How Arguments Work

by Anna Mills

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How Arguments Work takes students through the techniques they will need to respond to readings and make sophisticated arguments in any college class. This is a practical guide to argumentation with strategies and templates for the kinds of assignments students will commonly encounter. It covers rhetorical concepts in everyday language and explores how arguments can build trust and move readers.

Description from LibreTexts.

Publisher
City College of San Francisco
Subjects
Humanities, Composition
Licence
CC BY-NC 4.0, as LibreTexts states it. Non-commercial use only.
Who can read
Teens profiles and older, judged from its title and subjects

Contents

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  1. Front Matter
  2. TitlePage
  3. InfoPage
  4. ProgramPage
  5. Table of Contents
  6. About the Authors and Editors
  7. Licensing
  8. About This Book
  9. How to Adapt and Cite Resources from This Book
  10. Praise for How Arguments Work
  11. 1: Introduction
  12. 1.1: Why Study Argument?
  13. 1.2: A Closer Look at Fast and Slow Thinking
  14. 1.3: What This Book Offers
  15. 2: Reading to Figure out the Argument
  16. 2.1: Overview- Reading to Write
  17. 2.2: Types of Claims to Look out for
  18. 2.3: Making Notes on the Writer’s Claims
  19. 2.4: Deciding Which Is the Main Claim
  20. 2.5: Finding the Reasons
  21. 2.6: Finding the Counterarguments
  22. 2.7: Finding the Responses to the Counterarguments
  23. 2.8: Finding the Limits on the Argument
  24. 2.9: Common Argument Phrases
  25. 3: Writing a Summary of Another Writer’s Argument
  26. 3.1: What Is a Summary?
  27. 3.2: Introducing the Argument and the Main Claim
  28. 3.3: Describing the Reasoning
  29. 3.4: Describing How the Author Treats Counterarguments
  30. 3.5: Describing How the Author Limits the Claim
  31. 3.6: Putting the Summary Together
  32. 3.7: Writing a Short Summary of a Long Argument
  33. 3.8: Sample Summaries
  34. 3.8.1: Sample Summary- "Spread Feminism, Not Germs"
  35. 3.8.2: Sample Summary- "Typography and Identity"
  36. 3.9: Comparing and Contrasting Arguments
  37. 3.10: A Sample Compare-and-Contrast Essay
  38. 3.10.1: Annotated Compare-and-Contrast Essay
  39. 3.11: Common Summary Phrases
  40. 4: Assessing the Strength of an Argument (Logos)
  41. 4.1: Use a Summary to Launch an Opinion
  42. 4.2: Check If the Meaning Is Clear
  43. 4.3: Look for Exceptions
  44. 4.4: Decide How Strong the Evidence Is
  45. 4.5: Check the Argument's Assumptions
  46. 4.6: Check How Well the Argument Addresses Counterarguments
  47. 4.7: Reflect on an Argument’s Strengths
  48. 4.8: Come up with an Overall Assessment
  49. 4.9: Fallacies List
  50. 4.10: Common Assessment Phrases
  51. 4.11: Sample Assessment Essays
  52. 4.11.1: Sample Assessment- "Spread Feminism, Not Germs"
  53. 4.11.2: Sample Assessment- "Typography and Identity"
  54. 5: Responding to an Argument
  55. 5.1: The Beauty of Response Writing
  56. 5.2: “Maybe. We need to know_______”- Call for More Information
  57. 5.3: “Yes, if…”- Suggest a way to limit the argument
  58. 5.4: “Yes, and…”- Suggest a way to add to the argument
  59. 5.5: “Instead, I would argue _______”- Suggest a change to the argument
  60. 5.6: Common Response Phrases
  61. 5.7: Sample Response Essays
  62. 5.7.1: Annotated Sample Response Essay- "Spread Feminism, Not Germs"
  63. 5.7.2: Annotated Sample Response Essay- "Typography and Identity"
  64. 5.8: Brainstorming Tool for Response Writing
