argumentative essay examples praxis

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Ultimate Guide to the Praxis Essay Scoring Rubric

Scoring rubric for the praxis argumentative essay.

• Has a clear thesis
• Is well organized and developed with strong connections between ideas
• Includes thoughtfully chosen reasons, examples, or details that support the main idea
• Demonstrates variety in sentence structure
• Demonstrates a command of the English language
• Contains few (if any) errors in grammar and usage
• Is organized and developed with connections between ideas
• Includes reasons, examples, or details that support the main idea
• Demonstrates some variety in sentence structure
• Demonstrates competence in the English language
• Contains few errors in grammar and usage
• Has a thesis
• Is organized and developed
• Includes some reasons, examples, or details that support the main idea
• Is generally free of grammar/usage errors
• Only weakly develops its thesis
• Needs more organization and development
• Includes reasons, examples, or details that are not adequate to support the main idea
• Contains several errors in grammar/usage
• Does not clearly define its thesis
• Lacks organization and development
• Fails to include enough reasons, examples, or details
• Commits several serious errors in language, grammar, usage, and/or mechanics
• Has serious writing errors that detract from understanding the ideas; or
• is not coherent; or
• is almost completely lacking in development.

Scoring Rubric for the Praxis Source Text Essay

• Explains well why the concerns are important with supportive examples, reasons, and details that tie the two sources together
• Includes information from both sources to explain the pertinent issues in the texts and cites the sources when paraphrasing or quoting
• Explains why the concerns are important with supportive examples, reasons, and details that tie the two sources together
• Explains why the concerns are important with examples, reasons, and details that touch on both sources
• Only weakly develops explanations of the importance of the concerns
• Works with only one source or does not adequately cover both sources
• Uses reasons, examples, or details that are not adequate to support the main idea
• Commits several errors in grammar/usage
• Fails to consistently cite the sources
• Does not demonstrate understanding of the importance of the concerns
• Works with only one source
• Does not cite the sources even when paraphrasing or quoting
• Is not coherent; or

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How to Create a Solid Essay for the Praxis Core Exam

Praxis core.

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The standard five-paragraph essay is an excellent way to organize an essay for the Praxis Core, and this method is the most frequently taught form of writing in the classroom. You may find, however, that only one or two middle paragraphs are sufficient to fully develop your thesis.

Making an outline: Essential or overrated?

Although a formal outline isn’t necessary, getting organized is essential. After you’ve read the directions and the prompt, restate the prompt in your own words. Be sure you understand what the prompt is asking you to do.

If you’re writing the argumentative essay, think about your viewpoint. If you’re working on the informative/explanatory essay, read the source material. Then, for either essay, formulate a rough thesis.

Next, take a mental inventory. What examples or experiences can you relate to the topic? Write them down. In what order will you arrange these supporting details? Number them. Reread the prompt. Are your supporting details relevant? Make adjustments and rewrite your thesis, if necessary. You should spend no more than five to seven minutes on these tasks.

A common maxim regarding essay writing is, “Tell them what you are going to tell them, tell them, and then tell them what you told them.” Although a bit simplistic, this is still good advice to keep in mind when you’re organizing your writing.

Looking at the sections of your essay

Keep in mind that good writing of any kind requires an excellent thesis, topic sentences, and well-organized supporting details as well as a strong conclusion.

Here’s a breakdown of how to structure each paragraph in your essay:

First paragraph

Craft a short introduction.

State your position, which is your thesis. (Here’s your chance to make a good first impression. Best foot forward!)

Middle paragraphs

Begin with a topic sentence related to your thesis.

Provide specific examples, details, and/or experiences. Explain why these are important and how they relate to your thesis. If you’re working on the argumentative essay, what benefits can occur as a result of your point of view?

End each paragraph with a strong final sentence relating to the thesis.

Read the prompt again to be sure everything you wrote relates to it!

Put a bow on it! Tie up your ideas into one neat package. Avoid merely summarizing.

Restate your position if this is the argumentative essay.

Sum up the supporting details.

Drive your point home.

Works Cited

List the sources to which you refer in your essay.

Be sure to format your sources properly.

After you have organized your thoughts, begin writing your essay. Be sure to save the last four or five minutes to proofread, correcting spelling and grammar.

