Workshop 7:

Argumentative Essay Writing

Goals:
-to argue logically
-to persuade strongly
-to write an effective argumentative essay
 ARGUMENT VS. OPINION

ARGUMENT OPINION
Presents a claim Presents an
that is supported assertion that is
by reasoning and NOT supported by
evidence. logic or facts.
 WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT?
• A claim or a thesis statement that can be
supported by evidence

– SIMPLE CLAIMS

– COMPLEX CLAIMS
 ARGUMENTATION
• The process of reasoning by advancing proof.

• Produced out of careful research and

thoughtful consideration of all the facts that
one can acquire about the issue.

• Demands a critical examination of a belief by

testing the strength of the reasons behind
such belief
 ARGUMENTATION
• The educated act of choosing sides

• Explores several sides of the issue in an

attempt to demonstrating why one
perspective is the most enlightened.

• Persuades an audience to accept his position

on an issue through an articulation of reasons
WHAT IS AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY?

It is a genre of writing that requires

the student to investigate a topic,
collect, generate, and evaluate
evidence, and establish a position on
the topic in a concise manner.
 WHY WRITE
AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY?

An argumentative essay is a means to

persuade an audience towards one’s
position and belief.
 HOW DO WE WRITE TO PERSUADE?
Know :
– The TERMS to be used
– The QUESTIONS to be answered
– The PURPOSE of persuasion
– The FEATURES of an argumentative essay
– The STURCTURE and ORGANIZATION of the essay
– The writing PROCESS
 DEFINITION OF TERMS
• CLAIM
• PREMISE
• ARGUMENT
• PUBLIC OPINION
• CONCESSION
• REFUTATION
• COUNTER ARGUMENT
 WHAT SHOULD BE ANSWERED?
• POINT
• SUPPORTS
• TYPES OF EVIDENCE
• PRESENTATION
 WHAT SHOULD BE ANSWERED?
• What is my POINT?
• What are the SUPPORTS to my claim?
• What TYPES OF EVIDENCE will be appropriate
and consistent to my claim?
• How will I PRESENT my reasons and points of
evidence?
 HOW DO WE PERSUADE?
• Appeal to reason

• Appeal to emotion

• Appeal to good ethics

 APPEAL TO REASON
• A measured and logical way of persuasion
through a critical examination of facts and
figures

• Reasoning processes:
– Deductive reasoning
• (general principle draws a specific conclusion)
– Inductive reasoning
• (specific facts supports a general conclusion)
 APPEAL TO EMOTION
• A legitimate use of drawing out strong human
emotions from the audience through
emotionally charged language and images

– Using painful details of an immediate relative’s

chemotherapy through describing the x-ray image
of lung cancer in order to point out the negative
effects of smoking.
 APPEAL TO ETHICS
• An illustration of an ethical and moral
position on an issue in order to develop the
audience’s well-being.

– Use of ethical and moral points on the ill effects of

smoking to society and the youth
 FEATURES OF
AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
• Background
• Writer’s argument
• Arguments against
• Rejection of arguments against
• Arguments for
• Discussion
• Conclusion
 STRUCTURE OF
AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
• Clear, concise and defined THESIS STATEMENT found
in the first paragraph.

• Clear and logical TRANSITIONS between the

introduction, body and conclusion.

• BODY paragraphs that include evidential support

(factual, logical, statistical, anecdotal).

• CONCLUSION that readdresses the thesis statement in

the light of the evidence provided.
 ORGANIZATION OF
AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
• METHODS OF PRESENTING ARGUMENT
– The balanced view
• Presents both sides of the argument in the beginning
and in the middle of the essay
• Commits to one side in the final paragraph

– The persuasive essay

• States the writer’s point of view and tries to convince
the reader towards the same position by reasoned
argument
• Ends with a striking statement
ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT
• Argues public opinions which consist in social
standards/ conventions and categories
• Presents categories which can be a point of
debate
• Includes:
– The writer’s claim
– The reasons or evidence which supports the claim
– The order of presentation
 EXAMPLES OF ARGUMENTATIVE
THESIS STATEMENTS

• If a global effort is not made to end the

unnecessary use of CFCs, then the inhabitants
of this planet will face an extremely difficult
and frightening future.
 EXAMPLES OF ARGUMENTATIVE
THESIS STATEMENTS

• Overzealous use of computers to ease the

burden of solid research, in favor of
convenience or for the sinister purpose of
cutting costs, will reduce learning from a
creative process to a point-and-click procedure,
effectively diminishing students from social-
learners to a cyber-tribe of hunters-and-
gatherers relying on the ability of machines and
the rote memorization of monitors’ displays.
 INDIVIDUAL ESSAY WRITING TASK
• Choose one out of the three marked topics on
page 277 of the work text
• Write a claim using the argumentative thesis
statement format
• Look for 5-6 reference materials to support
your claim
• Prepare to write an argumentative essay next
meeting