The Language of Argument

5 6

C H A P T E R 3 ■ T h e L a n g u a g e o f A r g u m e n t

The difference between an evaluative term and a descriptive term is not

always obvious. To see this, consider the terms “homicide” and “murder.”

The words are closely related but do not mean the same thing. “Homicide”

is a descriptive term meaning “the killing of a human being.” “Murder” is

an evaluative term meaning, in part at least, “the wrongful killing of a human

being.” It takes more to show that something is a murder than it does to

show that something is a homicide.

Just as it is easy to miss evaluative terms because we fail to recognize the

evaluative component built into their meanings, it is also possible to inter-

pret neutral words as evaluative because of positive or negative associations

with the words. The word “nuclear,” for example, has bad connotations for

some people because of its association with bombs and wars, but the word

itself is purely descriptive. To call people nuclear scientists is not to say that

they are bad in any way.

The test for an evaluative term then is this: Does the word explicitly say

that something is good or bad (right or wrong) in a particular way? A word

is not evaluative when it merely suggests evaluation in some special con-

texts. It counts as evaluative only if its semantic content or meaning cannot

be fully explained without using clearly evaluative words.

Indicate whether the following italicized terms are positively evaluative

(E+), negatively evaluative (E–), or simply descriptive (D). Remember, the

evaluations need not be moral evaluations.

1. Janet is an excellent golfer.


2. The group was playing very loudly.


3. The group was playing too loudly.


4. William was rude to his parents.


5. William shouted at his parents.


6. They mistakenly turned right at the intersection.


7. Fascists ruled Italy for almost twenty years.


8. That’s a no-no.


9. Bummer.


10. Debbie lied.


11. Debbie said something false.


12. Joe copped out.


13. Jake is a bully.


14. Mary Lou was a gold medalist.


15. She is sick.


16. He suffers from a hormonal imbalance.

Exercise VI

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