15.9: Template Phrases for Argument, Summary, Assessment, and Response

How can I use these templates?

Glancing at a collection of phrases that help with common writing tasks can energize us and give us a sense of our options as we write. Here we include all the template phrases from Chapter 2: Reading to Figure out the Argument, Chapter 3: Writing a Summary of Another Writer’s Argument, Chapter 4: Assessing the Strength of an Argument, and Chapter 5: Responding to an Argument. Each section heading links to the relevant textbook section for more information.

Phrases to introduce elements of an argument

Introducing claims

Claims of policy

• We should _____________.
• We ought to _____________.
• We must _____________.
• Let’s _____________.
• The best course is _____________.
• The solution is to _____________.
• The next step should be _____________.
• We should consider _____________.
• Further research should be done to determine _____________.

Claims of fact

• Research suggests that _____________.
• The data indicate that _____________.
• _____________is increasing or decreasing.
• There is a trend toward _____________.
• _____________causes _____________
• _____________leads to _____________.

Claims of value

• _____________is terrible/disappointing/underwhelming.
• _____________is mediocre/average/decent/acceptable.
• We should celebrate _____________.
• _____________is great/wonderful/fantastic/impressive.

Comparative claims of value

• _____________is the best _____________.
• _____________is the worst _____________.
• _____________is better than _____________.
• _____________is worse than _____________.
• _____________is just as good as _____________.
• _____________is just as bad as _____________

Reasons

• Because_____________, _____________.
• Because of this, _____________.
• If_____________, then _____________.
• Since_____________, _____________.
• For this reason,_____________.
• We can conclude_____________.
• Therefore, _____________.
• So_____________.
• Consequently, _____________.
• As a result, _____________.
• Hence_____________.
• Thus_____________.
• It follows that _____________.

Counterarguments

Mistaken counterarguments

• It is a popular misconception that_____________.
• Some have fallen for the idea that_____________.
• Many people mistakenly believe that_____________.

Neutrally described counterarguments

• Many people think _____________.
• Some, on the other hand, will argue that _____________.
• Some might disagree, claiming that _____________.
• Of course, many have claimed that _____________.
• Some will take issue with _____________, arguing that _____________.
• Some will object that _____________.
• Some will dispute the idea that _____________, claiming that _____________.
• One criticism of this way of thinking is that _____________.

Counterarguments that have merit

• It is true that ___________.
• I do concede_____________.
• We should grant that_____________.
• We must admit that_____________.
• I acknowledge that _____________.
• X has a point that _____________.
• Admittedly, _____________.
• Of course, _____________.
• To be sure, _____________.
• There may be something to the idea that _____________.

Rebuttal to a counterargument

• This idea misses the fact that _____________.
• I disagree because _____________.
• This depends on the assumption that _____________ which is incorrect because _____________.
• This argument overlooks _____________.
• This argument contradicts itself _____________.
• This is mistaken because _____________.

Concession to a counterargument

• It is true that ___________, but___________.
• I do concede_____________, and yet___________.
• We should grant that_____________, but we must still acknowledge that ___________.
• We can admit that____________ and still believe that ___________..
• I acknowledge that _____________, and yet we should nevertheless recognize that _____________.
• Critics have a point that _____________; however it is more important that we focus on _____________.
• Admittedly, _____________. However, ___________.
• Of course, _____________, but I still insist that__________..
• To be sure, _____________; but _____________.
• There may be something to the idea that _____________, and yet _____________.

Limits

Less than perfect certainty

• Perhaps, ________.
• It is worth considering the idea that ________.
• ________ may________.
• ________might________.
• ________could possibly________.
• Probably, ________.
• Very likely, ________.
• Almost certainly,________.

Narrowing the scope of the argument

• Few ________.
• Some________.
• Many________.
• Most________.
• The vast majority of ________.
• Almost all________.
• ________ unless________.
• If it is not the case that________, then ________.
• ________, except in the case that ________.
• We can exclude cases where _____________.

 

Phrases for Summarizing

Introducing the argument

• In an article for _____________, writer _____________ discusses _____________.
• The recent account of _____________ by _____________ focuses on _____________.
• Writing in the journal _____________, the scholar _____________ argues that _____________.

Summarizing claims

Controversial claims of fact

• They argue that _____________.
• She maintains that _____________.
• He contends that _____________.
• They assert that _____________.
• She holds that _____________.
• He insists that _____________.
• She thinks_____________.
• They believe that_____________.

Widely accepted claims of fact

• He informs us of _____________.
• She describes_____________.
• They note that _____________.
• He observes that _____________.
• She explains that _____________.
• The writer points out the way in which_____________.

Positive claims of value 

• They praise_____________.
• He celebrates_____________.
• She applauds the notion that_____________.
• They endorse_____________.
• He admires_____________.
• She finds value in_____________.
• They rave about_____________.

Negative claims of value

• The author criticizes_____________.
• She deplores____________.
• He finds fault in_____________.
• They regret that_____________.
• They complain that_____________.
• The authors are disappointed in_____________.