  65. 6: The Research Process
  66. 6.1: The Ultimate Tool for Thinking and Sharing Our Thoughts
  67. 6.2: Approaching a Research Paper Assignment
  68. 6.3: Choosing a Focused Topic
  69. 6.4: Find the Conversation That Interests You
  70. 6.5: Types of Sources
  71. 6.6: Getting Familiar with Academic Journal Articles
  72. 6.7: Searching Databases of Academic Journal Articles
  73. 6.8: Strategies for Each Phase of the Research Process
  74. 6.9: Creating an Annotated Bibliography
  75. 6.10: MLA Essay Format
  76. 6.11: MLA In-Text Citations
  77. 6.12: MLA Works Cited Pages
  78. 7: Forming a Research-Based Argument
  79. 7.1: Deciding the Purpose of a Research-Based Argument
  80. 7.2: Tailoring an Argument to an Audience
  81. 7.3: Definition Arguments
  82. 7.3.1: Annotated Sample Definition Argument
  83. 7.3.2: Sample Definition Outline
  84. 7.4: Evaluation Arguments
  85. 7.4.1: Sample Evaluation Argument Prompt and Outline
  86. 7.4.2: Annotated Sample Evaluation Argument
  87. 7.5: Causal Arguments
  88. 7.5.1: Annotated Sample Causal Argument
  89. 7.6: Proposal Arguments
  90. 7.6.1: Annotated Sample Proposal Argument
  91. 8: How Arguments Appeal to Emotion (Pathos)
  92. 8.1: The Place of Emotion in Argument
  93. 8.2: Word Choice and Connotation
  94. 8.3: Powerful Examples
  95. 8.4: Tone
  96. 8.5: Varying the Emotions
  97. 8.6: Fitting the Emotions to the Audience
  98. 8.7: Legitimate and Illegitimate Emotional Appeals
  99. 9: How Arguments Establish Trust and Connection (Ethos)
  100. 9.1: An Argument Implies a Relationship
  101. 9.2: Authority
  102. 9.3: Distance and Intimacy
  103. 9.4: Shared Sense of Identity
  104. 9.5: Respect and Goodwill
  105. 9.6: Moral Character
  106. 9.7: Combining Different Approaches to Trust and Connection
  107. 9.8: Reaching a Hostile Audience (Rogerian Argument)
  108. 9.9: Faulty Appeals to Trust
  109. 10: Writing Argument Analysis
  110. 10.1: How Argument Analysis Essays are Structured
  111. 10.2: Analyzing an Argument's Situation (Kairos, or the Rhetorical Situation)
  112. 10.3: Generating Ideas for an Argument Analysis Paper
  113. 10.4: Reviewing an Argument Analysis Essay
  114. 10.5: A Brief Sample Argument Analysis
  115. 10.5.1: Annotated Brief Sample Argument Analysis
  116. 10.6: A Longer Sample Argument Analysis
  117. 10.6.1: Annotated Longer Sample Argument Analysis
  118. 10.8: A Sample Visual Argument Analysis
  119. 10.8.1: Annotated Sample Visual Argument Analysis
  120. 11: The Writing Process
  121. 11.1: An Overview of the Writing Process
  122. 11.2: Annotation
  123. 11.3: Brainstorming
  124. 11.4: Outlining
  125. 11.5: Drafting
  126. 11.6: Revision
  127. 11.7: Giving and Receiving Feedback
  128. 12: Essay Organization
  129. 12.1: Developing a Thesis Statement
  130. 12.2: Topic Sentences
  131. 12.3: Showing How a New Idea Fits in (Transitions)
  132. 12.4: Referring Back to Make the Connection (Cohesion)
  133. 12.5: Developing Paragraphs
  134. 12.6: Quoting and Paraphrasing
  135. 12.7: Introductions
  136. 12.8: Conclusions
  137. 13: Correcting Grammar and Punctuation
  138. 13.1: Why Spend Time on "Correct" Standard English?
  139. 13.2: Proofreading Strategies
  140. 13.3: Subject-Verb Agreement
  141. 13.4: Fragments
  142. 13.5: Run-on Sentences
  143. 13.6: Verb Tense
  144. 13.7: Pronoun Agreement
  145. 13.8: Word Choice
  146. 13.9: Prepositions
  147. 13.10: Articles with Count and Noncount Nouns
  148. 13.11: Capitalization
  149. 13.12: Misplaced and Dangling Modifiers
  150. 13.13: Parallelism
