Toulmin model of argument

When people talk or write, they often try to convince others of their ideas or opinions. To do this, they use something called an argument. And the Toulmin model is one way to structure an argument so it makes sense and is easy to understand.

Imagine you want to convince your friend to go see a movie with you. You might use the Toulmin model like this:

Claim: Let's go see the movie.

Evidence: The movie has gotten great reviews and has won awards.

Warrant: If a movie has great reviews and wins awards, it's usually really good.

Backing: You and your friend have similar tastes in movies, and you've enjoyed similar movies in the past.

Qualifier: Of course, we might not both love it, but it's worth a shot.

Rebuttal: Your friend might not want to go to the movie, but you can argue back that it's a great opportunity to hang out and try something new.

So, in the Toulmin model, the "claim" is what you're trying to argue, the "evidence" is the proof you offer to back up your claim, the "warrant" is the general principle that makes the evidence relevant, the "backing" is additional information that supports the warrant and explains why the evidence is strong, the "qualifier" acknowledges any exceptions or limitations to the argument, and the "rebuttal" is an answer to any potential objections.

The Toulmin model helps people make arguments that are well-supported, logical, and easy to follow. By breaking down an argument into these six parts, it makes it easier to see where the strengths and weaknesses of an argument lie.