Review Packet – Shaping Arguments

  1. Claims
  2. Claims of F______
  3. Cause –
  4. Definition –
  1. Claims of V______
  1. Claims of P______
  1. Thesis Statements –
  2. Open Thesis Statement – Does not list all of the p______a writer intends to cover.

“The popularity of the Harry Potter series demonstrates that simplicity trumps complexity when it comes to the taste of the readers, both young and old.”

  1. Closed Thesis Statement – Offers the m______i______of the argument and also previews the m______p______.

“The three-dimensional characters, exciting plot, and complex themes of the Harry Potter series make them not only legendary children’s books but enduring literary classics.”

  1. Counterargument Thesis Statement – It is like the o______thesis statement but it usually summarizes the counterargument with a q______like “although” or “but” and proceeds the writer’s o______.
  1. Evidence: Must be R______, A______, and Sufficient
  2. First-Hand Evidence
  3. P______E______- Useful for appealing to pathos and ethos
  1. Anecdote – Useful for appealing to pathos and ethos.
  1. Current Events – You must be informed to use current events

Warning: With all first-hand evidence watch for Hasty Generalizations and Post Hoc fallacies.

  1. Second-Hand Evidence
  2. Historical Information
  3. Expert Opinion – beware of appeals to f______a______
  4. Quantitative Evidence
  5. Literary Sources
  1. Informal Logical Fallacies
  2. Fallacies of Relevance – The evidence is i______to the claim.
  3. Red Herrings – Occurs when a speakers skips to a new or i______topic in order to avoid discussing the main topic.
  1. Ad Hominem – Is an a______on the person’s c______
  1. Faulty Analogy/False Analogy – Analogies are some of the most v______examples. Always ask whether the d______outweigh the s______.
  1. Fallacies of Accuracy – The evidence is intentionally or u______i______.
  2. Straw man – deliberately poor or o______example to ridicule and refute an opponent’s viewpoint. Misrepresentation
  1. False Dilemma / Either – Or Fallacy –Presenting two e______cases as the only possible choices.
  1. Fallacies of Insufficiency – There is not enough e______to support a particular conclusion.
  2. Hasty G______- Using a small sample size from which a generalization cannot be drawn. (EX. Smoking isn’t bad for you; my great-aunt smoked a pack a day and lived to be ninety.)
  1. Circular Reasoning / B______the Q______- Assuming in your evidence the very proposition you are trying to argue. (EX. You can’t give me a C; I’m an A student.)
  1. Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc / Correlations do not Imply C______- Oversimplifying a cause and effect relationship results in committing this fallacy. Remember that causality is very difficult to prove and if it seems dubious it is dubious.

Test on Oct. 22/23, 2014