IXL | Identify counterclaims | 8th grade language arts

Consider this claim:

Horseshoes is the perfect game to play at a family picnic.

Now consider how someone might argue against this. Which sentence presents a counterclaim to the above claim?

Horseshoes can be heavy, making it difficult for younger children and older adults to play the game.

The game of horseshoes has simple rules, so you don't have to waste a lot of time teaching people how to play.

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Learn with an example

question

Consider this claim:

Fruit is the only filling you should ever use in a pie.

Now consider how someone might argue against this. Which sentence presents a counterclaim to the above claim?

Vegetable pie fillings can be good for people who find fruit too acidic.

Fruit pies allow people to add healthy fiber from fruit to their diets.

key idea

When you're writing an argument, you want to consider how someone might argue against your claim. Arguments against your claim are called counterclaims, or counterarguments. Addressing counterclaims makes you appear more fair and balanced as a writer, and it can help you build a stronger argument.

For instance, consider the following claim:

Scientists should attempt to revive mammoths through cloning.

This is a counterclaim since it makes an argument against the claim:

green checkmark, We don't know enough about mammoths to take good care of a clone.

These do not make arguments against the claim, so they are not counterclaims:

red X symbol, Reviving mammoths could help make tundra ecosystems healthier.

This statement supports the claim instead of arguing against it.

red X symbol, Scientists have already cloned sheep, cows, oxen, and horses.

This statement gives information related to the topic, but it doesn't argue against the claim.

solution

Consider this claim:

Fruit is the only filling you should ever use in a pie.

This is a counterclaim that argues against the claim:

green checkmark, Vegetable pie fillings can be good for people who find fruit too acidic.

This is not a counterclaim:

red X symbol, Fruit pies allow people to add healthy fiber from fruit to their diets.

This statement supports the claim instead of arguing against it.

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