Writing arguments
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In writing an argument, you take a stand on a debatable issue. The question being debated might be a matter of public policy:
- Should religious groups be allowed to meet on public school property?
- Is nuclear energy emerging as an environmentally favored alternative to oil and coal?
- Should a state enact laws rationing medical care?
On such questions, reasonable people may disagree.
Reasonable people also disagree about many scholarly issues:
- Psychologists debate the role of genes and environment in behavior.
- Historians interpret causes of the Civil War quite differently.
- Biologists challenge one another’s predictions about the effects of global warming.
When you construct a reasonable argument, your goal is not simply to win or to have the last word. Your aim is to explain your understanding of the truth about a subject or to propose the best solution available for solving a problem—without being needlessly combative.
In constructing your argument, you join a conversation with other writers and readers. Your aim is to convince readers to reconsider their opinions by offering new reasons to question existing viewpoints.
Sample student writing (arguments):
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