THE ARGUMENTATIVE OR PERSUASIVE ESSAY

LET’S SAY YOU LIKE CHEESE… IN FACT, YOU LOVE IT!

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED A CLAIM… SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF… CHEESE IS THE BEST FOOD IN THE WORLD.

REALLY? THE BEST IN THE WORLD? BETTER THAN… CHOCOLATE?

OR ICE CREAM?

HOW ON EARTH ARE YOU GOING TO PROVE THAT?

WELL, WHAT ARE SOME QUALITIES OF CHEESE? *IT’S WIDELY AVAILABLE *IT’S AFFORDABLE *IT’S VERSATILE *IT COMES IN A LOT OF VARIETIES *IT’S PORTABLE

THERE’S ENOUGH EVIDENCE THERE FOR A SEVEN PARAGRAPH ESSAY, AT LEAST. BUT LET’S JUST DO A FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY. WE’LL PICK JUST THREE PIECES OF EVIDENCE.

1. INTRODUCTION 2. VERSATILITY 3. AFFORDABILITY 4. AVAILABILITY 5. CONCLUSION

WHAT MUST ALL CLAIMS BE? NOW, LET’S GO BACK FOR A SECOND. ARGUABLE, RIGHT?

BECAUSE OF ITS VERSATILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! IS THAT↑ ARGUABLE? (HINT: YES!)

BECAUSE OF ITS VERSATILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! BUT YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE IT DOES? IT PROVIDES A PREVIEW OF MY EVIDENCE. THAT IS CRUCIAL.

“BECAUSE OF ITS VERSATILITY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS!”

BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! Now, where in our five- paragraph outline should we place our claim (or “thesis”)? If you guessed the end of the introductory paragraph, you are correct!

BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! The first sentence of each body paragraph is called a topic sentence. It lets the reader know what that paragraph will be about. Versatility Affordability Availability So, each of our topic sentences will introduce a single piece of evidence that its paragraph will explore.

BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! Versatility Affordability Availability And what about your conclusion?

BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! Restated claim Your claim is restated in your conclusion, as something you have (hopefully) proven. Versatility Affordability Availability

T o paraphrase the old Sara Lee slogan, “Nobody doesn’t like food.” It is comforting, life-sustaining and, hopefully, scrumptious. It occupies so much of our lives that the process of finding, preparing and/or eating it have become almost-sacred rituals every in culture on earth. BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! What now? Well, we need to work out way into your claim. We can’t just leave it sitting there by itself, and it seems a little abrupt to just shout it out without any kind of prelude. Versatility Affordability Availability

T o paraphrase the old Sara Lee slogan, “Nobody doesn’t like food.” It is comforting, life-sustaining and, hopefully, scrumptious. It occupies so much of our lives that the process of finding, preparing and/or eating it have become almost-sacred rituals every in culture on earth. BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! Then we need to explain or elaborate on the evidence we’re presenting in each body paragraph. For some people, cheese’s most important quality is its versatility. Cheese adds a lot of flavor and style to sandwiches, while pizza and nachos simply don’t work without it. Then again, the Italian and Mexican cuisines are heavily dependent on cheese, as it appears in everything from lasagna to quesadillas. But cheese has still more uses! It’s excellent freshly-grated into soups or salads and can even be eaten on its own, as a snack or a meal. In terms of its affordability, cheese is priced to fit anyone’s budget, from the cash- strapped college student to the well-to-do Fortune 400 member. American cheese occupies the inexpensive end of the spectrum, while top-of-the-line Camembert can be quite pricey, indeed. Many foods, like truffles, have a fairly narrow price range, and if customers can’t purchase within that range, they simply cannot to have truffles of any kind. In American society, just about everyone can afford some sort of cheese. Another great thing about cheese is its availability. Cheese can be purchased at local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, online and even at gas stations! And, of course, it is equally easy to find abroad. Serving size is an important aspect of availability. Who wants to pay for a large wheel of cheese, when all you want is a single slice or stick? Now, many vendors offer cheese by the single serving.

