Tsung Tsin College

Use of English – Writing Skills

<Reference: John Langan, 2008, College Writing Skills with
Readings,7th edition, McGraw Hill>

Part 1 – Introduction

Structure of the Standard Essay

________________

________________
opening remarks to catch reader’s ________________ ( )
________________ statement ( )
plan of development (recommended) ( )

Body –________________ Supporting Paragraph

________________ ________________ 1 (supporting point 1) ( )
details/ examples ( )

Body –________________ Supporting Paragraph

________________ ________________ 2 (supporting point 2) ( )
details/ examples ( )

Body –________________ Supporting Paragraph

________________ ________________ 3 (supporting point 3) ( )
details/ examples ( )

________________
________________ (recommended) ( )
general closing remarks ( )

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 1

<example of a standard essay>

Traditional secondary schools cannot be replaced by the

Internet
(edited from Kate Hung’s work with possible presence of mistakes)

1
Nowadays, the Internet provides students with endless
information. 2 Therefore, some people think that traditional
secondary schools and teachers are no longer necessary. 3 I
disagree. 4 I think traditional secondary schools are irreplaceable
because of students’ inability to manage time well, the provision of
a desirable learning environment by the school and the importance
of students having direct interaction with teachers and schoolmates.

5
First of all, most students are not able to arrange their own time
properly without teachers’ help. 6 They are used to live with a
timetable during studying at schools. 7 Hence, they would most
probably feel lost without a timetable, and waste their time at last. 8
For instance, they may go to bed at night and not wake up until
afternoon. 9 They may also use more time for their leisure activities
such as playing online games and watching TV. 10 Moreover,
students will not know the length of time they should spend on each
topic. 11 Spending more unnecessary time in one area will be a
waste since it will affect the learning in other subjects.

12
Other than time management, an ideal learning environment is
also a good reason for keeping traditional secondary schools and
teachers. 13 It is no doubt that schools provide a good environment
with all-round facilities for students to study in. 14 Facilities like
laboratories are provided in schools and these are necessary for
studying, especially for science students. 15 Students can only use
these resources when they are under close supervision of
experienced people. 16 Without the help of these people and the
chance to practice, students are necessary to provide a practical
learning environment to students.

17
What is more, direct teaching and interaction with peers are
highly important to students. 18 I believe that most of us have ever

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 2

experienced that feeling lost after reading a few pages of our
textbook on our own. 19 It is true that some concepts of the topics
are difficult to understand without teachers’ detailed explanation. 20
Students’ problems can be addressed immediately through the
interaction with teachers. 21 Furthermore, good social skills which
are important for students can be developed by interacting with
schoolmates. 22 Thereby, face-to-face interaction with teachers and
schoolmates is essential for students’ all-round development.

23
In conclusion, as we know students need guidance on time
management, a school environment and face-to-face interaction
with teachers and schoolmates, the Internet can only be a useful
tool but not a substitute for traditional secondary schools. (398
words)

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 3

<example of a variation>
Social Interaction via the Internet
(edited from Bill Fu’s work with possible presence of mistakes)

Nowadays, social interaction via the Internet is very popular. More and
more people spend lots of time on the Internet. Some of them even
believe surfing on the Internet has become their essential habit. In other
words, they feel they cannot live without it. In fact, how many pluses and
minuses of social interaction via the Internet do they know? If they know a
lot, have they ever thought more deeply about them? So, they should
realize both of them first.

When it comes to the advantages, the first one is that people can easily
make new friends. Nowadays, many people from various countries usually
do plenty of things on the Internet, for example chatting, playing online
games, documenting their lives in weblogs, reading and commenting on
others’ weblogs. Furthermore, some webs provide numerous chatrooms as
communicative platforms. In these chatrooms, people can opt for others
who may have the same hobbies or similar personalities and chat
whatever they like. By chatting with each other, they can know more
about their new friends.

The second one is providing great convenience. In the past, people mainly
sent letters or talked on the phone to keep contact with their friends. But
these two methods are not convenient. Now, with advanced software,
people can make new friends conveniently. For instance, they can chat
with others whenever they like with MSN or ICQ, as well as make personal
weblogs so that other people can know more about one another.

