Question

A strong counterclaim may:

Answer 1

Answer:

The answer to the statement: A strong counterclaim may, would be: A: Make arguments that are easy to refute.

Explanation:

The reason comes from learning what the purpose of a counterclaim is in a research paper or essay. In essence, academic writing, especially argumentative essays, have the purpose of stating a claim, and defending that claim, through verifiable data, and well-formed arguments. However, if an essay only shows the claim, and the arguments in its favor, without showing that there may be information that may disprove the main claim, the essay would not be considered objective, and lose its validity. To prevent this from happening, writers include the counterclaim, or counterclaims, that show the reader that there is an alternative option to the main claim. But, these counterclaims, while showing alternate arguments, need to be easily refutable, otherwise they would completely invalidate the main thesis. This is why the answer is A. A writer needs to include counterarguments, but these must be easily refuted with the data. These arguments also show that the writer has done the proper research on the subject and thus his essay can be taken seriously.

Answer 2

A. Make arguments that are easy to refute 

It's important to understand the opposite side to your argument, but your counterclaim should be easily refuted by the rest of your argument, typically within the same paragraph. This shows that you've done your research on both sides, but still your side is much more strongly supported.