WRITING A COUNTERARGUMENT
(The mental structure is "Yes....but...NO" or "Yeah...but...still" or "Yeah...but...even better")
Steps in Order:
- Concede (name the other side's argument)
- Rebut (tell why it's wrong OR why your side is still better.
You can use any of these sentence stems to write your counterargument:
It is true that _______________; however, ___________________.
You might think that ___________, but _____________________.
Admittedly, _________________________. However, ______________.
Granted, ________________________; however, ______________.
There seems to be a widespread belief that ___________________. Unfortunately, this simply is not true. In fact, _________________________.
Advanced Counterargument Frames
ZOOM OUT--Of course, no discussion of _________________ is complete without acknowledging ______________________.
ZOOM IN--Some people might say that _______________. On the surface, this seems to be true, but _______________.
It is true that___________________________. However, this does not _____________.
It's an unqualified truth that ____________________. The problem lies in _______________.
While__________________, there is never a justification to________________________.
SAMPLE COUNTERARGUMENTS
- Of course, some people might argue that using plastic water bottles is more convenient; however, which is more important: convenience or the future of the planet?
- It is true that cubicles may lead to more social isolation; however, it is important to remember that our responsibility is to our clients and the service we provide first. Cubicles will help us focus and be more productive in order to serve our clients well. Also, employees can still congregate in the break room for some colleague interaction.
- Some of the employees might argue that moving employee parking to the back lot is disrespectful to employees. I understand their sentiment; however, when we serve the customers well, they come back. Returning customers are the most important part of our income stream. In the end, the most respect we can show employees is by building a company that continues to reward them financially.
- There seems to be a widespread belief that video games lead to isolation. In reality, this simply is not true. In fact, many teens use collaborative games, like Minecraft, to form lifelong bonds with their friends.