Mixed claims of value

• The author gives a mixed review of_____________.
• She sees strengths and weaknesses in_____________.
• They endorse_____________ with some reservations.
• He praises_____________ while finding some fault in _____________
• The authors have mixed feelings about_____________. On the one hand, they are impressed by_____________, but on the other hand, they find much to be desired in_____________.

Strongly felt claims of policy

• They advocate for_____________.
• She recommends_____________.
• They encourage_____________to _____________.
• The writers urge_____________.
• The author is promoting_____________.
• He calls for_____________.
• She demands_____________.

Tentative claims of policy

• He suggests_____________.
• The researchers explore the possibility of_____________.
• They hope that_____________can take action to_____________.
• She shows why we should give more thought to developing a plan to_____________.
• The writer asks us to consider_____________.

Summarizing reasons

• She reasons that _____________.
• He explains this by_____________.
• The author justifies this with_____________.
• To support this perspective, the author points out that_____________.
• The writer bases this claim on the idea that_____________.
• They argue that_____________ implies that _____________ because_____________.
• She argues that if _____________, then _____________.
• He claims that _____________ necessarily means that_____________ .
• She substantiates this idea by_____________.
• He supports this idea by_____________.
• The writer gives evidence in the form of_____________.
• They back this up with_____________.
• She demonstrates this by_____________.
• He proves attempts to prove this by _____________.
• They cite studies of _____________.
• On the basis of _____________, she concludes that _____________.

Summarizing the treatment of counterarguments

Concession to a counterargument

• The writer acknowledges that _____________, but still insists that _____________.
• They concede that _____________; however they consider that _____________.
• He grants the idea that _____________, yet still maintains that _____________.
• She admits that _____________, but she points out that_____________.
• The author sees merit in the idea that _____________, but cannot accept_____________.
• Even though he sympathizes with those who believe _____________, the author emphasizes that _____________.

Rejection of a counterargument

• She refutes this claim by arguing that _____________.
• However, he questions the very idea that _____________, observing that _____________.
• She disagrees with the claim that _____________ because _____________.
• They challenge the idea that _____________ by arguing that _____________.
• He rejects the argument that_____________, claiming that _____________.
• She defends her position against those who claim _____________ by explaining that _____________.

Summarizing limits

• He qualifies his position by_____________.
• She limits her claim by_____________.
• They clarify that this only holds if _____________.
• The author restricts their claim to cases where_____________.
• He makes an exception for_____________.

Comparing two arguments

Similarities

• Just as A does, B believes that______________.
• Both A and B see ______________ as an important issue.
• We have seen how A maintains that ______________. Similarly, B ______________.
• A argues that______________. Likewise, B ______________.
• A and B agree on the idea that ______________. 

Differences

• A focuses on______________; however, B is more interested in______________.
• A’s claim is that______________.  Conversely, B maintains that ______________.
• Whereas A argues that______________, B______________.
• While A emphasizes______________, B______________.
• Unlike A, B believes that______________.
• Rather than ______________ like A, B______________,
• Whereas A argues that ______________, B maintains ______________.  

Similarities and differences together

• While A condemns the weaknesses of ______________, B praises its strengths.
• A outlines the problem of ______________ in the abstract while B proposes solutions to the problem.
• Though A and B agree on the root cause of ______________, they differ on its solution.

Phrases for assessing arguments

Assessing clarity

Lack of clarity

• What exactly does X mean by _____________?  
• He seems to imply that _____________, but leaves ambiguous whether or not that means_____________.
• They fail to clarify what exactly _____________ refers to.
• He does not define what he means by _____________.
• She explores _____________, but fails to articulate a clear message.
• X leaves open the question of _____________.
• The argument never specifies whether _____________ or _____________.
• Readers will wonder if they mean_____________ or _____________.
• Readers may be confused by the shifting meaning of the term “_____________.”
• Many will interpret _____________ to mean _____________, but some might also take it to mean _____________. 

Praise for clarity

• This piece clearly articulates the case that _____________.
• The argument lays bare the assumptions on which the whole case for _____________ is based. 
• X has clarified the reasoning that underpins the common opinion that _____________.

Pointing out exceptions

• The argument is based on the idea that _____________, but this is not entirely true because _____________.
• The reason given is that _____________, but the author has not considered the possibility that, in fact, _____________.
• The author does not acknowledge that  _____________ might be the case.
• The argument presents only two possibilities,_____________ and _____________, when in fact it could be the case that _____________
• The question _____________ assumes that _____________, when, in fact, it could be that_____________.

Assessing evidence

Strong evidence

• She convincingly supports this claim by _____________.
• They give many examples of _____________ to support the idea that _____________.
• His evidence of _____________ ranges from anecdotes to large-scale academic studies to expert testimonials.
• X refers to credible academic studies of _____________ to bolster their argument that _____________.
• X refers to a number of credible experts to establish that, in general, _____________.

