Developing and Supporting Arguments

Developing and Supporting Arguments 

The ability to build a persuasive argument is one of the most important writing skills to have in your toolkit for standardized testing, placement program tests, and college-level writing. Effectively arguing for a viewpoint on a topic or issue isn’t just for debaters—for its everyone who wants to ace an exam’s essay section with flying colors. 

An argumentative essay is a style of writing in which the writer expresses his or her opinion on a particular topic and backs it up with facts. An argumentative essay’s purpose is to persuade the reader that your point of view is logical, ethical, and, in the end, correct.  

Argumentative essays differ from other sorts of essays in one important way: you choose the topic of your argument in an argumentative essay. Some sorts of essays, such as summaries and syntheses, don’t want you to express your opinion on the subject; instead, they want you to be objective and neutral. 

In argumentative essays, you convey your point of view as the writer and, in some cases, you choose the topic you’ll debate. All you have to do is make sure that your point of view is well-informed, well-reasoned, and persuasive. 

Another characteristic of argumentative essays is that they are frequently longer than other sorts of essays. Because developing a solid argument takes time. If you want readers to believe your argument, you’ll need to address several aspects that support it, identify counterpoints, and present adequate data and explanations to persuade them that your ideas are legitimate. 

Now, let us take a look at how to develop our arguments while writing an argumentative essay and support them solidly. 

Developing Arguments and Supporting Them: 

Most academic writing is built around arguments and ideas. Academic essays normally follow a pre-determined organizational framework that aids the writer in clearly expressing their views and the reader in following the argument’s thread. 

Every essay’s structure is dictated by its content and argument, so each one will present its own set of structural obstacles. However, the ability to communicate a clear and cogent thesis is a vital aspect of the writing process.  

To develop a compelling argument and support it, you need to have a: 

Claim: 

A claim — the basic premise you want to prove – is at the heart of every argument. 

One of the most significant components of any piece of academic work, whether it’s an essay, a presentation, a dissertation, a research paper, or a thesis, is establishing your argument. 

A compelling claim should be bold, thrilling, and, most crucially, debatable. Your claim will most certainly be presented in some form in your introduction. 

Proof: 

You will need to give proof to persuade the reader of your claim and to support your argument. Evidence, facts, sources, and examples will be used as proof, all of which must be thoroughly referenced in the appropriate style. 

It’s crucial to remember, though, that relevant evidence does not always imply that a claim is true. It normally takes some effort to persuade your reader that there is a link – that is, how and why this evidence influences your thinking. 

A warrant is a term used to describe this aspect of the argument. 

Objections: 

Alternative points of view and potential objections should also be considered and aggressively sought out. 

The echo chamber — a tendency to gravitate toward ideas that overtly or tacitly reinforce our own ways of thinking – can lead to narrow or incorrect arguments. 

We can generate more complex and rounded arguments by intentionally interacting with objections and incorporating them into our own thinking. 

Conclusion: 

In your conclusion, you’ll use this research and thought process to offer a balanced summary of the argument, using careful language suited to the strength of your findings. 

You might be able to use this as an opportunity to offer some forecasts or recommendations, suggest some practical uses, or find areas where more research should be done.