Module-1

• An argument must be supported with reasoning.

  TRUE OR FALSE?

  TRUE
• An argument is merely an opinion.

  TRUE OR FALSE?

  FALSE
• An argument is a claim contended as true.

  TRUE OR FALSE?

  TRUE
• An argument means conflict or fight.

  TRUE OR FALSE?

  FALSE
• An argument does not have single winner or loser

  TRUE OR FALSE?

  TRUE
• A position paper is a document which contains statements about a one-sided arguable opinion on a certain subject or issue.
• Position Paper - It is sometimes called a point of view paper since it presents your claims provided with rationale and valid evidences.
• Position Paper -It is a debate in written form with the goal of convincing your audience to your belief or judgment.
• An argument is a set of ideas put together to prove a point.
• It is different from the “real world’ meaning where an argument denotes “fight” or “conflict”.
• Manifesto - is defined as a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer.
• Writer’s argument - is a group of statements or reasons used to persuade the readers that what he/she believes is true.
• Claim/Conclusion - It summarizes the main idea. It is not just your opinion. It is what you think is true about a topic.
• Reasons/Premises - It is the importance of your claim. It includes the evidences that comes in various forms, including specific examples quotes and ideas from other scholars, statistics, data, testimonies, narratives and facts.
• Claim/Conclusion : What do you want reader to believe?
• Reasons/Premises : Why should the reader accept your claim?
• Reasoning - giving logical explanation of the argument.
• Evidence – presenting statistics, facts, and studies
• Appeal – stimulate the reader's emotions
• Three major ways that authors present an argument:

  • Reasoning
  • Evidence
  • Appeal
• Deductive Arguments - proceeds from general ideas/facts to specific inferences.
• Inductive Arguments - derives from specific observations lead to a general conclusion
• Steps in Identifying the Arguments:

  1. Read the Paragraph
  2. Ask, "What is the paragraph all about"
  3. Summarize the content in your own words
  4. Find the sentence within the paragraph that best matches the summary. This is the stated claim of the paragraph.