Answers to Application Questions

Question 4: An appropriate claim requires:

Answer Choices:

(a) initial grounds for the argument. Sorry, there is a better answer.
(b) a warrant that allows the speaker to move from grounds to claim. Sorry, there is a better answer.
(c) a qualifier that states the "strength" of the claim. Sorry, there is a better answer.
(d) reservations that state the exceptions to the claim. Sorry, there is a better answer.
(e) all of the above. Correct! A strongly argued claim may provide all of these items. In some cases where a speaker is arguing in front of a "friendly audience" (i.e., President Clinton arguing in fron of a group of Democrats), the speaker may not need to provide all parts of the layout. For instance, Clinton may not need to provide backing for warrants in some of his audience becasue te audience trusts him and accepts his warrant at face value. However, in other situations the speaker may need to provide all parts of the argument. In a heated scholarlay debate the speakers may develop their argument to the fullest so that it is perceived to be more valid.

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