Argumentative Essay Writing



Argumentative Essay Writing

Definition: In this kind of essay, we not only give information but also present an argument with the PROS (supporting ideas) and CONS (opposing ideas) of an argumentative issue. We should clearly take our stand and write as if we are trying to persuade an opposing audience to adopt new beliefs or behavior. The primary objective is to persuade people to change beliefs that many of them do not want to change.

Introduction: The purpose of the introduction is to lead the reader into the topic and focus on the specific area or arguments to be presented in the essay.

- Introduce the topic and provide a general discussion of the issue.

- Express your own opinion and the three main arguments that you will discuss.

Example:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is considered by many to be the “greatest love story the world has ever known”. It is a play which shows us the very truth and nature of love. Written in about 1595, it is a tale that has spanned the ages, and across each generation. When Baz Luhrmann remade the film in 1995, it was considered one of the most “audacious approaches to Shakespeare to date, infusing the classic story and language with hip-hop, gangsta violence and music-video flash”. Luhrmann’s film “is a kind of Deleuzian holiday from order and authority”, it “cut in half the age of the average viewer” and can thus be observed as being intrinsically adolescent in attitude.

Body: This is where you argue your opinion using 3 or 4 main arguments. Each argument MUST be supported by evidence. Use the Guess What! Prove it! So What? Concept:

1. Guess What: Topic sentence stating what this paragraph will be about.

2. Prove it: Evidence and/or examples to support the statement you have made in your topic sentence.

3. So What: What relevance does this have with the main argument of the essay.

Paragraph 1: First Argument: GW! PI! SW?

Paragraph 2: Second Argument: GW! PI! SW?

Paragraph 3: Third Paragraph: GW! PI! SW?

Conclusion: Summary of the primary points and restatement of your own opinion.

DO NOT FORGET:

• References: You must use in-text referencing after all direct quotes and paraphrases.

• Bibliography: You must provide a bibliography that includes: the name of the author, the date, and the website link.

• Formal Language: DO NOT use any colloquial or slang language in your essay.

Analytical Essay Writing

Analytical essays are much the same as Argumentative essays in terms of structure, however, they do not argue a point. The purpose of the analytical essay is to inform or demonstrate knowledge on a particular topic.

Introduction: Introduce the topic. Provide background on topic in order to clarify that which will be discussed. State the areas that the essay will focus on.

Paragraph 1: Discuss the most important issue relation to the topic.

Guess What: Topic Sentence

Prove it: Evidence.

So what: Relate back to point of essay.

Paragraph 2: Discuss second most important issue relating to topic.

GW!

PI!

SW?

Paragraph 3: Discuss the third most important issue relating to the topic.

GW!

PI!

SW?

Conclusion: Sum up main points made and make final concluding statement on the essay topic.

Argumentative or Analytical?

Q) Drawing on your knowledge of screen adaptation and film making, discuss two texts and their adaptations in regards to what they reveal about the nature of the human heart. Ensure your discussion is balanced so that you give equal time to the books/plays and their films.

Q) ‘In the early twentieth century, a time of political and social turmoil, Irish writers were attempting to forge a literature that would represent the Irish experience, and do so in ways that would be technically and/or linguistically challenging’

Q) To what extent has Luhrmann been successful in creating an engaging experience for a teenage audience?

Q) Describe Luhrmann’s portrayal of ‘heroes’ and ‘villains’.

Q) What techniques does the author of a prescribed text use to influence the reader to take a particular position concerning the issues explored in the text?

Q) What film techniques are used to portray the ‘hero’ in Alice in Wonderland?

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