Practical Argument: Short Edition with 2020 APA and 2021 MLA Updates

Part 1—Understanding Argument

An Introduction to Argument

Recognizing Arguments

Why Instructors Assign Argument [box]

Defining Argument

What Kinds of Statements Are Not Debatable? [box]

Arguments in Real Life

Winning and Losing Arguments

The Rhetorical Situation

Considering the Writer

Considering the Purpose

Considering the Audience

Considering the Question

Considering the Context

Logos, Pathos, and Ethos

The Appeal to Reason (logos)

Logos in Action

The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

Pathos in Action

The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

Ethos in Action

The Rhetorical Triangle

1—The Four Pillars of Argument

AT ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

The Elements of Argument

Thesis Statement

Evidence

Refutation

Concluding Statement

Checklist: Does Your Argument Stand Up?

Nia Tuckson, Why Foreign-Language Study Should Be Required [student essay]

*Andy Kessler, Learn a Language, But Not a Human One

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Is a College Education Worth the Money?

*Derek Tharp, Is College Worth It? The Answer Isn’t as Simple as You Think

Marty Nemko, We Send Too Many Students to College

Jennie Le, What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad?

*Bryan Caplan, What’s College Good For?

Mary C. Daly and Leila Bengali, Is It Still Worth Going to College?

*University of the People, Does College Still Matter in 2018?

Part 2—Reading and Responding to Arguments

2—Thinking and Reading Critically

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything?

Using Critical-Thinking Skills [box]

Reading Critically

Guidelines for Reading Critically [box]

Becoming an Active Reader

Previewing

Close Reading

Comprehension Clues [box]

*John Tierney, The Reign of Recycling

Highlighting

Suggestions for Highlighting [box]

Annotating

Checklist: Questions for Annotating

*Los Angeles Times, It’s Time to Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic

*Bob Holmes, Waste Not…

*Jenny Luna, We Are So Forked

Writing a Critical Response

Checklist: Questions for Critical Reading

*Neena Thomason, Response to "It’s Time To Phase Out All Single-Use Plastic" [student response]

Template for Writing a Critical Response

3—Reading and Responding to Visual Arguments

AT ISSUE: Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything? [continued]

Thinking Critically about Visual Arguments

Visuals versus Visual Arguments [box]

Using Active Reading Strategies with Visual Arguments

Comprehension Clues [box]

Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos [box]

National Geographic Cover [visual]

Recycling Bar Graph [graphs]

Bird Trapped in Plastic [photo]

Recycling cartoon [cartoon]

Waste Pie Chart [chart]

Straws Suck! [infographic]

What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [advertisement]

Last Earth Day [advertisement]

Responding Critically to Visual Arguments

Checklist: Questions for Responding to Visual Arguments

What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [student response]

Template for Responding to Visual Arguments

4—Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

AT ISSUE: Is It Ethical to Buy Counterfeit Designer Merchandise?

What Is a Rhetorical Analysis?

Overview: "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr. [box]

Considering the Rhetorical Situation

Analyzing the Rhetorical Situation [box]

The Writer

Analyzing the Writer [box]

The Writer’s Purpose

Analyzing the Writer’s Purpose [box]

The Writer’s Audience

Analyzing the Writer’s Audience [box]

The Question

Analyzing the Question [box]

The Context

Analyzing the Context [box]

Considering the Means of Persuasion: Logos, Pathos, Ethos

The Appeal to Reason (logos)

The Appeal to the Emotions (pathos)

The Appeal to Authority (ethos)

Considering the Writer’s Rhetorical Strategies

Thesis

Organization

Evidence

Stylistic Techniques

Assessing the Argument

Checklist: Preparing to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Sample Rhetorical Analysis

Dana Thomas, Terrors Purse Strings

Deniz Bilgutay, A Powerful Call to Action [student essay]

Rajeev Ravisankar, Sweatshop Oppression

Template for Writing a Rhetorical Analysis

*Bobby Zitzmann, Sweatshops Are Good

5—Understanding Logic and Recognizing Logical Fallacies

AT ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

What Is Deductive Reasoning?

Constructing Sound Syllogisms

Syllogism with an Illogical Middle Term

Syllogism with a Key Term Whose Meaning Shifts

Syllogisms with Negative Premise

Recognizing Enthymemes

Bumper-Sticker Thinking [box]

Writing Deductive Arguments

Crystal Sanchez, College Should Be for Everyone [student essay]

What Is Inductive Reasoning?

