Which of the following are arguments?
1. A woman with the hat is not a witch
since witches have long noses, and
she doesn’t have a long nose.
2. Sonia is angry with me, so she
probably won’t be willing to help me
wash the dishes.
3. First, I washed the dishes, and then
I dried them.
4. If the road weren’t icy, the car
wouldn’t have slid off the turn.
5. Ramu isn’t a fireman and isn’t a
fisherman, either.
 a unicycle.
6. Are you seeing the rhinoceros over
there? It’s huge!
7. Obesity has become a problem
because obesity rates have risen
over the past four decades.
8. Rupesh isn’t a fireman because
Rupesh is a Greyhound, which is a
type of dog, and dogs can’t be
firemen.
9. Anjali likely forgot to lock her door
this morning because she was
distracted by a singing clown riding
What constitutes an effective argument?

1. The argument contains a conclusion

and supporting evidence.
2. The statements in the argument are
logically related.
3. The evidence presented is strongly
relevant to the conclusion.
 Is this a effective argument?

1. Does it contains a conclusion A woman with the

and supporting evidence? hat is not a witch
2. Are the statements logically since witches
related? have long noses,
3. Is the evidence strongly and she doesn’t
relevant to the conclusion? have a long nose.
 Is this a effective argument?

1. Does it contains a conclusion Obesity has

and supporting evidence? become a
problem because
2. Are the statements logically
obesity rates have
related?
risen over the
3. Is the evidence strongly past four
relevant to the conclusion? decades.
 Make Your Argument More Powerful
1. What objections to it might be
raised by a reasonable and
knowledgeable opponent?
Archana is a
2. Try to construct counterexamples:
think of any situations in which the mathematics
premises would all be true but the professor. Therefore,
conclusion false Archana knows how
3. If you find counterexamples, then to teach
you should add premises, or adjust mathematics.
your premises, in such a way that
the counterexamples are blocked,
thus strengthening your argument.
 Make Your Argument More Powerful
1. What objections to it might be Russia speaks
raised by a reasonable and Russian, China
knowledgeable opponent? speaks Chinese,
2. Try to construct counterexamples: France speaks
think of any situations in which the French, Germany
premises would all be true but the
conclusion false speaks German. If all
these countries have
3. If you find counterexamples, then
you should add premises, or adjust their own national
your premises, in such a way that language, then why
the counterexamples are blocked, can't India have Hindi
thus strengthening your argument.
as its national
language?"
 Make Your Argument More Powerful
1. What objections to it might be
raised by a reasonable and
knowledgeable opponent?
2. Try to construct counterexamples:
think of any situations in which the English is destroying
premises would all be true but the Indian culture,
conclusion false English should be
3. If you find counterexamples, then replaced by Hindi.
you should add premises, or adjust
your premises, in such a way that
the counterexamples are blocked,
thus strengthening your argument.
 Make Your Argument More Powerful
1. What objections to it might be
raised by a reasonable and
knowledgeable opponent?
2. Try to construct counterexamples: Hindi is the language
think of any situations in which the spoken by the
premises would all be true but the
conclusion false majority, hence it
should be the
3. If you find counterexamples, then
you should add premises, or adjust national language
your premises, in such a way that
the counterexamples are blocked,
thus strengthening your argument.
 Make Your Argument More Powerful
1. What objections to it might be
raised by a reasonable and
knowledgeable opponent?
2. Try to construct counterexamples:
think of any situations in which the Without Hindi, you
premises would all be true but the will not be able to
conclusion false understand
3. If you find counterexamples, then Bollywood movies
you should add premises, or adjust
your premises, in such a way that
the counterexamples are blocked,
thus strengthening your argument.
 Assignment 1: Construct Arguments

A friend says to you:

You have become too dependent on your computer and mobile
phone. You use them for everything: to communicate with me,
to do your assignments, and to entertain yourself!

Take a position on this issue. Construct three arguments to

support your position.
(500 words or less)

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 Outline
opening state the topic, your position and why

body 1 talk about a strong point to support your position

body 2 talk about a strong point to support your position

body 3 talk about a strong point to support your position

talk about the bad things concerning your position and prove
rebuttal those are not a real problem, or that they can easily be
overcome
restate your position and why that position is better than
closing
other positions
Resources
 Rubric for grading argument assignments

et
ng

M
di

et

t
lly

en
an

ci
st

rti
ly

efi
ut

Pa
Fu
O

D
Organizational structure: Logical
4 3 2 1
progression of ideas from beginning to end.
Logical fallacies: Does not suffer from poor
4 3 2 1
reasoning for the construction of an argument.
Factualness: The evidence is factual and
4 3 2 1
does not rely on opinion.
Specificity: Makes precise claims; shows the
4 3 2 1
reader exactly what the evidence is.
Convincing: Three or more main points are
4 3 2 1
well developed with supporting details.
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