“Argument seems so negative—I don’t want to attack anybody or contradict what someone else says.” In some times and places—law courts, for example—argument may call for attacking the credibility of the opponent. Or you may have used the word argument in childhood to describe a conversation in which you voiced nothing more than “I did not!” or “You did too!” But in college writing, you have a chance to reject this narrow definition and to use argument in a much broader way. Instead of attacking or contradicting, you will be expected to explore ideas and to work toward convincing yourself as well as others that these ideas are valuable.