Building a Counterargument

A curated collection of writing center resources to help you construct strong, fair, and reflective counterarguments. These guides cover everything from identifying the best opposing case to avoiding common pitfalls like the straw man fallacy.

Strength of Argument — Picking the Best Opposing Case

• Harvard College Writing Center — "Counterargument" — Explains that counterarguments shouldn't be something you add after finishing your essay, but something you think about throughout — specifically, points where a thoughtful reader could reasonably disagree. Directly relevant to the "steel man" criterion.
• Brandeis University Writing Program — "Counterargument" — Advises students to state the case against themselves "as briefly but as clearly and forcefully as you can, pointing to evidence where possible," noting that "an obviously feeble or perfunctory counterargument does more harm than good." That framing maps perfectly onto the steel man requirement.

Charity of Interpretation — Avoiding the Straw Man

• UNC Chapel Hill Writing Center — "Argument" — Warns that if you simply attack or caricature your opponent — also referred to as presenting a "straw man" — you suggest that your argument is only capable of defeating an extremely weak adversary, which may undermine your argument rather than enhance it.
• Missouri S&T Writing and Communication Center — "Counter Arguments" — Advises students to present each argument fairly and objectively rather than trying to make it look foolish, and to keep an open mind, noting that careful consideration of counterarguments can complicate or change your perspective on an issue.
• George Mason University Writing Center — "All About Counterarguments" — Offers a concrete four-step process: identify the opposing viewpoint, summarize it in your own words, concede what aspects have validity, and then respond by bringing the reader back to your argument.

Reflection — Identifying Where Your Certainty Was Challenged

• Brandeis University Writing Program — Suggests that if you come to find the counterargument more persuasive than your original thesis, you should consider making it your thesis and turning your original argument into the counterargument — a useful prompt for students writing their reflection paragraph.
• Harvard College Writing Center — Makes the honest point that if you come up with a counterargument you can't refute, you may need to revise your thesis — and while that can be frustrating in the moment, challenging your own thinking is an important part of the writing process.

Bonus — Sentence-Level Language Help

• Cleveland State University Writing Center — "Acknowledging Counterarguments" — Provides specific transitional phrases for introducing opposing views, such as "on the other hand," "critics may argue," and "it is often perceived that," which students often struggle to phrase naturally.