Ban the Ban! / Soda's a Problem SidneyAnne Stone / Karin Klein
In an argument, an author presents a claim, or position, about a debatable topic. He or
she then explains reasons for taking that position, and uses evidence to show why the
reasons are sound. Strong arguments rely on facts. Weak arguments may express the
author's opinions but not use facts to support them. Weak arguments may also have poor
reasoning or rely too heavily on exciting readers' emotions. Some types of poor
reasoning or over-reliance on emotions are called logical fallacies. Common logical
fallacies include the following:
• An overgeneralization is a conclusion that overstates the facts. A statement that
includes words such as always, never, everything, or only may be an
overgeneralization.
• A slippery slope asserts that a relatively small first step will lead to a chain of related
events resulting in some significant effect. The idea that such a chain of events will
definitely happen may simply be untrue.
Although two authors might express the same position, they may not present it in the
same way. Authors arguing similar positions may offer different reasons and evidence.
One may use facts and sound reasoning, whereas another may use few or no facts and
logical fallacies.
DIRECTIONS: Answer these questions about “Ban the Ban! / Soda's a Problem but..."
Use textual evidence from the articles to support your responses.
1. What basic argument or claim is the same in each of these selections?
2. What example of overgeneralization is used in paragraph 2 of “Ban the Ban!”
3. What is one example of slippery slope fallacy that the writer uses in paragraph 4 of
“Ban the Ban!”
4. What evidence does the author of “Soda's a Problem but ..." include to support the
argument?
5. Which writer provides a more convincing argument? Explain your answer.