1. ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING Mr. Blanco

2. INTRODUCTION The introduction: Hook (OPTIONAL): where you grab the readers attention – get the readers excited about the rest of your essay. Background information: where you talk about the issue in a general way; you basically present the issue. Thesis: where you state your position/claim on the issue and the supporting reasons in one clear sentence. HEART & SOUL OF YOUR ESSAY <3 Notes: do not begin your essay with a question please! avoid using the phrase “..continue reading to find out!” or anything similar to that. 1 paragraph only!

3. EXAMPLE OF A GOOD INTRO Video game systems have evolved a lot since their first conception. While there are many different video game systems out there, both PlayStation and Xbox have many of the same games. Both of them make their product appeal to the age groups between ten to twenty-five year olds making them stiff competitors in the video game industry. When one needs to make a choice between which of these two game systems to buy, there are several factors to consider in order to ensure that they will have the best value for their money. However, PlayStation is better then Xbox because it is more reliable, has better graphics, and comes with more features.

4. BODY PARAGRAPHS Topic sentence: summarizes your main idea. 1. Transition word or phrase Topic Sentence + Claim Supporting evidence 2. Transition word or phrase Topic Sentence + Claim Supporting evidence 3. Transition word or phrase Topic Sentence + Claim Supporting evidence Note: do not use transition words such as “first”, “second”, or “third”. Expand your vocabulary! Try to use transitions such as To begin with, furthermore, moreover, lastly, in addition, ect. Great page for transition words and phrases: http://www.elc.byu.edu/classes/buck/w_garden/classes/buck/transitions.html http://www.elc.byu.edu/classes/buck/w_garden/classes/buck/transitions.html 1 paragraph per reason for a total of 3 paragraphs.

5. COUNTER ARGUMENT & REBUTTAL Counter Argument Consider the opposite side and place yourself in their shoes. It argues against your claim Turn against your argument to challenge it Then turn back to reaffirm your position Rebuttal Return to your original argument Show why the counter argument is mistaken Say why it is not as important as the reasons you’ve already put Note: only 1 paragraph!

6. TRANSITIONS FOR THE COUNTER ARGUMENT Start off introducing the counter argument with phrases such as: The opposing view is that... Some may say that… Others may believe… Some would argue… However..

7. COUNTER ARGUMENT EXAMPLE Some may argue that Xbox is better than Playstation because of its amazing Xbox LIVE service. The service however, comes at a steep price. Xbox LIVE service costs approximately $60 a year while the Playstation Network is absolutely free. What this ultimately means to the consumers is that all of the Playstation games that allow the players to play online is totally free. (to be continued..) CONSOLE WARS :D Nintendo masterRACE

8. CONCLUSION Topic sentence Fresh rephrasing of thesis statement Supporting sentences Summarize or wrap up the main points in the body of the essay Explain how ideas fit together Closing sentence Final words Connects back to the introduction Provides a sense of closure Transition words to consider: In conclusion, in summary, in closing, ect. Note: DO NOT INTRODUCE ANY NEW INFORMATION THAT WAS NOT IN THE BODY PARAGRAPHS. Only 1 paragraph!