Dust billowed up from the dirt road as Big Red raced through the country to the family farm. Dan drove his red car into the driveway as if it were on fire. The car barely had a chance to slow down before Dan was racing to Klairia's side. "Did you hear what's going on downtown?" he asked breathlessly. "It's on all of the radio stations and on every news channel on TV."

"No, I haven't even turned on the TV or radio today," replied Klairia.

"Our town is being used to film a movie!" Dan yelled. "We should head down to see if we can spot a celebrity."

Klairia clapped her hands in delight. The friends jumped into the car and were zooming toward town. Suddenly, Big Red choked, groaned, and ground to a halt. Steam spilled out from under the hood. Dan exited the car and propped open the hood, only to discover that the radiator was cooked.

"It doesn't seem like Big Red will get us downtown. I guess we will have to wait for some other time to spot a celebrity," Klairia said.

"If you're up for it, we can make the hike to town and see if a mechanic at Joe's Auto Shop can get Big Red up and running. I would hate for us to miss this opportunity," said Dan.

"I'm up for it," Klairia exclaimed.

After ten minutes of walking in the hot sun, they detected the sound of a car engine. Turning around, they beheld a black limo coming to a stop behind them. The face of Rockley Sloan, the new up-and-coming actor on the hottest TV show, All the King's Horses, popped out of the back window.

"Do you guys need a ride into town?" he asked.

Klairia and Dan looked at each other in disbelief.

"Yes, please!" they said in unison.

Klairia and Dan climbed into the limo, barely concealing their excitement. Their dreams were coming true!

Select the detail that supports the theme, "Good things can happen despite obstacles."
Question 4 options:

The face of Rockley Sloan, the new up-and-coming actor on the hottest TV show, All the King's Horses, popped out of the back window.

I guess we will have to wait for some other time to spot a celebrity.

If you're up for it, we can make the hike to town and see if a mechanic at Joe's Auto Shop can get Big Red up and running.

The friends jumped into the car and were zooming toward town.

formal arguments

in written, formal arguments, the best way to build credibility with readers is to provide them with evidence. no matter what your argument might be and which side you agree with, citing strong evidence to back up your claim leaves the opposition with little to argue.

emotional appeal is often used in oral arguments. written arguments, however, rely on four main types of evidence. as you read further, you will see that some types are more credible than others and "hold more water" so to speak.

statistical evidence

the strongest type of evidence in formal writing is statistical evidence. this ranges from true, hard data presented as a percentage or number, to survey-type data. for example, statistical evidence could be:

4 out of 5 experts claim

85% of women in the united

7 members were present

statistical evidence can be proven as fact. you can actually go out and find hard information to prove your particular claim.

testimonial evidence

the use of celebrities as credibility evidence can be considered testimonial in nature. many people look up to celebrities as role models in their lives. good or bad, when a person chooses a life-path that takes them into public light, there will be many others out there who want to emulate the celebrity. these celebrity endorsements provide the second-strongest type of evidence found in formal arguments.

testimonial evidence can also be collected from experts and authorities in a given field. doctors, dentists, lawyers often provide expert testimonials. their authority is not often questions. they are expected to "know their stuff."

anecdotal evidence

when storytelling is involved as evidence, anecdotal evidence is being used. due to its less objective nature, anecdotal evidence is not extremely strong. when coupled with statistical or testimonial evidence, anecdotal evidence can be highly effective in determining credibility or proof.

storytelling, although based on fact, can include quite a bit of opinion, thus making it less objective. usually, eyewitnesses are used as providers of anecdotal evidence. they saw or experienced the phenomenon at hand are telling their version or side of the story.

analogical evidence

when information is scarce about something and little is known, analogical evidence is often used in a formal argument to increase credibility of the proof. if the phenomenon in question is new and little is known about it, analogical evidence that pulls in known factors about a similar phenomenon to show parallels can be an effective way to provide proof.

due to limited knowledge about the phenomenon, in this situation, analogical evidence can be regarded as the weakest type of evidence used in formal arguments. one can only imagine and hope that the comparison-phenomenon is close enough that the results can be applied to the new phenomenon.

in the

all that really matters in a formal argument is whether or not the writer has credible evidence to back up what they want to say or what they are thinking. so often, we hear people say, "prove it! " to one another.

one last little formal arguments not only provide credible evidence to support claims, don't forget that acknowledgment of the opposing point of view in an argument also strengthens the entire product.

ah, shun the horrid gulf! by scylla fly.