Arguing

 verb \ˈär-(ˌ)gyü\

ar·guedar·gu·ing

Definition of ARGUE

intransitive verb

1

: to give reasons for or against something : reason <argue for a new policy>

2

: to contend or disagree in words : dispute <argue about money>

transitive verb

1

: to give evidence of : indicate <the facts argue his innocence>

2

: to consider the pros and cons of : discuss <argue an issue>

3

: to prove or try to prove by giving reasons : maintain <asking for a chance to argue his case>

4

: to persuade by giving reasons : induce <couldn't argue her out of going>

— ar·gu·er noun

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Examples of ARGUE

What do you think? Evaluate...

Do you agree? Argue in favour of or against...

lecturers and tutors are seeking your opinion - what youthink about a particular issue, event, or theory. In addition, academic articles or books usually contain opinions in the form of:

interpretations of results theories	evaluations conclusions	hypotheses

So it is a convention of academic writing to express arguments and opinions, yet this convention also requires that these arguments and opinions incorporate the objective and impersonal style that is a significant feature of academic writing. In academic writing, arguments should imply impartial and sound judgement through the use of rational, impersonal and unemotional language.

Another convention of academic writing is the use of evidence to support the arguments being presented: arguments cannot be presented without supporting evidence or they may sound as if they are just the writer's opinion. This evidence cannot be anecdotal evidence but must be already published or known information presented by authorities in the field. It must be integrated expertly into the structure of your overall argument, into your paragraphs and into your sentences. Certain conventions in academic writing dictate how this supporting evidence is cited or referenced. These conventions ensure that readers of your work are clearly able to find and evaluate the sources of your evidence.

The expression of opinion and argument is an essential part of academic writing. Click here to see the expression of opinion and argument in the model texts.

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