

　　　　 Intentional Plagiarism [box]

Knowing What to Document

　　　　　Loos Diallo,　Plagiarism Policy　[image]

*Erika Ramirez,　When Beyonce’s Inspiration Turns Into Imitation

Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

　　　　 　Trip Gabriel,　Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age

　　　　 *Jennifer Mott-Smith,　Bad Idea about Writing: Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished

　　　　 Richard A. Posner,　The Truth about Plagiarism

　　　*Helen Rubinstein,　When Plagiarism is a Plea for Help

　　　　Dan Ariely,　Essay Mills: A Coarse Lesson in Cheating

Term Papers for Sale Advertisement　[Web page]

Template for Writing an Argument about Plagiarism

Writing Assignments: Using Sources Responsibly

AT ISSUE: How Do We Distinguish Between Real News and Misinformation?

What Is a Definition Argument?

Developing Definitions

　　　　 Dictionary Definitions (Formal Definitions)

　　　　 Extended Definitions

　　　　 Operational Definitions

Structuring a Definition Argument

　　　　 Adam Kennedy,　Why I Am a Nontraditional Student　[student essay]

　　　　 GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding "Is Where"　and "Is When"

　　　　 　*Ej Garr,　Athlete vs. Role Model

　　　　 Firefighters at Ground Zero　[photograph];　The Tuskegee Airmen　[photograph]

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: How Do We Distinguish Between Real News and Misinformation?

　　 *Joanna Burkhardt,　History of Fake News

　　　*Jimmy Wales,　What Can We Do to Combat Fake News?

　　　*Adrian Chen,　The Fake News Fallacy

　　　*Katie Langin, Fake News Spreads Faster than True News

*Lee Leetaru,　How Data and Information Literacy Could End Fake News

Template for Writing a Definition Argument

Writing Assignments: Definition Arguments

AT ISSUE: 　Does Our Reliance on Social Media Bring Us Together or Drive Us Apart?

What Is a Cause-and-Effect Argument?

　　　　 Bumper Stickers　[photograph]

Understanding Cause-and-Effect Relationships

　　　　 Main and Contributory Causes

　　　　 Immediate and Remote Causes

　　　　 Causal Chains

　　　　 Key Words for Cause-and-Effect Arguments [box]

　　　　 Post Hoc　Reasoning

Structuring a Cause-and-Effect Argument

　　　　 Kristina Mialki,　Texting: A Boon, Not a Threat, to Language　[student essay]

　　　　 GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Avoiding "The reason is because"

　　　　　Peggy Orenstein,　Should the World of Toys Be Gender-Free?

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Does Our Reliance on Social Media Bring Us Together or Drive Us Apart?

*Laura Bogart,　I Don’t Own a Smartphone – and I Don’t Want One

*Dimitiry Kozlov,　Social Media: Bringing People Together, Virtually and Physically

*Robert Weiss, Closer Together or Further Apart? Digital Devices and the New Generation Gap

*David Ludden,　Does Using Social Media Make You Lonely?

*Wendy Leung,　I Quit Facebook and I Miss It

*Sherry Turkle,　The Flight from Conversation

Template for Writing a Cause-and-Effect Argument

Writing Assignments: Cause-and-Effect Arguments

AT ISSUE: Do the Benefits of Fossil Fuels Outweigh the Environmental Risks?

What Is an Evaluation Argument?

　　　　 Making Evaluations [box]

  Identifying Bias [box]

　　　　 Criteria for Evaluation

Structuring an Evaluation Argument

　　　　　Kevin Murphy,　Evaluation of a Website: RateMyProfessors.com　[student essay] 　

　　　　 GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Comparatives and Superlatives

　　　　　*Eric Klinenberg,　To Restore Civil Society, Start with the Library

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Do the Benefits of Fracking Outweigh the Environmental Risks?

　　　　*Joseph Bast and Peter Ferrara　The Social Benefits of Fossil Fuels Far Outweigh the Costs

　　　　*Juan Ramos,　Fossil Fuels Pros and Cons

　　　　*Bernard McNamee,　This Earth Day, Let’s Accept the Critical Role That Fossil Fuels Play in Energy Needs

　　　　Sean Lennon,　Destroying Precious Land for Gas

　　　　*Bruno Comby,　The Benefits of Nuclear Energy

　　　　*Barbara Hurd,　Fracking: A Fable

Template for Writing an Evaluation Argument

Writing Assignments: Evaluation Arguments

AT ISSUE: How Far Should Schools Go to Keep Students Safe?

What is an Ethical Argument?

Stating an Ethical Principle

Ethics versus Law

Understanding Ethical Dilemmas

　　　　 Treadlighly.org,　Ride Hard,　Tread Lightly　[advertisement] 　

　　　　　*PETA,　Adopt, Don’t Buy　[advertisement] 　　

　　　　 Linda Pastan,　Ethics　[poem]　　

Structuring an Ethical Argument

　　　　 Chris Muñoz,　Are Colleges Doing Enough for Nontraditional Students?　[student essay] 　

　　　　 GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Subordination and Coordination

　　　　　*Shubhankar Chokra,　The Ethical Case for Eating Animals

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: How Far Should Schools Go to Keep Students Safe?

　　　　 *Evie Blad,　Do Schools’ "Active Shooter" Drills Prepare or Frighten?

