Arguing a Position
CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES
• An explicit position
• A response to what others have said or done
• Appropriate background information
• An authoritative tone
• An appeal to readers’ values
CONSIDER YOUR RHETORICAL SITUATION
Looking at your audience, your purpose, and other aspects of your rhetorical situation
will help you to think carefully about how to achieve your goals.
Focus on your audience. Who are you trying to reach, and what do you hope to
persuade them to think or do?
If you’re trying to convince your fellow business majors of the virtues of free-market
capitalism, your task is quite different from if you’re trying to convince members of the
you will be more likely to represent all views fairly and hence have others consider
your position seriously. Keeping your audience in mind, then, means thinking in
terms of who may respond to your position, how they will likely respond, and why.
Think hard about your purpose. Why are you arguing this position? What has
motivated you to write on this topic? What do you hope to learn by writing about it?
What do you want to convince your audience to think or do? How can you best achieve
your purpose or purposes?
Think about your stance. Start by asking yourself where you are coming from in
regard to this topic. What about the topic captured your interest, and how has that
interest led you to the position you expect to take on it? Why do you think the topic
Consider the larger context. What are the various perspectives on the issue? What
have others said about it? If you’re writing about the use of ethanol as a fuel source,
for instance, you’ll need to look at what circumstances led to its use, at who’s
supported and opposed it (and why), and at the economic ramifications both of
Consider your medium. Will your writing take the form of a print essay? Will it appear
as an editorial in a local paper? on a website? as an audio essay to be broadcast on a
local radio station or posted as a podcast? as an oral or multimedia presentation for a
class you are taking? The medium you choose should be one that suits both your