In Rules for Writers by Diana Hacker, she talks about creating arguments. When writing an argument, identify which side you’re taking on the debate; always keep in mind that reasonable people disagree on a wide variety of subjects. Hacker says that you should be prepared to explain your full understanding of the subject and provide new reasoning for readers to consider. She suggests to do some research as this will provide you with more credibility which some readers might need in order for them to reflect on your point of view. Moreover, when writing an argument you should keep in mind your audience; since in some cultures, they prefer straight forward arguments, unlike others that prefer a softer approach. However, in the United States an assertive tone, which is not too aggressive neither too passive, is preferable. Also, while analyzing you audience, do not assume they will agree with you views. Take in count their possible opinion regarding the argument and be ready to stand by your own with supporting facts, statistics, examples, illustrations, and/or citations from experts, as this would help you to persuade your readers. If you decided to cite an expert on your paper, be aware that you may need to prove your source’s credibility by providing credentials. Finally, Hacker mentions that by showing your awareness of opposite points of view, “you show yourself as a reasonable and well-educated writer”; something that would also strengthen your argument.
This chapter gave me really good ideas of how to test arguments, and since I believe our next essay will have something to do with this, Hacker’s suggestions will definably come handy. Also I found some terms on this section that, even though, I’ve heard before but I don’t fully understand such as the differences between social and intellectual context. I found myself a bit confused after reading this chapters explanation, perhaps, reading it a few more times would make it more clear.
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