Chapter Nine:

Argument

In a good argument (such as the one that appears to

be going on in the above cartoon), the other person
listens carefully as we state our case, waiting to see
if we really have solid evidence to support our point
of view.
The New Yorker Collectiion 1986 Bernard Schoenbaum from cartoonbank.com. All rights reserved.

The Basics of Argument:

Point and Support
A good argument is one in which you make a point
and then provide persuasive and logical evidence
to back it up.
Point: The Beef and Burger Shop is a poor fast-food restaurant.

By itself, this point would not be convincing. But suppose the

point is followed by these three reasons:
1. The burgers are full of gristle.
2. The roast beef sandwiches have a chemical taste.
3. The fries are lukewarm and soggy.

Clearly, the details provide solid support for the point. Were
convinced that it would not be a good idea to have lunch at the Beef and
Burger Shop.

In the pair of statements below, one

statement
is the point, and the other is support for
that point. Which is which?
A. You have constant headaches and blurred
vision.
B. You should see a doctor.
Hint: If it sounds right to insert the word because in front
of a sentence, you probably have a statement of support.
For example, we could say, Because the burgers are full
of gristle, because the roast beef sandwiches have a
chemical taste, and because the fries are lukewarm and
soggy, Ive come to the conclusion that the Beef and
Burger Shop is a poor fast-food restaurant.

A. Support: You have constant headaches

and blurred vision.
B. Point: You should see a doctor.
The point is that you should see a
doctor.
You should do this because you have
constant headaches and blurred vision.

In the three statements below, one

statement is the point, and the other two
are support for that point. Which is which?
A. A television is always blaring in one corner of the
lounge.

B. The student lounge is not a place for quiet study.

C. There are always people there talking loudly to each
other.
Hint: If it sounds right to insert the word because in front of
a sentence, you probably have a statement of support.
For example, we could say, Because the burgers are full of
gristle, because the roast beef sandwiches have a chemical
taste, and because the fries are lukewarm and soggy, Ive
come to the conclusion that the Beef and Burger Shop is a

A. Support: A television is always blaring

in
one corner of the lounge.
B. Point: The student lounge is not a
place
for quiet study.
C. Support: There are always people there
talking
loudly
to each
Answers
A and
C give
twoother.
reasons to
support the point, which is that the
student lounge is not a place for
quiet study.

In the four statements below, one

statement is the point, and the other
three are support for that point. Which is
which?
A. The people upstairs make a lot of noise.

B. Wed better look for another apartment.

C. Roaches seem to be taking over this
apartment.
D. The landlord does nothing but promise to fix
the
leaky faucets.
Hint: If it sounds right to insert the word because in front
of a sentence, you probably have a statement of support.

A. Support: The people upstairs make a lot of

noise.
B. Point: Wed better look for another
apartment.
C. Support: Roaches seem to be taking over this
apartment.
D. Support: The landlord does nothing but
promise
Noise,to
roaches, and an unresponsive
fix the leaky
faucets.
landlord
are three
reasons that support the
point, which is that wed better look for
another apartment.

Relevant and Adequate

Support
After you identify the point and support of
an argument, you need to do two things:
1. Decide if the support is relevant.
Does it really apply to the point?

2. Decide if the support is adequate.

Is there enough support to prove the point?

Relevant Support
The point below is followed by six facts, only
three of which are relevant support for the
point. Can you find the three relevant
statements of support?
Point: My dog Otis is not very bright.
1. Hes five years old and doesnt respond to his name yet.
2. He cries when I leave for work every day.
3. He always gets excited when visitors arrive.
4. He often attacks the backyard hedge as if its a hostile
animal.
5. He gets along very well with my neighbors cat.
6. I often have to put food in front of him because he cant find
it
by himself.

The three items that support the

point that Otis is not very bright are
as follows:
1. Hes five years old and doesnt respond
to his
name yet.
4. He often attacks the backyard hedge as if
its
a hostile animal.
6. I often have to put food in front of him
because he cant find it by himself.

Adequate Support
In the argument below, three supporting items are given,
followed by four possible points. The evidence adequately
supports only one of the points. Choose the one point you think
is adequately supported.
Support
The first time I went to that beach, I got a bad case of sunburn.
The second time I went to that beach, I couldnt go in the water because
of
the pollution.
The third time I went to that beach, I stepped on a starfish and had to go
to
the emergency room to have the spikes removed from my foot.
Which point is adequately supported by the evidence above?
A. That beach is unsafe and should be closed.
B. Ive had a string of bad experiences at that beach.
C. Beaches are not safe places.

Which point is adequately supported by the evidence above?

A. That beach is unsafe and should be closed.
B. Ive had a string of bad experiences at that beach.
C. Beaches are not safe places.
D. Were never going to get this planet cleaned up.

The correct answer is B.

Answer A is not adequately supported by three isolated
instances; wed need many more reports of dangerous
conditions before considering having the beach closed.
Answer C is even more poorly supported. Wed need
many, many reports of dangerous conditions at beaches
worldwide to come to the conclusion stated in C.
Answer D is supported in part by the reference to pollution
in the second statement of support, but the other two
statements (about sunburn and the starfish) are not
examples of pollution.

Argument in Textbook Writing

In most textbook writing, argument takes the form of
well-developed ideas or theories (in other words, points)
that are supported with experiments, surveys, studies,
expert testimony, reasons, examples, or other evidence.
Textbook arguments generally have solid support.
However, recognizing the authors points and asking
yourself whether the support is relevant and adequate
will help you be an involved and critical reader.

Chapter Review
In this chapter, you learned the following:
A good argument is made up of a point, or a conclusion, and
logical
evidence to back it up.
To critically read an argument, you must recognize the point the
author is making.
To think through an argument, you need to decide if each piece
of
evidence is relevant.
To think through an argument, you also need to decide if the
authors
support is adequate.
Textbook arguments generally have solid support, but
recognizing the
authors point and looking for for relevant and adequate support
will help you become a more involved and critical reader.

The final chapter in Part OneChapter 10will explain other