Argumentative Writing

You must write in an objective tone. This is not narrative or emotional, so don’t use the following words: I, we, you

The primary objective of an argumentative essay is to show that you have a valid argument.

An important part of the argumentative essay is to use evidence both to substantiate (prove) one’s own position and to refute (disprove) the opposing argument.

HOOK Grabs the reader’s attention and catches their interest. Provides background information. It is why the audience/reader should care. It should be interesting and related to the claim which comes next. Open with an unusual detail or statistic. EXAMPLE: Thirteen students were killed and dozens wounded in Littleton, Colorado at Columbine High School. YOUR TURN:

HOOK Grabs the reader’s attention and catches their interest. Provides background information. It is why the audience/reader should care. It should be interesting and related to the claim which comes next. Open with a strong statement. EXAMPLE: Cigarettes are the number one cause of cancer in the United States. YOUR TURN:

HOOK Grabs the reader’s attention and catches their interest. Provides background information. It is why the audience/reader should care. It should be interesting and related to the claim which comes next. Open with a quotation. EXAMPLE: Albert Einstein once said “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” YOUR TURN:

HOOK Grabs the reader’s attention and catches their interest. Provides background information. It is why the audience/reader should care. It should be interesting and related to the claim which comes next. Open with an anecdote/story. EXAMPLE: You won’t believe how high my cat, Jax, jumped last night. YOUR TURN:

HOOK Grabs the reader’s attention and catches their interest. Provides background information. It is why the audience/reader should care. It should be interesting and related to the claim which comes next. Open with an engaging question. EXAMPLE: Have you ever wondered how many books we would read if it weren’t for technology? YOUR TURN:

HOOK Grabs the reader’s attention and catches their interest. Provides background information. It is why the audience/reader should care. It should be interesting and related to the claim which comes next. Open with an exaggeration or outrageous statement. EXAMPLE: Hey! Do you hear a kind of groaning sound? Could it be…? Yes, it’s millions of students marching off to take some standardized test. YOUR TURN:

CLAIM Your belief and what it is that you wish to argue. A claim persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you. It is probably the single most important part of your paper. Must be argumentative. You are arguing for a certain interpretation or understanding of your subject. Your claim is only valid if you can provide the points, examples, and explanations to substantiate it. Must be specific.

CLAIM BAD EXAMPLE: Twinkies are delicious. BETTER EXAMPLE: Twinkies taste better than other snack cakes because of their texture, their creamy filling, and their golden appearance.

CLAIM BAD EXAMPLE: The governor is a bad politician. BETTER EXAMPLE: The governor has continually done the community a disservice by mishandling money, focusing on frivolous causes, and failing to listen to his constituents.

CLAIM EXAMPLE: Rap music is fun to listen to. YOUR TURN:

CLAIM EXAMPLE: Florida is a wonderful place to live. YOUR TURN:

COUNTERPOINT This is where you acknowledge your opponent’s position. Rather than weakening the paper, a good counterpoint paragraph will actually strengthen the paper by showing that the writer has thoughtfully considered both sides of the argument. EXAMPLE FIRST SENTENCES: It is often argued that … It is true that … Opposing views claim…

COUNTERPOINT EXAMPLE - The girlfriend argument – Situation: You didn’t call your girlfriend at night like you promised. She’s mad and confronts you. You have no flowers, or chocolate, or food by which to bribe her anger away. What do you do? Counterpoint: I understand why you are upset with me because I did promise to call. Point: Unfortunately for me, I was unable to call. Example: I was asked to work late and I left my cell phone at work. Explanation: I didn’t use the house phone when I got home because I didn’t want to wake you up.

COUNTERPOINT Used to acknowledge.