COUNTER-ARGUMENT Body-Paragraphs

COUNTER-ARGUMENTS

Structured BODY-PARAGRAPHS (Counter-Argument) ·          Counterargument in Pre-Writing and Revising ·          3 Ways to Persuade ·          How to Support Your Claims in Writing With Reasoni... ·          COUNTER-ARGUMENT Body-Paragraphs ·          Counter-Argument: The Turn Against and Back ·          Crafting a Logical Argument Using Ethos, Pathos, a... ·          The Source Sandwich ·          Sentence Starters for Argument Essays ·          Signs of Trouble--Letting Sources Lead Instead of Follow Your Writing ·          Persuasive Arguments in Essays—Basics to Follow ·          Language of Argument ·          Concluding Statements: Supporting Your Argument

If you are struggling with counter-argument...

Counter-argument must present a point of view that is contrary to the one proposed in the THESIS. 

It needs to be refuted and then the truth of the thesis reiterated. 

Source usage must be scholarly (academic), and you can use sources that assert the opposition or refute the opposition.

The point is to provide plenty of assessment of the counter-arguments to your claim while proving the other views are false based on your logical reasoning and scholarly sources.  Proving that the opposition is incorrect cannot simply be from your own views.  While you will begin refuting the opposition with your own words, you will need at least one strong source that defends your overall claim and refutes the non-believers point-of-view.

See the guidance below from Harvard’s Writing Center:

The Turn Against
Counterargument in an essay has two stages: you turn against your argument to challenge it and then you turn back to re-affirm it. You first imagine a skeptical reader, or cite an actual source, who might resist your argument by pointing out

• a problem with your demonstration, e.g., that a different conclusion could be drawn from the same facts, a key assumption is unwarranted, a key term is used unfairly, certain evidence is ignored or played down;
• one or more disadvantages or practical drawbacks to what you propose;
• an alternative explanation or proposal that makes more sense.

You introduce this turn against with a phrase like One might object here that... or It might seem that... or It's true that... or Admittedly,... or Of course,... or with an anticipated challenging question: But how...? or But why...? or But isn't this just...? or But if this is so, what about...? Then you state the case against yourself as briefly but as clearly and forcefully as you can, pointing to evidence where possible. (An obviously feeble or perfunctory counterargument does more harm than good.) 

[Even if you are to indicate questioning of the counter-argument in your paragraph, eliminate all actual use of questions from your paragraph prior to review.  You can begin with them to stimulate your writing in opposition to the topic, but in the end, all questions must be removed from your body-paragraphs.  See the additional information HERE.]



The Turn Back
Your return to your own argument—which you announce with a but, yet, however, nevertheless or still—must likewise involve careful reasoning, not a flippant (or nervous) dismissal. In reasoning about the proposed counterargument, you may

• refute it, showing why it is mistaken—an apparent but not real problem;
• acknowledge its validity or plausibility, but suggest why on balance it's relatively less important or less likely than what you propose, and thus doesn't overturn it;
• concede its force and complicate your idea accordingly—restate your thesis in a more exact, qualified, or nuanced way that takes account of the objection, or start a new section in which you consider your topic in light of it. This will work if the counterargument concerns only an aspect of your argument; if it undermines your whole case, you need a new thesis.

Counter-Arguments