Argumentative Essay Writing, Study notes of Technical English

Download Argumentative Essay Writing and more Study notes Technical English in PDF only on Docsity! Matthew Barbee, 2015 1 Name_______________________________________________ Class____________ In an argumentative essay, your job is make the reader agree with your opinion about a controversial topic. You have to (1) state your opinion, (2) give reasons to support your opinion, and (3) argue against the opposite opinion. Overall, you must convince the audience that your side of the argument is correct. To convince the audience, your essay must be balanced—it must include your viewpoint and the opposing viewpoint, or counterargument. Even though you are arguing only one side of an issue, you must think about what the other side would say about your opinion. After you give the counterargument, you must refute it by showing that it is wrong. If your essay is balanced, a reader is more likely to agree with you. ORGANIZATION The most common type of argumentative essay has six paragraphs. Like all essays, it begins with an introduction and ends with a conclusion. In between are the body paragraphs where you must do three things: support your opinion, present the opposing point of view, and tell why that viewpoint is wrong. INTRODUCTION Paragraph 1 Hook Connecting/Background Information Main idea Statement/Thesis Statement BODY Paragraph 2 Support 1 (first reason)  Explanation, detail, example  Explanation, detail, example Paragraph 3 Support 2 (second reason)  Explanation, detail, example  Explanation, detail, example Paragraph 4 Support 3 (third reason)  Explanation, detail, example  Explanation, detail, example Paragraph 5 Opposite Side  Counterargument 1  Refutation (ATTACK)  Counterargument 2  Refutation (ATTACK) CONCLUSION Paragraph 6 Repeat your thesis statement in different words Suggestion/Opinion/Prediction for the future Studying an Argumentative Essay The following essay argues for the use of school uniforms. Discuss the Preview Questions with the class. Then read the example essay and answer the questions that follow. Preview Questions 1. Did you wear a uniform when you went to school? 2. Some people believe that children are too materialistic these days. For example, they may be too interested in wearing expensive brand name clothes. What is your opinion? Argumentative Essay Writing The School Uniform Question 1 Individualism is a fundamental part of society in many countries. a fundamental: Most people believe in the right to express their own opinion without fear essential, basic of punishment. This value, however, is coming under fire in an unlikely place—the public school classroom. The issue is school uniforms. Should a public school: a school run by the state government and paid for by taxes public school students be allowed to make individual decisions about clothing, or should all students be required to wear a uniform? School uniforms are the better choice for three reasons. 2 First, wearing school uniforms would help make students’ lives simpler. They would no longer have to decide what to wear every morning, sometimes trying on outfit after outfit in an effort to choose. Uniforms would not only save time but also would eliminate the stress often associated with this chore. 3 Second, school uniforms influence students to act responsibly in groups and as individuals. Uniforms give students the message that school is a special place for learning. In addition, uniforms create a feeling of unity among students. For example, when students do something as a group, such as attend meetings in the auditorium or eat lunch in the cafeteria, the fact that they all wear the same uniform gives them a sense of community. Even more important, statistics show the positive effects that school uniforms have on violence and truancy. According to a recent truancy: absence survey ina large school district in Florida, incidents of school violence without permission dropped by 50 percent, attendance and test scores improved, and student suspensions declined approximately 30 percent after school uniforms were introduced. 4 Finally, school uniforms would help make all the students feel equal. Students’ standards of living differ greatly from family to family, and some people are well-off while others are not. People sometimes well-off: wealthy forget that school is a place to get an education, not to promote a “fashion show. Implementing mandatory school uniforms would make all to implement: to put the students look the same regardless of their financial status. School into effect uniforms would promote pride and help to raise the self-esteem of students who cannot afford to wear expensive clothing. 5 Opponents of mandatory uniforms say that students who wear school uniforms cannot express their individuality. This point has some merit on the surface. However, as stated previously, school is a place to learn, not to flaunt wealth and fashion. Society must decide if individual to flaunt: to show off, expression through clothing is more valuable than improved educational display performance. It is important to remember that school uniforms would be worn only during school hours. Students can express their individuality in the way that they dress outside of the classroom. 6 In conclusion, there are many well-documented benefits of implementing mandatory school uniforms for students. Studies show that students learn better and act more responsibly when they wear uniforms. Public schools should require uniforms in order to benefit both the students and society as a whole. Matthew Barbee, 2015 Matthew Barbee, 2015 5 Here is a Pro & Con T-Chart for an essay about cell-phones being allowed in classrooms. Thesis statement: Cell phones should not be allowed in university classrooms. PRO CON 1. Cell phones distract students from learning if they send messages or play games in class. 2. Cell phones might ring in class and disturb the teacher. 3. Students could use cell phones to cheat on tests. 1. Cell phones can easily be turned off and kept out of sight. 2. University students are not children and cellphones are important in an emergency. 3. Cell phones can be useful tools for education such a being used as a dictionary or to make memos. Brainstorming Supporting Ideas Read the thesis statements and complete the Pro & Con T-charts. Write three ideas to support each statement. Then write three ideas against each statement. Finally, choose an original topic and write a thesis statement of your own. Then fill in the pros and cons for your new topic. 1. Thesis statement: Adults should be required to pass a test before they can become parents. PRO CON 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 2. Thesis statement: The drinking age in Japan should be lowered to 18 years old. PRO CON 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. 3. ORIGINAL Thesis statement: _____________________________________________________________ PRO CON 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. ACTIVITY Matthew Barbee, 2015 6 Name_______________________________________________ Class____________ Brainstorming will help you get started with your argumentative essay. In this section, you will choose a topic for your essay, write your thesis statement, think about several supporting ideas for your opinion, and think about the counterargument. Planning your Essay Follow the steps below to develop ideas for an argument essay. 1. First, choose any other topic and thesis statement that you want to write about. Remember that the topic must have more than one point of view to qualify as an argument. Essay topic: _____________________________________________________________________________ Thesis statement: ________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Now brainstorm ideas about your topic. Fill out the Pro & Con T-Chart with as many ideas as you can. PRO CON 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 3. Look at your Pro & Con T-chart again. Choose three reasons from your PRO list that support your thesis most effectively and circle them. You now know what your major supporting information will be. 4. Now give attention to opposing points of view. In the box below, choose two counterarguments from your CON list and write a refutation for each. Counterargument (from CON list) Refutation (ATTACK - Why is it wrong?) 1. 2. Original Student Writing: Argument Essay ACTIVITY Matthew Barbee, 2015 7 Planning with an Outline Try to complete the following outline before you begin writing your essay. You may use more support sentences if you need. And try to use complete sentences when it is possible. 1. Introduction (Paragraph 1) A. Hook: ____________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ B. Connecting Information: ______________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ C. Thesis Statement: __________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Body A. First Reason (Paragraph 2) topic sentence: _______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________ B. Second Reason (Paragraph 3) topic sentence: ____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________ C. Third Reason (Paragraph 4) topic sentence: ______________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ 1. _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________________________________ D. Counterargument (Paragraph 5) 1. Counterargument #1: ___________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Refutation (attack): _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 2. Counterargument #2: ___________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Refutation (attack): _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Conclusion (Paragraph 6) A. Restated Thesis: ____________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ B. Opinion/Suggestion/Prediction: _______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY Su p p o rt Su p p o rt Su p p o rt