1. IRE: Idea, Reason, Example
Structuring Your Argument

2. State your opinion or idea.
Step 1:
State your opinion or idea.

3. Language for Expressing Your Opinion
Here are some ways to introduce your opinion:
I think that . . .
I believe that . . .
In my opinion/view, . . .
If you ask me, . . .
I agree that . . .
I disagree that . . .
I am for/pro/in favor of . . .
I am against/anti . . .

4. Step 2:
State your reason.

5. Language for Stating Reasons
. . . because (clause) because of (noun) due to (noun) so (that) (clause) (in order) to (verb) since (clause) The reason is . . .

6. Step 3:
Give an example.

7. Language for Giving Examples
For example, For instance, An example of this is illustrates this point nicely is a good example such as includes . . .

8. Some Examples
Look at the next 4 examples and see how they use the IRE structure.

9. Should smoking be banned in public places?
I think smoking should be banned in public spaces since it has detrimental effects on the health of people who inhale second hand smoke. For example, it has been linked to lung cancer, heart disease, and skin disease.

10. Should corporal punishment be allowed in schools?

11. An Argument Against
I feel that corporal punishment should be prohibited in school because too many teachers abuse this punishment. For instance, some teachers will hit children if they are having a bad day or they are angry.

12. An Argument For
I believe that corporal punishment should be permitted in schools because it is necessary to control students. For example, students will be noisy and disrupt the class if they don’t fear punishment from their teachers.

13. Should capital punishment be banned?
I agree that capital punishment should be banned since innocent people are sometimes killed for crimes they didn’t commit. For example, there have been numerous cases where someone has been convicted of murder but later DNA testing proved they were innocent.