Argument Analysis

Genny Rojas was 4 years old when her aunt and uncle, Veronica and Ivan Gonzales, tortured and murdered her.

This statement is the argument's

• hook

• claim

• counterclaim

• rebuttal

Yet a majority of Americans support the death penalty in appropriate cases and believe that, despite its imperfections, it is supported by the U.S. Constitution.

This is the argument's:

• claim

• hook

• counterclaim

• evidence

The Supreme Court has agreed. The Fifth and 14th amendments carry express approval of the death penalty: A person may not lose their "life, liberty or property without due process of law." That means laws will provide punishment when any of those are taken from someone illegally. 

The underlined sentence is an example of:

• warrant/bridge

• claim

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A majority of states (27) have the death penalty on the books. Similarly, the U.S. government and military have the ultimate punishment for the most brutal crimes. Since 1976, when the Supreme Court reinstated the punishment, there have been over 1,500 executions, with white people making up the majority of defendants executed (55 percent), followed by Black people (34 percent). White people make up the majority of victims in death penalty cases (76 percent), followed by Black people (15 percent).

The above is an example of:

• evidence

• counterclaim

• rebuttal

• hook

2 or 3 body paragraphs that come after the introduction and before the counterclaim and rebuttal

• evidence

• counterclaim

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• conclusion

Death penalty opponents, quite understandably note that there have been a number of death row inmates who have been found innocent.

The statement above is an example of:

• counterclaim

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• warrant/bridge

However, acknowledging that mistakes can occasionally occur in capital cases does not make the death penalty unjust. It is no more unfair than a prison sentence for a term of years being unjust because mistakes occasionally occur in noncapital cases, or cases not punishable by death.  Today, there are built-in checks and balances in the criminal justice system. How a jury is selected, how a punishment is decided and how a person may appeal a decision are all steps designed to provide a fair process for everyone.

This is the argument's

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We cannot forget the victims. Genny Rojas would be 28 years old this year. She never went to high school, attended college or fell in love. She is gone. Her murderers richly deserve the death penalty, though justice won't be complete until their sentence is carried out. 

The underlined part of the paragraph is:

• urge action

• evidence

• warrant/bridge

• hook

Match the following

• the opposite side

• evidence

• the speaker's opinion on the issue

• claim

• gets the reader interested

• counterclaim

• tells why counterclaim is wrong

• hook

• the first 2 or 3 body paragraphs

• rebuttal

Match the following

• last paragraph

• logos

• explains the evidence

• pathos

• trustworthiness

• warrant/bridge

• logical evidence

• restate and urge action

• appeal to audience emotions

• ethos