For Argument's Sake: A Guide to Writing Effective Arguments - Softcover

Mayberry, Katherine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0618917950 ISBN 13: 9780618917952

Publisher: Cengage Learning, 2004

Synopsis

This concise rhetoric features practical advice for writing the four most common types of argument: factual, causal, evaluation, and recommendation. Structured around three main phases of writing -- focusing, supporting, and reviewing--For Argument's Sake, Fifth Edition, helps students find and focus a claim, gather and organize supporting information, and refine and polish their argument. Numerous sample arguments, including several pieces written by students, illustrate principles and strategies for strong, compelling writing.

About this title

From the Back Cover

This concise, reader-friendly rhetoric provides clear, highly practical advice for writing arguments, including the four most common types: factual, causal, evaluation, and recommendation. KEYTOPICS: Structured around the three main phases of writing - focusing, supporting, and reviewing, For Argument's Sake helps readers find and focus a claim, identify an audience, work through the support process, and then refine and polish their argument. Numerous sample arguments illustrate the principles and strategies. This edition features new coverage of conducting and evaluating electronic research and additional writing samples. For those interested in improving their critical thinking, reading and writing skills.

Review

1. An Introduction to Argument An Extended Definition The Classes of Argument Argument through Image The Argument Process Reading Arguments Conclusion 2. Where Writing Begins: Motives and Audience Motives for Writing The Importance of Audience 3. The Claim How Claims Work Classifying your Claim 4. An Argument's Support Some Varieties of Support Supporting your Argument Visually Arranging your Argument's Support Definitions 5. Making Reasonable Arguments: Formal and Informal Logic Formal Logic The Toulmin Model: A Modern Variant of Formal Logic Informal Fallacies 6. Arguing Fact What Is a Fact? Supporting Facts Reported by Primary and Secondary Sources Supporting Personally Experienced Facts Supporting Factual Generalizations Statistics Two Sample Factual Arguments 7. Arguing Cause Determining Cause Distinguishing Among Sufficient Causes Causal Chains Contributing Factors Supporting Causal Claims Arguing Effects Two Sample Causal Arguments 8. Arguing Evaluations Evaluative Subjects and Terms Establishing the Definition of the Evaluative Term Arguing the Evaluation Further Methods of Supporting Evaluations The Varieties of Evaluations Sample Ethical Evaluation Sample Interpretation 9. Arguing Recommendations Audience Needs and Values Recommendations Emphasizing the Present Recommendations Emphasizing the Future Recommendations that Consider Present and Future Two Sample Recommendations 10. Writing and Image The Role of Voice The Virtues and Limitations of Plain Writing Figures of Speech Connotative Language and Slanting The Music of Language 11. Introductions and Conclusions Introductions Conclusions Summaries 12. Revising Writing a First Draft, Revising, and Editing Some Suggestions for Successful Revising An Example of Revision Credits Index

Edition details

• Publisher: Cengage Learning
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0618917950
• ISBN 13: 9780618917952
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Edition number: 5
• Number of pages: 240