An argument is a form of persuasive writing and speaking. This writing expresses a personal opinion or idea about a controversial and current political, social, economic, or religious issue, value, or dispute in a way that the opinion of the audience will potentially be swayed in favor of the writer's or speaker's opinion. Arguments should be supported with facts and other evidence that can be proven and/or substantiated.
Think of an argument as being a triangle composed of audience, the claim, and the writer. Who is the potential audience for this argumentative essay or speech? Are they inclined to like, dislike, or be neutral about the argument? What is the claim? How is it developed? Is the evidence adequate to convince the audience? Is the research limited to the sources that support the claim? What is the writer's position and credibility: an authority or a concerned citizen? Remember that feeling strongly about an issue does not automatically allow a writer to argue about an issue effectively. The writer needs to back up the claim clearly and convincingly with current and accurate information.
An argument typically contains one of four types of persuasive claims:
Every day you hear arguments and claims from entities and individuals trying to persuade you to take action or to consider their opinion. Newspapers and magazines have editorial sections, whether online or in print. Letters to the editors in the print media normally include arguments for or against a position. Read critically to evaluate whether or not the writer has included supportable and valid evidence that can be substantiated. When you evaluate an argument in a document or a speech you need to do two things:
As a critical reader, you should look for signal words when evaluating an argument. Writers use such words to provide transitions from the claim into the supporting evidence. These words might be: since, because, or due to the fact. A good argument is supported with credible and reliable evidence. Signal words that indicate this evidence might be: facts, data, statistics, authorities, testimony, expert in the field, or research. Also, writers of arguments often include quotations, citations, and anecdotes.
Thomas Jefferson provides a logical explanation of a democratic government and how the colony is being oppressed by the British Crown.
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When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,—That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.—Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free People. Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
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