Argument Analysis Homework Help

Argument Analysis Paper Template

Use this template to help organize your ideas for the Argument Analysis Paper.

The Introduction

Introduce the issue, indicating its importance and clarifying the context of the argument. Review the “So What” section of They Say, I Say p. 96-99 for some guidance on ways to begin. This part may take one or several sentences.

• (Topic) is a significant issue because (state why it matters).

Introduce your chosen author’s perspective on the issue.

• In list the title of your chosen essay, the author of your essay,credentials/background of the author, argues briefly summarize the author’s main argument.

Introduce your evaluation of the author’s argument. This will be the thesis for your Argument Analysis paper.

• Author’s argument is state your level of satisfaction with the author’s argument because state the reasons for your evaluation.

The Body

Focus on the reasons that support your thesis. Identify at least three clear points of analysis and use those to structure the body of your essay. For example, the first sentence (topic sentence) of one of your body paragraphs might look something like one of the following models.

• The first flaw in Author’s argument is __________________________.
• The greatest strength in Author’s argument is his ______________________.
• While Author’s essay has some strong features, he fails to _____________________.
• The lack of ______________________ in Author’s essay causes the reader to ____________________.

Now, you need to provide some specific supporting details from the essay. Clarify what the author says and focus on areas of the text that help support your evaluation. You will need to use a combination of summary and direction quotation to call attention to key areas from the author’s essay. Use the templates on pages 39 and 46 of They Say, I say, as needed.

• Author states, “ _____________________________.” (quotation)
• Author advocates, ____________________________. (summary)
• Author assumes that ___________________________, stating “_____________________.” (summary and quotation)

Follow the example with a brief explanation. See the templates on p. 47 in They Say, I Say, as needed.

• Author’s point is that _________________________.
• Author tries to convince the reader to believe _________________.

Now follow the explanation with your analysis and evaluation.

• While Author has a good point, she fails to convince the reader because she __________________.
• Author’s statements might convince a reader who already agrees with him, but _________________.
• The examples Author uses (help to/fail to) _________________________________ because _____________________. 
• Author’s assumptions are based on _______________. These assumptions are (valid/invalid) because______________________.
• The author’s tone causes the reader to ________________________________.

Conclusion

Use the conclusion to reiterate your final judgment of the author’s essay. You may also want to focus on the “who cares” question, as mentioned on p. 93-96 in They Say, I Say. The templates on p. 96 may be useful. Chapter four also offers some effective templates for incorporating your final response. Try to end your essay with a strong statement.

• After careful consideration, Author’s argument that _________________ is _____________________.
• Upon reading Author’s essay, I am convinced/not convinced/convinced with some exceptions because ___________________________.
• Because topic is mention its importance, careful consideration should be given to all proposals that attempt to address the issue. Author’s stance that ______________________ is _____________________.

Argument

The process of argument relies on reason as the basis of discussion. To win an argument you have to appeal to an audience’s reasoning abilities. There are various ways to go about this.

Three Classical Modes of Argument

1. Logos (logical)—The logos approach to argument relies on logic. This appeal can take many directions, including logical reasoning and even evidential support (examples, statistics, etc.) that appeals to an audience’s reasoning capabilities.

2. Pathos (emotional): The pathos approach to argument relies on emotions, such as compassion, fear, patriotism, etc. Pathos appeals can be very powerful, even more so than logos at times. For example, one of the key questions used by supporters of the death penalty is “What if it were your wife, child, husband, brother, father, mother?” etc. This type of question immediately elicits an emotional response that for many people can often override any other logical arguments. As a good rule of thumb, while using a pathos appeal can be effective, you should never let it be your only means of argument because a logical person will often see through a purely emotional appeal.

3. Ethos (ethical): The ethos appeal is based less on the argument that is being made and more on the person making the argument. If an ethical person is making an argument then they are more likely to be believed that an unethical person making the same argument.

Procedures for Arguing

The following are some of the key techniques that can be used to develop an argument:

1. Definition: One of the most basic procedures for arguing is defining your issue. If the issue is not adequately defined then the process of argument can be tedious at best. If you say that pornography should be banned, for example, without ever defining what you mean by pornography, then your audience might not know whether they agree with you or not, or even worse, they might not see you as a credible party to the argument and completely ignore you.

• Assumptions: An assumption is an unexamined belief. However, assumptions can be an effective means of arguing. To be truly effective, however, the assumption needs to be something that the audience is willing to accept. The best way to look at the use of assumptions is through evaluating premises and syllogisms.

Premise—”stated assumptions used as reasons”; “a statement set down…before the argument is begun”

Syllogism—a conclusion drawn from a set of premises

Major premise: All human beings are mortal.

Minor premise: Socrates is a human being.

The above two statements are assumptions. If you are willing to accept both assumptions then you must also accept the conclusion drawn from the two assumptions.

Conclusion: Socrates is mortal.

Here is another example that a student used to argue against the celebrity status of one well-known reality TV star:

Major premise: People with no talent should not be celebrities.

Minor premise: Kim Kardashian has no talent.

Conclusion: Kim Kardashian should not be a celebrity.

Always carefully evaluate assumptions for issues that may invalidate the premises or the conclusion. For example, consider the argument below. Where might someone who is pro-choice disagree with the following premises and/or the syllogism?

Major premise: A fertilized embryo has the potential to develop into a human being.

Minor premise: All human life should be legally protected.

Conclusion: A fertilized embryo should be legally protected.

The key to using this method of argument is to use assumptions that are likely to be accepted by your audience.

3. Evidence: Using evidence is one of the most effective means of arguing, and the one you are most likely to rely upon in most cases. There are several different types of evidence that you can use to make your argument.

3. Experimentation: Experimentation is the process of testing hypotheses to prove or disprove theories. This is most often used by scientists and social scientists. It can also be applied to any procedure designed to elicit proof. You most likely won’t be conducting experiments for this class, but it is possible that you might come across experiments conducted by others that might be useful. For example, if you were writing a paper on media violence and found a study that exposed children to violent cartoons and then observed their behaviors afterwards, the experiment might be a good source of information for you.

3. Examples: Examples can be very effective in argumentation. They remove an argument from the abstract and place it in more concrete terms. There are several different ways to use examples in an argument.

1. Real: Real examples have the benefit of, well, being real. They are not invented and, as such, lend credibility to your arguments. If you are arguing that capital offenders can be useful members of society then you can point to an example, such as Tookie Williams, a founder of the Crips gang, who while in prison wrote books warning children of the dangers of gangs.

• Invented: Invented instances can appeal to an audience’s sense of logic, though they often tend to exclusively use the emotional appeal. One of the best examples of this is the “ticking time bomb” scenario. If you are arguing that we should be able to torture terrorists for information, for example, you could argue that if you knew a bomb had been planted and you had the person in custody who had planted the bomb, then to save lives you should be able to torture the one person to save the lives of many. Of course, the weakness of the invented instance is that it is invented, and therefore not based in fact. There are many weaknesses in the example above that could be pointed out with just a little critical thinking.

• Analogy: An analogy is a comparison of two unlike things. An analogy can be useful as a broad example of what you are trying to argue. For example, you could argue that the president is like the captain of a ship in times of war and, as such, should have greater powers than during times of peace.

3. Authoritative Testimony: The testimony of authorities is always useful in argumentation. This is where conducting research is useful. Using information from authorities on a subject will help support your argument and lend credibility to your stance on an issue. Of course, you should make sure that the expert you are quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing from really is an expert.

3. Statistics: Statistics can be a great form of support, but you always have to be careful with their use. Consider the source of the information, the credibility of the study, etc.