Anticipate objections; counter opposing arguments - Writing arguments - Academic Reading and Writing

Rules for writers, Tenth edition - Diana Hacker, Nancy Sommers 2021

Anticipate objections; counter opposing arguments
Writing arguments
Academic Reading and Writing

No argument is complete without anticipating, acknowledging, and countering opposing arguments. It might seem at first that drawing attention to an opposing point of view or contradictory evidence would weaken your argument. But if you don’t acknowledge counterarguments, your readers may ask, “Have you thought about this other point of view?” or “How could that be the only answer?” By acknowledging that not everyone draws the same conclusion or holds the same point of view, you show your ethos as a reasonable, fair, and well-informed writer who wants to establish common ground with readers.

There is no best place in an essay to deal with opposing views. Often it is useful to summarize the opposing position early in your essay. After stating your thesis but before developing your own arguments, you might include a paragraph that addresses the most important counterargument. Or you can anticipate objections paragraph by paragraph as you build your case. Wherever you decide to address opposing arguments, you will enhance your credibility if you explain the views of others accurately and fairly.

ANTICIPATING AND COUNTERING OPPOSING ARGUMENTS

As you build your argument, focus on the strengths of your position and the reasons a reader might object to your argument. To anticipate a possible objection to your argument, consider the following questions.

✵ Could a reasonable person draw a different conclusion from your facts or examples?

✵ Might a reader question any of your assumptions or offer an alternative explanation?

✵ Is there any evidence that might weaken your position?

The following questions may help you respond to a potential objection.

✵ Can you concede the point to the opposition but challenge the point’s importance or usefulness?

✵ Can you explain why readers should consider a new perspective or question a piece of evidence?

✵ Should you explain how your position responds to contradictory evidence?

✵ Can you suggest a different interpretation of the evidence?

Use sentence starters to signal that you’re about to present an objection.

✵ Critics of this view argue that .

✵ Some readers might point out that .

✵ Researchers challenge these claims by .

✵ Not everyone accepts this conclusion, however, because .

VIDEO

For advice on responding to counterarguments in your essay, watch "How to address a counterargument."