Examples Of Counter Arguments In Argumentative Essays On School

Transcript of Counter Arguments

Writing Counter Arguments is an argument opposed to your thesis, or part of your thesis. It expresses the view of a person who disagrees with your position. A Counter Argument Done well, it makes the argument stronger. This is because it gives you the chance to respond to your reader’s objections before they have finished reading. It also shows that you are a reasonable person who has considered both sides of the debate. Why would you include a counter-argument in your essay? Why use counter arguments? Actually, Both of these make an essay more persuasive. How should a counter-argument be presented? A counter-argument should be expressed thoroughly and fairly. Do not just write a quick sentence and then immediately rebut it. Give reasons why someone might actually hold that view. A few sentences or even a whole paragraph is not an unreasonable amount of space to give to the counter-argument. Make sure you express the counter-argument fairly AND objectively. Ask yourself if the person who actually holds this position would accept your way of stating it. Put yourself in their shoes and give them the benefit of the doubt. Don’t use biased language or stack the deck when presenting their position. Readers see through that sort of thing pretty quickly. if you really believe the position expressed in your thesis, you will not be able to be completely objective in how you express the counter-argument—but you should try. One of the most common purposes of counter-argument is to address positions that many people hold but that you think are mistaken. Therefore you want to be respectful and give them the benefit of the doubt even if you think their views are incorrect. Obviously, They’ll be much more likely to be persuaded. How can a counter-argument be rebutted? to rebut a counter-argument is to show that it is based on faulty assumptions. Either the facts are wrong, the analysis is incorrect, or the values it is based on are not acceptable. Furthermore, some counter-arguments are simply irrelevant, usually because they are actually responding to a different argument. And counter-arguments actually make your argument stronger, One of the most effective ways once you analyze their logic. Wouldn't that weaken your argument? no. the point is to show your reader that you have considered all sides of the question, and to make it easier to answer the counter-argument. It’s easier to respond to a point you have already spelled out—and it’s easier for your reader to follow you. Again, he makes the claim that “To function adequately in civic life … students must learn what causes racism” (143). From James Loewen’s book, Lies My Teacher Told Me. we will explore ideas that you might use as a counter-argument to this claim, in a paper agreeing with Loewen. Then you would rebut, or answer, the counter-argument as a way to In the examples to follow strengthen your own position. Faulty Factual Assumption Faulty Analytical Assumption Faulty Values True but Irrelevant Makes the Argument Stronger Racism is a thing of the past; therefore, students don’t need to bother with it. The factual assumption in this example is that racism is a thing of the past. One response would be to muster facts to show that racism continues to be a problem. There’s a second assumption, which is that students don’t need to bother with what’s in the past. Another response would be to show that students must understand the past as well as the present “to function adequately in civic life.” The analytical assumption is that learning about racism can make you racist. The response would be that understanding the causes of a problem is not the same as causing or creating the problem. Learning about racism might make students more racist. Another assumption in this argument is that it’s not good to make students racist. Loewen’s argument shares this assumption, so you wouldn’t rebut it. This counter-argument is based on an assumed value that your readers probably do not share—namely, the idea that it’s ok for students to be racist. The response would be to point out this value, state why you don’t share it and state why you don’t think your readers do either. Of course, values are both deeply personal and extremely varied, so you’re always going to have some readers who do not share yours. Who cares if students are racist? The key is to base your arguments on values that most readers are likely to share. Many students are, in fact, already familiar with racism. But Loewen is not saying they need to learn about racism, he’s saying they need to learn what causes it. You might be very familiar with racism but still not know what causes it. This is a very common form of counter-argument, one that actually rebuts a different argument. Students are already familiar with racism; they don’t need to study it in school. Note that here, too, there’s a faulty assumption: being familiar with something is not the same as knowing what causes it. The response here would be to show that previous generations did not “function adequately in civic life,” because they had a lot of problems with racism (segregation and more hidden forms of discrimination). Therefore, the fact that they didn’t learn about the causes of racism, together with this other information, actually supports the claim that students do need to learn what causes racism. Previous generations didn’t study the causes of racism, so why should we start now? Here again there’s a faulty assumption, implied but not stated: Previous generations supposedly did function adequately in civic life. The response shows that that assumption is incorrect. Where does the counter-argument go? a counter-argument can go anywhere except the conclusion. This is because there has to be a rebuttal paragraph after the counter-argument, so if the counter-argument is in the conclusion, something has been left out. The short answer is (there are exceptions), the rebuttal is usually not the concluding paragraph, which means that generally the counter-argument is anywhere but the last two paragraphs. In practice I. Introduction there is some compelling reason specific to the particular argument being made, it does not make sense to put the counter-argument in the middle of the case for the thesis. In other words, you would not typically present two points in support of the thesis, then the counter-argument and rebuttal, and then more points in support of the thesis. Unless The Introduction? The middle? The conclusion? can be very effective in introductions, especially if you are arguing against a popularly held view. However, it’s also very common to place them after the presentation of the case for the thesis. In other words, they would go after all of the main points that support the thesis, but before the conclusion—in the third-to-last paragraph, with the rebuttal in the second-to-last. Counter-arguments This is probably the most common position. II. Supporting point #1 III. Supporting point #2
IV. Supporting point #3
V. Supporting point #4 VI. Counter-argument VII. Rebuttal VIII. Conclusion How should the counter-argument be introduced? to alert the reader that the paper is about to express a view different from (typically, the opposite of) the thesis. Since the purpose of the whole paper, including the counter-argument, is to support the thesis, these signals are crucial. the counter-argument will begin with a word, phrase or sentence to indicate that what follows is not the author’s view. These can range from the very simple—sometimes the single word “But” or “However” is sufficient—to quite complex whole sentences. that this is someone else’s view. Typical introductory strategies include the following: But isn’t it true that [state the counter-argument here]? It’s important to use clear signals Without them the paper appears incoherent and contradictory. Generally, The strategy is to make it clear Many people [believe/argue/feel/think/suppose/etc.] that [state the counter-argument here] It is often [thought/imagined/supposed/etc.] that [state the counter-argument here] [It would be easy to/One could easily] [think/believe/imagine/suppose/etc.] that [state the counter-argument here] It might [seem/appear/look/etc.] as if [state the counter-argument here] Another common approach is to use a question: [Doesn’t/Wouldn’t/Isn’t] [state the counter-argument here]? You can also cite specific writers or thinkers who have expressed a view opposite to your own: On the other hand, [author] argues that... However, [author] has written, ... How should the rebuttal be introduced? The essay has just done a 180° turn away from its thesis, and now it is about to do another 180° turn to complete the circle. The reader needs warnings and guidance or they will fall off or get whiplash—you’ll lose them, in other words, because the essay will seem incoherent or contradictory. If the counter-argument requires careful signaling, so does the rebuttal. What this argument [overlooks/fails to consider/does not take into account] is ... This view [seems/looks/sounds/etc.] [convincing/plausible/persuasive/etc.] at first, but ... While this position is popular, it is [not supported by the facts/not logical/impractical/etc.] Although the core of this claim is valid, it suffers from a flaw in its [reasoning/application/etc.] are the mirror image of those for introducing the counter-argument, and they all boil down to the same basic concept: “Yes, but....” They can be as simple as that, or more complex. Common strategies for introducing the rebuttal Here are some examples: Homework

