Evaluating an Argument

A series of statements designed to convince you of something

• argument
• credible
• evidence
• sufficient

what the author is trying to prove

• sufficient
• claim
• credible

a broad statement that covers many situations. 

• credible
• sufficient
• generalization

the information that authors use to support their reasons. 

• evidence
• credible
• generalization

statements made by a recognized authority on the subject

• facts
• expert opinion
• credible

comparisons that show similarities between otherwise unrelated facts or ideas

• statistic
• fact
• analogy

why the author is making this argument; the author’s purpose

• intent
• credible
• sufficient

In order for the evidence and argument to be strong the author must….

• §Provide evidence that directly relates to the argument
• §numerical information
•   §An author must provide support for a claim in order to create an argument.

Every argument begins with one of these.

• claim
• reason
• evidence
• explanation

To support a claim, you should have one or more of these, which tell why.

• reason
• counterclaim
• statistic
• counterargument