Opposing Arguments In William Safire's Abolish The Penny

One way to acknowledge opposing viewpoints within your paper is to include a counter-argument. This takes place when an opposing viewpoint is presented and thoroughly explored. There are several ways to do this. One is to present the argument as true, but irrelevant to the point being made within the paper. Another is to present the opposing viewpoint as a faulty assumption. A third is to present the opposing viewpoint as being based of faulty values. Including opposing viewpoints gives the writer a chance to respond to a reader’s objections even before they are voiced. It also presents the writer as a reasonable person who has considered all sides of an argument, not just their own. In William Safire’s Essay “Abolish the Penny” he admittedly does a good job of acknowledging opposing

I hoped that it would be a class that would teach me new techniques for writing. At the same time, I was concerned that I might not learn anything of consequence in the class. I was already aware (from results in other classes) that there were improvements I needed to make in my writing. I was uncertain, however, if this class would help. Now, at the end of the course, I feel that I have improved as a writer and have had a positive experience. I believe that completing this course has changed the manner in which I approach writing. For one thing, I now plan out my writing assignments in some way before completing a final draft. The class has also taught me to better “stay on target” when I write. It has taught me that papers must have a clear focus to pursue. It has also taught me to actually “look” at the writing of others rather than just lightly reading over it. When reading the writing of another it will help to improve your own writing if you examine techniques used, the flow of the writing and how “audience” is approached among other