A better diet

For this practice, you must write convincing arguments for both sides:

• AGREE → A vegetarian diet is better than one with meat because...
• DISAGREE → A vegetarian diet is not better—you need to eat meat because...

This called a counterargument. Most issues have two sides, and acknowledging them will make you seem more nuanced and mature in your outlook, whether in writing or in a presentation. Giving a balanced answer also helps persuade people because they can see that you've thought carefully about something, examining the pros and cons.

There are two kinds of counterarguments:

1. Counterarguments of opinion
2. Counterarguments of fact 

Here are some phrases to introduce counterarguments of opinion: 

• Some people might say...
• Some people may think...
• Of course... 
• One might object here that... 

Here are some phrases to introduce a counterargument of fact: 

• Though in fact...
• Admittedly... 
• It's true that...
• Of course... 

Concluding a balanced answer requires more complex phrases than a simple one-sided argument. Here are some to use:

• So, all in all... 
• So to wrap up, although [negative point], I definitely think [positive point].
• It's worth it. 
• I'd say the pros outweigh the cons.