Weak evidence

• X asserts that _____________ but does not offer any evidence.
• The argument builds on the premise that _____________, but fails to support that premise.
• X offers scant evidence for the claim that _____________.
• The argument gives an example to support the claim that _____________, but gives no evidence that this example is typical.
• _____________ is not enough to show that _____________.
• The essay offers only _____________ as evidence when it should also point to _____________ and _____________.
• The argument presents _____________ as a reason to believe _____________, but this supposed reason is just a rewording of the claim.
• The writer provides no real justification for the idea that _____________; to convince us they just repeat that idea with different phrasing.

Assumptions

Critiquing assumptions

• The argument claims that _____________ will inevitably lead to _____________, but this is far from certain.  
• They assume that _____________ will set off a chain reaction leading to _____________; however this is unlikely because _____________.
• _____________relies on the idea that _____________; however, _____________.
• The argument assumes that _____________ without providing evidence.
• _____________takes for granted that _____________, but we may wonder whether this is a justified assumption because_____________.
• _____________depends on the assumption that_____________. Is this always the case? Some might say that _____________.
• _____________ depends on a belief in _____________, which may not be shared by all readers because _____________.
• The underlying idea here is that _____________; however we must ask ourselves whether _____________.
• The implicit assumption is that _____________ but some may question whether, in fact, _____________.

Praising assumptions

• X is correct in their assumption that _____________ because _____________.
• X rightly assumes that _____________. 

Assessing the treatment of counterarguments

Praise 

• The author effectively counters the common view that  _____________ by arguing that, in fact, _____________.
• The writer acknowledges that  _____________ but explains that this is because  _____________. 
• The argument responds to the  _____________ critique of their position by noting that  _____________.

Critique 

• The argument fails to mention the opposing view that  _____________.
• The author attempts to respond to critics by claiming that  _____________, but this response is not convincing because  _____________.

Strengths

Praise a subsection 

• Although the argument does not succeed in proving that _____________, it does help us understand _____________.
• Though the evidence X presents does not prove _____________, it does provide rich material for further discussion.
• X’s conclusion that _____________ doesn’t seem fully justified, but the evidence does show that _____________.
• X makes an important point when they note that _____________.
• X’s insight into _____________ sheds new light on _____________.
• X clearly outlines the problem of _____________, even though their solution leaves much to be desired.
• This piece does clarify the nature of _____________ even though it does not _____________.

Praise for bringing attention

• X brings much-needed attention to the issue of _____________, which is helpful because_____________.
• The essay drives home the need for more focus on _____________.
• This piece highlights the urgent situation of _____________.

Praise the framing 

• X’s discussion of _____________ provides a new way to think about _____________.
• The argument’s biggest contribution lies in its framing of _____________ as _____________.

Praise for raising a question

• X’s focus on _____________ helps clarify an important question for further exploration: _____________?
• The argument points toward the need for further study of _____________ to determine _____________.
• X’s analysis reveals the gaps in our understanding of _____________.

Phrases for responding to further the conversation

Call for clarification

• X should specify whether they mean _____________ or _____________.
• X should explain what they mean by _____________.
• X should elaborate on the concept of _____________.

Call for support and research

• Further research on _____________ could show us _____________.
• A study of _____________ might show whether _____________.
• Is it really the case that _____________? We need more information about _____________.
• An investigation of _____________ could help us determine the role of _____________ in _____________.

Suggest a limit to the claim

• We should recognize that this pattern is limited to cases where _____________.
• The argument holds true in situations where _____________.
• It is important to note that this claim only applies to _____________.
• _____________ is a notable exception because _____________.
• We should note that this claim is certainly not true of _____________.

Point to further implications 

• The idea that _____________ could apply to _____________ as well.
• Beyond _____________, X’s argument has implications for _____________.
• This argument shows how important it is that we take action on _____________.
• If we accept the idea that _____________, as we should, then the time has come to _____________.
• Given X’s points, shouldn’t we consider _____________?

Introduce alternative or additional reasons 

• Better evidence for _____________ lies in _____________.
• Another reason why _____________ is that _____________.
• The fact that _____________ provides further support for X’s claim.
• My own experience has also shown that _____________ , which leads me to agree with X.
• I have seen firsthand how _____________.
• In addition to the evidence X gives, it is also worth considering that _____________.

Underscore the importance of an argument

• X’s claim is important because _____________.
• This is especially concerning because _____________.
• We should take note of this since _____________.

Suggest ways to spread the word

• We could help spread awareness of _____________ by _____________.
• The idea that _____________ should be taught in _____________ classes.
• We should all talk to those we know about _____________.

Introduce alternate claims

• Instead of _____________, I would argue that _____________.
• A more accurate claim would be _____________.
• In actuality, _____________.
• The idea that _____________ better accounts for  the evidence.
• We can find a better explanation of _____________ in _____________.
• As we have seen, it is not true that _____________. Rather, _____________.

Reframe the issue

• Instead of focusing on _____________, we should look at the question in the light of _____________.
• A better way to frame the issue of _____________ would be in terms of _____________.
• To better understand _____________, we should first ask ourselves _____________.