下面将这十大论证方法一一讲解。
首先，有必要将下面讲解所涉及的概念解释一下。每一个论证方法将按照论点、论据和推理依据的顺序讲解。大家都知道，凡是议论文必然有论点、论据和论证三要素。论点和论据好理解，而论证就是用论据支持论点的过程。但用论据支持论点是否有效，关键在于由论点到论据有没有足够的推理依据。推理依据不成立，论证就是无效论证。
这里顺便讲一下ARGUMENT的解题思路：每一道ARGUMENT题目本身都是一个从论据到论点的论证过程：其中有观点，有论据。这个从论据到论点的论证过程会出现诸多大大小 小逻辑链条。只要我们能证明ARGUMENT题目中的论者在任何一个逻辑链条上出了问题，那 么，其推理/论证就不能成立。
所以，对于ARGUMENT,我们的任务只有一个：从两到三个方面证明题目在哪些逻辑链条上出了问题，以至于其由论据到论点/结论的推理依据不成立。 而ARGUMENT所有的分析切入点，就是这里将要谈到的十大论证技巧。正是在这十大论证技 巧里面，大家完全可以发现ISSUE和ARGUMENT两种不同写作任务之间互济相通的乐趣。
一、演绎推理论证法
将一个具体的事例运用到一个一般性原则从而得出结论。例如：
论点：Demand for this product will go up.
论据：The price of the product is sliding.
推理依据： Whenever prices of a product go down, demand for it rises.
(说明：由论据“The price of the product is sliding” 推出论点 “Demand for this product will go up”，这个过程是否有效取决于推理依据 “Whenever prices of a product go down, demand for it rises"是否成立。下面每一种论证方法都是如此。)
二、定义法
界定一个概念的关键内涵;或者认定某个亊物符合某个定义，从而得出结论。例如：
论点：Radical feminists are not good citizens.
论据：Radical feminists lack family values.
推理依据：Family values characterize the good citizen.
三、因果关系论证法
将一个判断放入一个因果关系中，指出它或者是原因，或者是结果。例如：
论点：The Internet may be causing depression.
论据：When a group of people increased their use of the Internet, they felt depressed.
推理依据：There are no other reasons for the group’s depression.
四、归纳推理论证法
从若干个具体亊例中推出共性的一般结论。例如:
论点：Everyone likes the movie.
论据：I know three people who like the movie.
推理依据：Three examples are enough.
五、列举特征式论证法
指出某事物发生或者存在的征候或迹象。例如：
论点：The child has chickenpox.
论据：The child has red spots.
推理依据：These spots are signs of chickenpox
六、类比论证法
用我们已知的、熟悉的事物同未知的、不熟悉的事物加以比较，并用前者的情况解释后者 的情况。分为三种：纵向类比(过去的事物同现在的、同一类事物的类比)、横向类比(同一 时期、同一类事物之间的类比)、比喻式类比(不同类别亊物之间的类比)。例如：
1.纵向类比(Historical Analogy)
论点：Many people will die of SARS.
论据：Many people died of the Black Death.
推理依据：SARS and Black Death are similar.
2.横向类比(Literal Analogy)
论点：China should have its fighter carriers.
论据：A neighboring country has a powerful carrier fleet.
推理依据：The two countries are similar enough to draw such a comparison.
3.比喻式类比(Metaphorical Analogy)
论点：Reading a difficult book should take time.
论据： Digesting a large meal takes time.
推理依据：Reading and eating are sufficiently alike to be compared.
七、引用权威论证法
引用公认的权威，或者论证自己就是权威从而对自己的观点加以论证。例如:
论点：China’s economy will grow 8 percent this year.
论据：Professors and scientists say so.
推理依据：These experts are reliable.
八、诉诸常识法
利用人们的常识[包括：普遍性的价值观念(universal values such as freedom, equality, supremacy of life, dignity and pursuit of happiness )、人们的普遍动机(public motives: desire for love, shelter, food, security, wealth, knowledge, etc. )、生活常识(widely-accepted ideas and practices in life)进行论证。例如：
1、诉诸普遍性的价值观念(Universal Values)
论点：The university curriculum should be multicultural.
论据：A multicultural curriculum will contribute to equality and acceptance.
推理依据： You value equality and acceptance.
2、诉诸普通动机(Public Motives)
论点：You should support this candidate premier.
论据：The candidate can help you get job security and safe neighborhoods.
推理依据：You want job security and safe neighborhoods.
3、诉诸生活常识(Widely-accepted Ideas and Practices in Life)
论点：She was very kind to me.
论据：She treated me with the best tea she had.
推理依据： A treatment with the best tea is an expression of kindness.
九、反证法
假设一个观点是正确的，然而却推导出荒谬的结论。例如：
论点：An industrious man must also be thrifty.
论据：With only industry but without thrift, the person will end up bankrupt.
推理依据：An industrious person ending up bankrupt sounds absurd.
十、统计数据论证法
提供数据，以资论证。例如：
论点：We should end the current poverty-relief program.
论据：It costs $45 million per year.
推理依据：This is too much; it proves we should end it.
在实际的论证过程中，我们可能并不需要给出推理依据，而只是直接拿论据去证明论点。 比如，在演绎推理法的例子中，如果我们想证明论点“Demand for this product will go up”的正 确性，我们通常只需给出论据“The price of the product is sliding”就行了。这是因为读者的思想意识一般都已经有了，或者都已经认可了 “Whenever prices of a product go down, demand for it rises”这个逻辑前提。但有时为了充分说明问题，作者也需要将推理依据及其合理性加以说 明，并给出证明。比如，在引用权威法的例子中，为了证明论点“China’s economy will grow 8 percent this year”，我们会首先给出论据“Professors and scientists say so”。但为了使我们的论证更为可信，我们会进一步说明并证明推理依据“These expem are reliable”。
