Writing Arguments

Overview of an Argument0 What problem do you want to solve? What question do you

answer?0 What is the solution to your problem, the answer to your question?0 Do you want me just to think something or to do something?0 What reasons support your claim?0 What evidence supports your reasons?

About Your Argument…

0 You make an argument not just to settle a disagreement. Good arguments help you explore questions and explain your beliefs, so that even when you and your readers can’t agree, you can at least understand why.

…and About Writing It

0 Your first task in writing argument is to understand the problem.0 Why are you writing it?0 What do you want to achieve?0 Do you want your readers to understand something? If so,

why is this understanding important?0 Do you want your readers to act on something? If so,

what problem will this action solve?

Preparing and Planning

0 Plans to avoid:0 The five paragraph essay

0P1-intro, P2-first reason is…, P3-second reason is…, etc.0 A narrative of your thinking

0A blow-by-blow account of how you thought your way from a problem to its solution.

0 A summary of your sources0 Thing one and thing two

0Avoid dividing your argument in half; the two-part organization.

Preparing and Planning0 Plan to strive for:

Introduction: Problem +

Solution/claim

Body

• Warrant• Reason 1 + Evidence 1• Reason 2 + Evidence 2• ETC.• Acknowledgment and Response

Conclusion: Restatement of Problem + Solution/clai

m

Claims

0 Where to locate your main claim (the solution to your problem:0 State your main claim TWICE. Once at the end of your

introduction and once again in your conclusion.

Claims0 What do you want your readers to do?

0 Respect your reasons for your claim?0 Endorse your claim as worth serious consideration?0 Approve of your claim and the argument supporting it?0 Believe in your claim and in the argument supporting it?0 Act as you propose, or support someone else’s action?

0 Useful claims have these qualities:0 It should assert what readers should know or what they should know.0 It should be something that readers will not accept without seeing your

good reasons.0 It should be capable of being proved wrong.0 It should be reasonable.

Reasons and Evidence

CLAIM

REASON

EVIDENCE

explains supports

supports

Reasons and Evidence

0 You rest claims on reasons and reasons on reports of evidence. When you report evidence, CITE YOUR SOURCES.

0 With multiple reasons, select an order that helps the readers.

0 Keep a balance between reasons and reports of evidence:0 Beware the argument that is made up of mostly

quotations or data.0 Find evidence for every reason.

Warrants

0 A warrant is a general statement that explicitly or implicitly relates a set of general conditions to a set of general consequences.0 When children behave in violent ways, it is because they

have been influenced by violent movies, TV, and computer games.

0 If we believe the warrant and reason, we have to believe the claim.

Acknowledgements and Response

0 The counterclaim 0 When you acknowledge and respond to an imagined objection of

question, you can follow a well-established formula:0 Begin with a phrase such as to be sure, admittedly, some have claimed,

etc.0 Follow with but, however, on the other hand, etc., and go on with the

response.0 When you respond with these kinds of objections, you have an

opportunity to thicken your argument by supporting your response with reasons, evidence, warrants, and more acknowledgements and responses to your response.

Drafting (General)Introduction: Problem +

Solution/claim

Body

• Warrant• Reason 1 + Evidence 1• Reason 2 + Evidence 2• ETC.• Acknowledgment and Response

Conclusion: Restatement of Problem + Solution/clai

m

Drafting (Reasons and Evidence)

0 WHEN YOU QUOTE DIRECTLY:0 You reproduce the original text word-for-word, punctuation mark-for-

punctuation. CITE YOUR SOURCES.0 WHEN YOU PARAPHRASE:

0 You substitute your words for the author’s in order to make a statement clearer or fit its context better. A paraphrase is usually shorter than the original, but it need not be. CITE YOUR SOURCES.

0 WHEN YOU SUMMARIZE:0 You reword and condense the original text to less than its orginal

length. CITE YOUR SOURCES.

Assignment Requirements

05 DIFFERENT, VERIFIABLE, RELEVANT SOURCES

0MLA FORMAT

02-3 PAGES OF ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING + 1 PAGE WORKS CITED (SOURCES) = 3-4 PAGES (LIMIT)

08 SLIDE POWER POINT

POWERPOINT FORMAT#1: Claim

Introduction#2: Reason

#1; Evidence#3: Reason

#2; Evidence

#4: Reason #3; Evidence

#5: Reason #4; Evidence

#6: Reason #5; Evidence

#7: Counterclaim and Evidence

#8: Conclusion

***Include pictures on each slide. Include at least 1 paragraph of information on each slide.