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Argument

Building a logical and sound argument is dependent on your ability to read, write, and think critically. If you receive feedback that suggests that your writing is too descriptive or that your argument is unclear, you should check that you understand what it means to be critical. In an academic environment, being critical means focusing on the question you are answering, making claims or reaching conclusions that directly relate to the question, and ensuring that everything you include in your assignment makes a contribution to proving those claims and conclusions.

Tip: Planning your essay can be really helpful in the development of an argument. Planning will help you process your thoughts about the topic, think about how your ideas fit together, and focus on the content you want to include.

Overall Argument: Cohesion and Relevance
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Even the most well-written assignment which contains all the relevant information will not score highly if that information is not properly organised; it should be clear, then, that structure and content work together to build a good argument. As well as using the structuring tips outlined above, think about how you want to move your reader from your starting point to the conclusion of your argument: what does your reader need to know about one area of your assignment in order to understand another?

We are normally convinced by an argument if it does two things: it gives us good reasons in support of the conclusion and it gives good reasons as to why opposing points of view (if they exist) are incorrect or not as good. The opposing points of view are normally referred to as ‘counter-arguments’. Statements and evidence that persuade us of the weakness or invalidity (that is, the incorrectness) of counter-arguments are normally referred to as ‘refutations’. It is important to include counter-arguments to ensure your argument is not biased, but it is also important to include refutations to ensure that your argument stays on track and is coherent. The Critical Thinking course and the Academic Writing courses run by the Centre for Academic Success can help you develop the skills you need for building an argument.

Supporting Your Claims Use of Sources