13 Analyzing Arguments

In one important sense, all language has an argumentative edge. When you greet friends, you wish to convince them that you’re glad to see them; when advertisers pay for spots that appear alongside your social networking page, they want to persuade you to click and shop. Even apparently objective news reporting has strong argumentative overtones: when a news outlet highlights a particular story, for example, the editors are arguing that this subject is more important than others. Since argument is so pervasive, you need to be able to recognize and use it effectively—and to question your own arguments as well as those put forth by others.

Analyzing an Argument

AT A GLANCE

Here are some questions that can help you judge the effectiveness of an argument:

  • What conclusions about the argument can you reach by playing both the believing and the doubting game? (13a)
  • What cultural contexts inform the argument, and what do they tell you about where the writer is coming from? (13b)
  • What emotional, ethical, and logical appeals is the writer making in support of the argument? (13c)
  • How has the writer established credibility to write about the topic? (13c)
  • What is the claim (or arguable statement)? Is the claim qualified in any way? (13d)
  • What reasons and assumptions support and underlie the claim? (13d)
  • What additional evidence backs up the assumption and claim? How current and reliable are the sources? (13d)
  • How does the writer use images, graphics, or other visuals to support the argument?
  • What fallacies can you identify, and what effect do they have on the argument’s persuasiveness? (13e)
  • What is the overall impression you get from analyzing the argument? Are you convinced?