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English 104: Arguments of Fact
This document discusses arguments of fact and how to develop a factual argument in an essay. It explains that factual arguments aim to establish whether something is true by using evidence to support claims. It also outlines four steps to develop a factual argument: 1) identify an issue and hypothesis, 2) research the hypothesis, 3) refine the main claim, and 4) develop the main claim in the body of the essay with in-depth discussion of evidence.
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English 104: Arguments of Fact
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- 2. Understanding Arguments ofFact • Factual arguments try to establish whether something is true. • For example: ▫ Are the claims of a scientist accurate? ▫ Is a historical legend real? ▫ Has a crime occurred?
- 3. Understanding Arguments ofFact • People don’t usually argue undisputed facts ▫ Examples: The earth orbits the sun George Washington was USA’s first president • Facts are used to support controversial arguments that challenge people’s lifestyles and beliefs ▫ Such as controversies about childhood obesity, endangered species, gay rights, gender roles
- 4. Developing a FactualArgument • Step 1: Identify an issue ▫ Choose a suitable topic of interest ▫ Do quick preliminary research and reading in order to arrive at a hypothesis, i.e. a tentative statement of your main claim/thesis statement Examples of hypotheses: “Having a dog is good for your health.” “Americans really did land on the moon, despite what some people think.”
- 5. Developing a FactualArgument • Step 2: Research your hypothesis ▫ Libraries and the internet can provide you with many resources Find and use the best sources for your paper Check your facts ▫ Example: www.politifact.com and www.factcheck.org investigate the truths behind political claims Use primary sources whenever possible ▫ If obtaining a quote indirectly from a secondary source, there’s a chance the quote has been taken out of context or misquoted Determine which sources are the best fit for your essay and for your audience ▫ Some reputable sources may be too technical for a general audience. However, some accessible sources may not be factually accurate or may be inappropriate for an academic audience.
- 6. Developing a FactualArgument • Step 3: Refine your main claim/thesis ▫ As you learn more about your topic through research, you can revise your hypothesis accordingly, making it more specific. Example: Hypothesis: Americans really did land on the moon, despite what some people think. ▫ Revision: Since 1969, when the Eagle supposedly landed on the moon, some people have been unjustifiably skeptical about the success of the United States’ Apollo program. ▫ Final: Despite plentiful hard evidence to the contrary – from Saturn V launches witnessed by thousands to actual moon rocks tested by independent labs worldwide – some people persist in believing falsely that NASA’s moon landings were actually filmed on deserts in the American Southwest as part of a massive propaganda fraud. (Lunsford, Ruszkiewicz, and Walters 161)
- 7. Developing a FactualArgument • Step 4: Develop your main claim/thesis statement in-depth within the body of your essay. ▫ Do not simply list the evidence without discussing precisely how each piece of evidence supports your thesis statement ▫ Example: Thesis statement: Despite plentiful hard evidence to the contrary – from Saturn V launches witnessed by thousands to actual moon rocks tested by independent labs worldwide – some people persist in believing falsely that NASA’s moon landings were actually filmed on deserts in the American Southwest as part of a massive propaganda fraud. Body of the paper then goes into in-depth discussion of the Saturn V launches, moon rocks, and the claims of conspiracy theorists
- 8. Works Cited Lunsford, AndreaA., John J. Ruszkiewicz, and Keith Walters. Everything’s an Argument with Readings. 6th ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013. Print.