ADV. 13.4. ARGUING YOUR POINT

I. SAYING WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT 

2. SAYING HOW MUCH YOU CARE

Showing that you care

When you're discussing an emotional topic, you can use expressions like these to show how much you care about something. I make a conscious choice to support renewable energy. I go the extra mile to use biodegradable detergents. I sacrifice other things to buy green products. Showing apathy I won't go out of my way to buy green products. I'm not that into the idea of recycling. I can take it or leave it. I've got more important things to think about than natural resources. 3. SAYING HOW MUCH YOU TRUST SOMETHING You can use a variety of expressions to show how much or how little you trust something. I take their word for it that their products are effective. It's beyond question that recycling helps the environment. I've got no reason to doubt that this detergent is biodegradable. Showing you don't trust something I have serious reservations about that packaging. I don't buy into recycling glass. Non-green products put me off. It's hard to believe they lied about their product. 4. MANAGING INFORMAL CONVERSATION

Managing conversations

There are some special characteristics of conversational English that are important for you to recognize.

Turn-taking expressions

Speakers often signal their desire to say something with a short word or phrase, like I mean, OK, well or yeah. They may even begin their sentences with more than one of these expressions.

OK, well, I try to buy only green products.

Fillers

Speakers also use filler expressions in the middle of sentences. Most of the time, these communicate hesitation, uncertainty or a need for time to think. These expressions include let me see, you know, um and like. I sometimes question, you know, whether the bottled water is, um, natural. The best bottled water is, like, from a reliable source. Let me see. I think Canada is good. Generic references   Very often speakers will refer to things or people in a very general way, meaning a wide range of things or people. I trust companies that say they're using such and such a percentage of recyclable plastic. I'll go to the store to buy paper towels and whatever, and try to get green products. I was talking to this guy, and he told me he only buys the cheapest products.

II. DISCUSSING THE LIMITATIONS OF A PROPOSAL

2. UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX WORDS

Breaking down complex words

As you begin to read more difficult texts, you will come across increasingly large words. One strategy for dealing with these words is to break them down into smaller parts. For example, the word sustainability can be separated into sustain and ability. Its meaning is having the ability to endure or not change. Similarly, the word nonrenewable is easy to understand after you get down to its core: the word new. Add the prefix re-, and you have renew – to make new again. From there, you can add the suffix -able and the negative prefix non-. 3. TALKING ABOUT POSSIBILITIES Possibilities   To talk about possibilities, you can use a clause with if with a second clause that has a variety of verb forms, like will + verb, going to + verb or even be+ verb + ing. Notice that the if clause can come first or second. If the government switches from coal to natural gas, I'll be happy. I'm going to move if they build ugly wind towers in the hills. If they offer us rebates to install solar panels, I'm doing it! You can also use the form have + past participle in the if clause to speculate about something that may have already happened. If the city council has already decided, I'll be angry. You can use a variety of modals – like can, should and might – in either part of the sentence to express nuanced possibilities. If they put wind towers in the hills, it might be ugly. It wouldn't be so bad if they could put them in the valley. 4. STATING CONDITIONS ON SOMETHING Stating conditions   There are many phrases you can use to state conditions. Notice that unless has a negative meaning. It equals if + not. Wind towers are okay, provided that they're down in the valley. Wind towers could reduce our property values, depending on where they are. Separating our waste is great as long as they give us special bins. Wind towers are fine unless I have to see them when I leave my house. Suggesting things cannot change   There are several ways to express the possibility or probability that a situation won't change or won't be effective. Even supposing they put them in the valley, it won't work. There will still be pollution even if we switch to natural gas. No matter what we do with the towers, birds will die.

III. ARGUING OVER A COMPLEX ISSUE 

1. CONSERVATION

When people talk about conservation, the subject of endangered species often comes up.

Conservation helps promote biodiversity.
There are nearly 17,000 endangered species.
Endangered species are going extinct faster than ever.

2. SUPPORTING A POINT

There are different parts to supporting a point. First, you need to make your point. Then you need to add information to that point.

