ADJ
- angry, bitter, heated, violent
- big
- I had a big argument with my mother this morning
- little, silly, stupid
VERB + ARGUMENT
- become/get involved in, get into, have
- I don't want to get into an argument with her
- cause, provoke, start
- lose, win
- I was determined to win the argument
ARGUMENT + VERB
- arise, break out, develop, erupt
- Minutes later a violent argument erupted
PREP
- ~ about
- We had an argument about what we should buy
- ~ between
- an argument between her parents
- ~ over
- The argument over decentralization will probably continue for ever
- ~ with
- an argument with his wife
ADJ
- basic, general
- main
- good, major, powerful, sound, strong, valid
- compelling, conclusive, convincing, persuasive
- plausible
- Their argument sounds plausible but is it really valid?
- spurious, tenuous, weak
- balanced
- logical, rational, reasoned
- economic, moral, political, theoretical
VERB + ARGUMENT
- advance, deploy, offer, present, put forward
- He put forward some very convincing arguments
- develop
- This argument is developed further in the next chapter
- illustrate, support, underline
- Do you have any evidence to support your argument?
- consider, hear, listen to
- accept, agree with
- dismiss, reject
- The company dismissed his arguments as alarmist
- counter, refute
- She tried to think how to refute the argument on moral grounds
ARGUMENT + VERB
- be based on sth
- The government's argument is always based on how much such a scheme would cost
- go, run
- Centralized government, so the argument goes, is too far removed from the problems of ordinary citizens
- apply (for sth)
- The same argument applies to fox-hunting
- justify sth
- suggest sth
- These arguments suggest that the medical establishment had an interest in suppressing the research
PREP
- ~ against
- the arguments against increasing taxes
- ~ concerning
- arguments concerning the nature of morality
- ~ for
- There is a very good argument for increasing spending on education
- ~ in favour of
- What are the arguments in favour of change?
PHRASES
- all/both sides of an argument
- He was able to see both sides of the argument
- a flaw in the argument
- I can see no flaw in the argument as she has just explained it
- a line of argument
- I can see a few problems with this line of argument