Developing your essay argument

Overview of this workshop

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Some questions answered :

What is an argument ?

How do I formulate one ?

What makes an argument strong ?

What is an argument ?

An argument at university

is…

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a stance, a position supported by evidence

an angle

an informed opinion

an academic discussion that expresses a point of view


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attempts to persuade or convinceothers of your claims (it goes beyond disagreement)

provides an answer to a question

is about something that is debatable – not a fact, not a personal preference


requires you to …

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develop a point of view or interpretation of particular information, ideas or theories

provide and use evidence in support of your point ofview

think critically and debate


is…

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and importantly …

often the purpose of academic writing

the word argument doesn’t have to be written anywhere in your question for it to be an important part of the task

Opinion versus position

Opinion Position

used in everyday life used in academic writing

may be supported by arguments supported by arguments

may be supported by evidence supported by evidence

evidence not necessarily verifiable evidence verifiable

subjective objective

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The thesis statement

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what is it


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is …

a sentence (sometimes two) which presents your argument , your position

a statement of the essay’s position in relation to the question

a statement that is put forward as a proposition to be argued and maintained in the essay


CENTRE I LEARNING SKILLS GROUP 2015


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is the most important sentence in your essay

tells the reader how you will interpret

the significance of the subject matter

is the road map for your essay

informs your reader the direction

your essay will take


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is the of your essay’s academic

argument


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How do I formulate one…


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Before you can formulate your thesis statement

you need to:

understand the essay question

read widely on the topic

decide on your position

collect and organise evidence and

information

look for possible relationships

look for the significance of these


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How do I develop my thesis statement ?

what is your point of view on the topic?

which point of view seems the most credible? Why?

what are their strengths and weaknesses?

identify the range of points of view in relevant readings

Remember, before you move into the body of the essay …

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The essay introduction- sample

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‘Natural disasters are really not so natural.’ Compare the roles of nature and society

in the subsequent impacts of Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Yasi.

Cyclone Yasi and Hurricane Katrina were two similar natural disasters however they

resulted in two very different outcomes. Cyclone Yasi made landfall as a category 5

system on 3rd February, 2011 (Global Post 2011) on the Northern Queensland coast of

Australia, a well developed and well resourced area. Cyclone Yasi indirectly caused death

to one person (Freeman 2013). Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall on the

Mississippi / Louisiana border, USA on August 29th 2005 where it caused the deaths of

over 1,500 people (Kates et al., 2006). New Orleans, USA will be the area of focus for

Hurricane Katrina: an under-resourced area that contained many people in poverty because

of its slave history and more recently because of middle class families and jobs moving away

from the city and higher taxes reducing the area’s economic resilience (Katz 2006). The

severity and outcomes of the following subsequent impacts from the two disasters house

damage, flooding and lack of availability of food and clean water are compared. It is

determined that Hurricane Katrina’s impacts were much more severe and caused more loss

of life than Cyclone Yasi’s even though the two disasters were very similar in magnitude, and

the reasons for this are explained by comparing the minor of nature and the more major role

of society in the impacts. The role of society in these impacts are explained in terms of

political systems, poverty and inequality, history of the places and the role of nature in terms

of the natural environment. (adapted from: student 100 level essay)



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‘Natural disasters are really not so natural.’ Compare the roles of nature and society

in the subsequent impacts of Hurricane Katrina and Cyclone Yasi.

Cyclone Yasi and Hurricane Katrina were two similar natural disasters however they

resulted in two very different outcomes. Cyclone Yasi made landfall as a category 5

system on 3rd February, 2011 (Global Post 2011) on the Northern Queensland coast of

Australia, a well developed and well resourced area. Cyclone Yasi indirectly caused death

to one person (Freeman 2013). Hurricane Katrina made its second landfall on the

Mississippi / Louisiana border, USA on August 29th 2005 where it caused the deaths of

over 1,500 people (Kates et al., 2006). New Orleans, USA will be the area of focus for

Hurricane Katrina: an under-resourced area that contained many people in poverty because

of its slave history and more recently because of middle class families and jobs moving away

from the city and higher taxes reducing the area’s economic resilience (Katz 2006). The

severity and outcomes of the following subsequent impacts from the two disasters house

damage, flooding and lack of availability of food and clean water are compared. It is

determined that Hurricane Katrina’s impacts were much more severe and caused more loss

of life than Cyclone Yasi’s even though the two disasters were very similar in magnitude, and

the reasons for this are explained by comparing the minor of nature and the more major role

of society in the impacts. The role of society in these impacts are explained in terms of

political systems, poverty and inequality, history of the places and the role of nature in terms

of the natural environment. (adapted from: student 100 level essay)


What makes a thesis strong?

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it answers a question

it takes a position that is debatable

it is backed up by evidence and

argument

it answers the ‘so what ?’ question (that

is, it clarifies its relevance and significance)

it is supported specifically by the essay

Writing the thesis statement

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Thesis Checklist Yes Not Yet

Does it answer the essay question ?

Does it answer the question ‘What is my point?’

Does it take a position? (That is,does it

challenge/oppose/agree in part or in full OR does in simply

state, summarise or describe?)

Is it expressed in a strong and concise sentence?

Is it specific enough?

Does it pass the ‘so what’ test ?

Does the essay specifically support the thesis with sufficient

evidence?

Thank you!

Developing your essay argument - Macquarie University

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