Social interaction via the Internet has many advantages, such as ease to
make new friends and convenience. However, they should consider the
disadvantages as well.

Isolation is one potential serious problem. As psychologists say, heavy

Internet use can lead to isolation as the users need to spend lots of time
on the Internet. Also, the users will neglect their friends and parents when
surfing on the Internet. For instance, many adolescents like playing online
games and chatting on game forums. Some of them usually sleep

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 4

insufficiently as a result of being online for a long time. They tend to have
no energy and time to do other things such as talking with their friends
and parents. So, they will isolate themselves.

Other than that, personal information can be stolen and used in crimes.
Many users, in particular teenagers, like posting their own photos and
their personal details on their weblogs so as to let others know more about
themselves and desire to make friends with them. Basically, these people
just want to share some special things with visitors and most of them have
never thought that other people may use their personal information to do
illegal things, such as stealing credit card passwords and making fake
identity cards. Therefore, posting personal information on the Internet can
be very dangerous.

All in all, social interaction via the Internet has both advantages and
disadvantages. From my point of view, using the Internet for social
interaction, which may lead to isolation and Internet crimes, should not
substitute for our real-life social interaction. So, to keep bad consequences
away from us, we had better not use the Internet for social interaction.
(522 words)

Question: What are the special features of the variation?

a. no ________________ statement in the introduction
b. no ________________ ________________ ________________ the
________________
c. 4 ________________ ________________, 2 for each side
d. presence of a ________________ paragraph
e. having ________________ in the transitional paragraph and
conclusion
f. showing personal ________________ in the ________________

Practice: Distinguish between major supporting points and details

that fit under those points.

a. Thesis: Working as a dishwasher in a restaurant was my worst

job.
A. ten-hour shifts a. C
B. heat in kitchen (1) ____

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 5

 C. working conditions (2) ____
D. minimum wage b. ____
E. hours changed every week (1) ____
F. no bonus for overtime (2)F
G. hours c. ____
H. pay (1) ____
I. noisy work area (2) ____

b. Thesis: Joining an aerobics class has many benefits.

A. make new friends a. ____
B. reduces mental stress (1) ____
C. social benefits (2) ____
D. strengthens heart b. F
E. improves self-image (1) ____
F. mental benefits (2) ____
G. tones muscles c. I
H. meet interesting instructors (1) ____
I. ________________ (2) ____
_______________

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 6

 Tsung Tsin College
Use of English – Writing Skills
<Reference: John Langan, 2008, College Writing Skills with
Readings,7th edition, McGraw Hill>

Part 2 – Steps in Essay Writing I

Writing the Introduction

Functions of the introduction:

1. It attracts the reader’s ________________, encouraging him or her
to continue reading the essay.
2. It supplies any ________________ information that the reader may
need to understand the essay.
3. It presents a ________________ statement. This clear, direct
statement of the main idea of the essay usually appears near the
end of the introductory paragraph.
4. It shows a plan of development. In this preview, the major
supporting points for the thesis are listed in the ________________
in which they will be presented. However, writers sometimes
choose not to describe the plan of development.

Common methods of introduction:

1. Begin with a broad, ________________ statement of your topic and
narrow it down to your thesis statement.
2. Start with an idea or a situation that is ________________ of the one
you will develop – your readers will be surprised by the contrast.
3. Explain the ________________ of your topic to the reader.
4. Use an ________________ or a brief story.
5. Ask one or more ________________.
6. Use a ________________.
a. something you have read in a book or an article, e.g. “Fish
and visitors,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, “begin to smell after

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 7

 three days.”
b. a popular saying or proverb, e.g. “Never say never”
c. a current or recent ________________ slogan, e.g. “Impossible
is nothing.”
d. a favorite expression used by friends or family, e.g. My
father always says…

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 8

Practice: In the space provided, identify the method used in each of
the following introductions by putting down the corresponding
number (1-6). (The following work is not mistake-free.)

