09Developing an Argument.docx

09Developing an Argument.docx

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09DevelopinganArgument

DevelopinganArgument

OverviewObjective

✧Learningtoargueapoint

WritingSkillsinFocus

✧Developaneffectivethesisstatement

✧Supportthethesiswithevidence

✧Respondtothecounterargument

✧Introduceandconcludeanargument

Argumentdemandscarefulthinkingandreasoning.Itimpliesthatthepersonwhostatesapositionhastriedtounderstandthematterinquestionandisusingpowersofreasontoshowwhyevidencesupportshisorherposition.Merestatementofbelieforopinionhasnovaluebecauseitwillnotconvinceareasoningpersonthatbeliefiscorrect.Aroundusinourevery-daylife,therearemanyissuesthatconcernus,worryusorinterestus,butatthesametimetheydeservemorecarefulexaminationanddiscussionthanwenormallygivethem.

Writingisawayofhelpingourselvessharpenourmindsintacklingtheseissues.Thisisperhapsespeciallytruewhenwearewritingabouttheseissuesinaforeignlanguagebecause,asweuseanewlanguage,thetransferofwhatwenormallytakeforgrantedinourownculturemayshowupasanunsupportedassertionanddemandevidence.

TASKONE

ChoosealetterfromtheLetter-to-the-EditorcolumnofChinaDaily,carefullystudytheissueandwritealettertotheeditoreitherinagreementordisagreementwiththewriteroftheoriginalletter,intendingyourlettertobepublishedinthesamecolumn.Yourlettershouldfocusononeissue.

ThefollowingletterisanexampleofwhatyoumightfindintheLetter-to-the-EditorcolumnofChinaDaily:

Editor:

Thisyear,IamgraduatingfromaprestigiousuniversityinChina,butIdon’tfeelproudatall—becauseIamawoman.Lastweek,IwentforaJobinterviewtogetherwith

DevelopinganArgument

about80othergraduatingstudents,andthecompanythatinterviewedushadtenvacancies.However,attheendoftheday,allthewomenapplicantswereturneddown;Ilearnedlaterthattheslotshadbeenreservedformen.Thisisprima-facie1evidenceofgender-basedjobdiscrimination,anditviolatestheConstitutionofthePeople'sRepublicofChinaandviolatestheWomenandChildren'sRightsandInterestsProtectionLaw.

Accordingtothiscompany'sadvertisement,allthesetenpositionsrequiresubstantialEnglish.AsanEnglishmajor,IknowclearlythatmanyfemalestudentsinmyclasshaveamuchbettercommandofEnglishthantheirmalecounterpart.However,afewofthesemalestudentswereaskedtoreturnandsigntheagreementdespitethefactthattheywereprofessionallylesscompetent.Everyyearinschool,wefemalestudentsrakeinallthescholarships,butasfarasprofessionalopportunityisconcerned,thedoorisallbutclosedtouswomen.

Thecompanyinquestionislargeandstate-owned,andthesamesituationisbeing

repeatedinmanyotherplaces.Ihopeyourreporters—imbuedwiththespiritualintentof

ourlawandConstitution—willexposetheseinstancesofdiscriminatorypractices.

NanjingXiaoYan

Asfarasyouknow,whataresomeofthereasonsforreservingjobsformen?

Arethesereasonsjustifiable?

DoyouagreewithXiaoYanthatthispracticeis"prima-facieevidenceofgender-basedjobdiscrimination"?

AreyouawareoftheWomenandChildren'sRightsandInterestsProtectionLaw?

DoesitviolatethislawortheConstitutiontoreservejobsformen?

Ifitiswrongtoreservejobsformen,isitrighttoreservejobsforwomen?

Withthisparticularcompany,ifitselectsemployeesbytheirEnglishproficiencyandthetenwithhighestproficiencyareallwomen,shouldthecompanyhirealltenwomen?

Howwouldyourespondifthishappensandallthemaleapplicantscomplainaboutthe"reverseddiscrimination"?

Ifyoucouldnotfindanyletterthatdiscussesanissueofyourconcern,youmaywritetotheeditordiscussingyouragreementordisagreementwithXiaoYan.

Whetheryouwriteinagreementordisagreement,yourletterisanargument.InLatin,"toargue"meanstoprove,tomakeclear.Toarguewellinwriting,thereareafewprinciplesyoushouldbearinmind.

1.Youshouldhaveaclearthesisstatement.

Anargumentisbuiltaroundathesisstatement（ormainpremise）thatiscontroversialamongreadersofthisargument;thatis,someofthemmayagreewithyou,butothersmaydisagree.Inyourargument,youneedtosupportthatstatementinamannerthatconvincesyourreadersofitstruth.Therefore,anargumenthastwobasiccomponents:

statementofthethesisandevidenceforthethesis.Thethesisstatementisalwaysadebatablestatement,onethatissomehowcontroversial.Forinstance,"reservingjobsformenisaformofdiscriminationagainstwomen"isadebatablestatementbecausenoteveryonewouldagree."The

1prima-facie:

self-evident,obvious

DevelopinganArgument

WomenandChildren'sRightsandInterestsProtectionLawprotectswomen,"incontrast,isnotdebatablebecausenoonewoulddisagree.Thefollowingareexamplesofdebatablestatements:

AllcollegestudentsshouldspendsometimelivingandworkinginChina'slessdevelopedruralareas.

