Defining Key Parts of Arguments (Part 1)

Nonfiction

• a belief or judgment; something that can be supported by facts, but cannot be proven true or false

• looking for differences

• prose writing that is mostly based on facts, real events, and real people, such as biography or history

• a brief story used to make a point; skillful argument writers often start their essays with an anecdote

Main idea

• people having, involving, or displaying special skills or knowledge based on training or experience

• the author’s opinion or feelings as evident or detailed in a text about a topic; the author’s reason or intention for writing a text

• looking for similarities

• the most important point or central idea of a selection

Infer

• an educated guess

• restating the main idea or major events of a text

• something that happened or is true; something that can be proven

• number facts

Summarizing

• free from mistakes or errors

• restating the main idea or major events of a text

• in writing, it means “debate or discussion”

• something such as facts or information that shows that a belief or assertion is true or valid

Comparing

• relevant; right for the purpose

• looking for differences

• looking for similarities

• something that happened or is true; something that can be proven

Contrasting

• looking for similarities

• looking for differences

• an educated guess

• number facts

Fact

• a belief or judgment; something that can be supported by facts, but cannot be proven true or false

• restating the main idea or major events of a text

• something that happened or is true; something that can be proven

• a brief story used to make a point; skillful argument writers often start their essays with an anecdote

Opinion

• a belief or judgment; something that can be supported by facts, but cannot be proven true or false

• something that happened or is true; something that can be proven

• the author’s reason or intention for writing a text

• people having, involving, or displaying special skills or knowledge based on training or experience

Author’s Purpose

• something that happened or is true; something that can be proven

• prose writing that is mostly based on facts, real events, and real people, such as biography or history

• enough for what is needed; sufficient

• the author’s opinion or feelings as evident or detailed in a text about a topic; the author’s reason or intention for writing a text

Select all of the following which are examples of an author's purpose:

• to explain

• to entertain

• to inform

• to persuade