A Little Argument

This remarkable, inexpensive guide packs a comprehensive look at writing (and analyzing) arguments into 200 brief, accessible pages. Best-selling authors Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer offer clear, engaging chapters covering what argument is, how to read (and view) arguments critically, how to write a variety of persuasive arguments, and how to support your arguments with good reasons and appropriate documentation. This remarkable, inexpensive guide packs a comprehensive look at writing (and analyzing) arguments into 200 brief, accessible pages. Best-selling authors Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer offer clear, engaging chapters covering what argument is, how to read (and view) arguments critically, how to write a variety of persuasive arguments, and how to support your arguments with good reasons and appropriate documentation.

1 Making an Effective Argument 

            What Exactly Is an Argument?

            Writing Arguments in College

            Think About Your Credibility

            Arguments as Turns in a Conversation

 

2 Analyzing an Argument 

            What Is Rhetorical Analysis?

            Build a Rhetorical Analysis

            Analyze the Rhetorical Features

            Analyze the Rhetorical Context

            Analyze a Visual Argument

            Write a Visual Analysis

Barbara Jordan, “Statement on the Articles of Impeachment”

You Try It: Write a rhetorical analysis

 

3 Writing an Argument

            Find a Topic That Interests You

                       Feature: What is not arguable

            Explore Your Topic

            Read About Your Topic

                        Feature: Recognize fallacies

            Find Good Reasons

            Find Evidence to Support Good Reasons

            State and Evaluate Your Thesis

            Think About Your Readers 

            Organize Your Argument

            Write an Engaging Title and Introduction

            Write a Strong Conclusion

 

4 Constructing an Argument

            Definition Arguments

                    Understand how definition arguments work

                    Recognize kinds of definitions

                    Build a definition argument

                    Sample student definition argument

                            Patrice Conley, "Flagrant Foul: The NCAA's Definition of Student Athletes as Amateurs"

                     You Try It:  Write a definition argument

            Causal Arguments

                    Understand how causal arguments work

                    Find causes

                    Build a causal argument

                    Sample student causal argument

                           Armandi Tansel, "Modern Warfare: Video Games' Link to Real-World Violence"

                    You Try It: Write a causal argument

            Evaluation Arguments

                    Understand how evaluation arguments work

                    Recognize kinds of evaluations

                    Build an evaluation argument

                    You Try It: Write an evaluation argument

            Rebuttal Arguments

                    Understand how rebuttal arguments work

                    Recognize the tactics of rebuttal arguments

                    Build a rebuttal argument

                    You Try It: Write a rebuttal argument

            Proposal Arguments

                    Understand how proposal arguments work

                    Recognize components of proposal arguments

                    Build a proposal argument

                    Sample student proposal argument

                            Kim Lee, “Let’s Make It a Real Melting Pot with Presidential Hopes for All”

                    You Try It: Write a proposal argument

 

5 Researching an Argument

                Find a Subject

                        Think about possible questions

                        Browse a subject directory

                        Browse a general or specialized encyclopedia

                        Ask a Research Question and Gather Information

                Find information about the subject

                        Interviews

                        Surveys

                        Observations

                Draft a Working Thesis

                Find Sources

                        Search with keywords

                        Find sources in databases

                        Find sources on the Web

                        Find print sources

                Evaluate Sources

                        Evaluate print and database sources

                        Evaluate Web sources

 

 6 Documenting an Argument

                Avoid Plagiarism

                What you don’t have to document

                What you do have to document

                        Use caution with online source material

                Quote Sources without Plagiarizing

                        Quoting directly using quotation marks

                        Attribute every quotation

                        Quote words that are quoted in your source with single quotation marks

                Summarize and Paraphrase Sources without Plagiarizing

                        Summarize

                        Paraphrase

                Incorporate Quotations

                Document Sources in MLA Style

                        How to cite a source in your paper

                        How to cite an entire work, a Web site, or another electronic source

                Create an MLA-style works-cited list

                Sample MLA paper: Brian Witkowski, "Need a Cure for Tribe Fever? How About a Dip in the Lake?"

 

7 Revising an Argument

                Evaluate Your Draft

                Respond to the Writing of Others

                Edit and Proofread Carefully

 

Credits and Index