英语实用写作argumentation范文

Sound Argumentation

1.归纳论点，说明论点有问题，存在逻辑漏洞，准备展开攻击。

2.攻击逻辑错误。

3.concession。

Case 1:

The argument is well-presented, but not thoroughly well-reasoned.By making a comparison of the city of, the city Wuhan with the higher speed limit and therefore automobile accidents, with the city of Beijing, an area of a lower speed limit and subsequently fewer accidents, the argument for reducing Wuhan’s speed limits in order to decrease accidents seems logical.

However, the citizens of Wuhan are failing to consider other possible alternatives to the increasing car accidents after the raise in speed limit. Such alternatives may include the fact that there are fewer reliable car traveling the roads in Beijing, or that the age bracket of those in Wuhan may be more conductive to driving safely. It is possible that there are more younger, inexperienced, or more elderly, unsafe drivers in Beijing than there are in Wuhan. In addition,the citizens have failed to consider the geographical and physical terrain of the two different areas. Perhaps Wuhan’s highway is in an area of more dangerous curves, sharp turns, or has many intersections or merging points where accidents are more likely to occur. It appears reasonable, therefore, for the citizens to focus on these trouble spots than to reduce the speed in the entire area. Beijing may be in an area of easier driving conditions where accidents are less likely to occur regardless of the speed limit.

Overall, the reasoning behind decreasing Wuhan’s speed limit back to its original seems logical as presented above since the citizens are acting in their own best interests and want to protect their safety. However, before any final decisions are made about the reduction in speed limit, the citizens and officials of Wuhan should evaluate all possible alternatives and causes for the increased number of accidents over the six-month period as compared to Beijing.

Sample 2

This loan applicant claims that a jazz club in X city would be a protfitable venture. To support this claim the applicant points out that X city has no other jazz clubs. He also cites various other evidence that jazz is popular among X residents. Careful examination of this supporting evidence, however, reveals that it lends little credible support to the applicant’s claim.

First of all, if the demand for a live jazz club in X city were as great as the applicant claims, it seems that X would already have one or more such clubs. The fact that the closest jazz club is 65 miles away suggests a lack of interest among X residents in a local jazz club. Since the applicant has not adequately responded to this concern, his claim that the proposed club would be profitable is untenable.

The popularity of X’s annual jazz festival and its nightly jazz radio show might appear to lend support to the applicant’s claim. However, it is entirely possible that the vast majority of festival attendees are out –of-town visitors. Moreover, the author provides no evidence that radio listeners would be interested in going out to hear live jazz. For that matter, the radio program might actually pose competition for the YY club, especially considering that the program airs during the evening.

Nor does the mere fact that several well-know jazz musicians live in X city lend significant support to the applicant’s claim. It is entirely possible that these musicians perform elsewhere, perhaps at the club located 65 miles away. This would go a long way toward explaining why X does not currently have a jazz club, and it would weaken the applicants assertion that the YY club would be profitable.

Finally, the nationwide study showing that the average jazz fan spends $ 1, 000 each year on jazz entertainment would lend support to the applicant’s claim only if X residents typify jazz fans nationwide. However, the applicant provides no credible evidence that this is the case.

In conclusion, the loan applicant’s argument is not persuasive.To bloster it he must provide clearer evidence that X residents would patronize the YY club on a regular basis. Such evidence might include the following: statistics showing that a significant number of X residents attend the jazz festival each year: a survey showing that fans of X’s jaxx radio program would go out to hear live jazz if they had the chance: and assurances from well-known local jazz musicians that they would play at the YY if given the opportunity.