Reaching Inductive Conclusions [box]

Making Inferences

Constructing Strong Inductive Arguments

Generalization Too Broad

Insufficient Evidence

Irrelevant Evidence

Exceptions to the Rule

Writing Inductive Arguments

William Saletan, Please Do Not Feed the Humans

Recognizing Logical Fallacies

Begging the Question

Circular Reasoning

Weak Analogy

Ad Hominem Fallacy (Personal Attack)

Creating a Straw Man

Hasty or Sweeping Generalization (Jumping to a Conclusion)

Either/Or Fallacy (False Dilemma)

Equivocation

Red Herring

Slippery Slope

You Also (Tu Quoque)

Appeal to Doubtful Authority

Misuse of Statistics

Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc (After This, Therefore Because of This)

Non Sequitur (It Does Not Follow)

Bandwagon Fallacy

Patrick J. Buchanan, Immigration Time-Out

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: How Free Should Free Speech Be?

*Thane Rosenbaum, Should Neo-Nazis Be Allowed Free Speech?

*Sol Stern, The Unfree Speech Movement

*American Association of University Professors, On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes

*Wendy Kaminer, Progressive Ideas Have Killed Free Speech on Campus

*Judith Shulevitz, In College and Hiding from Scary Ideas

*Eric Posner, Universities Are Right to Crack Down on Speech and Behavior

Template for Writing a Deductive Argument

Template for Writing an Inductive Argument

6—Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments

AT ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?

Understanding Rogerian Argument

Structuring Rogerian Arguments

Writing Rogerian Arguments

Zoya Kahn, Why Cell Phones Do Not Belong in the Classroom [student essay]

Understanding Toulmin Logic

Constructing Toulmin Arguments

Writing Toulmin Arguments

Jen Davis, Competitive Cheerleaders Are Athletes [student essay]

Understanding Oral Arguments

Planning an Oral Argument

Checklist: Designing and Displaying Visuals

Delivering Oral Arguments

Dealing with Nervousness [box]

Composing an Oral Argument

Chantee Steele, An Argument in Support of the "Gap Year" [student speech]

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Why Are So Few Women in STEM Fields?

*Joan Williams, The Five Biases Pushing Women out of STEM

*Adam Mastroianni and Dakota McKoy, Countries with Less Gender Equality Have More Women in Stem- Huh?

*Stuart Reges, Why Women Don’t Code

*Rosalind C. Barnett and Caryl Rivers, The Science Doesn’t Support the Google Memo

*Barbara Oakley, Why Do Women Shun STEM? It’s Complicated

Template for Writing a Rogerian Argument

Template for Writing a Toulmin Argument

Part 3—Writing an Argumentative Essay

7—Planning, Drafting, and Revising an Argumentative Essay

AT ISSUE: Should College Campuses Go Green?

Choosing a Topic

Topics to Avoid [box]

Thinking about Your Topic

Freewriting

Brainstorming

Clustering

Informal Outline

Drafting a Thesis Statement

Understanding Your Purpose and Audience

Gathering Evidence

Evaluating the Evidence in Your Sources

Detecting Bias in Your Sources

Using Analogies as Evidence [box]

Refuting Opposing Arguments

Strategies for Refuting Opposing Arguments

Revising Your Thesis Statement

Structuring Your Essay

Supplying Background Information [box]

Using Induction and Deduction

Identifying a Strategy for Your Argument

Constructing a Formal Outline

Establishing Credibility

Being Well-Informed

Being Reasonable

Being Fair

Maintaining Your Credibility [box]

Drafting Your Essay

Suggested Transitions for Argument [box]

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Using Parallelism

Revising Your Essay

Asking Questions

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Purpose and Audience

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Structure and Style

Checklist: Questions about Your Essay’s Supporting Evidence

Using Outlines and Templates

Getting Feedback

Guidelines for Peer Review

Polishing Your Essay

Editing and Proofreading

GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: Contractions vs. Possessive Pronouns

Choosing a Title

Checking Format

Shawn Holton, Going Green [student essay]

Part 4—Using Sources to Support Your Argument

8—Finding and Evaluating Sources

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy?

