← Chapter 7
English Composition · Chapter 7

The Warrant Excavator

Evidence never touches a claim directly. A warrant — the general principle that makes your grounds count as support — sits between them, usually unstated, usually the only place a hostile reader will attack. Dig it out here, then change the audience and watch the same true warrant stop working, until you supply backing that room already accepts.
Pick an argument to excavate
Claim
Grounds
1 What must a reader already believe for those grounds to matter?
2 Who is in the room?
3 Backing — a reason to accept the warrant itself
4 Qualifier — how far does the claim reach?
5 Rebuttal — when would your own claim not hold?

Toulmin's six parts

Groundswhat you have Qualifierunlimited Claimwhat you want Warrantnot yet dug out Backingnone offered Rebuttalno limit stated The warrant is the arrow, not the boxes.

The paragraph, as it now stands

Survives this room0