Argumentative

Essay
 An argument in writing

Is different than

arguing with a parent or
friend. How is it
different?
Characteristics of Argument
Writing

 Convinces reader that the claim is true

 Uses evidence—facts and data
 Acknowledges counter attacks or
arguments: The other side of the
argument
 An Effective Claim

 Takes a clear position

 Has two sides
 Isnarrow enough to be supported within
essay
 Can be supported by facts or citations
from a text
 Types of Claims

 Causeand effect—a person, thing, or event

caused something else to happen
 Example: Thegeneral people of Bangladesh
are the only reason for the increasing
amount of corruption.
 Types of Claims

 Claims of definition or fact—argue what a

definition is or if something is really a fact
 Example: Smartness means having a better
dressing sense only.
 Types of Claims

 Claimsabout values—argue the worth of

something and if it is valued.
 Example: We are underestimating the
possibilities of our tourism sector.
 Types of Claims

 Claimsabout solutions or policies—argue

for or against certain approaches to
problems.
 Example: Only by building new roads we
can solve our problems of traffic jam.
 Addressing the counter
arguments

 Refutes or proves wrong, another point

 Recognizes the other side’s points
 Lends credence to the writer’s claims
 Components of Effective Argument Writing?

 Clear and forceful claim

 Well-constructed argument
 Strong textual support with lucid
explanations of text support
 Addresses counterclaims
 Strong conclusion
Graphical Structure
Introduction (One Paragraph
• Introductory Sentence
• Background Information
• Thesis Statement

Body (Three Paragraphs)

• Reason 1 (with two supporting details)
• Reason 2 (with two supporting details)
• Counter Arguments, their explanation & Refutations (at least
three)

Conclusion (One Paragraph)

• Restatement
• Call for Action or opinions
What happens in a persuasive speech?
 The Introductory Sentence captures the attention
(proverb, unique piece of information, puzzle, challenge
for the audience, song lyrics, poem stanzas and many
more)
 The background information talks more about the topic
 The thesis statement announces the writer’s assertion
(belief) about the topic
 The writer then comes up with at least TWO main reasons
for supporting the thesis (topic) one by one
 Each main reason is supported by at least two supporting
details (explanation, example, reference, anecdotes,
statistics and so on)
(continued from the previous slide)
 After the main reasons, the writer presents at least
TWO counter arguments (beliefs or points from the
opposite side)
 The writer explains them and places his own points
as refutation to prove that the counter arguments are
WRONG
 As the writer successfully plays his role, he comes to
the conclusion by restating the thesis (comes back to
the point)
 At last, the speaker spends a few sentences to say
something more about the topic (result, present
condition, call for action etc.)
 Description of some key terms

 Introductory Sentence: It is a very general

statement about the topic. Remember this
is not about the title itself, it only talks
about the topic.
 What is topic: Topic means one of the key
words or key phrases from the title. We just
pick one of them and start the essay with a
sentence that addresses the topic.
 How to decide the topic

 Example: A higher GPA ensures a better job

in future.
 Example (Keywords marked): A higher GPA
ensures a better job in future.
So it becomes obvious that this title has
three key words or phrases. You can use
any of them for the Introductory Sentence.
 Example of Introductory Sentence

A good GPA is always a common target for

a student. OR,
 Therewill be hardly any student who does
not want a good job. OR,
 Every student should work hard for a
better future.
 What is
Background Information

 Byusing some sentences, at first, we explain

the other key words that have not been used in
the Introductory Sentence.
 Again,
Do Remember that these sentences are
simply some general and informative
sentences. You should not talk about the good
or bad sides of them and you are not allowed
to choose any side in the Background
Information part of the essay.
 What is Thesis Statement

 This is the last sentence of the Introduction

Paragraph. Here you will announce your
side.
 You have the freedom to support or oppose
the title. Basically, make sure that you have
stated your view clearly including two good
reasons in a single sentence.
 Types of Thesis Statement

 Four ways to write it

 Each one has specific structure, style and
application depending on the type of the
essay and the purpose of the writer
 Type 1: Short Thesis Statement

 Yourbriefest option is simply to state your

claim
 Here you will just mention your stand or
belief
 Example:

I strongly believe that a higher GPA

ensures a better job in future.
 Type 2: Short Thesis Statement
with some forecasting

 Youcan also state your claim but add to it a

phrase that predicts your ideas
 You can only add short phrases that represent
your reasons
 Example:

I strongly believe that a higher GPA ensures

a better job in future in terms of academic
success and employer preference.
 Body Paragraphs

 EachBody Paragraph should start with the

reason itself (The first reason included in
the Thesis Statement)
 Afterthat, you need two supporting details
to strengthen the reason. Some common
forms of supporting details are given in the
next page:
 Common forms of Supporting Details

 Explanation  Proverbs
 Examples  Statistical value
Anecdotes/ Tales/  Unique information
Fables/ Short Stories

Reference
 Experiences (Real
(Newspaper/
Life/ Collected)
Article/ Book etc.)
 Lines from famous
 Song lyrics
poems
 Counter Argument and
Refutation
 Think from the reverse direction and try to
figure out some possible arguments that
may arise from the people opposing you.
 Counter
Argument means the beliefs of the
people who are against you. Try out this
topic:
A higher GPA ensures a
better job in future
 Counter Argument and
Refutation (cont.)
 Suppose, your Thesis Statement is this:

I strongly believe that Bangladesh needs

more workers than professionals as it is a
developing country and we have a huge
number of uneducated people.