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9.3: The Argumentative Essay
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Learning Objectives
- Examine types of argumentative essays
Argumentative Essays
You may have heard it said that all writing is an argument of some kind. Even if you’re writing an informative essay, you still have the job of trying to convince your audience that the information is important. However, there are times you’ll be asked to write an essay that is specifically an argumentative piece.
An argumentative essay is one that makes a clear assertion or argument about some topic or issue. When you’re writing an argumentative essay, it’s important to remember that an academic argument is quite different from a regular, emotional argument. Note that sometimes students forget the academic aspect of an argumentative essay and write essays that are much too emotional for an academic audience. It’s important for you to choose a topic you feel passionately about (if you’re allowed to pick your topic), but you have to be sure you aren’t too emotionally attached to a topic. In an academic argument, you’ll have a lot more constraints you have to consider, and you’ll focus much more on logic and reasoning than emotions.
Argumentative essays are quite common in academic writing and are often an important part of writing in all disciplines. You may be asked to take a stand on a social issue in your introduction to writing course, but you could also be asked to take a stand on an issue related to health care in your nursing courses or make a case for solving a local environmental problem in your biology class. And, since argument is such a common essay assignment, it’s important to be aware of some basic elements of a good argumentative essay.
When your professor asks you to write an argumentative essay, you’ll often be given something specific to write about. For example, you may be asked to take a stand on an issue you have been discussing in class. Perhaps, in your education class, you would be asked to write about standardized testing in public schools. Or, in your literature class, you might be asked to argue the effects of protest literature on public policy in the United States.
However, there are times when you’ll be given a choice of topics. You might even be asked to write an argumentative essay on any topic related to your field of study or a topic you feel that is important personally.
Whatever the case, having some knowledge of some basic argumentative techniques or strategies will be helpful as you write. Below are some common types of arguments.
Causal Arguments
- In this type of argument, you argue that something has caused something else. For example, you might explore the causes of the decline of large mammals in the world’s ocean and make a case for your cause.
Evaluation Arguments
- In this type of argument, you make an argumentative evaluation of something as “good” or “bad,” but you need to establish the criteria for “good” or “bad.” For example, you might evaluate a children’s book for your education class, but you would need to establish clear criteria for your evaluation for your audience.
Proposal Arguments
- In this type of argument, you must propose a solution to a problem. First, you must establish a clear problem and then propose a specific solution to that problem. For example, you might argue for a proposal that would increase retention rates at your college.
Narrative Arguments
- In this type of argument, you make your case by telling a story with a clear point related to your argument. For example, you might write a narrative about your experiences with standardized testing in order to make a case for reform.
Rebuttal Arguments
- In a rebuttal argument, you build your case around refuting an idea or ideas that have come before. In other words, your starting point is to challenge the ideas of the past.
Definition Arguments
- In this type of argument, you use a definition as the starting point for making your case. For example, in a definition argument, you might argue that NCAA basketball players should be defined as professional players and, therefore, should be paid.
https://assessments.lumenlearning.co...essments/20277
Essay Examples
- Click here to read an argumentative essay on the consequences of fast fashion . Read it and look at the comments to recognize strategies and techniques the author uses to convey her ideas.
- In this example, you’ll see a sample argumentative paper from a psychology class submitted in APA format. Key parts of the argumentative structure have been noted for you in the sample.
Link to Learning
For more examples of types of argumentative essays, visit the Argumentative Purposes section of the Excelsior OWL .
Contributors and Attributions
- Argumentative Essay. Provided by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/argumentative-essay/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
- Image of a man with a heart and a brain. Authored by : Mohamed Hassan. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : pixabay.com/illustrations/decision-brain-heart-mind-4083469/. License : Other . License Terms : pixabay.com/service/terms/#license
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When an argumentative essay is assigned by your teacher , it is important to distinguish whether the assignment asks you to : a) Present both sides of the issue equally and objectively OR b) Present your position on the issue as stronger than the opposing position Your thesis statement must reflect clearly the purpose of your essay assignment. ...
An argumentative essay is not: A research-only presentation of facts An exercise in literary self-expression. A report of what various scholars have had to say on a particular topic. A presentation of the latest findings of tests or experiments A presentation of your personal feelings or impressions. So what is an argumentative essay? A ...
4. Write a rough draft. Now at last you are ready to start writing your paper. Start with a short introduction paragraph and then use your outline to draft the body and conclusion. Don't forget to begin each paragraph in the body with a topic sentence that conveys the main argument of that paragraph.
write an argumentative paper. The types of argumentative papers may vary, but there are some important questions to ask before beginning to write any of these types of papers. Answering the following questions can be constructive for the process: There are three basic categories for understanding the research of the argumentative essay. 1.
