Making An Argument Analysis
Argument
What this handout is about...
This handout will define what an argument is and why you need one in most of your academic essays.
Arguments are everywhere...
You may be surprised to hear that the word "argument" does not have to be written anywhere in your assignment for it to be an important part of your task. In fact, making an argument--expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with evidence--is often the aim of academic writing. Your instructors may assume that you know this fact, and therefore they may not explain its importance to you in class. Nevertheless, if your writing assignment asks you to respond to reading and discussion in class, your instructor likely expects you to produce an argument …show more content…
You have to back up your point with evidence. The strength of your evidence, and your use of it, can make or break your argument. You already have the natural inclination for this type of thinking, if not in an academic setting. Think about how you talked your parents into letting you borrow the car. Did you present them with lots of instances of trustworthiness on your part from the past? Did you make them feel guilty, because your friends ' parents all let them drive? Did you whine until they just wanted you to shut up? Did you look up statistics on teen driving and use them to show how you didn 't fit the dangerous-driver profile? These are all types of argumentation, and they exist in academia in similar …show more content…
Does the author adequately defend her argument? What kind of proof does she use? Is there something she leaves out that you would put in? Does putting it in hurt her argument? As you get used to reading critically, you will start to see the sometimes hidden agendas of other writers, and you can use this skill to improve your own ability to argue.
References:
Anson, Chris M. and Robert A Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers. 2nd ed. New York, Longman, 2000.
Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Ede, Lisa. Work in Progress. New York: St. Martin 's Press, 1989.
Gage, John T. The Shape of Reason: Argumentative Writing in College. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. [Not in UNC Libraries; Available on Writing Center bookshelf.]
Lunsford, Andrea and John Ruszkiewicz. Everything 's an Argument. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 1999. [Not in UNC Libraries; Available on Writing Center bookshelf.]
Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.
source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb 1998 - 2005
What this handout is about...
This handout will define what an argument is and why you need one in most of your academic essays.
Arguments are everywhere...
You may be surprised to hear that the word "argument" does not have to be written anywhere in your assignment for it to be an important part of your task. In fact, making an argument--expressing a point of view on a subject and supporting it with evidence--is often the aim of academic writing. Your instructors may assume that you know this fact, and therefore they may not explain its importance to you in class. Nevertheless, if your writing assignment asks you to respond to reading and discussion in class, your instructor likely expects you to produce an argument …show more content…
You have to back up your point with evidence. The strength of your evidence, and your use of it, can make or break your argument. You already have the natural inclination for this type of thinking, if not in an academic setting. Think about how you talked your parents into letting you borrow the car. Did you present them with lots of instances of trustworthiness on your part from the past? Did you make them feel guilty, because your friends ' parents all let them drive? Did you whine until they just wanted you to shut up? Did you look up statistics on teen driving and use them to show how you didn 't fit the dangerous-driver profile? These are all types of argumentation, and they exist in academia in similar …show more content…
Does the author adequately defend her argument? What kind of proof does she use? Is there something she leaves out that you would put in? Does putting it in hurt her argument? As you get used to reading critically, you will start to see the sometimes hidden agendas of other writers, and you can use this skill to improve your own ability to argue.
References:
Anson, Chris M. and Robert A Schwegler. The Longman Handbook for Writers and Readers. 2nd ed. New York, Longman, 2000.
Booth, Wayne C. The Craft of Research. 2nd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2003.
Ede, Lisa. Work in Progress. New York: St. Martin 's Press, 1989.
Gage, John T. The Shape of Reason: Argumentative Writing in College. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1991. [Not in UNC Libraries; Available on Writing Center bookshelf.]
Lunsford, Andrea and John Ruszkiewicz. Everything 's an Argument. Boston/New York: Bedford/St. Martin 's, 1999. [Not in UNC Libraries; Available on Writing Center bookshelf.]
Rosen, Leonard J. and Laurence Behrens. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1997.
source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb 1998 - 2005