Guidelines for Writing an Argumentative Essay



Due Dates / Guidelines for Writing an Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is built around a specific statement (or main premise) that is debatable within the field in which you are studying. In other words, at the center of an argumentative essay is a statement with which your readers may disagree. Your essay will need to support that statement in a manner that convinces your readers of its truth.   This unit is built around one particular type of argumentative essay. It is important to understand that there are many other ways of structuring argumentative essays than the one proposed in this unit. However, the structure outlined here has proved to be very effective in providing a clear, accessible and useable model for creating an argumentative essay.  

What To Do & DUE DATES

1st Due --by the end of hour Monday, 11/27. **Please submit a possible topic for this essay. Be sure that the topic can yield a “debatable statement.” You know the routine: one page double spaced, size 12 font. Discuss anything relating to the topic and try to focus on what the opposition would argue.

2nd Due -- by the end of the hour Friday, 12/01 **You must create an outline of your paper and submit it to me for review before you begin writing the paper. You will obviously need to do some research before completing the outline. You may choose to use the outline template I’ve created for you. It’s posted on the website.

3rd Due -- by the end of the hour Monday 12/4. **A tentative “Works Cited” page to be reviewed for accuracy. Remember this may change; additions may occur, as you submit your final paper.

4th Due -- by the end of the hour Thursday 12/7. **Write a paper that clearly supports one position while presenting and dismissing the opposing arguments. Requirements: six paragraphs, at least three sources cited in text and listed accurately on a “Works Cited’ page.

Before beginning your draft be sure you have...

• Created a “debatable statement”

• Generated a list of “premises” or points of debate (at least THREE!)

• Thought about possible ‘supporting statements” for each premise

• Considered opposing views for each premise, as well as support for the same premise

• Researched support for and against your “debatable” topic.

• You need to sort your arguments into different topics when you prepare to write your essay.

• When necessary, document sources according to the MLA style guidelines.

Another Set of Notes for the Argumentative Essay

|[p| 1. Show both sides of the issue by including the arguments that oppose your main premise. |

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|[p|2. Use transitional phrases to mark those arguments that do not support your main premise. This will make those arguments appear debatable or possibly untrue. |

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|[p|3. Clearly mark the place in the paragraph where you change from opposing arguments to supporting arguments with a "but-type" connective e.g. "however", "on the |

|ic|other hand" etc. (more examples below) |

|] | |

|[p|4. Use listing transitions such as "firstly", "in addition", "moreover", "furthermore", "finally", to list all the arguments that support your main premise. |

|ic|This site may help:   |

|] | |

Remember, you are constructing a specific type of argumentative essay which follows this format:

An OUTLINE

I.                   Introduction

*Introduces the topic

*States why the topic is important

*States that there is a difference of opinion about this topic

*Clearly states position and suggest how that position will be developed

II.                Dismiss opposition ---( Support

Use transitional phrases: to indicate that you are aware of the opposing opinion (see examples below). You can also signal the difference between opposing and supporting arguments by clearly marking the point in each paragraph where you shift from one to the other. You can use contrasting connectives to mark this point. The most common of these contrasting connectives is "However". Then, transitional phrases to lead into your premises (see model).

III.             Dismiss opposition ---( Support

Same basic format as II

IV.              Dismiss opposition ---( Support

Same basic format as II & III

V Direct support

    Use transitions, or “connectives’ to list supporting arguments (see examples below).

Paragraph FIVE of the model is very different from paragraphs TWO, THREE and FOUR. The writer begins the paragraph by restating the main premise. Then the writer only presents arguments that support the main premise. There are no opposing arguments. This is because the writer has already dismissed the opposing arguments in earlier paragraphs and is now attempting to convince the reader that the main premise is the best and most correct position on the issue. Include one or more paragraphs like this, which only contain supporting arguments after you have dealt with all the opposing arguments.

  VI Conclusion

Use “concluding” connectives (examples below).

* Restates the main premise.

*Presents one or two general sentences which accurately summarize your arguments which *support the main premise.

*Provides a general warning of the consequences of not following the premise that you put forward and/or a general statement of how the community will benefit from following that premise.

****End with a Works Cited Page****

Transitions for listing arguments.

You should use different transitions to list the supporting arguments in the text.

First, Most Importantly... This can be used for the first supporting argument

Secondly, In addition ... These can be used for any further supporting arguments

Furthermore, Moreover, In addition, and Finally are other common transtions.

Concluding transitions.

In conclusion, In summary, Thus, Therefore, As you can see, All in all...

These all carry roughly the same meaning. They should be used to indicate that you are making final statements that cover all the supporting arguments in a very general way.

Shift in Argument Phrases: Used to indicate that you are aware of the opposing opinion.

1. When you can think of the opposing opinion but you have not seen it written anywhere:  

• It may be argued / asserted that...................... However, ……..

• It could be contended / maintained that………. However, ……..

• It might be claimed / said that …………. However, ……..

2. When you have seen the opposing opinion written in another text:

It is (has been) argued / asserted / contended / maintained / claimed / said that……….. However, ……..  

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