WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE

ESSAY

Essay 1

PERSUASION/ARGUMENT

• PERSUASION- REFERS TO THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT AUTHORS ENCOURAGE READERS TO ACCEPT THEIR POSITION

• ARGUMENT-REFERS TO THE USE OF LOGIC AND EVIDENCE TO CONVINCE READERS

CHOOSING A DEBATABLE TOPIC

• PEOPLE MUST DISAGREE ABOUT YOUR TOPIC TO MAKE IT DEBATABLE!!

• A FACTUAL STATEMENT IS ONE ABOUT WHICH PEOPLE DO NOT DISAGREE, AND ARE NOT SUITED FOR AN ARGUMENT PAPER.

• FACTUAL STATEMENT:

• MANY COUNTRIES HOLD POLITICAL PRISONERS.

• DEBATABLE TOPIC:• THE UNITED STATES SHOULD

NOT TRADE WITH COUNTRIES THAT HOLD POLITICAL PRISONERS.

• FACT: First-year students are not required to purchase a meal plan from the university.

• DEBATABLE TOPIC: First-year students SHOULD be required to purchase a meal plan from the university.

ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS

• A THESIS THAT ASSERTS OR DENIES SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR TOPIC.

• THESIS STATEMENT MUST TAKE A STRONG STAND.

ANTITHESIS

• A STATEMENT THAT TAKES AN ARGUABLE POSITION OPPOSITE YOURS.

• THESIS: TERM LIMITS WOULD IMPROVE GOVERNMENT BY BRINGING PEOPLE WITH FRESH IDEAS INTO OFFICE EVERY FEW YEARS.

• ANTITHESIS: TERM LIMITS WOULD HARM GOVERNMENT BECAUSE ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD ALWAYS BE INEXPERIENCED.

PRESENT SUPPORT

•EXAMPLES

•STATISTICS

•EXPERT OPINION

AVOID VAGUE LANGUAGE

• VAGUE--Censorship of the Internet would be wrong.

• CLEARER--Censorship of the Internet would unfairly limit free speech.

HURRAY!! NOW LET’S WRITE OUR ESSAY!!!

• ANY QUESTIONS?????????????