Argumentative Writing: How to prove that your opinion is right!

What is Argumentative Writing? Argumentative writing is an essay that states your opinion (thesis statement) about a topic and gives evidence that supports your thesis! Think of it this way… Your friend asks you who you favorite sports team is… You friend asks you what your favorite video game is… Your parent/ guardian said you’re too young for a cell phone…

Argumentative Writing Continued… When you respond to your favorite sports team, video game, or if you should get a cellphone, your friends, parents, and guardians can challenge you on your answer. They may have a differing opinion than what you believe is true. This is when the evidence portion comes in. If you can tell your friend that the New England Patriots are your favorite football team because they have Tom Brady, the statistically best quarterback of all time, you can prove your point. If you tell them that Minecraft is your favorite and the highest selling video game of all time, that is evidence. If you start stating that your other friends have cell phones, that is not evidence and you cannot prove it unless you give a survey and collect evidence.

Analyzing the text/Question The first thing you must do when writing an argumentative essay is analyze the text and question. Example: Should schools still assign homework? First, you need to understand the question. Please discuss what this question is asking. Then, you need to read the article discussing the topic.

Thesis statement After you read, you need to make a decision deciding which side of the argument you support. What are the two possible arguments for this particular article? Example: We should continue to implement homework, or we should not continue to give homework. Your thesis statement is your opinion on the topic. YOUR THESIS CANNOT BE WRONG AS LONG AS YOU SUPPORT IT WITH EVIDENCE.

1st paragraph for argumentative writing The first paragraph needs to have the thesis as your last sentence. The first paragraph needs to discuss what the question is asking and central idea(s) of the article. Example: Homework has been a controversial subject in education for quite some time. Homework has been given for many years by teachers in different grades. There are arguments that homework positively affects students; there are also studies that show homework negatively impacts students. Many people have different ideas about if educators should give homework. Teachers should give homework to help students review content taught, practice skills learned, and encourages independent work ethic.

Reasons (topic sentences) Your argument has to have REASONS why you are arguing for or against a topic. Each paragraph should begin with a reason (or topic sentence). These reasons should be listed in your THESIS. review content taught practice skills learned encourage independent work ethic

Two or Three body paragraphs The two or three body paragraphs deal with EVIDENCE FROM THE ARTICLE THAT SUPPORT YOUR THESIS STATEMENT. THE EVIDENCE NEEDS AN EXPLANATION (ANALYSIS) CLARIFYING HOW THE EVIDENCE SUPPORTS THE THESIS. Example: According to the article, "I think they should have homework. Some of it is about discipline. I want [my daughter] to have fun, but I also want her to be working towards a goal” (pg. 1). Parents want to make sure that their students understand that they have to continue to complete work at home. They want them to have some freedom to play with their friends, but they also want them to realize that sometimes work has to be done during their free time…

Evidence Continued The evidence MUST correlate with your thesis statement. You cannot have evidence that supports the opposite claim or just does not make sense. Example of evidence that supports the opposite claim: “Last year, an elementary school in Quebec banned homework because it was putting too much pressure on students and their parents” (pg. 1). Example of evidence that is nonsense: "I was just thinking maybe I'll keep my daughter here for another year, but this pushed me over the edge” (pg.1). Remember: YOU WANT TO PROVE WHY YOU ARE RIGHT! YOUR EVIDENCE IS GOING TO HELP MAKE YOUR POINT! YOU WANT TO MAKE THE OPPOSITE OPINION LOOK SILLY!

Concluding Paragraph This paragraph should be a summary of your thesis, evidence, and explanation. The first sentence should be your thesis statement re-stated (put into different words). DO NOT PUT “IN CONCLUSION” ANYWHERE IN THE CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH. WE KNOW IT IS THE CONCLUSION; IT IS THE LAST PARAGRAPH WE ARE READING  Example: Educators should continue to give homework. Homework is proven to help students retain the content that was taught throughout the week. It also teaches students responsibility...

Remember: YOU WANT TO SHOW EVERYONE WHY YOU ARE RIGHT! Analyze the text and questions to determine your argument (for or against) Thesis statement (includes your reasons) Reasons (stated individually with evidence and analysis to support) Evidence Explanation (analysis) of the evidence Summary of the paper with the re-stated thesis