ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

WHAT IT IS NOT... 0 THIS IS NOT RHETORICAL ANALYSIS – YOU MAY OF COURSE USE RHETORICAL STRATEGIES IN YOUR WRITING TO IMPROVE STYLE AND VOICE BUT DO NOT DISCUSS THE WRITER’S DICTION, SYNTAX, ETC, IN THIS ESSAY.

STEP ONE 0 1. ALWAYS READ THE PROMPT CAREFULLY – ALL YOUR RESPONSES SHOULD ADDRESS THE PROMPT! 0 “Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant. “ 0 —Horace 0 Consider this quotation about adversity from the Roman poet Horace. Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies Horace’s assertion about the role that adversity (financial or political hardship, danger, misfortune, etc.) plays in developing a person’s character. Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience.

TO USE THE I OR NOT? 0 NO HARD AND FAST RULE ABOUT THIS ONE BUT CONSIDER THESE TWO EXAMPLES... 0 I CHALLENGE HORACE’S CLAIM THAT ADVERSITY ELICITS TALENTS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE LAIN DORMANT. 0 HORACE’S CLAIM IS WRONG, ADVERSITY DOES NOT ELICIT TALENTS THAT OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE LAIN DORMANT.

NOT ALL PROMPTS ARE CHALLENGE, DEFEND, QUALIFY 0 Think about the differing views of ownership. Then write an essay in which you explain your position on the relationship between ownership and sense of self. Use appropriate evidence from your reading, experience, or observations to support your argument.

How to improve your Essay scores! 0 It is essential to address the prompt and tie all ideas back to the prompt! 0 Concrete Illustrations of Abstract Ideas. Every paragraph will present concrete examples. Every single one. It is simply a must. Ideas that exist only in the mind are rarely convincing because your audience cannot see how they apply in the real world.

STEP TWO – WRITING THE INTRODUCTION 0 ALWAYS CONSIDER TIME – AT THE LEAST WRITE A QUICK INTRO. THAT PRESENTS YOUR CLAIM/THESIS. 0 Here are some strategies that you might use to begin your introductory paragraph. You can begin with: 0 a short anecdote that deals with the “big idea” of your argument 0 a concession 0 an interesting or controversial fact or statistic 0 a question or several questions that will be answered in your argument 0 relevant background material 0 an analogy or image that you can sustain (revisit) throughout the argument 0 a definition of a term or idea that is central to your argument

They say/I say 0 The general argument made by Author X in “Title of Article ” is that ____________. More specifically, Author X argues that __________. Author x writes “____________.” In this passage, author x is suggesting that _____________. In conclusion, author x’s belief is that ___________. In my view, author x is right/wrong, because _________. More specifically, I believe that __________. For example, _____________. Although author x/others might object that __________, I maintain that _____________. Therefore I conclude that _______________

The body 0 Now you must support your claim with evidence – just like the rhetorical analysis essay this is where you should spend most of your time. 0 Support your argument with appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, or experience

0 Fully Developed Points. Examples and explanations take time. A detailed example should run 3-4 sentences. Commentary and explanation should be at least 2-5 sentences. Don’t just state that “Adversity elicits dormant talents” – give evidence that proves it!

Types of evidence 0 Give concrete specific examples – you can draw from 0 Personal experience 0 History 0 Current Events – this is where reading helps – try rereading some of your current event assignments, watch the news etc. 0 Experts/Authorities – from the given passage/quote or famous quotes etc. 0 Try not to draw from literature – save that for next year’s exam!

Brainstorm evidence for Horace 0 Personal Experience - What adversity have you overcome? How did is shape you? 0 What famous people can we bring in? – Harriet Tubman, Helen Keller, Steve Jobs Edison’s comments on the light bulb 0 History – surviving the Holocaust, The recession, 0 Current Events –Boston Marathon survivors/racers etc. 0 Entertainment – Castaway, Harry Potter etc.

0 How and Why. The writers spend time explaining how and why their ideas are correct. You cannot simply assume that the reader will agree with you. Talk to your audience. Show why they should think as you do. Explain your reasoning. Engage your audience.

Challenge yourself to do what all great writers do 0 1. Use parallel structure 0 2. Use a figure of speech 0 3. Vary your sentence structure and/or sentence length 0 4. Add sophisticated transitions