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Table of Contents

CONTENTS

*New to this edition

Preface 

Disciplinary Contents 

PART
 1 Understanding Argument 
An Introduction to Argument 
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 

 CHAPTER 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? 
ELLEN RUPPEL SHELL, College May Not Be Worth It Anymore 
MARTY NEMKO, We Send Too Many Students to College 
*DANIEL RIVERA-IBARRA, Paying It Forward Makes Higher Ed Worth the Price 
JENNIE LE, What Does It Mean to Be a College Grad? 
*EMMA WHITFORD, Not All Americans Think College Is Worth It  
BRYAN CAPLAN, The World Might Be Better Off without College for Everyone 
*HUNTER RAWLINGS, College Is Not a Commodity: Stop Treating It Like One  
→ TEMPLATE FOR STRUCTURING AN ARGUMENT 

PART
 2 Reading and Responding to Arguments 

 CHAPTER 2 Thinking and Reading Critically 
AT ISSUE Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything? 
Thinking Critically 
Using Critical-Thinking Skills [box] 
Reading Critically and Actively 
Guidelines for Reading Critically [box] 
Previewing 
Close Reading 
Comprehension Clues [box] 
JOHN TIERNEY, The Reign of Recycling 
Highlighting 
Suggestions for Highlighting [box] 
LOS ANGELES TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD, It’s Time to Phase Out Single-Use Plastic 
Annotating 
→ CHECKLIST: QUESTIONS FOR ANNOTATING 
*JOHN VIDAL, The Solution to the Plastic Waste Crisis? It’s Not Recycling  
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 

 CHAPTER 3 Reading and Responding to Visual Arguments 
AT ISSUE Does Recycling Really Accomplish Anything? (continued) 
Visuals versus Visual Arguments [box] 
Reading Visual Arguments 
Comprehension Clues [box] 
National Geographic Cover [visual] 
Appeals: Logos, Pathos, and Ethos [box] 
Recycling Bar Graph [graph] 
*Keep Disposable Face Masks and Gloves Out of Our Waterways! [advertisement] 
Recycling Cartoon [cartoon] 
Waste Pie Chart [chart] 
*Recycle Right! [infographic] 
*One-Third of Plastic Packaging Escapes Recycling Systems [advertisement] 
Highlighting and Annotating Visual Arguments 
What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You [advertisement] 
Responding Critically to Visual Arguments 
→ CHECKLIST: QUESTIONS FOR RESPONDING TO VISUAL ARGUMENTS 
GABRIEL DUNN, Response to “What Goes in the Ocean Goes in You” [student response] 
→ TEMPLATE FOR RESPONDING TO VISUAL ARGUMENTS 

 CHAPTER 4  Writing a Rhetorical Analysis 
AT ISSUE Does It Make Sense to Shop Ethically? 
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, Terror’s Purse Strings 
DENIZ BILGUTAY, A Powerful Call to Action [student essay] 
RAJEEV RAVISANKAR, Sweatshop Oppression 
→ TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS 
JEROME SIEGER, Sweatshops Are Good 

 CHAPTER 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 
Syllogism 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 
Atypical Evidence 
Irrelevant Evidence 
Exceptions to the Rule 
Writing Inductive Arguments 
*IAN AYRES, Until I’m Told Otherwise, I Prefer to Call You “They” 
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?  
*ARIZONA BAR FOUNDATION, Freedom of Speech: What It Is and What It Isn’t 
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS, On Freedom of Expression and Campus Speech Codes 
*SARA LAVENDUSKI, “Free Speech” Comes with a Price  
*PRAVEEN NAIR, Social Media Bans Are about More Than Just Free Speech 
*TYLER WATKINS, How Free Should Free Speech Be? 
Visual Argument: Football Players Kneeling [photograph] 
→ TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A DEDUCTIVE ARGUMENT 
→ TEMPLATE FOR WRITING AN INDUCTIVE ARGUMENT 

 CHAPTER 6  Rogerian Argument, Toulmin Logic, and Oral Arguments 
*AT ISSUE Why Aren’t STEM Fields More Diverse? 
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 
*Choosing Presentation Tools [box] 
CHANTEE STEELE, An Argument in Support of the “Gap Year” [student speech] 
*READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE  Why Aren’t STEM Fields More Diverse? 
STUART REGES, Why Women Don’t Code 
BARBARA OAKLEY, Why Do Women Shun STEM? It’s Complicated 
*MEREDITH REICHES AND SARAH S. RICHARDSON, We Dug into Data to Disprove a Myth about Women in STEM 
*MARIA TEMMING, STEM’s Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Gaps Are Still Strikingly Large 
*BARBARA MORAN, Is Science Too Straight? 
*Visual Argument: Diversity in STEM [poster] 
→ TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A ROGERIAN ARGUMENT 
→ TEMPLATE FOR WRITING A TOULMIN ARGUMENT 