　　　　 Timothy Wheeler　There’s a Reason They Choose Schools

　　　　 *Sasha Arbramsky, The Fear Industry Goes Back to Work

　　　 　 *Michael Goldberg,　I’m a School Psychologist—and I Think Teachers Should Be Armed

　　　 　 *Vann Newkirk,　Arming Educators Violates the Spirit of the Second Amendment

　　　　 Isothermal Community College,　Warning Signs: How You Can Help Prevent Campus Violence

Template for Writing an Ethical Argument

Writing Assignments: Ethical Arguments

AT ISSUE: Should the Government Do More to Relieve the Student Loan Burden?

What Is a Proposal Argument?

　　　　　PETA,　Let Vegetarianism Grow on You　[advertisement]

　　　　　　　Problem Solving Strategies [box]

Stating the Problem

Proposing a Solution　　　　

Demonstrating That Your Solution Will Work

　　　　　　　Sunshineweek.org,　Let the Sunshine In　[advertisement] 　

Establishing Feasibility

Discussing Benefits

Refuting Opposing Arguments

　　　　 Nyc.gov,　It’s Your City. It’s Your Earth.　[advertisement]

　　　　　Bernie Sanders,　Medicare for All Is Good for Business

Structuring a Proposal Argument

　　　　 Melissa Burrell,　Colleges Need Honor Codes　[student essay]

　　　　 GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT:　Will　versus　Would

　　　　*Michelle Wu,　The Road to Fear-Free Driving in Boston

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Should the Government Do More to Relieve the Student-Loan Burden?

　　　　 *Rana Foroohar, The US College Debt Bubble Is Becoming Dangerous

　　　　　Richard Vedder,　Forgive Student Loans?

　　　　　*Ben Miller,　Student Debt: It’s Worse Than We Imagined

　　　Sam Adolphsen,　Don’t Blame the Government　　　

Astra Taylor,　A Strike against Student Debt

Template for Writing a Proposal Argument

Writing Assignments: Proposal Arguments

Part 5 Review: Combining Argumentative Strategies

　　　　　*Robert M. Franklin,　RFK’s Still a Leadership Role Model for Youth

　　　　 Kevin Carey,　Fulfill George Washington’s Last Wish — a National University

　　　　　*Don Aucoin,　Why We Have the Ethics of Self-Driving Cars All Wrong

　　　　　*Olivia Goldhill,　Should Driverless Cars Kill Their Own Passengers to Save a Pedestrian?

　　　　　*Randy Bertolas, Jayme Krejci, and Alex Stanley　Are Colleges and Universities Obligated to Provide Student Athletes with Additional Compensation? (Point)

　　　　* Randy Bertolas, Jayme Krejci, and Alex Stanley　Are Colleges and Universities Obligated to Provide Student Athletes with Additional Compensation? (Counterpoint)

　　　　　Lenore Skenazy,　How Kitty Genovese Destroyed Childhood

　　　　　Joe Nocera,　It’s Hard to Be a Hero

　　　　　　 　 　 *Christian Bot,　The Conservative Case for Universal Basic Income

　　　　　　*Geroge Zarkadakas,　The Case Against Universal Basic Income

　　　　Eric Hoover,　College’s Value Goes Deeper Than the Degree

　　　　*Andrew Perry,　Stop Saying College Isn’t for Everyone

*G. Vance, The College Trap: Our Higher Education System Hurts the Poor

　　　　 Charles　Murray,　What's Wrong with Vocational School?

　　　　 *Ericka Anderson,　The Opioid Epidemic Is a Cultural Problem, It Requires Cultural Solutions

　　　　　*Stanton Peele,　The Solution to the Opioid Crisis

　　　　*Peter Moore,　The Other Opioid Crisis

　　　　*Sally Satel,　The Myth of What’s Driving the Opioid Crisis

　*Richard Lamm,　The Liberal Case for Reducing Immigration

*Nick Srineck,　$100 Trillion Case for Open Borders

*John Lee,　Secure the U.S.-Mexico Border: Open It

*Adam Ozemik,　Why I Don’t Support Open Borders

Christina H. Paxson,　The Economic Case for Saving the Humanities

Anthony P. Carnevale and Michelle Melton,　Major Differences: Why Undergraduate Majors Matter

Kim Brooks,　Is It Time to Kill the Liberal Arts Degree?

Thomas Frank,　Course Corrections

　　　　 Plato,　The Allegory of the Cave

　　　　　Andrew Marvell,　To His Coy Mistress

　　　　 Jonathan Swift,　A Modest Proposal

　　　　 Thomas Jefferson,　The Declaration of Independence

　　　　　Abraham Lincoln,　The Gettysburg Address

　　　　 Elizabeth Cady Stanton,　Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions　　

　　　　　George Orwell,　Politics and the English Language　　

　　　　 Rachel Carson,　The Obligation to Endure　　

　　　　　Betty Friedan,　The Importance of Work

　　　　　James Baldwin,　If Black English Isn’t a Language, Then Tell Me, What Is?

What Is a Literary Argument?

Stating an Argumentative Thesis

Choosing Evidence

Writing a Literary Argument

Megan McGovern,　Confessions of a Misunderstood Poem: An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken"　[student essay]

Loren Martinez,　Not Just a "Girl"[student essay]

Appendix B—Documenting Sources: APA