Full transcript

Remember when you were a kid and each time you went to the store with your mom you asked her for a new toy? When she answered “no,” I’m sure you asked, “why not?”

Her reply:  “Because I said so.”

This may have worked for your mom, but this obviously isn’t a good strategy for your upcoming argumentative essay.

So what makes a good argument? And what makes an argumentative essay good?

Keep reading for a breakdown of two argumentative essay examples to find out!

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay attempts to convince readers. It’s that simple.

In order to write a good argumentative essay, you need four basic parts:

  • An arguable topic. If you can’t take sides on a topic, it won’t work for an argumentative essay. You cannot argue whether you need a driver’s license in order to legally drive a car. It’s a fact. It’s not open to debate. You can, however, argue whether hands-free devices are distracting to drivers.
  • A strong assertion or stance on a topic. Choose a topic you feel strongly about. If your friend is writing her argumentative essay about the dangers of acrylic nails and you don’t have an opinion one way or another about fake nails, it isn’t a good topic for you.
  • Solid evidence to support your argument. An argumentative essay is not an opinion essay. You need solid evidence from credible sources to support your argument. Locate facts, statistics, and quotes that will support your claims and strengthen your argument.
  • A counterargument.You need to acknowledge and refute the opposing viewpoint. This strategy shows readers that you’ve done your homework and that you realize there is another opinion. Presenting the other side of the argument actually makes your argument stronger and your writing more credible.

Two Argumentative Essay Examples With a Fighting Chance

Generation Bass (flickr.com)

It’s easy to say that all argumentative essays need a few key things. But it’s not always as easy to put them in your own paper or to identify them in an actual essay.

I’ve evaluated two essays below to help you identify the four key components.


This essay is a good example of a basic argumentative essay.


In the annotated argumentative essay example below, I’ve noted each of these sections to make it easy to spot effective writing. (You can click each page to enlarge.)

Topic, thesis statement, and counterargument:


More evidence:

Conclusion restates thesis statement:

Take note, though, that this argumentative essay example is missing a Works Cited. Because the essay cites sources and is cited in MLA format, it must include both in-text citations and a Works Cited.

Photographer, D. Sharon Pruitt (flickr.com)

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Essay #2 Organ Donors Should Be Financially Compensated



Hook and thesis statement:

Evidence and more evidence:

Counterargument and refutation:

Works cited/references:

Final Words of Wisdom


With a better understanding of what makes an effective argument, you have more than a fighting chance of writing your own stellar argumentative essay.

What’s next? A topic—you cannot very well write an essay without a topic.

Here are 50 Argumentative Essay Topics That Will Put Up a Good Fight.


A Few (More) Final Words of Wisdom

The purpose of an argumentative essay is to convince the reader. Once you’ve finished your argumentative essay, read it over once or twice (and maybe even read it out loud).

Do you believe yourself? Do you find your arguments convincing?



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