Don’t box yourself in: Theses aren’t set in stone

After you’ve written your thesis and begun to develop it in your middle paragraphs, you may find that an adjustment is in order. You may discover while writing your examples or experiences that your thesis statement has evolved and could be better.

Write your revised statement. After you’ve completed your essay, revisit your revised thesis and reread the prompt. If your revised thesis is better, change it.

Citing the sources

When you write the informative/explanatory essay, you must cite any outside sources you quote or paraphrase. You can cite sources within the body of the text several different ways:

You can cite a source by including the author’s name in the sentence you are writing. Be sure to use quotation marks when quoting directly.

According to Mary Lucas, “Children learn best by doing.”

If you paraphrase, you must still cite your source:

Mary Lucas believes that children can learn best by doing.

You can cite a source by writing the last name of the author in parentheses at the end of the sentence before the period:

Children learn best by doing (Lucas).

At the end of your essay, include a “Works Cited” section. Generally, the works cited section should include the name of the author (last name, first name, and middle name or initial), the name of the article (if appropriate), the name of the publication, the city of publication, and the year of publication for each source used. The following list provides generic templates for various types of sources:

Books: Author’s last name, first name and middle name/initial. Title of Book . Place of publication: Publishing company, year of publication.

Encyclopedias: Author’s last name, first name and middle name/initial. “Article Name.” Title of Encyclopedia . Year of edition.

Magazines: Author’s last name, first name and middle name/initial. “Article Name.” Title of Magazine . Day of month (if applicable) Month year: page number(s) of article.

Websites: Author’s last name, first name and middle name/initial. “Title of Article/Document.” Title of Site . Ed. Name of editor (first name last name). Date of publication or most recent update. Name of organization associated with site. Date of when you accessed the document. < http://www.websiteaddress.com >

Checking out some additional writing pointers

Here are some general, but important, tips to keep in mind as you write your essays:

Be careful to address only the assigned topic. Don’t wander off course — no sudden left turns.

Don’t leave anything out. Address every point, but be concise. Be specific; make every word count.

Provide clear support for your points. Imagine that for every point you make, someone asks, “So what?” Be sure you have an answer. Doing this keeps your writing relevant.

Pay attention to grammar, usage, and mechanics. Errors here will cost you points.

Use transitions to make your words flow from idea to idea and paragraph to paragraph.

Vary the length and structure of your sentences.

Avoid passive voice. Use active verbs whenever possible.

Include correct citation, whether you paraphrase or quote directly from the source.

About This Article

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Engl 1030 academic argument research essay (prof. crew).

• Your assignment
• Identifying your topic
• Useful databases for researching media-related topics

Examples of argumentative pro/con writing

• Using AI Tools
• Citation help

For this research paper, the goal is to make a solid argument supported with research, facts, and/or data about a media-related issue. It may be useful to browse individual reports in CQ Researcher, a database that provides in-depth, unbiased reports on a wide range of current issues and controversial topics. Each report is written by experienced journalists and experts and includes an overview of the issue, background information, a timeline of events, and opposing viewpoints to help users understand all sides of a debate.

• CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Award winning in-depth coverage of reports are written by experienced journalists, footnoted and professionally fact-checked. Full-length articles include an overview, historical background, chronology, pro/con feature, plus resources for additional research. Graphics, photos and short sidebar features round out the reports.
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• Last Updated: Oct 16, 2024 11:43 AM
• URL: https://guides.library.ucmo.edu/ENGL1030Crew

How to Write A Source-based Essay for Praxis Core Writing

There are two essay prompts at the end of the Praxis Core Writing Exam. The first prompt asks you to write about your personal opinions. The second essay requires you to write about the opinions of others. In this second Source-based essay, you’ll read two passages about the same issue. The passages will be written by different authors who hold conflicting opinions about the issue.

The issues in the Source-based Essay are very similar to the issues raised in the Argumentative Essay. In both cases, you’ll be asked to write about an important social issue that some people may find controversial—something like global warming, copyright restrictions, minimum wage, how to help the homeless, and so on. But unlike the argumentative essay, the source-based essay doesn’t ask for your personal opinion. Instead, you simply need to summarize the opinions of the two passage writers.

