argument essay
READING TO PREPARE FOR THE PAPER (Please read these as soon as you can):
“Consider the Lobster” by David Foster Wallace
http://www.columbia.edu/~col8/lobsterarticle.pdf
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“A Hanging,” by George Orwell
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3. “Assault Weapons and High-Capacity Magazines Must be Banned”
https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/guns-crime/reports/2019/08/12/473528/assault-weapons-high-capacity-magazines-must-banned/
These sources explain the three parts of an Argument (Claim, Support or Evidence, and Warrant), and you can quote from these in your paper:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrUaDcrntD0
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https://slc.berkeley.edu/writing-worksheets-and-other-writing-resources/suggestions-developing-argumentative-essays
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https://medium.com/@eslstudy24/argumentative-essay-definition-outline-examples-of-argumentative-essay-c5910abef829
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THE ASSIGNMENT:
You will write an Argument Essay, which argues for or against (there are variations on this) something that is important to you or perhaps at a certain point in time. Your argument will be based on a CLAIM (Chapter 6), which is “the conclusion you reach when you are trying to decide what to say about a subject; it becomes your thesis when you write about that subject.
There are three types of claims: CLAIMS OF FACT, CLAIMS OF VALUE, and CLAIMS OF POLICY.
Claim of Fact: States that a condition exists, has existed, or will exist, based on factual evidence.
Examples: Drinking too much alcohol can turn into alcoholism. Cats don’t really like people.
Claim of Value: Desirable or undesirable based on moral or Aesthetic principles.
Examples: Disneyland is the best amusement park in America. Dogs make better pets than cats.
Claim of Policy: States that a specific course of action should or should not be implemented.
Examples: College students should not have to struggle to get classes. The drinking age should be 18.
Creating a Strong Topic and Claim:
Make sure your topic is interesting and important. Make a list of a few ideas and narrow that list based on your own criteria. Ideas:
Which of my topics would a reader be able to relate to?
Which topic can I turn into an argument?
Which has several points and could be a claim of Fact, Value or Policy?
Which do I care most about, and which would my reader care most about?
Would any of my ideas be offensive to the reader?
Will I be able to support my topic with sources?
Am I excited about the topic?
