Think of an argument as being a triangle composed of audience, the claim, and the writer. Who is the audience for this argumet? Are they going to like, dislike, or be neutral about the argument? What is the claim? How is it developed? Is the evidence in the right places to be convincing? Is the research limited to 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 enable a writer to argue about the issue effectively. The writer needs to back up the claim clearly and convincingly with current and accurate information.
When you evaluate an argument you need to consider two steps.
Student responses may vary. Acceptable answers include:
Swimming is perhaps the best form of exercise. It's one of the few activities that uses almost all of the major muscle groups. The only equipment needed is a swimsuit, goggles, and a cap if desired. Knowing how to swim could open the door to other exciting possibilities. Surfing, snorkeling, scuba diving, wake boarding, and high diving are some activities connected to swimming. Learning to swim is relatively easy. The four basic strokes are freestyle, butterfly, breaststroke, and backstroke. Freestyle, also known as the front crawl, is the first stroke taught to a beginning swimmer. After becoming proficient in this stroke, swimmers move on to learn the backstroke. Butterfly and breaststroke are reserved for those who master freestyle and backstroke.