Many test-takers find summarization to be a bit easier than coming up with an original opinion. Indeed, the task of choosing and defending an opinion on an important societal issue be intimidating. But summarizing multiple sources poses its own challenges as well. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to do.

Challenge # 1: Getting the facts right

Unless your essay response doesn’t address the topic at all, there’s no such thing as a completely “right” or “completely “wrong” answer on the Praxis Core essays. However, it is possible to summarize the information from the passages in a way that will be “wrong” in the eyes of the ETS scorers who review your Source-based Essay.

As you summarize both readings, be very careful not to misinterpret what’s being said. A clear misstatement of fact can hurt your score a lot . And a failure to understand or properly restate the opinions in the passages can also cost you dearly.

It’s just as important to make sure that you summarize all of the key facts and arguments. Be aware of how both arguments are constructed, and understand the central ideas and evidence each author uses. Include all important information from the original writings in your source-based essay. Again, leaving something important out will make your summary inaccurate and hurt your score.

Challenge # 2: Create a well-constructed argument

As you look at the heading immediately above, you may be thinking “Hey wait a minute! You said to summarize, not make an argument!” Yes, I know that we’re talking about the Source-based essay now, not the Argumentative Essay. But in the Source-based essay, you still need to put forth an argument… in a sense.

As the Praxis Core Writing Study Companion indicates on pages 35-40, you are expected to put forth an argument in your Source-based essay. But in this case, you don’t need to choose your own argument, as you would in the Core Writing Argumentative Essay. Instead, the argument is chosen for you—the Praxis specifically wants you to assert that the issue covered in the passages in an important one. You will further be expected to claim that there is significant public debate surrounding the issue at hand.

To support the argument that the essay prompt issue is an important matter of public debate, you’ll use information from both passages as evidence. The writers of the passages clearly find the issue important—otherwise they wouldn’t be writing opinionated articles about the issue. Look for author-provided evidence of the subject matter’s importance. Then look at the distinct opinions in each piece of writing. Compare these opinions side-by-side to demonstrate the nature of the controversy surrounding the topic.

Challenge # 3: Be objective

Remember that you’re not putting forth your own opinion on this second Core Writing essay. You’re merely summarizing the opinions of others, as seen in separate opinion pieces on the same topic. The idea here isn’t to side with one opinion or the other. Instead you’ll be expected to write a factual report on the issue from the two passages, taking the perspectives of both authors into account. In other words, you’re writing about a social issue and a debate related to the social issue, rather than actually taking a side within a social issue debate.

Never let your personal opinion distract you from the skills being tested in the Praxis Core Source-based Essay: reading comprehension and summarizations. And be sure to consciously shift gears as you begin this second essay task. Many students unthinkingly stay in “personal opinion mode” as they start to write the source-based essay, because they’ve just finished defending their own opinion the inital argument-based essay prompt on the test.

Challenge # 4: Keep an eye on the quality of your writing

On the Praxis Core, the key “good writing” components of the Argumentative Essay are also essential for a top-scoring Source-based Essay. To score well in this second Praxis Core essay, you need to have a logical progression of ideas that is expressed through error-free writing, just as you would in the first Core Writing Essay prompt.

David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles , his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram , or connect with him via LinkedIn !

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3 responses to “How to Write A Source-based Essay for Praxis Core Writing”

Hi! Thank you for the help. I have one question…when I cite in my paragraphs, am I able to copy and paste on the Praxis? I am somewhat of a slow typer. I can not find any information on that…thanks!

I’ll be honest– I’m not sure if the current Praxis Core Writing test allows for this. What I can tell you is that when I took the online Prais Core test a few years ago, it wasn’t possible to copy and paste from the question prompt. However, if you typed the citation into the text once, you could then cut and paste it elsewhere, multiple times. I can also tell you that the GRE and TOEFL, two other major tests that operate on ETS software (as the Praxis does), currently have this cut and paste function for essays.

So it’s likely that you’ll have to type a citation once, but can copy any repeats of the citation. To find out for sure, I recommend purchasing the current version of the official computer-based practice exam for Core Writing . That test will show you which cut or copy and paste functions are possible. And it’s a great source of practice questions and answer explanations.

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