2. As a class, choose one of the following topics: Is the death penalty fair? Is torture ever acceptable? Is revenge an okay idea? Does love at first sight exist?

3. The introduction has three jobs… (1) to capture your audience’s interest (2) to establish their perception of you as a writer And (3) to set out your point of view for the argument This introduction usually funnels down into a solid, clear thesis statement; if you can’t find a sentence in this chunk that explicitly says what point you are supporting, you need to keep refining the introduction.

4. [Insert topic here] is affirmative or [Insert topic here] is negative.

5. In the narration, you’ll want to establish a context for your argument. Explain your situation and why you are arguing this point. By the end of this chunk, readers should understand what is at stake with the argument.

6. Using Romeo and Juliet, find at least three examples that support your argument.

7. This section allows you to establish a context for your argument. Explain why the evidence for each claim supports your position and how it relates back to the larger thesis at hand. This builds a chain of reasoning.

8. [Insert topic here] is [chosen side] because…

9. While it might seem easier to repeat everything that was said in the beginning paragraph, this is not always the best idea; nor does it create a sense of closure. Remind the readers what is at stake and attempt to prove to the readers one final time why your argument is correct, further enabling the readers to have a sense of closure and finality.

10. First, I will define key terms for my argument, and then I will provide some background of the situation. Next I will outline the important positions of the argument and explain why I support one of these positions. Lastly, I will consider opposing positions and discuss why these positions are outdated. I will conclude with some ideas for taking action and possible directions for future research.

11. http://www.brainpop.com/english/writing/mainidea/

12. http://www2.winthrop.edu/wcenter/handoutsandlink s/classica.htm http://www2.winthrop.edu/wcenter/handoutsandlink s/classica.htm http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/1