Bell Ringer: “I have a dream.”• The leaders of the world are coming together to grant

one dream. What is your dream for the world? Why should yours be chosen? (Claim, Evidence, Warrant)

• Argue your dream for the world.

Remember that Warrant answers these questions:

“Why does that data mean your claim is true?”

“How did you arrive at that claim based upon the grounds?”

REBUTTALS and

QUALIFIERS

COUNTER-ARGUMENT

What is a counterargument and rebuttal?

It is where you show the other side of the argument, and then show why your argument is still stronger.

How to introduce the COUNTER ARGUMENT

Typical introductory strategies include the following:

• 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]

You can also cite specific writers or thinkers who have expressed a view opposite to your own:• On the other hand, Fund argues that...

• However, Dr. Bob has written, ...

• Scholar Whitcohm takes the position that...

Rebuttal• It’s important to use clear signals 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. Without them the paper appears incoherent and contradictory.

• The strategy is to make it clear quickly that this is someone else’s view.

How to introduce 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.]

Rebuttals

• They all boil down to the same basic concept: “Yes, but....”

• The job of this transitional language is to show the reader that the opposing view is now being answered. The essay has returned to arguing its own thesis, strengthened by having taken the opposition into account.

PracticeA plane is about to crash. As a person on the

ground, you can choose one person to save. Who would you save?

• Pregnant mother• 6-year-old• medical doctor• elderly lady• your uncle or aunt

Qualifiers• Qualifiers verbalize the relative strength of an argument (acknowledges the limits of a claim).

• In most instances …• Many agree that…

• Don’t say: – Everyone believes that…

Some Trigger words for Qualifiers

• most, usually, presumably, almost, in some cases, possibly, for the most part, few, routinely, always or sometimes.