Many people, including our schoolmates, like hiking. However,

recently there have been several reports of accidents that
happened to people hiking on their own in remote areas.
However, most of the accidents could have been avoided. It
depends on what measures people take when they are hiking.
Because of this, I would like to offer some advice on safety
measures and what we should do in case of an emergency...
(edited from Bertha Chan’s work)
A recent survey conducted by the University of Hong Kong
suggests that 67% of the teenagers in Hong Kong believe that
“slim” means “beautiful” and they are keen to be slim in order to
be beautiful. But some experts state that “slim” does not mean
“healthy”, and “beautiful” is only a sensational word, which
people should not pursue blindly…(edited from Stella Poon’s
work)
In Hong Kong, many university graduates start working without
enough working experience. Thus, they cannot easily satisfy
their bosses in their first job. Some employers and
educationalists suggest that like many students in Europe and
North America, Form 7 graduates in Hong Kong should work full
time for one year before entering university. Some people think
that it is a good idea…. (edited from Kate Hung’s work)
Hong Kong is a famous city which emphasizes the importance of
international languages, especially English, since communication
is based on using languages. Therefore, Hong Kong people have
been provided various opportunities for learning English. We can
see different English words everywhere like on the menus,
guideboards, Internet and so on. Nevertheless, more has to be
done to better our students’ English as our teenagers’
proficiency of the second language is often criticized... (edited
from Pamela Pang’s work)
One of my primary school teachers was used to tell me, “A
dictionary is the best teacher.” These years, we know there is a
new challenger to dictionaries. Entering into a classroom, you
can often see a teacher use a computer to show their teaching
materials like PowerPoint slides and movies, which mainly come
from the Internet. Therefore, some say that it is no longer
necessary to accept traditional education... (edited from Jim
Wong’s work)
Do our university graduates have enough working experience?
Do our fresh graduates really work smartly if they do well in their
studies? Some employers and educationalists suggest that

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 9

 ahead of entering university, Form 7 graduates should work full
time for one year—which is called a gap year in general. Some
worry that academic results may be adversely affected after
having that year. In the following, I would like to describe the
pros and cons and give my own opinion of this suggestion.
(edited from Super Leung’s work)
Supporting the Thesis with Specific Details instead of Vague
Generalities

Specific details have two advantages. First, details excite the

reader’s interest. Second, details give the evidence needed for the
reader to see and understand ________________ ideas.

Practice: Write S in front of the two selections below that provide

specific evidence to support the opening point. Write G in front of
the two selections in which the opening point is followed by general
sentences.

1. The people who have moved in beside us are unpleasant

neighbors.
They barely say hi when we’re in our neighboring yards.
When we invited them to a neighborhood barbecue, they
said they were going to be busy. They sometimes turn loud
music on late at night…
2. My mother was a harsh disciplinarian.
When I did something wrong, no matter how small, she
would inflict serious punishment. She had expectations
that I was to live up to, and she never changed her
attitude. When I did not behave as I should, I was dealt
with severely…
3. Some things are worse when they’re “improved”.
A good cheesecake, for one thing, is perfect. It doesn’t
need pineapple, cherries, blueberries, or whipped cream
smeared all over it. Plain old American blue jeans, the ones
with five pockets and copper rivets, are perfect too.
Manufacturers only made them worse when they added
flared legs, took away the pockets…
4. Pets can be more trouble than children.
My dog, unlike my children, has never been completely

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 10

 housebroken. When he’s excited or nervous, he still has an
occasional problem. My dog, unlike my children, has never
learned how to take care of himself when we’re away…

Organizing and Connecting Specific Evidence

A. Common methods of organization
1. time order – using the following words to show: “first”,
“n____________”, “finally”…
2. emphatic order – putting emphasis on the most interesting or
important detail by placing it in the final supporting paragraph
because the reader is most likely to remember the ________ thing;
using the following words to show: “finally”, “last of all”, “most
important”…

B. Transitional words
1. addition signals: first of all, ________________, lastly…
2. time signals: first, ________________, after, before…
3. space signals: next to, on the ________________ side, below…
4. change-of-direction signals: but, however, in ________________, on
the contrary
5. illustration signals: for example, ________________ as, as an
illustration…
6. conclusion signals: therefore, as a ________________, to conclude…

