WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

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WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVEESSAY

• Essay 1

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PERSUASION/ARGUMENT

• PERSUASION- REFERS TO THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT
  AUTHORS ENCOURAGE READERS TO ACCEPT THEIR
  POSITION
• ARGUMENT-REFERS TO THE USE OF LOGIC AND EVIDENCE
  TO CONVINCE READERS

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CHOOSING A DEBATABLE TOPIC

• PEOPLE MUST DISAGREE ABOUT YOUR TOPIC TO MAKE IT
  DEBATABLE!!
• A FACTUAL STATEMENT IS ONE ABOUT WHICH PEOPLE DO
  NOT DISAGREE, AND ARE NOT SUITED FOR AN ARGUMENT
  PAPER.

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• FACTUAL STATEMENT
• MANY COUNTRIES HOLD POLITICAL PRISONERS.
• DEBATABLE TOPIC
• THE UNITED STATES SHOULD NOT TRADE WITH COUNTRIES
  THAT HOLD POLITICAL PRISONERS.

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• FACT First-year students are not required to
  purchase a meal plan from the university.
• DEBATABLE TOPIC First-year students SHOULD be
  required to purchase a meal plan from the
  university.

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ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS

• A THESIS THAT ASSERTS OR DENIES SOMETHING ABOUT
  YOUR TOPIC.
• THESIS STATEMENT MUST TAKE A STRONG STAND.

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ANTITHESIS

• A STATEMENT THAT TAKES AN ARGUABLE POSITION
  OPPOSITE YOURS.

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• THESIS TERM LIMITS WOULD IMPROVE GOVERNMENT BY
  BRINGING PEOPLE WITH FRESH IDEAS INTO OFFICE
  EVERY FEW YEARS.
• ANTITHESIS TERM LIMITS WOULD HARM GOVERNMENT
  BECAUSE ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD ALWAYS BE
  INEXPERIENCED.

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PRESENT SUPPORT

• EXAMPLES
• STATISTICS
• EXPERT OPINION

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AVOID VAGUE LANGUAGE

• VAGUE--Censorship of the Internet would be wrong.
• CLEARER--Censorship of the Internet would
  unfairly limit free speech.

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HURRAY!! NOW LETS WRITE OUR ESSAY!!!

• ANY QUESTIONS?????????????