ENG102_MH_V5 | Writing Assignment 5: Researched Argument
Assignment Guide: Researched Argument
Assignment Overview
What is an argument?
In academic writing, an argument is a claim, or a debatable stance, backed up with evidence. An argument
is always debatable. This means that whatever your claim is, someone, somewhere will not agree with you.
An argument is a closed form of writing, and it follows a somewhat predictable pattern. The originality
within an argument stems from the evidence you gather and the appeals you wield to make your point. As
one might imagine, choosing your evidence or sources, as well as which appeals to consider, is greatly
influenced by the audience. Without question, to whom you are addressing your claim will help determine
the writing choices you make.
What spearheads my argument?
Ultimately, what guides your argument is one very important question: What’s the point for drafting and
presenting this argument? In other words, what am I trying to prove? The thesis statement, or claim, is the
point of the essay. It is the debatable point you are trying to make.
Where do I state my claim?
The thesis statement (which will likely be more than one sentence) usually appears at the end of your
introduction and presents your specific argument or claim to the reader. Your claim or thesis statement
should include the reasons that will support the claim.This will help you determine how the argument will
flow. To put it another way: the thesis should only cover what you will discuss in your essay (Claim +
Reasons 1, 2, 3 etc.)
A claim serves many purposes, including the following:
To prepare your readers for the purpose of your paper and the content
To set the focus for your paper
To state your side on an issue
To preview the “reasons” you will address
How do I support the claim I’m making?
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Strong and thorough evidence supports an argument or “claim,” providing explanation in the form of
indirect and direct quotes and statistics, to name a couple. Yet, just including a statistic or quote is not
enough: To build a sound argument, it is important to “warrant” or explain the reasons why your claim
should be considered.
What are the components of an argument?
Item Description
Thesis or Main Claim
The main claim is your thesis–the point you’re trying to make. The main
claim is debatable, should be complex, and must be paired with ideas
and evidence to support it. Essentially, it is both your main point and
what you want your audience to believe.
Reasons/Points
The reasons, in many ways, are the second part of your claim.
Developing and clearly articulating the “reasons” for your position is key
to developing your argument. As you can imagine a well-articulated
claim + reasons will drive your argument.
Warrant
(the Bridge)
A sentence or two (per reason or point made) that explains each reason
or point you’re making. This explains why you think your evidence is
relevant to your claim.
Evidence
The evidence (data or grounds) is information you’ve collected to
support your claim and reasons.
Counterclaim
This is where you illustrate that you’re familiar with what the opposition
claims. (Be sure to explore each counterpoint, gathering source
information to fully understand why people hold that position and to
more fully evaluate the counterargument.)
Rebuttal
While you will always consider the opposition’s point of view, do not
hesitate to reiterate the points that support your claim. The rebuttal
functions as a reiteration of your evidence in support of your claim. Be
sure to always make a clear connection between the rebuttal, your claim
and the evidence that points in your direction.
What can weaken my argument?
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Logical fallacies weaken arguments. Logical fallacies can look or sound like a hasty generalization, a
missed point, assumptions, weak correlations or analogies, just to name a handful. Writers/speakers
should always review their own work for fallacies that might inappropriately sway their audience.
Last modified: Tuesday, May 3, 2022, 11:26 AM
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