C. Transitional Sentences
Practice:

The important values I learned from my parents

…The most helpful values I learned from my parents are the

importance of family support, of hard work, and of a good
education…

First, my parents taught me that family members should stick

together, especially in times of trouble…

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 11

 In addition to teaching me about the importance of ______________
_______________, my parents taught me the value of
d________________, whether I am studying or working…

Along with the value of ________________ ________________, my

parents emphasized the benefits of a good ________________…

D. Other connecting words

1. repeated words – repeating key words
2. pronouns
3. synonyms – increase variety and interest by avoiding needless
repetition; e.g. method, technique, procedure, ________________

Writing the conclusion

Common methods of conclusion:
1. End with a ________________ and final thought
When army instructors train new recruits, each of their lessons
follows a 3-step formula: tell them what you’re going to tell them,
tell them, and tell them what you’ve told them. An essay can be
similar. However, don’t use the exact wording you used before. A
final comment follows the summary and rounds off the essay and
brings the discussion to a close. Sometimes, you state your
personal opinion in the final comment in a ________________
argumentative essay.

2. Include a thought-provoking ________________ or short series of

________________
A question grabs the reader’s attention. It is a direct appeal to
your reader to think further about what you have written. A
question must deal with one of the following areas:
i. why the subject of your essay is ________________
ii. what might happen in the ________________

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 12

iii. what should be done about the subject
iv. which choice should be made

3. End with a prediction or ________________

Practice: In the space provided, identify how each concluding

paragraph ends by putting down the corresponding number (1-3).

Disappointments are unwelcome, but regular, visitors in

everyone’s life. We can feel depressed about them, or we can
try to escape from them. The best thing, though, is to accept a
disappointment and then try to use it somehow…
Holidays, it is clear, are often not the fulfilling experience they
are supposed to be. They can, in fact, be very stressful. But
would we rather have a holiday-free calendar?
In conclusion, as we know students need guidance on time
management, a school environment and face-to-face
interaction with teachers and schoolmates, the Internet can
only be a useful tool but not a substitute for traditional
secondary schools.

Writing the Title

1. A title is a very brief but not too general ________________ of your
essay.
2. It is often no more than several words.
3. You may find it easier to write the title after you finish your paper.
4. No underlining, no quotation marks around it.
5. Except minor connecting words, the first letters of all words in
the title should be ________________ letters.

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 13

 Tsung Tsin College
Use of English – Writing Skills
<Reference: John Langan, 2008, College Writing Skills with
Readings,7th edition, McGraw Hill>

Part 3 – Steps in Essay Writing II

Revising Sentences
A. Use parallelism
By balancing the items in a sentence so that they have the same
kind of structure, you will make the sentence clearer and easier to
read. See examples in the following table.

Nonparallel (Not Balanced) Parallel (Balanced)

My job includes checking the
inventory, initialing the orders,
and to call the suppliers.
He has to be cheerful, charming,
and with enthusiasm.
We painted the trim in the living
room and the wallpaper was put
up by our father.
My job includes checking the
inventory, initialing the orders,
and calling the suppliers.
He has to be cheerful, charming,
and enthusiastic.
We painted the trim in the living
room and our father put up the
wallpaper

Practice: Underline and revise the unbalanced part of each of the

following sentences.
Question Correction
E.g. Chocolate makes me gain weight, lose
my appetite, and breaking out in hives.
The store sells hand buzzers, plastic fangs,
and insects that are fake.
Juan’s last job offered security while a
better chance for advancement is offered
by his new job.
Crystal trusted no one, rewarded loyalty,
and was dependent only on her own
instincts.
We will do our best to help them have
courage and build up their confidence.

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 14

B. Use a consistent point of view
Practice:
Inconsistent
One of the fringe benefits of my
job is that you can use a
company credit card for
gasoline.
Though we like most of our
neighbours, there are a few you
hate.
Each country refused to change
their aggressive stance.
If one wants to do well in this
course, you should work hard.
Consistent
One of the fringe benefits of my
job is that __________ can use a
company credit card for
gasoline.
Though we like most of our
neighbours, there are a few
__________ hate.
Each country refused to change
__________ aggressive stance.
If one wants to do well in this
course, __________ should work
hard.

