Argument Essay TIps & Tricks

Question 1

Analyze the Argument Essay Rule

Answer 1

You are NOT being asked to present your own views on the subject matter of the argument. Discuss how well the author made his argument.

Question 2

Types of Questions for Argument Essays

Answer 2

1) specific evidence needed to evaluate the argument + explain how to evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.
2) examine the stated and/or unstated assumptions + how the argument depends on these assumptions + implications if the assumptions prove unwarranted.
3) questions and answers to address in order for the recommendation/argument to be reasonable + how these answers would help evaluate the recommendation
4) … + whether the recommendation is likely to have the predicted result…
5) … explain how your explanation can plausibly account for the facts presented in the argument…

Question 3

Main Goals for Argument Essay Questions

Answer 3

1) locate the logical flaws in the argument

2) explain how they can be fixed

Question 4

Common Fallacies for Argument Essay

Answer 4

• Unjustified Assumptions
• Skill & Work
• Extreme Language
• Terms Are Too Vague
• Predicting the Future
• What’s Their Motivation?
• The Troubled Analogy
• Confusing Signs of a Thing for the Thing Itself
• Short Term vs. Long Term
• Sample Isn’t Representative
• Sample Is Too Small
• No Control Group
• The Ever-Changing Pool
• Correlation Does Not Equal Causation
• Nothing is Quantified
• How Was It Before?
• Alternate Cause
• Alike Doesn’t Mean Identical
• Percents vs. Real Numbers

Question 5

Argument Essay Outline

Answer 5

1) Introduction:
- summarize the argument at hand but DO NOT repeat the argument
- give a small positive for nuance
- give you take (thesis) = “While “so and so’s idea” may be admirable, the “argument” rests on a number of unjustified assumptions and fails to take into account other factors affecting “goal of argument’.

2) Body:
- 4 paragraphs each a flaw in the argument
- logical way with transitions
- perhaps the last one about how to fix the flaws

3) Conclusion
- resummarize your critique
- restate your thesis in different words
- state/restate what would need to be redone to improve the argument “If we are to believe in “so and so’s” plan, further research and more rigorous quantification will be required.”
- offer some special perspective or insight

Question 6

How to Strengthen the Argument

Answer 6

Just Flip the Flaws:

• Nothing is quantified = “This argument could be improved by quantifying X, Y and Z…”
• Possible alternate causes = “The argument could be improved by investigating and ruling out alternate cause such as…”
• Correlation does not equal causation = “This argument could be improved by proving that X causes Y through a controlled study.”
• No control group, non-representative sample, too-small of sample = “This argument could possibly be validated by a new study having the following qualities…”

Question 7

Debate Team Persuasion Tactics

Answer 7

1) If you have two opposing things to say, put the one that’s on your side last.
- Concession first
- Assertion second

2) Put your weakest point in the middle and use it to underscore your final, biggest point.

Question 8

Unjustified Assumptions

Answer 8

In order for the argument to be true, the author is depending on a premise that he or she didn’t write down and hasn’t proven.

*Even if it might be reasonable, the author hasn’t proven it, so how have they not done this?

Question 9

Skill vs. Work

Answer 9

Assumes that people have the ability (skill) to do something or the motivation (will) to do it, when this has not been proven to be the case.

Ex: Everyone should exercise two hours a day

Question 10

Extreme Language

Answer 10

Watch out for the best, only, never, cannot, certainly

Question 11

Predicting the Future

Answer 11

Whenever an argument tries to predict the future, that’s your opportunity to point out that the future could actually turn out some other way. Equals an automatic level of uncertainty in the argument.

Question 12

What’s Their Motivation

Answer 12

Whenever an argument is in the form of an advertisement or company announcement, ask: “What’s the speaker’s motivation?”

Ex: Raising traffic fines might be could for reducing speeding, but it could also be a reliable source of funding for the police department.

Question 13

Troubled Analogy

Answer 13

Everything Peter says haha

Ex: Comparing two schools and a possible program, don’t prove that the program won’t work there, point out the lack of similarities established by the author for the analogy.

Question 14

Confusing Signs of a Thing for the Thing Itself

Answer 14

Examples:

1) The number of people who test positive for a disease is not identical to the number of people who have the disease.
2) Grades are not the same as quality education.
3) A law is not the same as compliance with a law.

Question 15

Short Term vs. Long Term

Answer 15

Something that’s good in the short term, under certain circumstances may not be good in the long term.

Examples:

• antibiotics
• a new sugary drink for old people is good, but harmful if you start drinking it young

Question 16

No Control Group

Answer 16

A good study should have a control group- that is, a group of people who are as similar as possible in every way, and differ from the test group by only one variable.

Ex: The test group can’t just get better, they have to get better than the control group.

Question 17

The Ever-Changing Pool

Answer 17

Most groups have rotating members over time. What’s possibly representative of today, might not be the same group of people in the past.

• Look for “survivor bias” - the people who are still around weren’t unhappy enough to leave.

Question 18

Correlation Does Not Equal Causation

Alternate Cause

Answer 18

Just because two things happening at the same time doens’t mean one causes the other. An outside force could have been the cause.

Question 19

Nothing is Quantified

Answer 19

Anytime the argument talks about something that could be quantified, but doesn’t quantify it means you can question the validity of the claim.

1) how much more
2) how much time
3) the monetary value of the time

Question 20

How Was It Before?

Answer 20

The argument can’t judge the present or predict the future without information about the past.

Question 21

Alike Doesn’t Mean Identical

Answer 21

Watch out for lack of demographics, location, levels, etc.

Question 22

Percents vs Real Numbers

Answer 22

Don’t confuse percents with actual numbers of dollars, people, etc… If any numbers are presented in an Argument topic, see whether they are being cited in a logical way.