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TOULMIN ARGUMENT MODEL

AP LANG
For use with Synthesis and Argument
Essays
Six Elements in Toulmin Argument
1.Claim
2.Support/Evidence
3.Warrant/the Assumption
4.Backing
5.Qualifier
6.Reservation
The Claim:
Your claim is your arguable assertion
It is a conclusion whose merits you seek to
establish
Claim: I should take my umbrella.
Support/Evidence:
Should be relevant, accurate and sufficient
Can be first hand (anecdotes, observations or
general knowledge)
Can be second hand, (historical, expert
opinion, or quantitative data)
Evidence: It is raining.
Warrant/Assumption:
Your warrant expresses the assumption
necessarily shared by the speaker and audience.
The assumption links the claim to the evidence.
In other words, if the speaker and audience do
not share the same assumption regarding the
claim, all the evidence on earth wont be enough
to sway them.
Warrant/Assumption: An umbrella will keep me
dry.
Backing:
Backing consists of further assurances or data
without which the assumption lacks authority.
Backing: The material is waterproof.
The Qualifier:
The Qualifier when used, for example, usually,
probably, maybe, in most cases, most likely),
tempers the claim a bit, making it less
absolute.
Qualifier: Probably.
The Reservation:
The Reservation explains the terms and
conditions necessitated by the Qualifier.
In many cases, the argument will contain a
rebuttal that gives voice to objections.
The Reservation: Unless it has a hole in it.
A fully expressed Toulmin argument:
Because it is raining, therefore I should
probably take my umbrella, since it will keep
me dry on account of its waterproof material,
unless, of course, there is a hole in it.
TOULMIN ARGUMENT MODEL:
EVIDENCE CLAIM

ASSUMPTION QUALIFIER RESERVATION

BACKING
Analyzing Assumptions
Because the fast food industry continues to grow and
is not going away, therefore even those of us who
support Slow Food should invest in it, since investing
has the power to persuade businesses to change.

(Does investing have the power to persuade business


to change?)
Analyzing Assumptions
Because Chinese and South Korean children spend
almost two years more in school than do Americans,
therefore they outperform Americans on tests, since
increased instructional time is responsible for
increased test scores.

Do you agree with the assumption that increased


instructional time is responsible for increased test
scores?
Analyzing Assumptions
Because foreign students spend more time in school
and achieve higher test scores, therefore they
receive a better education, since quality of
education and learning is indicated by test scores,
on account of their accuracy in assessing learning.

Do you think that learning is indicated by test


scores?
Analyzing Assumptions
Because Kinkels and Manzies mental illnesses were
known for several years before they committed
murder, therefore mental health care could have
saved lives, since psychological intervention would
have prevented them from committing these heinous
acts.

What assumption does Quindlen make in her


argument?
ACTIVITY: Examining Assumptions:
1. Grades should be abolished because they add
stress to the learning experience.
2. Until you buy me a diamond, I wont know that you
love me!
3. Everyone should read novels because they make us
more understanding of human foibles and frailties.
4. If we want to decrease gang violence, we should
legalize drugs.
Examining Assumptions:
5. Dont get married if you believe that familiarity
breeds contempt.
6. WiFi should be available to everyone without cost
since the Internet has become a vital part of our lives.
7. You must obey her because she is your mother.
8. Because improving the educational system in this
country is essential to competing with the other
industrialized nations, we ned to equip all classrooms
with the latest computer technology.
Analyzing Assumptions II:
One reason education in this country is so bad is
that the textbooks are crammed full of fluff like
charts and graphs and pictures.
Using Toulmin: Because textbook authors are filling
their books with charts, graphs and pictures,
therefore the quality of education is declining in this
country, since less written information equals less
learning.
Should we assume that students only learn from
printed text and not from visual material?
Analyzing Assumptions:
Using Toulmin you can craft a response:
Because charts, graphs and pictures provide
information, therefore they do not hinder the
education system, since that information is a
supplement to written text.
Analyzing Assumptions:
The example below presents the claim but doesnt
argue with the evidence: it acknowledges its validity,
as far as it goes (this creates a reasonable tone and
appeals to ethos and logos,) and then zeros in on the
assumption with a pair of rhetorical questions:
Much of the argument is indisputable; however, some
of it can be interpreted in different ways. Take, for
instance, the criticism of textbooks for using too many
visuals, particularly of a map replacing a
topographical description. Is the map really a bad
thing? Are any of the charts and graphs bad things?
CLAIMS
Claims are assertions or propositions that
state the arguments main idea or position.
Claims differ from topic or subject in that a
claim has to be arguable.
It cannot just be a simple statement of factit
has to state a position some may agree with
and some may not agree with.
Topics and subjects can be single words.
Claims are always full sentences.
Is your claim arguable?
Many schools have single-sex classrooms.
Single-sex classrooms have been around for
years, especially in private schools.
Single-sex classrooms are ineffective because
they do not prepare students for the realities
of the workplace.
Activity:
For each of the following statements, evaluate whether it is arguable or too easily
verifiable to develop into an effective argument. Try revising the ones you
consider too easily verifiable to make them into arguable claims:

