Argumentation
the act or process of forming reasons, drawing conclusions, and applying them to a case in discussion
Refutation
the process of discrediting the arguments that oppose your thesis statement
Proponent
someone who argues in favor of something; advocate
Opponent
a person who disagrees with something and speaks against it
Counter Argument (Con)
point of statement in opposition to the argument being made in a written document or speech
Pro Argument (Pro)
point of statement that supports one's ideas and/or thesis
Rebuttal
A counterargument, especially in debate
Analyze
Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or structure. To identify parts, relationships, and interpret information to reach conclusions.
Bias
A preference that prevents one from being impartial
Claim
An assertion, usually supported by evidence
Evidence
Evidence is the specific pieces of information that support a claim. Evidence can take that form of facts, quotations, examples, statistics, or personal experiences among others.
Formal Writing Style
is writing that is free of slang, trite, expressions, abbreviations, symbols, email shortcut language, contractions, and the use of the personal pronoun"I." The writer does not speaking directly to the reader by using the word you. Formal style ensures that readers are able to read and understand what is written.
Organization
patterns are structures that show the relationship between ideas. Types of organizational patterns include Cause and Effect and Problem/Solution.
Primary Source
An original document containing the observations, ideas, and conclusions of an individual. It is a firsthand account presented by someone present or actively participating in the event. Examples include manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, and personal journals.
Secondary Source
A secondhand account of an event or a retelling of another person's observations written by someone who did not witness or actually participate in the events. Includes sources that combine, synthesize, and or interpret information from primary sources. Examples include encyclopedias, textbooks, and reviews.
Justify
Give valid reasons or evidence to support an answer or conclusion.
Synthesize
means to examine, closely study, and evaluate how individual text elements work together as a whole by combining the knowledge of one text element to the analysis of an additional element.
Tone
is an author's attitude toward a subject.
Pathos
Appeal to emotion
Ethos
Credibility
Logos
Appeal to logic