C. Use specific words

Specific words create pictures in the reader’s mind. They help
capture interest and make your meaning clear.
General Specific
Sam walked down the street. Sam wandered slowly along
Nathan Road.
Animals came into the place. Hungry lions padded silently into
the sawdust-covered arena.
The man signed the paper. The man hastily scribbled his
name on the course withdrawal
slip.

Four ways to make sentences specific:

1. Use exact names – e.g. He sold his car. vs. David sold his
__________.
2. Use lively verbs – e.g. The flag moved in the breeze. vs. The flag
fluttered in the breeze.
3. Use adjectives before nouns – e.g. A man ran to the house. vs. A
heavyset, perspiring man ran to the old __________ house.

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 15

4. Use words that relate to the senses (sight, hearing, taste, smell,
__________)

D. Use active verbs

In general, verbs in active voice are more effective than verbs in
passive voice. Active verbs give your writing a simpler and more
vigorous style.

Practice: Revise the following sentences, changing verbs from the

passive to the active voice.
a. The computer was turned on by Victor.
_________________________________________________________________
b. Many unhealthy foods are included in the typical American diet.
_________________________________________________________________
c. The family picnic was invaded by hundreds of biting ants.
_________________________________________________________________
d. Antibiotics are used by doctors to treat many infections.
_________________________________________________________________
e. Final grades will be determined by the instructor on the basis of
class performance.
_________________________________________________________________

E. Use concise words

Wordiness – using more words than necessary to express a meaning
– is often a sign of lazy or careless writing. You should make your
writing direct and concise.

Wordy Sentence Clear Sentence

I am going to tell you the hobby that I
enjoy – collecting old comic books.
(15 words)
In Tony’s opinion, he thinks that cable
television will change and alter our
lives in the future. (17 words)
I enjoy collecting old comic
books. (6 words)
Tony thinks that cable
television will change our
lives. (9 words)

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 16

Practice:
Wordy Form Short Form
at the present time
in the event that
in the near future
due to the fact that
for the reason that
is able to
in this day and age
during the time that
a large number of
big in size
red in colour
return back
good benefit

Practice: Revise the following sentences, omitting needless words.

a. In conclusion, I would like to end my essay by summarizing each
of the major points that were covered within my paper.
_________________________________________________________________
b. In general, I am the sort of person who tends to be shy,
especially in large crowds or with strangers I don’t know well.
_________________________________________________________________
c. We thought the television program that was on last night was
enjoyable, whereas our parents reacted with dislike to the
content of the show.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
d. Out of all the regrets in my life so far, one of my greatest ones
to the present time is that I did not take additional art classes
when I was still in high school and had a chance to do so.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

F. Vary sentences
One part of effective writing is to vary the kinds of sentences you

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 17

write. If every sentence follows the same pattern, writing may
become monotonous to read. There are four ways you can create
variety and interest in your writing style.

1. Adding a second complete thought (coordination – showing ideas

of equal importance)
e.g. Kelly often tells Alan to work hard, _____________ he is still
very lazy. (a compound sentence)

2. Adding a dependent thought (subordination – giving one idea less

emphasis than another)
e.g. _____________ Kelly often tells Alan to work hard, he is still
very lazy. (a complex sentence)

3. Beginning with a special opening word or phrase

i. past participle – e.g. Concerned about his girlfriend’s fever,
Summer called 999.
ii. present participle – e.g. Needing immediate help, Summer
called 999.
iii. adverb – e.g. _____________, Summer called 999.
iv. to-infinitive – e.g. _____________ get help, Summer called
999.
v. prepositional phrase – e.g. _____________ the toilet, Summer
called 999.

4. Placing adjectives or verbs in a series

Practice: Combine the simple sentences into one sentence by using

adjectives or verbs in a series and by omitting repeated words. Use
a comma when necessary.
Example Hidy spun the basketball on one finger. She rolled it along
her arms. She dribbled it between her legs.

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 18

 Hidy spun the basketball on one finger, rolled it along her arms,
and dribbled it between her legs.
1. The baby toddled across the rug. He picked up a button. He put
the button in his mouth.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. Water dribbled out of the tap. The water was brown. The water
was foul-tasting. The tap was rusty. The tap was metal.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

Proofreading
You should remember to look for and correct mistakes in grammar,
punctuation, usage and _____________ before you submit your essay.