Making an initial point The most valuable thing about conservation is the preservation of biodiversity. Think about it. If insects die out, humans would disappear, too. Like it or not, everything is connected. Adding to your point In fact, small changes can have big effects. We have a lot of problems, like poverty, not to mention crime. We should also consider the expense of conservation. 3. ENGAGING YOUR LISTENER Engaging your listener   Good speakers use a variety of strategies to engage their listeners. Three strategies are using rhetorical questions, personalization and hypothetical situations.   Rhetorical questions   Rhetorical questions are asked to make a point rather than for an answer. They are used to get listeners thinking about an issue. What if all the insects died out? Personalization   Personalization relates a topic to someone's personal life. It can be used to make an abstract concept more concrete.

I know that you hate insects, but we really need them.

Hypothetical statements

Hypothetical statements put the listener in possible future situations or results. They can stimulate listeners' imaginations. If there were no insects, humans would die. 4. EXPLORING DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW Different points of view   Sometimes in discussions it's useful to have someone argue against a popular idea. People may even take positions they actually disagree with to consider all sides of a question. Let me play devil's advocate. If we were all vegans, biodiversity would improve. Let's say, just for argument's sake, we increased spending on conservation. You could argue that biodiversity is not that important. Another way to look at it is that we need elephants and pandas. Let's look at this from another angle. What do tigers do for me?

IV. MAKING A PERSUASIVE SPEECH 

2. SIGNPOSTING DURING A SPEECH

The structure of a speech

It's important that the organization of your speech is clear for your audience. Start with a greeting and self-introduction, make a clear statement of your key point, move on to specific supporting details, give the audience an alternative plan, then conclude with a call to action, something concrete you want them to do.

Greeting and opening lines

Begin your speech by greeting the audience, introducing yourself and giving a general idea of your purpose in speaking. Good evening, everyone. Thank you for coming tonight. My name's … I'm here tonight to talk about the city's plan to build new housing on the west side. Your key point   It's critical that the audience understand your main reason for speaking, or key point, so you should be explicit in presenting it. Using explicit markers for your organization is called signposting. My key point is that the city wants to build the housing in a terrible area. Let's cut to the chase. This housing would be built in the wrong place. Supporting evidence   The audience will then expect solid facts to support your key point. The new housing would destroy five hectares of forest. That forest is home to more than 30 species of birds. Proposing alternative action   This is the climax of your speech. Now you're going to give the audience an alternative. You want them to agree with you, so you must be clear. I'd like to propose an alternative. We can still have new housing, but not in the west. I have a viable alternative. The city's east side is full of deserted buildings. Let's build there. Concluding   Now is the time to ask the audience to do something, a call to action. Let me conclude by asking you all to call the mayor to stop the west-side housing. I urge you all to tell the mayor that the new housing belongs in the east. Thank you. 3. MAKING YOUR SPEECH MORE FORMAL When you're speaking in front of a group, it's generally more persuasive to use a formal tone. There are several techniques for raising the level of formality of your speech.   Pronunciation   Speaking a little bit more slowly and clearly will raise the formality of your speech. Avoid using too many contractions and reduced forms. For example, do not pronounce want to as wanna. Compare the two sentences below. Tonight, I wanna talk to you about the new project. Tonight, I want to talk to you about the new project. Sentence and word length   In formal speech, words are usually longer and of a lower frequency than those used in informal speech. Sentences in formal speech are also usually longer. Sadly, the government's plan to build a dam will hurt the environment, so we have to stop it.Regrettably, the government's initiative to construct a dam will damage the environment. Therefore, we must stop it. Phrasal verbs and idioms   Formal speeches generally contain fewer phrasal verbs, like put up with, and fewer idioms. Compare the informal sentence below with the formal equivalent that follows. It really blows me away that they're just not listening. We can't put up with it! It disturbs me that they are indifferent to our request. We cannot tolerate it! 4. SENTENCE ADVERBS Adding comments to a statement   A quick way to add your opinion or point of view to a statement is by using an adverb that is related to the entire sentence. These most often appear at the beginning of the sentence. These sentence adverbs are usually one word, but can sometimes be a phrase. Unfortunately, the government has refused our request. To my great surprise, dam project was canceled. Examples of other sentence adverbs: regrettably, hopefully, interestingly, happily, surprisingly.