The General Argument Essay

The second type of essay on the Advanced English Language exam is the argumentative essay.

Because it is often seen as a "give away," many students believe it to be the easiest of the three essays to write. Unfortunately, too many students spend too little time in the actual planning of this essay and, as a result, present an underdeveloped, illogical, or off-topic piece.

Although there is a great deal of latitude given for the response to the prompt, the argumentative essay demands careful reading and planning.

The General Argument EssayIt is designed as a “contemporary

issues” question, but actually, it is really a “values” question. ◦What are your values? What do you

think our society should value? What should a moral, thoughtful, or reflective society consider its most important strengths?

These fundamental issues are inherent to this type of question.

The PromptThe prompt itself is set up by a

brief passage from fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.

The passage can be as long as half a page or as brief as two lines.

It provides you with a spokesperson for an issue – an opinion is offered – and then you are asked to agree, disagree, or qualify that opinion based on your own experience and/or reading.

What exactly am I being asked to do? The argument essay tends to be the

shortest of the three prompts and usually comes last on the exam (Question 3).

Good news is that graders are usually slightly more accepting of shorter written responses (not lacking quality though!) due to limited time constraints.

The prompt presents some sort of quote/maxim or national/global dilemma that you will need to agree or disagree with by providing original examples.

What Does the Argumentative Essay Require of Me?

Basically, you need to do three things:

1. understand the nature of the position taken in the prompt

2. take a specific stand—argue, qualify, or disagree—with the assertion in the prompt

3. clearly and logically support your claim

Identify the ClaimWhen you deal with a general argument

prompt, there are essentially three things you must do:

1. First – and this is absolutely vital – you must understand the claim being made by the author.

2. Second, you need to perceive the larger social context and express feelings about it.

3. Finally – and this is also crucial – you are being asked to make your argument using examples from your own experience.

What Does It Mean to Agree, Disagree, or Qualify?Once you understand what the passage

is saying, you have to ask yourself: ◦Do I think about this subject in the same

way as the writer/speaker? (Agree; Support; Defend)

◦Do I think the writer/speaker is totally wrong? (Disagree; Challenge; Refute)

◦Do I think some of what is said is correct and some incorrect? (Qualify)

◦Regardless of the synonyms used, these are the three choices you will have.

Qualify – What does it mean? A brief word about qualifying:

qualifying means simply that you can see some good points and some not good points about an idea. You might decide that this concept might work well for local government issues but would never be successful for the entire country, or the idea was great one hundred years ago but wouldn’t work today. Be clear on your discussion about the positives and negatives you see.

How Should I Approach the Writing of My Argumentative Essay?

Before beginning to actually write the essay, you need to do some quick planning. ◦You could brainstorm a list of ideas,

construct a chart, or create an outline.

Whatever it is, you MUST find a way to allow yourself to think through the issue and your position.

Challenge: Disagreeing with reasonsI think the author is mistaken because he

overlooks ______________.

The author’s claim that _________ rests upon the questionable assumption that __________.

I disagree with the author’s view that ________ because _________.

By focusing on ___________, the author overlooks the deeper problem of __________.

Defend: AgreeingI agree that _________ because

my experience _______ confirms it.

I agree that ________, a point that needs emphasizing since so many people belive _____________.

Qualifying: Agreeing and Disagreeing at the same time. Although I agree with ____ up to a point, I

cannot accept his overall conclusion that ____.

Although I disagree with _____, I fully endorse his conclusion that ______.

Though I conceded that ______ is true (or false), I still insist that _______.

I’m of two minds about this claim. On the one hand, I agree that ______. On the other hand, I am not sure that _______.

Once I've Chosen My Position on the Given Issue, How Do I Go About Supporting It?

Here is a brief overview of the kinds of support/evidence you could include:

◦ — facts/statistics◦ — contrast and comparison◦ — quotations◦ — dialogue◦ — needed definitions◦ — recognition of the opposition

Just make certain to choose the strategy or strategies that are most familiar to you and with which you feel most comfortable. Don't try to pad your essay with irrelevancies.

— examples— anecdotes— details— cause and effect— appeal to authority

What can I use as evidence in my argument essay?

H – History – historical documents, events, people, documentaries, news programs, monuments, wars, political speeches, etc. O – Observations – things or events you have

witnessed or know of due to the news other people (use sparingly)P – Print – books, newspapers, articles, anything having to do with the written wordE – Experience – material from your actual life, but must be pertinent! Think “life-altering” or

“earth shattering” This is College Board, not Texas EOC. They want to hear an argument, not your life story.

How to Approach the PromptRead it carefully (multiple times).

Decode unfamiliar vocabulary. Do you know any background on

the prompt? Know who your audience is. Try

to make a connection with them. All arguments call for a response

– think about the people your argument will engage.

Does It Matter What Tone I Take in My Argumentative Essay?The College Board and the AP Comp

readers are open to a wide range of approaches.

You can choose to be informal and personal, formal and objective, or even humorous and irreverent, and anything in between. Just be certain that your choice is appropriate for your purpose.

Will I Be Penalized for Taking an Unpopular, Unexpected, Irreverent, or Bizarre Position on the Given Issue?

As long as you are addressing the prompt and appropriately supporting your position, there is no danger of your losing points on your essay, because you've decided to take a different approach.

Your essay is graded for process and mastery and manipulation of language, not for how close you come to the viewpoint of your grader.

How Should I Plan to Spend My Time Writing the Argumentative Essay?

Learning to budget your time is a skill that can be most helpful in writing the successful essay. The following is a sample timeline:

◦1–3 minutes reading and working the prompt◦3 minutes deciding on a position◦10–12 minutes planning the support of your

position◦20 minutes writing the essay◦3 minutes proofreading

Organization: Pre-WritingThere is a relatively easy three-step process you

should follow before you begin to write your essay:

1. Step one is to critically read the passage and underline anything that clearly defines the author’s claim.

2. Step two is to set forth your immediate reaction to the issue in a few words: are you for it, against it, or ambivalent toward it?

3. Step three is to make a list of viable, thoughtful examples you can use to help illustrate your argument.

Organization: WritingYou should start by identifying and restating the

fundamental claim and then indicate to the grader whether you intend to agree, disagree, or qualify.

Your subsequent paragraphs should discuss the quality and meaning of your various examples and then close with a summarizing statement. When you write the essay, don’t just drop the examples into the

paragraphs. You must include them with elaboration and commentary, identifying their relevance to and importance in your argument.

Remember: 1. Formulate your opinion. 2. Explain your evidence.

General Argument Prompt Read and think carefully about the

following quotation. Then write an essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify Voltaire’s claim. Make sure to use appropriate evidence from literary, historical, or personal sources to develop your argument.

It is dangerous to be right in matters about which the established authorities are wrong.

 --Voltaire