When two or more people engage in a discussion of a subject about which they disagree, they may be arguing, to some extent. Though arguments can become heated and emotional, they can also be controlled and rational. In fact, controlled, rational arguments are generally more effective in persuading people to accept a particular side of an issue. Argument, if it is not purely based on emotions, can stimulate a person to evaluate his or her ways of understanding life and thinking about the world and its issues. By sharing views on issues with others, we can learn to think about issues from different perspectives, to evaluate our reasons for supporting one issue over another, and to draw conclusions based on sound reasons and clear thinking.

Understanding how to argue effectively in writing is a valuable skill that students often need because it is one way to demonstrate to their instructors and peers that they can, indeed, think clearly and critically. In fact, argument is in some way an element in all types of writing because in whatever a writer writes, he or she is trying to present "a point" that others will accept as valid. When students are assigned to present an argument in writing, they are usually being asked to present a "formal" argument. Formal arguments adhere to certain conventions explained below:

1. Decide on the purpose of your argument. In other words, what do you hope to accomplish by writing your argument? Obviously you want to convince your reader of something, as argument is a method of persuasion. But what specific action do you want your reader to eventually do? Change an opinion about disputable facts, agree with an evaluation based on opinions and facts, or take action to change a policy based on opinions and facts?
2. Gather information about your topic/situation/issue. This is an important step in forming your claim (or thesis statement). You will need to know all the particulars of your topic. What are the historical or current antecedents of your topic? What are the causes and effects of the situation? Who are the major supporters of the various sides of the issue? Who are the experts? What are the statistics? How has the situation developed? What are the predictions of its development?
3. Develop a central claim. A thesis statement in a written argument is called a claim. A claim makes an assertion, whether it be about disputable facts, the worth of something, or the way something is/is not done. It is a good idea to develop a claim that also states the intention of your claim or the "should" + "why" of your claim. For example: Media violence should be tempered because it generates aggression in children.
4. Add qualifiers to make your claim flexible and moderate. Qualified claims are easier to defend because they are not stated in absolute terms. For example: Media violence should be tempered because it tends to generate aggression in children. By using the word tends, the writer avoids the absolute of saying media violence always generates aggression. It is not provable that it generates aggression in all cases.
5. Define abstract terms. You, as the writer, have a responsibility to define terms that are abstract and, therefore, potentially ambiguous. For example: Aggression in children refers to any forceful action intended to dominate another, any unprovoked attack, whether physical or verbal, on another, and hostile or injurious behavior toward another. This might include a child forcefully removing a toy from another child, attacking another child with inappropriate racial or sexual insults, or physically assaulting another child.
6. Gather the support for your claim. Support makes up the grounds for the argument and is sometimes called a minor claim, evidence or data. Support can be made up of self-evident facts, statistics, records, calculations, expert testimony, expert critique, expert predictions, observations, demonstrations, experiences, precedents, and analysis made through analogy, inference, comparison/contrast, classification, and illustration.
7. Weigh the reliability of your support. No matter the form of your support, you need to determine how reliable it is. Support must be accurate, relevant and representative. In addition, it must be adequate for your purposes. Accurate support is true and taken from trustworthy sources, quoted exactly and presented without distortions. Relevant support pertains to the argument and is taken from sources with authority on the subject, relates directly to the claim, and is current. Representative support is true in the context in which it is presented as well as reflective of the people and situation involved; likewise, it should not over represent any one group or interest. Adequate support is sufficient to argue your claim in as much as it is plentiful enough and specific enough to defend your claim.
8. Connect your support to your claim by outlining the warrants of your argument. A warrant is an assumption or premise about the topic that demonstrates why the support you offer for the claim should be accepted. Warrants can be simple statements of reason or complex lines of reasoning. Sometimes a warrant needs to be explained or illustrated or even defended, as a warrant is like a mini argument within your larger argument. For example:

Claim – Media violence should be tempered because it tends to generate aggression in children.

Support – The National Association of Child Psychologists report that three out of every five incidences of child aggression can be linked directly to media violence. Warrant – The National Association of Child Psychologists has the access to the best available research on child aggression.

9. Consider the opposition to your claim by outlining possible objections. It is important that argument represent information completely. That means acknowledging the opposition. Some opposition may be valid points against your claim. If this is the case, you will need to provide a concession. This "score" for the opposition does not weaken your argument; in fact, it will strengthen the argument by taking away the major "weapons" of the opposition. If the opposition presents invalid, biased or slated points, you should offer rebuttals that point out the weakness of the opposition’s point(s). Rebuttals should be structured so that you first state the opposition’s point(s), then refute (discredit) that point with additional supportive evidence, and finally reaffirm the claim.

For example: The Association of Television Executives denies the existence of the relationship between television violence and aggression in children. However, noted child psychologist, Dr. Henry Matthews, maintains that a relationship exists. Matthews maintains that data from numerous studies on the subject have shown a significant correlation between television violence and heightened aggression in children. Therefore, Matthews and other experts in child psychology and communication, continue to urge television executives to moderate the display of violence on television and cable programming.

10. Outline and organize the argument. Once you have considered each of the elements given above, you should develop an informal outline of your argument. As with any essay, you should provide an introduction. However, you may consider holding off on writing the introduction until you have dealt with the body of the essay. First write your revised claim at the top of the paper. You will probably find that you have revised your claim somewhat at this point in your work. Then categorize and group your support. Decide on how many major points of support you will make. Each of these major points should be written as topics (that can later be turned into topic sentences in the paragraphs of your paper) and designated with a Roman numeral. Next, decide how you will develop your major points of support with other supportive details. Each of these can be written as a word or phrase and designated with a capital letter. Next, decide if you will need to offer concessions to the opposition. Those may be designated under their own Roman numeral/s or along with your major supportive points. You may also designate the rebuttal under a separate Roman numeral or place it where it seems most appropriate among your supportive points. Make sure that within the rebuttal, you designate the specific objection and the specific support you will use to refute the objection. This is the basic outline of the argument. Once you have drafted the body of the argument in essay form, write a conclusion in which you not only reaffirm your claim, but also urge its acceptance. Finally, you will need to provide an introduction. Your introduction needs to engage the reader with a motivator, provide information on your issue that bridges or connects the motivator to the claim.

The first paper you will be writing for this course is an argumentative essay of 500 to 700 words. Since the paper is so short, it is important that you narrow your subject to fit the scope of the assignment. Your subject must be an arguable issue. That child abuse is detrimental to children is not arguable. No one would take the stance that abuse is good for children. However, how to punish or treat child abusers may be arguable. You will need to discover a very narrow or limited subject. Remember that your paper should present a thorough discussion of the issue you are arguing rather than a mere overview. Apply the conventions of formal argument as you follow the research process and develop your paper.