Argumentative Writing Terms

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Argument

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An argument (or argumentative essay) attempts to persuade the reader to agree with the writer's claim or position on an issue, using evidence and reasoning to support its ideas.

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Claim

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A claim is a position or statement on a topic, an opinion with which others might disagree.

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Evidence

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Evidence is a statement of truth that confirms your ideas, like a statistic, fact, quotation from a source, or other supporting example.

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Statistical/Data Evidence

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Evidence that is a collection of numerical data dealing with the collection, analysis, and interpretation of numerical data used to support a claim.

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Anecdotal Evidence

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Evidence in the form of stories that people tell about what has happened to them, the evidence is not supported by data.

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Testimonial Evidence

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Evidence that refers to verbal information provided by witnesses and people who have experience the situation/product.

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Sufficient Evidence

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When there’s enough support to make the argument convincing.

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Relevant Evidence

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Facts, details, examples, etc. that support the writer’s reasoning.

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Reasoning

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Reasoning is an explanation you provide to the readers that convinces them that your ideas make sense.

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Sound

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An adjective used to describe an argument when it’s based on logic/common sense.