And of course we need to flesh out our conclusion. T o paraphrase the old Sara Lee slogan, “Nobody doesn’t like food.” It is comforting, life-sustaining and, hopefully, scrumptious. It occupies so much of our lives that the process of finding, preparing and/or eating it have become almost-sacred rituals every in culture on earth. BECAUSE OF ITS VARIETY, AFFORDABILITY, AND AVAILABILITY, CHEESE IS THE GREATEST OF ALL FOODS! For some people, cheese’s most important quality is its versatility. Cheese adds a lot of flavor and style to sandwiches, while pizza and nachos simply don’t work without it. Then again, the Italian and Mexican cuisines are heavily dependent on cheese, as it appears in everything from lasagna to quesadillas. But cheese has still more uses! It’s excellent freshly-grated into soups or salads and can even be eaten on its own, as a snack or a meal. In terms of its affordability, cheese is priced to fit anyone’s budget, from the cash- strapped college student to the well-to-do Fortune 400 member. American cheese occupies the inexpensive end of the spectrum, while top-of-the-line Camembert can be quite pricey, indeed. Many foods, like truffles, have a fairly narrow price range, and if customers can’t purchase within that range, they simply cannot to have truffles of any kind. In American society, just about everyone can afford some sort of cheese. Another great thing about cheese is its availability. Cheese can be purchased at local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, online and even at gas stations! And, of course, it is equally easy to find abroad. Serving size is an important aspect of availability. Who wants to pay for a large wheel of cheese, when all you want is a single slice or stick? Now, many vendors offer cheese by the single serving. In conclusion, it is clear that the affordability, availability, versatility, variety and portability of cheese make it the king of foods. And food, as everyone knows, is central to the human experience. We are, as a species, all about getting food, preparing food, consuming food, and talking about food. We consume it and are consumed by it. Wise diners will take heed of the Muppets’ Miss Piggy, who said “Never eat anything you can’t lift!” AND VOILA! A FIVE PARAGRAPH ESSAY!

To paraphrase the old Sara Lee slogan, “Nobody doesn’t like food.” It is comforting, life- sustaining and, hopefully, scrumptious. It occupies so much of our lives that the process of finding, preparing and/or eating it have become almost-sacred rituals every in culture on earth. And of all the foods, cheese is by far the best, due to its versatility, affordability, and availability. For some people, cheese’s most important quality is its versatility. Cheese adds a lot of flavor and style to sandwiches, while pizza and nachos simply don’t work without it. Then again, the Italian and Mexican cuisines are heavily dependent on cheese, as it appears in everything from lasagna to quesadillas. But cheese has still more uses! It’s excellent freshly-grated into soups or salads and can even be eaten on its own, as a snack or a meal. In terms of its affordability, cheese is priced to fit anyone’s budget, from the cash-strapped college student to the well-to-do Fortune 400 member. American cheese occupies the inexpensive end of the spectrum, while top-of-the-line Camembert can be quite pricey, indeed. Many foods, like truffles, have a fairly narrow price range, and if customers can’t purchase within that range, they simply cannot to have truffles of any kind. In American society, just about everyone can afford some sort of cheese. Another great thing about cheese is its availability. Cheese can be purchased at local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, online and even at gas stations! And, of course, it is equally easy to find abroad. Serving size is an important aspect of availability. Who wants to pay for a large wheel of cheese, when all you want is a single slice or stick? Now, many vendors offer cheese by the single serving. In conclusion, it is clear that the affordability, availability, versatility, variety and portability of cheese make it the king of foods. And food, as everyone knows, is central to the human experience. We are, as a species, all about getting food, preparing food, consuming food, and talking about food. We consume it and are consumed by it. Wise diners will take heed of the Muppets’ Miss Piggy, who said “Never eat anything you can’t lift!” Cheese, King of Foods!