Argumentation involves making a claim, supporting it with reasons and evidence, addressing reasonable alternatives, and urging readers to accept or act on the writer’s main point. Virtually any type of writing, then, can contain an argument — and even documents that serve primarily to reflect, inform, analyze, evaluate, or solve problems often contain some elements of argumentation.

Understanding the genres that can be used to convince or persuade can help you prepare to write your own argument. In this section, you’ll find three examples of common argumentative documents: argumentative essays, advertisements, and point/counterpoint editorials. In this chapter, you’ll find discussions and examples of speeches, opinion columns, and letters. As you read these documents, reflect on the contexts in which the writers found themselves. Ask, for example, what readers need to know about an issue to be convinced or persuaded. Ask about the kinds of evidence that readers interested in a particular issue might accept — or reject. And ask about the design elements that might influence readers — positively or negatively — as they consider an argument.