{"id":6090,"date":"2018-03-26T17:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/blog\/?p=6090"},"modified":"2020-09-18T13:55:50","modified_gmt":"2020-09-18T20:55:50","slug":"what-is-a-counterargument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kibin.com\/essay-writing-blog\/what-is-a-counterargument\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Counterargument in an Argumentative Essay?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A guy walks up to a counter, orders lunch, and immediately starts a political debate with the man seated next to him. The two engage in a full-fledged argument before the server even brings his drink.<\/p>\n

Given that the two are at a counter arguing, does this mean it\u2019s a counterargument?<\/p>\n

Not exactly.<\/p>\n

So what is<\/em> a counterargument?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure you know that a counterargument isn\u2019t defined as an argument you have at a lunch counter. I\u2019m sure you also know that it has something to do with essay writing and should appear in your argument essay.<\/p>\n

But if that\u2019s where your understanding of counterarguments ends, this post can help clear up any confusion.<\/p>\n

What Is a Counterargument?<\/h2>\n

In any type of argumentative essay<\/a>, you\u2019ll include a strong thesis statement<\/a> to identify the focus of your essay. You\u2019ll also include several main arguments<\/a> to support your thesis.<\/p>\n

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A counterargument opposes your argument. It expresses the opposite view of your thesis.<\/a><\/div>\n

Click To Tweet<\/a><\/p>\n

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A counterargument <\/i>opposes your argument. It expresses the opposite view of your thesis.<\/p>\n

Consider this example:<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Friday night, and funds are limited. You decide to gather a few friends and watch a movie. You scroll through the on-demand selections and immediately hit play when you see La La Land<\/i>. Your friends are skeptical and ask why you want to watch it again.<\/i><\/p>\n

Even though you\u2019ve seen it more times than you can count, you tell your friends that it\u2019s worth watching again because it\u2019s an awesome movie. Both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are amazing, and you know every note to every song on the soundtrack.<\/p>\n

The reasons you give your friends for wanting to watch the movie are your supporting arguments.<\/p>\n

When your friends argue that some of the scenes are too campy and Ryan Gosling isn\u2019t all that, they\u2019re offering the opposing view.<\/p>\n

These are the counterarguments.<\/p>\n

When you write an argument essay, readers will either agree or disagree with your thesis. Think of the readers who disagree as those who would express a counterargument.<\/p>\n

Why Should I Include a Counterargument?<\/h2>\n

A counterargument, though, actually does just the opposite. It strengthens your argument because it shows that you have done your research, that you have thoughtfully examined both sides of the argument, and that you\u2019re objectively presenting information<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A counterargument lets you acknowledge your readers\u2019 objections even before they have a chance to finish reading your paper.<\/p>\n

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A counterargument acknowledges your readers\u2019 objections before they finish reading your paper.<\/a><\/div>\n

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Keep in mind that you\u2019re not developing another detailed argument when you write a counterargument. Your goal is to simply write a concise summary<\/a> of the opposing view to illustrate that you understand and are able to acknowledge another viewpoint.<\/p>\n

(You\u2019ll also explain why your argument is stronger than the counterargument. More about that later in this post.)<\/p>\n

Can You Give Me An Example of a Counterargument?<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s look at the topic of helicopter parenting<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Argument:<\/b><\/p>\n

Helicopter parents often treat their teens like young children. Parents make all decisions for their teens, and this ultimately leads to children becoming overly dependent on their parents.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Bad<\/i><\/b> Counterargument: <\/b><\/p>\n

Some counterarguments are better than others, and this counterargument isn\u2019t at all effective. Just because parents make decisions for their children doesn\u2019t mean that they should make all <\/i>decisions for their teenage children. There is no argument here.<\/p>\n

Good <\/i><\/b>Counterargument: <\/b><\/p>\n

Even if you don\u2019t agree with the fact that helicopter parenting helps children, you can at least see why people might feel that parents who make more decisions for their teens are actually helping their teens avoid mistakes (and the negative consequences that come with them).<\/p>\n

But wait… there\u2019s more\u2026<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s not enough to simply present both sides of the argument. Remember, you\u2019re writing an argument, so your goal is to convince your readers.<\/p>\n

Simply stating the opposing view won\u2019t convince your readers, so you\u2019ll also need to refute the counterargument<\/b>. Essentially, you\u2019ll acknowledge the opposing view but provide additional evidence to state why your argument is stronger.<\/p>\n\t

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Stuck on Your Argumentative Essay?<\/div>\n\t\t\t
Check Out These Example Arguments<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYes! Show Me Examples.<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n

How Do I Include a Rebuttal of a Counterargument?<\/h2>\n

Often, counterarguments appear at the end of your paper (just before the conclusion<\/a>). This allows you to present all of your arguments before addressing the opposing view.<\/p>\n

Counterarguments don\u2019t need to be at the end of your paper, though. You can also weave in counterarguments throughout your paper. But no matter where you insert them, you\u2019ll need to refute the claims of the opposing view and offer your rebuttal.<\/p>\n

For example, if your counterargument states that helicopter parents are helping their teens avoid mistakes, you might offer the following rebuttal:<\/p>\n

Rebuttal:<\/b><\/p>\n

Though some believe that parents who make most decisions for their teens shield teens from the consequences of their mistakes, this type of parental over-involvement actually stunts teens’ emotional growth, does not allow them to learn from their actions, and makes it more difficult to handle failure when they eventually do make a mistake.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Notice how the rebuttal restates and acknowledges the opposing viewpoint but then explains why the counterargument isn\u2019t valid<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A note about wording…<\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important to effectively introduce your counterargument and rebuttal.<\/p>\n

If you don\u2019t, readers may become confused because your paper will seem like you\u2019re contradicting yourself by including two different arguments (one that supports your thesis and one that is against your thesis).<\/p>\n

In other words, give your readers fair warning that you\u2019re moving from your main argument to a counterargument and then to the rebuttal.<\/p>\n

Read the example above again. Notice that it uses the phrase \u201cThough some believe\u2026\u201d to transition<\/a> from the argument to the counterargument.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another example of an introduction to a rebuttal:<\/b><\/p>\n

Although the argument for paying athletes presents many good points, there are underlying issues that are not addressed by proponents of paying Alabama football players.<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Notice how the writer of this example uses clear transitional words to signal to readers that he is switching from argument to counterargument and finally to rebuttal.<\/p>\n

Want to see the complete argument and rebuttal in the context of an actual essay? Check out the example essay Should Football Players at the University of Alabama Be Paid to Play?<\/a><\/p>\n

Need a few additional example words and phrases for your rebuttal? Try these phrases:<\/b><\/p>\n