Argument Generator

Argument Generator: How Do You Get Points For and Against Any Topic?

An argument generator gives you a debate motion together with ready-made points for and against it, so you can practice seeing both sides of an issue before you take a stance of your own. On WheelySpin you pick one of four decks, each a category of motions (School, Society, Technology or Fun), press New motion, and then press Show arguments to reveal two points on each side. The 22 motions are short, arguable claims such as “Homework should be optional”, the kind of line a teacher can drop into a lesson without any setup.

I use a random argument generator the way a swimmer uses a kickboard: it isolates one skill. Most students can generate an opinion on anything, but very few can say why someone sensible might disagree. Seeing the pro and con talking points side by side fixes that faster than a lecture, and it works for debate practice, a thesis for one of your argumentative essays, or a round of friendly debates at the dinner table.

The tool is free, needs no sign-up, and the result is instant. Treat each card as raw material for brainstorming, not a finished speech: the goal is to persuade real readers and audiences, and that only happens once you add your own evidence, examples and voice. The same habit carries over to research papers and class presentations, where you are expected to deal with counterarguments instead of ignoring them.

What’s the Difference Between a Fact, an Opinion and an Argument?

An argument is a debatable statement backed by reasons and evidence, while a fact can be checked and an opinion only needs personal preference. “Water boils at 100 °C at sea level” is a fact: one reliable source settles it, and nobody wins a debate about the boiling point of water.

“Dark chocolate tastes best” is an opinion. It reflects personal taste, so there is nothing to prove and nothing to rebut. You can describe why you love it, but you cannot build a justification that obliges anyone else to agree.

An argument sits between the two. It takes a position, offers proof, and expects an answer from the other side. In academic writing, markers judge it on claim strength, the quality of the reasons and how convincing the proof is. Good arguments exist to change perspectives, prompt action, or show that the writer can hold a provable point and survive a refutation.

In my experience the quickest test is to ask, “Could a reasonable person argue the opposite?” If the answer is no, you have a fact or a taste, not an argument.

What Counts as a Good Claim?

A good claim is a clear, focused and specific sentence that you expect your audience to accept as true once you have supported it. “Phones are bad” fails that test because it is vague. “New laws should ban hand-held phone use while driving” works, because it names the who, the what, the when and the where.

Claims usually come in three shapes. Some state a belief about what is true, some make a value judgment about what is better or worse, and some say what people should or should not do. The motions on WheelySpin are mostly the third kind, because “should” statements are the easiest to argue in both directions.

A claim also needs to be unbiased in the way it is worded. “Cruel zoos should obviously close” loads the dice before the debate starts; “Zoos should be closed” leaves room for an honest disagreement. I have watched classes argue far better once the wording stopped taking sides on their behalf.

What Are the Parts of an Argument?

An argument has three working parts: the claim you make, the data that supports it, and the warrant that explains why the data proves the claim. The warrant is the piece people forget. It is the logical reasoning that connects your facts to your point.

Here is how the three fit together in practice. Claim: hand-held phone use while driving should be illegal. Data: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) links distracted driving to large numbers of road accidents, with one widely quoted figure of around 200,000 crashes a year. Warrant: if a behaviour causes that much harm on shared roads, the law has good reason to limit it.

Drop any one part and the argument turns fallacious. Statistics without a warrant are just numbers, and a warrant without data is just a hunch. In formal logic the same pieces are called premises, and the conclusion has to follow from them.

What Is a Counterargument, and Why Does It Make You Stronger?

A counterargument is the opposing view to your claim, and answering it strengthens your own case more than any extra point you could add. Readers trust a writer who shows they have considered another perspective.

Picture planning a trip with a friend who says you should stay home to save money. To handle that objection well, you identify it fairly, respond with your reasons, back those reasons with examples, and then explain why your plan still wins. That four-move pattern works on every motion in the generator.

Debaters call the first move “steelman the other side”: state the strongest version of the objection before you refute it. If you can anticipate the best objections, your rebuttal becomes calm instead of defensive. For the phone motion, the strongest reply might be that education works better than a ban, so that is the point you should prepare for first.

What Makes an Argument Strong Instead of Shaky?

A strong argument is one that can be defended with reasons and evidence and attacked fairly by the other side, which is exactly why it is worth debating. If nobody could attack it, it would be a fact; if you can’t defend it, it is a guess.

Strong arguments share a few habits. They start from a specific claim, stay fact-based, and treat the opponent’s case as fair game rather than a joke. They also avoid common fallacies, such as attacking the person or assuming that one example proves a rule.

Credibility matters too. A point backed by a named source carries more weight than “everyone knows”. On WheelySpin each motion shows two points per side, but in a real essay I suggest you keep to three main points: enough to look thorough, few enough that you can support each one properly.

How Do You Build an Argument Step by Step?

You build an argument by framing a precise claim, gathering support, testing it against objections, and closing with a clear restatement. One classroom method, the 7 Cs, breaks that into steps:

1. Consider the situation: the topic, your aim, the evidence available, and the likely objector.
2. Clarify your thinking: weigh the pros and cons and do some preliminary research before you commit.
3. Construct a claim, and state the claim precisely; narrow it if it tries to cover too much.
4. Collect evidence: facts, numbers, real-life situations and, where they fit, personal anecdotes.
5. Anticipate the key objections you will face.
6. Craft arguments that answer the strongest of those objections.
7. Confirm your claim: restate the main idea in a memorable closing.