SolarenergyisthebestwayofmeetingTibet'senergyneedsinthe21stcentury.Theintensivereadingclassforthird-yearEnglishmajorsmustbeabolished.

Anyoneofthesecanpotentiallybecomeathesisstatementifyouchoosetodefenditinanessay.Noticethatifyouaddanegativemarkertoadebatablestatement,thenewsentenceisstilladebatablestatement.Forinstance,

Theintensivereadingclassforthird-yearEnglishmajorsshouldnotbeabolished.

Thiscanalsomakeagoodthesisstatementifyoudevelopitintoanessay.

Anon-debatableStatementisalsocalledafactualstatement,withwhichnoonewouldnormallycontend.Anon-debatablestatementcannotbemadeintoathesisstatement.Forinstance,

CoalandoilarethemainsourcesofenergyinTibetatpresent.

Smokingisharmfultopeople'shealth.

Agoodeducationisnecessaryforasuccessfulandhappylife.

Whetherastatementisdebatableornotisinfactrelative.Ifyouarewritingforfellowstudentsinyouruniversity,"TaiwanispartofChina"isnotdebatablebecausetheyknowallthereasonsyoucanwriteaboutandwilldefinitelyagreewithyou.Ityouwriteonthistopic,itwillonlybeanexerciseinorganizingyourthoughtsandideas.However,ifyouarewritingtoaU.S.CongressmanwhosupportsTaiwanseparatism,"TaiwanispartofChina"becomesdebatable;youneedtosupplyevidencethatTaiwanhasbeenindeedalwayspartofChinasothatyoucanconvincehimthatitiswrongtopokehisnoseintoChina'sinternalaffairs.

2.Youshouldhaveconcreteevidence.

Whiledraftingyouressay,youshouldalwaysbearinmindthatsinceyourreadersmayormaynotagreewithyouropinionorpremise,yoursoleaimistomakeallofthemagree.Youneedtoconvincethemofthevalueortruthofyourpremises.Bythemselves,however,thesepremisesarenotconvincing—theyneedsupport.Whatyouneedisevidence,andevidencemaycomefromotherpeople'swritingandfromyourownexperience.

Forinstance,ifyouarearguingthat"allcollegestudentsshouldspendsometimelivingandworkinginChina'slessdevelopedruralareas,"youmaydiscussthatmostcollegestudentslacktheknowledgeofthedifficultiesfarmersandtheirchildrenarefacingandthatmoststudentsdonotrealizehowmuchtheycancontributetoChina'snationbuilding.Youmayuseyourpersonalexperienceandwritethefollowing:

Lastsummer,IvolunteeredtogotoacountyinnorthernJiangsuandtaughtthemiddleschoolstudentsthere.Duetotheshortageofteachers,asIwastold,amiddleschool

DevelopinganArgument

classusuallyhadmorethan80students,withfourtofivesharinganolddesk.Becauseofthis,theyappreciatedourworkeventhoughwedidverylittle.Once,itrainedheavilywhenIfinishedmyclass,butmanystudentsofferedmetheirumbrellas.IfeltIwasneededandIcouldcontributealotthere.Ifoneoutoftencollegegraduateseachyearcouldworkasaschoolteacher,thesefarmers'childrenwouldalsobeabletositinsmallerclassesaswedidwhenwewereinmiddleschool.

Noticethattheargumentsupportingyourpremiseispresentedasfactsorasnon-debatablestatements.Intheparagraphabove,sentenceslike"amiddleschoolclassusuallyhad...""theyappreciated..."and"manystudentsoffered..."areallfactualstatements,whichleadthereaderstoacceptthemasfactsand,asaresult,maketheargumentforcefulandconvincing.

3.Youshouldrespondtothecounter-argument.

Thesisandevidencearethetwobasiccomponentsofanargument.Oftenanargumentcontainsathirdcomponent:

responsetothecounterargument.Youmayhavetodisproveanypotentialorrealopposingopinions,alsowithevidence.Makinganargumentisinmanywayslikewrestling:

youpredicthowyouropponentisgoingtoattackyouand,then,decidehowyouaregoingtocombathim.Ifyoufendoffyouropponent'sattack,youaremakingaresponsetothecounterargument.

Itisimportanttorespondtoopposingargumentsbecauseifyoufailtoshowinyourwritinganawarenessofbothsidesoftheargument,yourreadersmayconcludethatyouhavenocouragetofaceopposingviews;theywouldnotfindyouconvincingorreasonable.Incontrast,itwouldconsiderablystrengthenyourargumentifyouanticipateandcriticizethoseopposingargumentsbeforetheyareevenstated.

Forinstance,ifyouwanttoarguethatreservingpositionsformenisacaseofdiscriminationagainstwomen,youshouldnotonlygiveevidenceforyouropinionbutalsoanalyzeandcriticizeopinionsthatareoppositetoyours.Forinstance,youshouldrespondtotheopinionthat,ascompanymanagersmayputit,"certainjobsareonlyphysicallysuitableformenandthereforenothir