Making a Convincing Argument

When you support a particular point of view with evidence, you are making an argument. Any time you make a plea, an appeal, or are writing to persuade someone of something, you will need to make an argument. Note that making an argument is not the same as having an argument—you don't have to be angry or disagree with someone to make an argument.

You probably make arguments verbally all the time. Maybe you tried to convince your spouse to go to New York City for a weekend getaway, or you made a case to your boss for why you deserve a raise.

The Structure of an Argument

When you make an argument in writing you need to carefully guide your reader through several steps.

  • The claim—First you will make a claim. The claim is your main idea. It might be helpful to think of it as a thesis statement. "We should go to New York City this weekend," is a simple example, but claims can also be complex.
  • The defense—Then you must defend your claim. The defense does not have a set length. Depending on the complexity of your argument, the defense can be a few sentences or an entire book.
  • The premise—The first part of the defense of your argument is called a premise. An argument is built from premises or individual claims that build upon each other to prove a larger conclusion.
  • The evidence—You must back your premise up with supporting evidence. Evidence can include anecdotal examples, statistics, scientific studies, and quotes.
  • The conclusion—Your argument ends with a conclusion. A conclusion is a statement of what must be true for someone who accepts that (1) all of your evidence is true; (2) that the evidence proves your claims; and (3) that your claims relate to one another in the ways that you say they do.

The Strength of an Argument

The strength of an argument describes the degree to which someone can easily find problems with the logic behind your argument or the evidence supporting it. Research has shown that strong arguments are better able to convince an audience to agree with a particular premise than weak arguments.

One way to strengthen your argument is to imagine possible counterarguments someone could make. If you include these counterarguments and refute them in your writing, you can help your argument appear stronger.

Another way to strengthen your argument is by using experts and evidence that are reliable and credible. Evidence can come from a variety of sources, but published and peer-reviewed scientific studies are one source of highly credible information. When considering experts, you should look for experts who have been published by reputable publishers or in peer-reviewed journals.

You also have to consider which sources will seem credible to your audience. Different audiences may need more or less convincing and your choice of sources can influence how easily they are convinced. For example, a person with a PhD might be easily convinced by a scholarly journal article from a well-respected peer-reviewed journal, but not by a testimonial from a person on the street.

Resources

When you're crafting an argument, the entire document and each component within should have a persuasive structure. Here, learn how to write a paragraph following this structure.