After step 7, add one more question I always ask students: what is the impact? Say who benefits, what changes, and what is at stake if you are wrong. Judges and teachers remember impact long after they forget the details.

Should You Use the Aristotelian or the Rogerian Essay Structure?

Use the Aristotelian structure when you want to win readers over to your side, and the Rogerian structure when you want to find middle ground on a heated issue. Both follow five steps, and the Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) teaches both.

The Rogerian approach has a bonus that students rarely expect: summarising the other side honestly often exposes your own biases. A generator card with points on both sides is a ready-made start for either structure.

Who Uses an Argument Generator, and How?

Students, teachers, public speakers and professional debaters all use an argument generator, mostly to warm up before the real work. In school it feeds debate clubs, class competitions and essay plans; outside school it shows up in panel discussions, town halls, tournaments and even symposiums for academic researchers.

My favourite drill is to argue the side you disagree with for two minutes. It feels awkward, and that is the point: it trains critical thinking better than repeating your own view. A harder version is to list the three strongest objections to a motion before you press Show arguments, then compare.

For a persuasive essay, the claim becomes your thesis and the points become an outline for your body paragraphs. In a classroom, teachers run an agree/disagree spectrum across the room or a Socratic seminar around one motion. Writing teachers use the cards for thesis practice, interview coaches use them for structured thinking, debate coaches use them for rebuttal drills, and people in marketing use the same habit to spot weak points in a pitch early.

Low-stakes hobby debates count too. Whether a hot dog is a sandwich has no right answer, which makes it perfect for practising structure without anyone getting upset.

What Do Good and Bad Arguments Look Like Side by Side?

Good arguments explain the mechanism behind their evidence, while bad ones lean on a number or a sweeping claim and stop there. Comparing weak and improved versions of the same point is the fastest way to see the difference.

The same test works on speeches. A pro case on climate action is stronger when it ties extreme weather and rising sea levels to a specific ask. A con case against social media regulation is stronger when it points to existing privacy settings and digital literacy programmes, and warns that heavy rules can hit small businesses and slow innovation.

Historical comparisons can help or hurt. People once feared the telephone would ruin conversation, and that worry faded; the comparison is useful, but only if you also explain why today’s case is similar.

Why Use an Argument Generator Instead of Brainstorming Alone?

An argument generator saves time by handing you a fresh motion and a starting point in seconds, so your energy goes into thinking rather than searching for topics. A blank page is the slowest part of debate prep.

A good generator is easy to use, versatile across subjects, and ideally customizable, so you can match the level to your group; WheelySpin does that with its four decks. Some tools also add tips on structure, which is why the sections above sit right under the generator.

There is no limit on how many motions you can draw, so practice is effectively unlimited. The real gain is the habit: once you have seen two sides of twenty motions, you start thinking outside the box on your own, and your persuasiveness improves because you are no longer surprised by the other side.

What Is a Random Argument Generator?

A random argument generator is a tool that picks arguable statements at random and shows supporting points for both sides. You use it to practise debating, plan essays or start a discussion. WheelySpin’s version draws from 22 motions in four decks.

How Is an Argument Different From a Debate Topic?

A debate topic is usually a formal motion, while an argument is any claim with two defensible sides. Tournaments word their formal resolutions as “This house believes…”, but any argument can also serve as a thesis or a discussion starter. For more motions to debate, try the debate topic generator.

Can I Use Generated Arguments for Persuasive Essays?

Yes. Pick a side, turn the points into body paragraphs, and answer the other side in a short rebuttal section near the end. Add your own evidence before you hand it in.

Are the Arguments Suitable for Classrooms?

Yes. The School, Society, Technology and Fun decks are written to be age-appropriate, so teachers can filter by deck to suit the group. They work well for classroom debates and seminars.

Are these arguments complete?

No. They’re starting points. Good debaters add evidence and examples of their own, and a card stays neutral until you choose a side and back it up.

Can I use this for essay planning?

Yes. The for and against points make a quick plan for an argumentative essay. For essay planning, write the motion as your thesis, keep the points on your side as body paragraphs, and use the other side for your rebuttal; that is a complete argumentative essay plan in two minutes.

Can I copy the arguments?

Yes. Copy card copies the motion with both lists of points, ready to paste into notes or a slide.

What Is a Sound Argument?

A sound argument is a valid argument whose premises are all true, so its conclusion is guaranteed to be true as well. Soundness belongs to deductive reasoning, where true premises are meant to give complete support.

What Makes an Argument Valid?

An argument is valid when its conclusion follows logically from its premises. A valid argument can never have true premises and a false conclusion, even if one of its premises later turns out to be wrong.

How Do You Start an Argument?

Start by stating your contention as a thesis in the introduction, then name the key premises you will use. Each reason you give afterwards should point back to that thesis.

How Do You Write a Counterargument?

Open with a topic sentence that signals the other view, acknowledge its best evidence respectfully, then refute it. Transition words such as “however” or “although” help you downplay the objection without dismissing it.