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 19

 Tsung Tsin College
Use of English – Writing Skills
<Reference: John Langan, 2008, College Writing Skills with
Readings,7th edition, McGraw Hill>

Part 4 – Essay Development

Introduction
A. Understanding the nature of an essay
Identify the genre – a one-sided or a two-sided argumentative
essay, a persuasive letter, a letter to the editor, an article or a
letter of complaint…

B. Knowing your purpose and audience

Sadly, you probably write because your teacher tells you to do
so, and your audience is mainly _____________ _____________ only.
However, you should be imaginative and have the writing
purpose required by the question in your mind. And your ‘real’
audience is certainly not your teacher, but the ones suggested
by the question.

C. Determining your point of view

1. First-person approach
In this approach, you draw on your own experience and speak
to your audience in your own voice, using pronouns like I or we.
This approach is common in narrative essays based on
_____________ experience, which are rare in AL essays. It also
suits other essays where most of the evidence presented
consists of personal observation.

2. Second-person approach
The writer speaks directly to the reader, using the pronoun
_____________. This approach is appropriate for giving direct
instructions and explanations to the reader. Otherwise, in

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 20

 general, NEVER use the word you in writing.

3. Third-person approach
In the third person, the writer includes no direct references to
the reader (you) or the self (I). Third person gets its name from
the stance it suggests – that of an outsider or “third person”
observing and reporting on matters of _____________ rather
than private importance. You should use pronouns like they.
Writing Argumentative Essays

Five strategies you can use to help win over readers whose
viewpoint may differ from yours:
A. Use tactful, courteous language
It is important not to make readers angry by referring to them or
their opinions in rude terms. Don’t use sweeping statements like
“Everybody knows that…” Also, keep the focus on the issue you
are discussing, not on the _____________ involved in the debate.
Don’t write, “My opponents say that online dating…” Instead,
write, “Supporters of online dating say that …” Terms like “my
opponents” imply that the argument is between you and anyone
who disagrees with you.

B. Point out _____________ ground – opinions that you share

Find points on which people on all sides of the argument can
agree. Readers will be more ready to agree to your idea once
they have considered how you and they think similarly.

C. Acknowledge different viewpoints

It is a mistake to ignore points of view that conflict with yours.
Acknowledging other viewpoints strengthens your position in
several ways. First, it helps you spot flaws in the opposing
position – as well as in your own argument. Second, it gives the

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 21

 impression that you are a reasonable person, willing to look at an
issue from all sides. Readers will be more likely to consider your
point of view if you show that you are willing to consider
_____________.

At what point in your essay should you acknowledge opposing

arguments? The earlier the _____________– best, in the
introduction.

Some effective techniques:

1. Cite the opposing viewpoint in your _____________ statement
e.g. Although some students believe that studying a foreign
language is a waste of time, two years of foreign-language
study should be required of all university graduates.
2. Use one or two sentences in the _____________ to acknowledge
the alternative position. Such sentences briefly state the other
side’s argument.
e.g. … Many people argue that working can be a valuable
experience for the young. However, working more than about
fifteen hours a week is harmful because…
3. Use a _____________ within the body of your essay to
summarize opposing opinions in greater detail. A fair, even-
handed summary of the other side’s ideas will help convince
readers that you have looked at the issue from all angles
before deciding where you stand.

D. When appropriate, grant the merits of differing viewpoints

Sometimes an opposing argument contains an extremely valid
point. What you should do is to admit that the point is a good
one. You will lose credibility if you argue against something that
clearly makes sense. Admit the merit of one aspect of the other
argument while making it clear that you still believe your

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 22

 argument to be _____________ overall.
e.g. Granted, students who are already accustomed to computers
can use them to write papers more efficiently. But for students
like me who write and think in longhand, a computer in the
classroom is more a hindrance than a help…

E. Rebut differing viewpoints

When you are dealing with an issue that your readers feel
strongly about, you may need to rebut the opposing arguments.
To rebut means to point out _____________ with an opposing view,
to show where an opponent’s argument breaks down.

Victor Chow – UE Writing Skills P. 23