Writing to argue 2

Let’s delve into “Writing to Argue - Part II,” building on our previous discussion about effectively making your point. This part focuses on how arguments are typically structured and the specific language and sentence types that make your case more compelling, whether you’re writing or speaking. 📝🗣️✨

Writing to Argue - Part II: Structuring & Finessing Your Case

In “Writing to Argue - I,” we established the importance of content and considering multiple viewpoints. Now, “Part II” elaborates on the architecture of a strong argument and the sophisticated linguistic tools you can employ to make it truly resonate with your audience.

Here are the core elements:

1. The Structure of an Argument: Building Your Case 🏗️

A well-structured argument is as crucial as its content. It’s about strategically presenting your points to maintain your audience’s interest and persuade them effectively.

• Strategic Point Placement 🧠: You have choices when presenting your points. You can decide whether to introduce your strongest points at the beginning or save them for the end. The key is to keep your listeners engaged and avoid boring or fatiguing them.
• Maintaining Interest ✨: Good presenters, like lawyers and activists, always consider their audience’s interest. Your argument should be interesting, concise (“short and sweet”), and supported with examples and statistical evidence where appropriate.
• Avoiding Bias ✅: A strong argument presents a valid point without being overly biased towards one side. This means presenting both sides of an issue fairly before drawing your conclusion.

2. The Language of Argument: Choosing Your Words Wisely 💬

Argumentative writing and speaking often use a specific, sophisticated kind of language to convey nuanced preferences, comparisons, and emphasis.

• Complex Sentences for Precision 🌐: Arguments frequently employ complex sentences to present ideas concisely, precisely, and effectively. These sentences often use clauses introduced by words like:
  • While
  • Whereas
  • If
  • Then
  • This helps in showing relationships between ideas, cause and effect, or contrast. Even simple sentences can be used effectively when contrasted against each other, like “Stars twinkle, planets do not”.
• Modal Verbs for Nuance 🤏: Modal verbs (like ‘could’, ‘should’, ‘might’, ‘must’) can be used to indicate possibility, obligation, suggestion, or necessity, adding depth to your arguments. For instance, ‘should’ can convey a requirement or appropriate behaviour as advice, while ‘might’ can indicate a weaker or more remote possibility. Choosing the right modal verb helps convey your preference or emphasis on different options within an issue.
• Indicating Preference with Adjectives & Adverbs 📈📉: Just as in “Part I,” adjectives and adverbs are crucial for indicating your preference or emphasis. Words like “least,” “most,” “more,” “less,” “little,” “much,” and “many” are part of this argumentative language. For example, using “most cost-effective” instead of just “cost-effective”.
• Handling Evidence and Numbers 📊:
  • You might use anecdotal evidence (stories) alongside statistical evidence to illustrate points.
  • Sometimes, arguments refer to numbers idiomatically without giving specific figures, implying a “big change” or a significant proportion (e.g., “change what percentage” or “about a third of households”).
  • Be aware that vague words or giving a “big impression” when presenting “small things” (or vice-versa) can be a tool to influence opinion. This requires critical analysis from the reader to detect propaganda.

3. Cohesion and Impact: Making Your Argument Flow 🔗

Beyond individual sentences, the overall flow of your argument is vital.

• Cohesive Structure 🧱: Sentences and paragraphs must be well-connected and coherent, leading logically from one to the next. They should be linked thematically and often by connectors or discourse markers. These markers include words like “thus,” “therefore,” “however,” “nevertheless,” “for example,” and “as a matter of fact”.
• Impactful Communication 💥: The goal is to make your communication impactful and convincing. This involves not just grammatical accuracy but also appropriateness to the context. The language choices you make (e.g., using “softening” phrases like “you seem to have missed a few things” instead of “you have made a mistake”) can convey the same message with less “devastating” impact on the listener.

4. The Practice Loop: Learning by Doing 🔄

Just like any skill, writing to argue is best learned through consistent practice and revision.

• Draft and Redraft ✍️: Don’t aim for perfection in your first attempt. Write multiple drafts, continuously “cutting and pruning” unnecessary words and revising to make your arguments concise and impactful. Comparing your work with model answers can highlight areas for improvement.
• Time Management ⏱️: When writing an essay, it’s advised to allocate about one-third of your time to planning (synopsis) and revising, and two-thirds to writing. This disciplined approach can lead to a “great essay” and save time in the long run.
• Continuous Improvement 🌱: By engaging in this iterative process of writing, revising, and comparing, your language, worldview, and overall intellectual makeup will grow.

Practice Questions 🤔

Scenario: You are writing an opinion piece for a local newspaper about whether large corporations should be allowed to run small local businesses (like grocery stores) in your town.

Question 1 (Structure): You have gathered several arguments, both for and against. To ensure your opinion piece is well-received and convincing, which strategy for presenting your arguments is most effective? A) State only your strongest arguments and ignore opposing viewpoints. B) Begin with all the counter-arguments, then present your preferred side. C) Present a balanced view, acknowledging arguments from both sides before leading to your conclusion. D) Focus only on anecdotal evidence, as it’s more relatable.

Question 2 (Language - Complex Sentences): You want to discuss how the expansion of large corporations might benefit consumers but also could harm local businesses. Which sentence structure best reflects the “language of argument” for this point? A) Large corporations benefit consumers and harm local businesses. B) While large corporations may offer lower prices, they could, however, diminish local competition and diversity. C) Large corporations are good for prices. Local businesses might suffer. D) Consumers like low prices, but local businesses are closing down.

Question 3 (Language - Evidence & Influence): You are arguing that while some data suggests economic benefits from large corporations, the actual impact on local employment is often negative. How might you express this subtly to influence the reader, drawing on the sources? A) “Our survey shows 90% job growth due to big corporations.” B) “Despite claims of widespread economic growth, local communities frequently experience reduced employment opportunities in the wake of such expansions.” C) “Big corporations create some jobs, but local jobs disappear.” D) “It is said that jobs are created, but many people lose their jobs.”

Question 4 (Practice): After writing your initial draft, you find it’s a bit long and some arguments aren’t as clear as you’d like. What’s the best approach according to the provided material? A) Submit it as is, believing the first draft is usually the best. B) Ask someone else to rewrite it for you from scratch. C) Revise it multiple times, focusing on cutting redundant words and enhancing clarity, then compare it with ideal examples. D) Focus only on adding more facts, as content is paramount.

Answers ✅

Answer 1: C) Explanation: A good report or opinion piece takes “both sides” into account, or even more, because policy formation is “rarely undisputed”. Presenting a balanced view and addressing counterpoints makes your argument more convincing and robust.

Answer 2: B) Explanation: The “language of argument” frequently uses complex sentences with clauses like “while” and “however” to convey precise relationships and contrasts. Option B effectively uses “While… may” and “could, however,” to present both a potential benefit and a counteracting harm in a nuanced, persuasive manner, reflecting the detailed syntax encouraged in argumentative writing.

Answer 3: B) Explanation: Drawing from “Writing to Influence,” authors can use language to subtly shape opinion. Option B uses phrases like “Despite claims of widespread economic growth” and “frequently experience reduced employment opportunities,” which are less direct than simply stating facts but strongly imply a negative outcome, influencing the reader without outright stating a biased opinion. This reflects the subtle persuasive techniques discussed in the sources.

Answer 4: C) Explanation: The sources consistently emphasize that “writing is a skill and skills are best learned by doing again and again and several times over again”. It’s “seldom that the first draft itself is the best draft”. The recommendation is to “revise it,” “cut out your copy,” “get rid of many words that are there, that are redundant”, and compare your work to improve. This iterative process enhances not just language but also overall perspective.