378 CHAPTER 13 Writing Argumentative Essays W RITING A SUCCESSFUL ARGUMENT Writing takes place in three very broad stages: • what you do before you begin writing • what you do when writing the fi rst draft • what you do after you've completed your draft This chapter shows you how to prepare and write an argument, but you should keep one important point in mind as you read: Although ...
Argumentative Essay Revised by: Brandon Everett Created by: Chris Kildegaard Revised, Fall 2019 An Argumentative, or position, essay is a common genre of academic writing. It requires you to investigate a topic; collect, create, and evaluate evidence; and then establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.
Argumentative Writing and Using Evidence, Spring 2022. 4 of 5. Evidence: A study of New York middle schools found that by extending school lunches to all students, regardless of family income, test scores increased by 0.083 standard deviations in math and 0.059 in English Language Arts for non-poor students, and, though smaller, statistically ...
Your thesis is the central claim in your essay—your main insight or idea about your source or topic. Your thesis should appear early in an academic essay, followed by a logically constructed argument that supports this central claim. A strong thesis is arguable, which means a thoughtful reader could disagree with it and therefore needs
Argumentative essays are also known as "persuasive essays," "opinion essays," or "position papers." In an argumentative essay, the author adopts a position on a debatable issue and uses reason and evidence to convince the reader of his/her opinion. Argumentative essays generally follow this
Make a claim. Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim. Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim) Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives. The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays.
An argumentative essay is a type of writing that requires a writer to support a position on a topic using evidence from literature, historical examples, research or personal experience to support her viewpoint. The writer usually uses several different arguments to prove her point. Getting Started: To write an argument essay, you'll need to ...
Argumentative Essays: Getting Started An argumentative essay takes a position on an issue using logic and evidence to convince readers. Choosing a Debatable Topic and Creating an Argumentative Thesis Since an argumentative essay is an attempt to change the way people think, it should focus on a
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
In an academic argument, you'll have a lot more constraints you have to consider, and you'll focus much more on logic and reasoning than emotions. Figure 1. When writing an argumentative essay, students must be able to separate emotion based arguments from logic based arguments in order to appeal to an academic audience.
Answer the question; keep it relevant. Develop a logical and clearly structured argument. Support and illustrate your argument. Go beyond description to demonstrate critical thinking. Practice writing and proofreading. 3. Plan Your Essay. Every essay needs a strong and clear structure, organized around an argument.
Argumentative Paper Format. *Please note that this is only a sample format. There are multiple ways to organize an argumentative paper. INTRODUCTION. o 1-2 paragraphs tops. o PURPOSE: To set up and state one's claim. o OPTIONAL ELEMENTS. Make your introductory paragraph interesting.
Body paragraph #4: Writing the opposing argument. 1) The opposing argument, called the counterclaim or counterargument, proves that you fully understand the topic and that you have considered the opposition. 2) The turn-back is a return to the original argument. It gives you an opportunity to prove why the opposing argument is invalid.
200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing Education 1. Is cheating getting worse? 2. Should students be able to grade their teachers? 3. Does your school hand out too many a's? 4. Should middle school students be drug tested? 5. Should reading and math be taught in gym class too? 6. How seriously should we take standardized tests? 7.
PERSUASION The Writing Centre Department of English 3 Sample Outline of a Persuasive Essay Topic: Toronto should pass a stricter anti-smoking bylaw Introduction Attention-getter: Over the last few years in Canada, many of the big cities have banned smoking in public places such as bars and restaurants.
response to instruction (Chapelle, Cotos, & Lee, 2015 ). Argumentative essays are difficult to scor e in vivo when the assessment goal is to. guide timely instructional decisions and support ...
In Writing Task 2, test takers will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. They will be expected to write at least 250 words and are advised to spend 40 minutes on this task. The essay should be written in formal, academic English. Time 45 minutes (90 if doing writing in class)
Arrangement of essay is unclear and illogical. The writing lacks a clear sense of direction. Ideas, details or events seem strung together in a loose or random fashion; there is no identifiable internal structure and readers have trouble following the writer's line of thought. Few, forced transitions in the essay or no transitions are present.
Persuasive writing is more personal, more passionate, more emotional. Audience of argumentative writing: Doesn't need an audience to convince. The writer is content with simply putting it out there. Viewpoint used in persuasive writing: Persuasion has a single-minded goal. It is based on a personal conviction that a particular way of thinking ...
An argumentative essay is a type of writing that presents a clear argument or position on a specific topic, supported by evidence and reasoning. The goal is to persuade the reader to understand and perhaps agree with the writer's point of view. ... PDF; Size: 28 KB. Download. 2. Argumentative Classical Model Essay Outline. valenciacollege.edu ...
The Online Writing Lab at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out ...
Body A typical argumentative essay comprises three or more paragraphs that explain the reasons why you support your thesis. Each body paragraph should cover a different idea or piece of evidence and contain a topic sentence that clearly and concisely explains why the reader should agree with your position. Body paragraphs are where you back up your claims with examples, research, statistics ...