The AP Argumentative Essay AP English Language and Composition ** Information taken from 5 Steps to a 5, Second Edition by Barbara L. Murphy and Estelle M. Rankin, McGraw-Hill Publishers, New York, 2007

The AP Argumentative Essay Most frequently, the AP exam will present you with a prompt that could be a brief excerpt, a quotation, a statement, or an anecdote...

The Argumentative Essay In this type of essay, you will be asked to do the following: –Understand the nature of the position taken in the prompt –Take a specific stand- agree, disagree, or qualify- with the assertion in the prompt –Clearly and logically support your claim using your own experience, reading, and/or observations

What does it mean to: –Agree? I think about this subject in the same way as the writer/speaker. –Disagree? I think the writer/speaker is totally wrong. –Qualify? I think some of what is said is correct and some of what is said is incorrect. Regardless of the synonyms used, these are your only three choices on the argumentative essay.

Classical (Ciceronian) Formula for an Argument Present the issue/situation/problem State your writer’s assertion/claim/thesis Support your claim Acknowledge and respond to real or possible opposing views Make your final comment or summary of the evidence

Logical Appeals Ethical (Ethos)- an appeal to the reader’s good sense, good will, and desire to “do the right thing” Emotional (Pathos)- an appeal to the reader’s fear, patriotism, etc. Logical (Logos)- an appeal to inductive and deductive reasoning

Induction and Deduction Induction: forming a generalization from a set of specific examples; premises make the conclusion certain Example: Margo has 17 stuffed teddy bears, 3 stuffed cows, 11 stuffed monkeys, 4 stuffed camels, and 6 stuffed elephants. Margo likes to collect stuffed animals.

Induction and Deduction Deduction: reaching a probable conclusion based on given premises; uses the syllogism, a format which consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; goes from the general to the specific Example: –Major Premise: All lions are cats –Minor Premise: Leonard is a lion. –Conclusion: Therefore, Leonard is a cat.

Watch out for Logical Fallacies!!!

Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories: –Non sequitur argument: Latin for “does not follow”; argument where the conclusion does not follow from the premise. Example: Diane graduated from Vassar. She will make a great lawyer. –Begging the Question: where the writer assumes in his assertion/premise/thesis something that has yet to be proved Example: Taking Geometry is a waste of time. High school students should not be required to take this course.

Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories: –Circular Reasoning: restates the premise rather than giving a reason for holding that premise Example: I like to eat out because I enjoy different foods and restaurants. –Straw-man Argument: the speaker/writer attributes false or exaggerated characteristics or behaviors to the opponent and attacks him on those falsehoods or exaggerations Example: You say you support allowing people under eighteen to drive. I will never understand why weak-willed drivers like you are willing to risk your life and the lives of all other drivers with these crazy teenagers on the road!

Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories: –Ad hominem Argument: technique that attacks the person rather than dealing with the issue under discussion Example: We all know Sam has several speeding tickets on his record. How can we trust him to vote for us on the issue of a trade agreement with Europe? –Hasty Generalization: drawing a conclusion about an entire group based on evidence that is insufficient Example: The veterinarian discovered a viral infection in five beagles. All beagles must be infected with it.

Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories: –Overgeneralization: often called stereotyping; here, the speaker/writer draws a conclusion about a large number of people, ideas, etc. based on very limited evidence Example: All members of Group A are not to be trusted. –Post-Hoc Argument: cites an unrelated event that occurred earlier as the cause of a current situation Example: I saw a black cat run across the street in front of my car five minutes before I was hit by a foul ball at the ball park. Therefore, the black cat is the cause of my bruised arm.

Logical Fallacies Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories: –Either/Or Argument or False Dilemma: writer/speaker asserts that there are only two possibilities, when in reality, there are more Example: Tomorrow is April 15; therefore, I must mail in my tax return, or I will be arrested.

Kinds of Support/Evidence for the Argumentative Essay Facts/Statistics Details Quotations Dialogue Needed Definitions Recognition of the opposition Examples Anecdotes Comparison and Contrast Cause and Effect Appeal to Authority

Does it Matter what tone I take on an argumentative essay? Not really…the College Board is open to a variety of approaches on this type of essay. Just be sure that your choice of tone is appropriate for your purpose.

Will I be penalized for taking a unpopular or unusual position on the given issue? No, as long as you are addressing the prompt and appropriately supporting your position, you will not lose points for taking a “different” approach. Your essay is graded for process and mastery of language, not for how close you come to agreeing with your reader’s viewpoint.

Planning Your Time on the Argumentative Essay 1- 3 Minutes: reading and working the prompt 3 Minutes: Deciding on a position

Planning Your Time on the Argumentative Essay 10 minutes: Planning the support of your position 20 Minutes: writing your essay, based on your preparation 3 Minutes: proofreading