Make Your Point > Archived Issues > ADDUCE

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explore the archives: Today's "adduce" is useful for talking about arguments of all kinds, from the serious to the lighthearted. Another word particularly useful for talking about how people argue and how they reason is tel_______al, meaning "relating to a design or purpose," or in other words, "using something's final effect or function to explain how that thing came to be." I'd written in that issue that if your friend's thinking is tel_______al and yours isn't, or vice versa, you'll never, ever change each other's minds no matter how long or how well you argue with each other. make your point with... "ADDUCE" To adduce something is to offer it as evidence or support for the idea you're trying to prove. Pronunciation: uh DOOSE Part of speech: Transitive verb. (Like "eat," "try," and "want," all transitive verbs do something to an object. You eat a banana, try a game, and want a new phone. Likewise, you adduce something.) Other forms: adduced, adducing, adducible/adduceable (both spellings are accepted; I prefer the first for its similarity to "reducible") How to use it: Whenever people are trying to prove a point, support an opinion, change someone's mind, ask for people's support, or just generally argue, they might be adducing facts, statistics, evidence, reasons, arguments, principles, examples, witnesses, or even excuses. You can also adduce evidence for or against a claim or position, adduce one thing as proof of another thing, or adduce something as an example or an instance of something. For the adjective, talk about adducible evidence, reasons, points, etc. examples: I'm reading a novel right now about the witch trials in colonial America, and I just can't wrap my head around how people got away with adducing such ridiculous evidence. Stuff like, "She looked at me funny, then my cow wouldn't obey me. So she must be a witch." Her research paper intended to support an interesting and unorthodox opinion of one of Shakespeare's plays, but the evidence she adduced was neither relevant nor persuasive. study it now: Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "adduce" means when you can explain it without saying "cite" or "put forth as evidence." try it out: Think of a particular opinion you have or a particular conclusion you've come to, and fill in the blanks: "There are so many _____ I could adduce as evidence of _____." Example: "There are so many episodes I could adduce as evidence of the Futurama writers' brilliance." before you review: Spend at least 20 seconds occupying your mind with the game below. Then try the review questions. Don’t go straight to the review now—let your working memory empty out first. Well-Named Creatures: Some names for animals and other creatures define themselves instantly or after a brief moment’s thought: anteater, grasshopper, hummingbird, seahorse, octopus (eight-foot). But other names deserve some exploration; they hold hidden clues about what the animals look like or what they do. And sometimes the names reveal how baffled people were when they first caught a glimpse of the creatures and tried to name them. This month, I’ll give you the literal meaning of a creature's name, and you come up with what it is. Answers will appear in alphabetical order this month. (Oh, and the answers might be animals, birds, insects, or even extinct creatures.) Enjoy! From yesterday: A "spiny hog" is a p______. Answer: It's a porcupine! From Latin porcus, meaning hog, plus spina. That might make today's question too easy... Try this one today: A "sea hog," or, more literally, a "pork fish" is a p______. review today's word: 1. A pretty close opposite of ADDUCE is A. DENY B. INDICT C. REDUCE 2. The _____ is plausible enough, but no _____ has been adduced for it in the past forty years. A. theory .. evidence B. prediction .. fulfillment C. explanation .. detail Answers are below. a final word: To be a sponsor and send your own message to readers of this list, please contact Liesl at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. Disclaimer: Word meanings presented here are expressed in plain language and are limited to common, useful applications only. Readers interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words are encouraged to check a dictionary. Likewise, word meanings, usage, and pronunciations are limited to American English; these elements may vary across world Englishes. Answers to review questions: 1. A 2. A