Honors English 10 Flashcards

Argument

A logical way of demonstrating that the writer’s claim, belief, position or conclusion is reasonable and worth considering. In an argument (unlike persuasion) you are not trying to win over (convert) the opposition but to simply state your position on an issue of some sort. An argument will usually include a claim (a conclusion), premises (reasons for your conclusion), qualifiers (slight limitations of your claim), support (evidence and backing), analysis and/or justification (impact/warrants), a presentation of counterclaims and possible concessions and rebuttals.

Conclusion/Claim

the main point or idea that the argument is trying to establish. It's the statement that the premises support, and it's often used to promote a specific belief or point of view. Often called claim or position.

Factual Claims

Statements that assert a condition or phenomenon exists, has existed, or will exist. These claims can be verified or falsified through evidence or observation.

Value Claims

Statements that evaluate or judge something as good or bad, right or wrong, or more or less valuable. These claims are often subjective and based on personal or societal values.

Policy Claims

Statements advocating for or against a particular course of action or policy. These claims often suggest what should or should not be done.

Definitional Claims

Statements that assert the meaning or classification of a term or concept. These claims often involve arguments over the proper interpretation or categorization of something.

Cause & Effect Claim

Statements that assert that one event or condition leads to another (or prevents another)

Premises/Contentions/Reasons

a statement that supports or justifies a conclusion in an argument. These are the ideas or concepts that an argument is based on.

Evidence

support for the reasons offered and helps compel audiences to accept claims. Often called data, grounds, support

Quantitative Evidence

evidence that refers to data that can be measured, counted, or expressed in numerical values, like statistics, percentages, survey results, or experimental data, used to support a claim with concrete facts and figures rather than subjective opinions

Qualitative Evidence

descriptive, non-numerical data that is based on observations, experiences, opinions, or interpretations, often presented in the form of quotes, stories, anecdotes, or testimonials, used to support a claim by providing insights into people's feelings, thoughts, and perspectives on a topic rather than relying on statistics or measurable data; essentially, it helps illustrate a point through narrative and context.

Examples/Generalizations

An "argument through examples" (also called "argument by example") is a method of supporting a claim by providing specific instances or examples that illustrate the point being made, essentially using concrete evidence to demonstrate the validity of a broader statement; it's a way of arguing by showing how a general principle applies in real-world situations.

Analogies

a type of argument where someone claims that because two things are similar in certain ways, they are likely to be similar in another way as well, using the known similarities to infer a new, unobserved similarity; essentially, comparing one thing to another to support a conclusion about the first thing based on their shared characteristics.

Authority

An argument from authority is a form of evidence and/or argument in which the opinion of an credible figure (or figures) is used as evidence to support an argument.

Causality

is a type of evidence and/or argument that aims to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between two events or conditions, essentially claiming that one thing directly led to another by presenting evidence to demonstrate this connection; it answers the question "why did this happen?" by identifying the cause behind an event or outcome.

Warrants/Impact/Analysis/Commentary

The reasons and/or justifications why the evidence supports and/or is important to your argument

Impact Chain

a structured way of presenting evidence or reasoning where you demonstrate a series of connected effects, showing how one action or event leads to another, ultimately culminating in a significant impact or outcome that supports your main argument; essentially, it's a logical chain of cause and effect used to build a compelling case for your position

Backing

Additional evidence (quantitative or qualitative) to support your Impact

Counterclaim

the opposing argument to the writer's position in an argumentative essay.

Acknowledgement

the act of recognizing and responding to different points of view in an argument. It can help strengthen an argument and build credibility with the audience.

Concession

an argumentative strategy where a writer or speaker gives into (concedes) a portion of the opposition's argument. It is a way to show that the writer or speaker can see the other side's point of view before countering it but also admitting.

Rebuttal

a response that aims to directly contradict or weaken an opposing argument by presenting evidence or reasoning that shows why the opposing viewpoint is flawed or incorrect; essentially, it's a counterargument used to defend your own position against someone else's claim.

Qualifier

a word or phrase that limits a claim in an argument to indicate that it might not be true in all situations. Qualifiers help the audience understand that the author is aware that their claim might not always be valid, and that they don't expect their ideas to work all the time.

Focus

The controlling idea, main point, or guiding principle of your writing. Strong writing has a very clear focus with secondary and related ideas positioned in order to supplement or support it. The focus is usually first articulated in your thesis

Awkward

hard to understand; a statement is difficult to understand because it might have grammatical or punctuation mistakes or be unnecessarily complicated

Cohesion

The action or fact of forming a united whole; in an essay, when the big ideas are laced throughout the composition

Clarity

the quality of being clear and easily understood by others

Concise

giving a lot of information clearly and in a few words; brief but comprehensive

Coherence

the quality of being logical and consistent

Ambiguity

the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; not easy to understand

Nuance

a subtle difference in or shade of meaning, expression, or sound

Articulate

express (an idea or feeling) fluently and coherently.

Integrity

the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness

Indifferent

not caring

Diligent

careful and persistent work or effort; hard working

Meticulous

Paying extreme attention to detail

Inquisitive

curious or inquiring

Sus

giving the impression that something is questionable or dishonest; suspicious

-i

plural

-jus

law

lum

light

ann

year

apo

away or up

sen

old

sol

alone

bas

low

rogat

ask

parl

speak

potent

power

surg

rise

log

word or reason

gram

writing

cant

sing

reg

rule

pro

forward

gyn

woman

ag

to do

act

to do

mob

move

sess

sit

fic

make

nounce

tell

andro

man