The Argumentative Essay

Basic Structure of the Argumentative Essay Four Main Sections Intro Developing Your Argument Refuting your “Opponent’s” Arguments Conclusion

Argumentative Essay Outline Intro Hook Background Thesis Developing Your Argument Claim 1 Evidence 1a, 1b, and 1c Claim 2 Evidence 2a, 2b, and 2c Claim 3 Evidence 3a, 3b, and 3c Refuting Opponents’ Arguments Refutation 1 Refutation 2 Conclusion

Section 1: Intro – The Hook (one or two sentences) Your first sentence should grab your reader’s attention. Ex: You are writing an argumentative essay on why American people should start eating insects. Your hook could be: “For those interested in improving their diets and the environment, say ‘goodbye’ to eating chicken, fish, and beef and ‘hello’ to eating worms, crickets, and caterpillars.” A good hook sentence says “Drop everything you’re doing and read me right now,” without actually coming out and saying that. Tips: Know your audience Ask yourself: “Do I know my audience? Mr. Estrada is paid to pay attention to your essays, so try your best to keep him from falling asleep. Write down what matters to your audience. Are they interested in a particular problem? Are they looking for a specific bit of information? Do they want you to know that you understand a particular topic?

Hook – continued Identify the purpose of your writing You can’t just write a good hook sentence because it’s “awesome” Stay consistent with your writing – stay on topic Ex: if you’re writing an argumentative essay, your hook should reflect the strength of your argument by stating a shocking fact. Ex: if you’re writing a love story, you might start off writing a sweet and romantic anecdote Ex: if you’re writing a frightening essay on nuclear warheads, you might select a chilling statistic to begin with Ask yourself: How do I want my audience to feel? Want to make them feel fuzzy? Terrified? Interested in your life story? Write a hook that reflects the feelings that you want your audience to have What do I want my audience to take away? Do you want them to be better educated in a topic? Question reality? Aim to make the audience feel a certain way and what you want them to take away from your work.

Hook - concluded There is more than one way to write a compelling hook that will grab the reader’s attention Tell a humorous anecdote Reveal a startling fact Give an inspirational quote Remember… A good hook sets up expectations about your writing, establishes your credibility as a writer, grabs your audience’s attention, and makes them eager to read your work.

Section 1: Intro – Background Information Dedicated to offering detailed background information on your topic. Answer the following questions: What is the issue at hand? Who cares? Why is it important? Example: “Insects are abundant, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable. Currently, people in the United States shun the idea of eating insects as part of their diets, favoring instead less nutritious and environmentally hazardous options, such as beef and pork. The UN recently issued a statement calling for more world citizens to embrace the many benefits of eating insects.”

Section 1 – Intro – Thesis (argument) Your thesis typically makes up the last sentence of your introductory paragraph. Here you clearly state your position on the topic and give a reason for your stance. Ex: “A diet of insects can help fix problems related to starvation, obesity, and climate change, and therefore, United States citizens should learn to rely on a variety of insects over chicken, beef, and fish as their main source of protein and nutrition.” The word “should” makes it clear that you’re taking a stance on the argument. Notice also that you listed three claims that you’re going to expand on later

Thesis - continued A good thesis statement accomplishes the same thing as a good movie trailer – it shows you highlights, the basic premise, and encourages audiences to see more. Your thesis is your lighthouse – it guides your readers in the stormy sea of claims and evidence It will help keep you, the writer, from getting lost in a convoluted sea of claims and evidence that makes up your essay.

Thesis - Continued Checklist: Thesis is focused and not too broad. Bad: “Eating fast good is bad and should be avoided. Good: “Americans should eliminate the regular consumption of fast good because the fast food diet leads to preventable and expensive health issues, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. What the writer has done is narrowed the argument to the health consequences related to diet of fast food. Focus is on Americans rather than everyone on planet earth. Centered on a debatable topic. Bad: “There are high numbers of homeless people living in Miami, Florida.” This is just a fact, you cannot argue this. Good: “Homeless people in Miami should be given access to services, such as regular food donations, public restrooms, and camping facilities because it would improve life for all inhabitants of the city.” Pick a side Bad: “Secondhand smoke is bad and can cause heart disease and cancer; therefore, smoking should be outlawed in public places, but outlawing smoking is unfair to smokers so maybe non-smokers can just hold their breath or wear masks around smokers instead.” Unclear if you are for or against smoking Good: “Secondhand smoke is just as harmful as smoking and leads to a higher prevalence of cancer and heart disease. What’s worse, people who inhale secondhand smoke are doing so without consent. For this reason, smoking in any public place should be banned.”

Thesis checklist continued Good thesis makes claims that will be supported later in the paper. Bad: “Humans should relocate to Mars.” Doesn’t include any supporting claims. Why should humans move to Mars? What are the benefits of moving to a planet without oxygen or trees? Good: “It is too late to save earth; therefore, humans should immediately set a date for their relocation to Mars where, with proper planning, they can avoid issues of famine, war, and global warming.” This statement includes thought-provoking claims. The reader will wonder what the author (you) plans to defend them.

Thesis Statement Examples Government Surveillance is Harmful Government surveillance programs do more harm than good because they invade civil liberties, lead innocent people to suffer unfair punishments, and ultimately fail to protect the citizens that they are designed to safeguard. For these reasons, programs such as PRISM operated by the NSA should be discontinued. Our School is Too Dependent on Technology Our school’s dependence on technology has caused students to lose the ability to think independently. This dependence has caused a greater prevalence of mood disorders, memory loss, and loneliness. Educators should combat these issues by requiring students to participate in regular technology detoxes. Marijuana should be legalized Marijuana has numerous medical applications, such as treating symptoms of epilepsy, cancer, and glaucoma. Legalizing the use of marijuana in the U.S. will greatly benefit the medical sector by giving physicians access to this lifesaving drug.

Our Introduction from the Examples Used in these Notes. For those interested in improving their diets and the environment, say ‘goodbye’ to eating chicken, fish, and beef and ‘hello’ to eating worms, crickets, and caterpillars. Insects are abundant, nutritious, and environmentally sustainable. Currently, people in the United States shun the idea of eating insects as part of their diets, favoring instead less nutritious and environmentally hazardous options, such as beef and pork. The UN recently issued a statement calling for more world citizens to embrace the many benefits of eating insects. A diet of insects can help fix problems related to starvation, obesity, and climate change, and therefore, United States citizens should learn to rely on a variety of insects over chicken, beef, and fish as their main source of protein and nutrition.