In this lesson, you learned some strategies for writing an argument that will persuade readers to accept your position on an issue. Locate the plan you created using the Planning an Argument worksheet. You will use the ideas you recorded there to draft your own argumentative essay.
The tabs below will help you review this lesson's strategies for argumentative writing. Read the text on each tab carefully, and refer back to it as you draft the various sections of your argument. Then use the Writing an Argument worksheet to draft the parts of your argument.
Claims and Counterclaims
Reasoning and Evidence
In Conclusion
Activity
The first part of your written argument should include a statement of your claim or position. (Your readers will need to know what you plan to prove to them.) Your essay should include other claims as well--those of people who think differently or even the opposite of what you do. These counterclaims serve two purposes in an argument:
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| They help you understand the issue more completely because you've thought about it from more than one angle. |
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They allow you to show how much stronger your argument is than other positions on the issue. |
Like other types of writing, your argument will flow more smoothly and make more sense to readers if you group related ideas together. In general, you should write a paragraph explaining each of your reasons. Any evidence that supports or seems related to a reason should be included in the paragraph with that reason.
Here's an example of a paragraph that develops a reason and includes evidence.
Claim: Our demand for meaty meals is taking a huge toll on our planet and our health. Future Presidents should use the tradition of pardoning a Thanksgiving turkey as a way to encourage Americans to eat more plants and fewer animals.
Reason Paragraph:
The annual Thanksgiving pardon provides a perfect opportunity for the President to connect the high cost of meat production to the hunger crisis faced by a majority of the world’s people. Scientists have known (and reported) for years what a tremendous amount of food, water, land, and energy is required to satisfy our appetite for meat, compared to the resources required to grow grains and vegetables. To produce just one quarter-pound beef patty, a farmer must use 6.7 pounds of grain, 52.8 gallons of water, and 74.5 square feet of land.
The last paragraph of your written argument has important work to do. In your essay's conclusion, summarize or restate your argument's claim and also do one of the two things described below.
| Expand your claim by showing how it relates to other issues or problems, or by describing its larger impact. |
| Call your readers to action--ask them to do something about the issue, such as help solve the problem or learn more about it. |
Your work on this assignment will be graded according to the following rubric.
| Criteria | |
| Claim and Counterclaim 2 points |
1 Point: You identify two counterclaims AND describe your response or rebuttal to those claims. |
| 1 point: Your essay’s first two paragraphs include both your claim and at least one counterclaim. | |
| Body Paragraphs 2 points |
1 Point: Your argument’s body paragraphs each develop a reason by stating it clearly and presenting evidence related to that reason. |
| 1 Point: You include a separate paragraph containing evidence not directly related to one of your reasons (if you have fewer than 3 body paragraphs). | |
| Conclusion 1 point |
1 Point: Your conclusion restates your claim and explains its impact beyond your argument OR includes a call to action. |