  151. 13.14: Using Quotation Marks
  152. 13.15: Fitting a Quotation into a Sentence
  153. 13.16: Commas
  154. 13.17: Semicolons and Colons
  155. 13.18: Apostrophes
  156. 13.19: Dashes
  157. 13.20: Hyphens
  158. 13.21: Parentheses
  159. 13.22: Additional Resources on Grammar and Mechanics
  160. 14: Style- Shaping Our Sentences
  161. 14.1: What Defines Good Style in Academic Writing?
  162. 14.2: Keeping It Concise
  163. 14.3: Making Sentences Clear
  164. 14.4: Giving the Reader Pleasure
  165. 14.5: Understanding Convoluted Sentences
  166. 14.6: Sentence Variety
  167. 15: Teacher's Guide
  168. 15.1: Teaching for Equity with How Arguments Work
  169. 15.2: Quizzes, Essay Assignments, and Other Ancillary Materials
  170. 15.3: Sample Student Essays
  171. 15.4: Slide Presentations
  172. 15.5: Course Maps
  173. 15.5.1: Allison Murray's Course Map for Argumentation and Critical Thinking
  174. 15.5.2: Anna Mills' Course Map for Argumentation and Critical Thinking
  175. 15.5.3: Natalie Peterkin's Course Map for College Composition
  176. 15.5.4: Ryan Hitch's Course Map for College Composition
  177. 15.6: Sample Lesson Plans
  178. 15.6.1: Sample Lesson Plan on Annotation
  179. 15.6.2: Sample Lesson Plan on Claims Using the Think Aloud Technique
  180. 15.6.3: Sample Lesson Plan on Key Words and Search Engines
  181. 15.6.4: Sample Lesson Plan on Summaries
  182. 15.7: Suggested Short Readings
  183. 15.8: Suggested Free Online Books
  184. 15.9: Template Phrases for Argument, Summary, Assessment, and Response
  185. 15.10: Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
  186. 15.11: Alignment with Statewide Course Outlines
  187. 15.11.1: How Arguments Work and the Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking Course Objectives
  188. 15.11.2: How Arguments Work and the College Composition Course Objectives
  189. 15.12: Share Feedback and Teaching Strategies
  190. 16: Artificial Intelligence and College Writing
  191. 16.1: Template Phrases for Reflecting on AI Feedback
  192. 16.2: Template Phrases for Critiquing AI Outputs
  193. Acknowledging and Citing Generative AI in Academic Work
  194. AI Copies Patterns; It Doesn’t Think
  195. Don't Trust AI to Cite Its Sources
  196. Student Essay Critiquing a New York Times Article on the Dangers of AI
  197. Back Matter
  198. Index
  199. Accessibility
  200. 1.1: Annotated Sample Essays Accessibility Information
  201. 1.2: Full Description of the Correlation Is Not Causation Image
  202. 1.3: Claims, reasons, counterargument, and rebuttal map
  203. 1.4: Claims, reasons, counterargument, rebuttal, and limits map
  204. 1.5: Claim and reason argument map
  205. 1.6: Claim and three reasons argument map
  206. 1.7: Claim and two reasons argument map
  207. 1.8: Claim, reasons, and counterargument map
  208. 1.9: Claim, reason, and assumption map
  209. 1.10: Claim, reason, and two assumptions, one questionable
  210. 1.11: Text description of the Canvas Commons search screenshot
  211. 1.12: Text description of the Canvas course options screenshot
  212. 1.13: Text description of the enrollment page screenshot
  213. 1.14: Text description of the Join This Course screenshot
  214. 1.15: Text description of the MLA-formatted sample paper
  215. 1.16: Text description of the preview page screenshot
  216. 1.17: Text description of the sample quiz screenshot
  217. 1.18: Text description of the textbook Canvas Course screenshot
  218. 1.19: Text of the Google Scholar Results Image
  219. 1.20: Text of the Writing Process Image
  220. Detailed Licensing