Finding Sources

Finding Information in the Library

Finding Information on the Internet

Evaluating Sources

*Zeynep Tufekci, The Privacy Debacle

*David N. Cicilline and Terrell McSweeny, Competition is at the Heart of Facebook’s Privacy Problem

*Daniel Lyons, Facebook: Privacy Problems and PR Nightmare

Evaluating Websites

Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [box]

Avoiding Confirmation Bias [box]

*The Chronicle of Higher Education, Home Page [website]

*Glamour Magazine, Home Page [website]

*The Chronicle of Higher Education, About The Chronicle [website]

*Glamour Magazine, About Glamour [website]

*Bart Lazar, Why We Need a Privacy Label on the Internet

*Douglas Rushkoff, You Are Not Facebook’s Customer

*Igor Kuksov, All Ears: The Dangers of Voice Assistants

Sam Laird, Should Athletes Have Social Media Privacy? One Bill Says Yes

9—Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources

AT ISSUE: Is Technology a Serious Threat to Our Privacy? (continued)

Summarizing Sources

When to Summarize [box]

Summarizing Sources [box]

Paraphrasing Sources

When to Paraphrase [box]

Paraphrasing Sources [box]

Quoting Sources

When to Quote [box]

Quoting Sources [box]

Shelley Fralic, Don’t Fall for the Myths about Online Privacy

Working Source Material into Your Argument

Using Identifying Tags

Template for Using Identifying Tags [box]

Working Quotations into Your Sentences

Distorting Quotations [box]

Synthesizing Sources

10—Documenting Sources: MLA

Using Parenthetical References

Preparing the Works-Cited List

Periodicals

Books

Audiovisual Sources

Internet Sources

Legal Case

Government Document

MLA Paper Guidelines [box]

Erin Blaine, Should Data Posted on Social Networking Sites Be "Fair Game" for Employers? [Model MLA Paper]

11—Using Sources Responsibly

AT ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

Understanding Plagiarism

Two Definitions of Plagiarism [box]

Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism

Internet Sources and Plagiarism [box]

Intentional Plagiarism [box]

Knowing What to Document

Loos Diallo, Plagiarism Policy [image]

*Erika Ramirez, When Beyonce’s Inspiration Turns Into Imitation

Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism

READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE: Where Should We Draw the Line with Plagiarism?

Trip Gabriel, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age

*Jennifer Mott-Smith, Bad Idea about Writing: Plagiarism Deserves to be Punished

Richard A. Posner, The Truth about Plagiarism

*Helen Rubinstein, When Plagiarism is a Plea for Help

Dan Ariely, Essay Mills: A Coarse Lesson in Cheating

Term Papers for Sale Advertisement [Web page]

Template for Writing an Argument about Plagiarism

Writing Assignments: Using Sources Responsibly

Appendix A—Writing Literary Arguments

What Is a Literary Argument?

Stating an Argumentative Thesis

Choosing Evidence

Writing a Literary Argument

Megan McGovern, Confessions of a Misunderstood Poem: An Analysis of "The Road Not Taken" [student essay]

Loren Martinez, Not Just a "Girl"[student essay]

Appendix B—Documenting Sources: APA

The ebook has been updated to give your students the latest guidance on documenting sources in MLA style and follows the guidelines set forth in the MLA Handbook, 9th edition (April 2021).

New high-interest essays engage students and serve as models for their writing. The fourth edition includes more than seventy new essays—a majority of the readings—covering such timely topics as campus environmental programs, the effects of social media, gun safety initiatives, and healthcare. These essays have been carefully selected for their high-interest subject matter as well as for their effectiveness as sources and as teaching models for student writing. New selections include:

• "The Flight from Conversation" by Sherry Turkle
• "How Data and Information Literacy Could End Fake News" by Lee Leetaru
• "Facebook: Privacy Problems and PR Nightmare" by Daniel Lyons
• "Do Schools’ Active Shooter Drills Prepare or Frighten?" by Evie Blad

New debate and casebook topics. Based on instructor feedback, we’ve retained some of the most popular debate and casebook topics while adding three new debates and two new casebooks to provide students with a variety of viewpoints on some of today’s most compelling issues. New topics include:

• How Should We Solve the Opioid Problem?
• Should the United States Have Open Borders?
• Should We Establish a Universal Basic Income?

Expanded coverage of argumentation. Practical Argument continues to cover essential topics in argumentation, and the fourth edition has new coverage of stasis theory, refutation, and reading visual arguments, all designed to help students become versatile readers and writers of argument in all of its forms.

New visual arguments add further perspectives. Every chapter in Part 5: Strategies for Argument, as well as each casebook, now includes a visual argument, accompanied by questions designed to focus students’ attention on how to "read" a visual and understand its persuasive elements. Additional images, including photos, advertisements, public-service announcements, cartoons, and more throughout the book add an additional perspective to the process of analyzing arguments.