1.SUV owners should be required to pay an energy


surcharge.
2.Charter schools are an alternative to public schools.
3.Ronald Reagan was the most charismatic president
of the twentieth century.
4.Requiring students to wear uniforms improves
school spirit.
5.The terms global warming and climate change
describe different perspectives on this complex issue.
Continued:
6.Students graduating from college today can expect
to have more debt than any previous generation.
7.People who read novels are more likely to attend
sports events and movies than those who do not.
8.Print newspapers will not survive another decade.
9.The competition among countries to become a site
for the Olympic Games is fierce.
10.Plagiarism is a serious problem in todays schools.
3 Types of Claims:
1. Claims of Fact: assert that something is true
or not true.
You cant argue whether Zimbabwe is in Africa
because it can be verified by checking a map.
You can however, argue that Zimbabwe has an
unstable government.
What does unstable mean?
Arguments of Fact
Arguments of fact often pivot on what is
factual.
Facts become arguable when they are
questioned, when they raise controversy,
when they challenge peoples beliefs.
Social Security will go bankrupt by 2025a
claim that can be developed into an argument
of fact.
Dominis Claims of fact:
In Why Investing in Fast Food May Be Good,
Domini makes two claims of fact:
fast food is a way of life (Is it?) She supports
this claim with sales stats and info on industry
growth.
fast food is a global phenomenon. (Is it?)
She supports this claim with explanations of
fast-food restaurants opening in nearly every
country and the consequences of this, in
Greece.
Claims continued:
2.Claims of Value: Most common claim type.
Claims of value argue whether something is good
or bad, right or wrong, desirable or undesirable.
Claims of value may be personal judgments based
on taste or more objective evaluations based on
external criteria.
To develop an argument from a Claim of Value,
you must establish specific criteria or standards,
and then show if the subject meets your criteria.
Dominis Claim of Value:
Dominis title, Why Investing in Fast Food May Be
a Good Thing suggests a Claim of Value.
She develops her argument by explaining the
impact that such investing can have on what food
choices are available, and what the impact of those
choices is.
What criteria does Roger Ebert use in his Claims of
Value when reviewing the movie, Star Wars?
(8890)
Claims, continued:
3.Claims of Policy: anytime you propose a change,
youre making a Claim of Policy.
It could be a school group proposing to raise money
for a charity.
You could want your parents to let you spend more
time with friends on weeknights.
You might propose alternative energy sources,
copyright law changes for digital downloads, a shift
in foreign policy, a legislation change to let felons
vote.
Anna Quindlen:
Read the opening paragraphs of Anna
Quindlens argument of policy.
Notice how the writer combines claims of fact
and value to ground her claim of policythat
is, that attitudes toward mental illness must
change so that treatment options become
more available.
THESIS STATEMENTS:
Closed Thesis Statement: contains main idea
of argument, also previews the major points
you will make in body of paper.
The three-dimensional characters, exciting
plot, and complex themes of the Harry Potter
series make them not only legendary childrens
books but enduring literary classics.
What will be the topics of each body
paragraph?
THESIS, cond
Open Thesis Statement: does not list all the
points you intend to cover.
Make the overall point without actually stating
every sub-point:
The popularity of the Harry Potter series
demonstrates that simplicity trumps
complexity when it comes to the taste of
readers, both young and old.
THESIS, cond
Counterargument Thesis Statements:
summarize a counterargument, usually
qualified by although or but, precedes your
opinion.
Although the Harry Potter series may have
some literary merit, its popularity has less to
do with storytelling than with merchandising.

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