Legal English- Supporting your Arguments

1 Legal english - Supporting your ArgumentsPart One: Questions to make people support their argumentsListen to your partner give their ideas ( those they prepared for homework) and ask formore support for their Arguments using questions like that below. You can then give youropinion on what they said. AdvantagesWhy be a good thing?What would be the advantage(s) can t see any merit opinionsAre you sure don t sound very certain confident are you Predictions/ TrendsDo you to continue?How change?What are your predictions for the Paraphrasing/ Restating Can you explain what you mean ( )?Is there another way to mean?(I understand what you are saying, but) I don t get your point.

2 So, overall, are you ContrastingIsn t that basically the same is that different can t understand the difference similar points/ Considering possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidesBut isn t it also true don t you accept if you look at it another way,..But don t some people also believe Effects/ ResultsWhat could be the effects matter (much)?How do you would by Alex Case for 2014 Data/ Figures/ Generalising/ StatisticsHow big is that?Can you give me a rough idea Roughly,..?Can you put any figures common you give me an example ( )?For instance?Expert opinion/ Other people s experience/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ SourcesWhat do the experts think anyone else think the same way?

3 Where did you get the idea from?Do most academics agree is your source experiencesWhat is your own experience you yourself?Do you generally find you personally found by Alex Case for 2014 Try to remember or think of questions for each of those functions. Note that not all of them are grammatical questions, some end with a full stop. AdvantagesCertainty/Strong opinionsChanges/ Predictions/ TrendsClarifying/ Paraphrasing/ Restating Comparing/ ContrastingConceding points/ Considering possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidesConsequences/ Effects/ ResultsData/ Figures/ Generalising/ StatisticsExamplesExpert opinion/ Other people s experience/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ SourcesPersonal experiencesWritten by Alex Case for 2014 Key wordsUse these words to help you with the task above.

4 Advantagesgoodadvantage(s)meritCertainty /Strong opinionssuresoundhowChanges/ Predictions/ TrendsexpectchangepredictionsClarifying/ Paraphrasing/ Restating explainwaymeanpointoverallComparing/ Contrastingsamedifferentdifferencesimila rConceding points/ Considering possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidestrueacceptlooksomeConsequences/ Effects/ ResultseffectsmatteraffectData/ Figures/ Generalising/ StatisticsbigroughfigurescommonWritten by Alex Case for 2014 ExamplesgiveinstanceExpert opinion/ Other people s experience/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ SourcesexpertselseideaacademicssourcePer sonal experiencesownexperiencedfindfoundWritte n by Alex Case for 2014 Legal english Supporting your

5 ArgumentsPart two: Brainstorm phrases for Supporting your argumentsWhat phrases can you use to support your Arguments in these ways? Brainstorm at leastthree phrases for each. It might help to look at the questions and key words above to giveyou ideas. AdvantagesCertainty/ Emphasising/ Importance/ Strong opinionsChanges/ Predictions/ TrendsClarifying/ Paraphrasing/ Restating Comparing/ ContrastingConceding points/ Considering possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidesWritten by Alex Case for 2014 Consequences/ Effects/ ResultsData/ Figures/ Generalising/ StatisticsExamplesExpert opinion/ Other people s experience/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ SourcesPersonal experiencesUse the key words on the next page to help check and expand your ideas.

6 Written by Alex Case for 2014 Key wordsUse these words to help you with the task above. AdvantagespositivemaingreatCertainty/ Emphasising/ Importance/ Strong opinionsdoubt denied obvious clear Changes/ Predictions/ Trendsupde-pl-outre--lyClarifying/ Paraphrasing/ Restating another other briefComparing/ Contrastingcompletely almost very fairly a little rather totally a lotmuch far Conceding points/ Destroying possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidesalso canaccept both Written by Alex Case for 2014 Consequences/ Effects/ Resultsleads resultbecause consequence Data/ Figures/ Generalising/ StatisticsaddstotalpreciseExamplesbest good illustrategiveinstanceExpert opinion/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ Sources/ Other people s experiencesaccording said Personal

7 Experienceslimited generally personal Written by Alex Case for 2014 Suggested answersAdvantagesA positive aspect of this main selling point of this great benefit of this Emphasising/ Importance/ Strong opinionsThere is no doubt cannot be denied should be obvious seems clear to me Predictions/ Trendsgo up/ shoot up/ grow/ increase/ climb/ riseshoot up/ boom/ accelerate/ rocket/ explodedecline/ decrease/ shrink/ drop/ fallplummet/ plunge/ crash/ diveflatten out/ bottom out/ plateau/ level offrebound/ recover/ bounce back/ pick upwill definitely/ will almost certainly/ will probably/ could possiblyrapidly/ dramatically/ slowly/ considerably/ slightlyClarifying/ Paraphrasing/ Restating To put that another way.

8 In other words,../ That is to say,..In brief,..Comparing/ Contrastingcompletely identical/ almost identicalalmost the samevery similar/ fairly similara little different/ rather different/ very different/ almost totally different/ completely differentquite a lot/ a little .. er points/ Destroying possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidesIt is also true Nevertheless,..Although you can argue accept , there are both pros and cons,..Written by Alex Case for 2014 Consequences/ Effects/ a result of,..Because ,..A consequence Figures/ Generalising/ Statisticswhich adds up total,..To be precise,..ExamplesThe best example of this good illustration of this can illustrate this with an give an example of what I m talking instance.

9 Expert opinion/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ Sources/ Other people s experiencesAccording to most (once) said said,../ I read something which said experiencesIn my limited experience,..I have generally found have personal experience of by Alex Case for 2014 Legal english Supporting your argumentsPart three: Legal english different ways of Supporting your argumentsChoose one of the topics below and share your ideas, using as many different kinds of support for them as you can. your partner will ask you to support your opinions and give their own views. Suggested kinds of supportAdvantagesCertainty/ Emphasising/ Importance/ Strong opinionsChanges/ Predictions/ TrendsClarifying/ Paraphrasing/ Restating Comparing/ ContrastingConceding points/ Destroying possible Arguments against/ Looking at both sidesConsequences/ Effects/ ResultsData/ Figures/ Generalising/ StatisticsExamplesExpert opinion/ Other people s experience/ Quoting/ Things read or heard/ SourcesPersonal experiences A more up-to-date copyright law A sensible government policy on soft drugs like marihuana Alternatives to prison sentences Conditions in prisons Cutting down on online piracy Dealing with (genuine and fake)

10 Asylum seekers Dealing with bullying/ cyber-bullying Dealing with labour disputes such as wrongful dismissal cases Dealing with offshore shell companies Dealing with people who have served their time in prison (= released prisoners) Dealing with street crime (bag snatching, mugging, pickpocketing, etc) Ensuring proper data protection Getting rid of tax evasion How much of a problem human trafficking is How to control prostitution How to deal with persistent reoffenders How to deal with whistle-blowers Physical punishments (= corporal punishments) at home and school Punishing fraudsters/ scammers/ conmen Rehabilitation of criminals Solving the problem of bribery by domestic companies abroad Solving the problem of politicians and public officials accepting bribes Tackling discrimination Tackling monopolistic practises/ Effective competition rules (stopping price fixing etc) The correct use of capital punishment The self-defence defence What to do about false forced confessionsWritten by Alex Case for 2014Do the same, but this time as a game where you tick off each kind of support above when you use it.