PART
 3 Writing an Argumentative Essay 

 CHAPTER 7  Planning, Drafting, and Revising an Argumentative Essay 
AT ISSUE Should All College Campuses Go Green? 
Choosing a Topic 
Topics to Avoid 
Thinking about Your Topic 
Freewriting 
Brainstorming 
Clustering 
Informal Outline 
Drafting a Thesis Statement 
*Types of Claims [box] 
Understanding Your Purpose and Audience 
Gathering Evidence 
Evaluating the Evidence in Your Sources 
Detecting Bias in Your Sources 
Using Visuals 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: Applying Stasis Theory 
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 [box] 
Polishing Your Essay 
Editing and Proofreading 
GRAMMAR IN CONTEXT: CONTRACTIONS VERSUS POSSESSIVE PRONOUNS 
Choosing a Title 
Checking Format 
SHAWN HOLTON, Going Green [student essay] 

PART
 4 Using Sources to Support Your Argument 

 CHAPTER 8  Finding and Evaluating Sources 
*AT ISSUE How Concerned Should We Be about Our Privacy in the Digital Age? 
Finding Sources 
Finding Information in the Library 
Finding Information on the Internet 
Using Google Scholar [box] 
Evaluating Sources 
*TATUM HUNTER, QR Codes Are a Privacy Problem—But Not for the Reasons You’ve Heard 
*EDWARD J. MARKEY AND ORRIN HATCH, Protecting Student Privacy in the Digital Age 
Evaluating Websites 
Reliable versus Unreliable Websites [box] 
Using a Site’s URL to Assess Its Objectivity [box] 
Avoiding Confirmation Bias [box] 
*THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION, Home Page [website] 
*INSTYLE MAGAZINE, Home Page [website] 
*DAVID HUDSON, Student-Athletes Have a Right to Peaceful Protest 

 CHAPTER 9  Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, and Synthesizing Sources 
AT ISSUE How Concerned Should We Be about Our Privacy in the Digital Age? (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 
Templates for Using Identifying Tags [box] 
Working Quotations into Your Sentences 
Distorting Quotations [box] 
Synthesizing Sources 
Synthesizing Sources [box] 

 CHAPTER 10 Documenting Sources: MLA 
Why Document Sources? [box] 
Using In-Text Citations 
Preparing the Works-Cited List 
What to Include in a Works-Cited Entry [box]  
Periodicals 
Books 
Visual, Audio, and Multimedia Sources 
Internet Sources 
Other Sources 
MLA Paper Guidelines [box] 
ERIN BLAINE, Should Data Posted on Social-Networking Sites Be “Fair Game” for Employers? [model MLA paper] 

 CHAPTER 11  Using Sources Responsibly 
*AT ISSUE What Should Be Done about Plagiarism? 
Understanding Plagiarism 
Two Definitions of Plagiarism [box] 
Intentional Plagiarism [box] 
Avoiding Unintentional Plagiarism 
Internet Sources and Plagiarism [box] 
Knowing What to Document 
ERIKA RAMIREZ, When Beyoncé’s Inspiration Turns into Imitation 
Revising to Eliminate Plagiarism 
*READING AND WRITING ABOUT THE ISSUE   What Should Be Done about Plagiarism? 
TRIP GABRIEL, Plagiarism Lines Blur for Students in Digital Age 
JENNIFER MOTT-SMITH, Bad Idea about Writing: Plagiarism Deserves to Be Punished 
*SUSAN H. GREENBERG, Why Colleges Should Ditch Honor Codes 
RICHARD A. POSNER, The Truth about Plagiarism 
*ELIZABETH REDDEN, Cheating across Cultures  
*Visual Argument: Website Advertising Term Papers for Sale 
→ TEMPLATE FOR WRITING AN ARGUMENT ABOUT PLAGIARISM 
→ WRITING ARGUMENTS: WHAT SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT PLAGIARISM? 

*APPENDIX A Combining Argumentative Strategies 
ROBERT M. FRANKLIN, RFK’s Still a Leadership Role Model for Youth 
APPENDIX B 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 C Documenting Sources: APA 
Using In-Text Citations 
Preparing a Reference List 
Examples of APA References
Periodicals 
Books 
Internet Sources 
Student Essay 
APA Paper Guidelines [box] 
DENIZ BILGUTAY, The High Cost of Cheap Counterfeit Goods [model APA paper] 

Glossary 

Acknowledgments 

Subject Index 

Index of Titles and Authors 

Authors

Laurie G. Kirszner

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, Writing First, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emerita at St. Joseph University, where she has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and served as coordinator of the first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.

Stephen R. Mandell

During their long collaboration, Laurie Kirszner and Stephen Mandell have written a number of best-selling college texts for Bedford/St. Martin's, including Patterns for College Writing, Foundations First, Writing First, Focus on Writing, and, most recently, Practical Argument. Laurie Kirszner is a Professor of English, Emerita at St. Joseph University, where she has taught composition, literature, creative writing, and scientific writing, and served as coordinator of the first-year writing program. Stephen Mandell is a Professor of English, Emeritus at Drexel University, where he founded and directed the basic writing program and has taught composition, literature, speech, and technical and business writing.

Related Titles

Practical Argument

Laurie Kirszner; Stephen Mandell | Fifth Edition | 2023 | ISBN:9781319332150

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