ARGUMENT WRITING

NEW WORDS AND PHRASES

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT (BROAD STATEMENT)

THESIS STATEMENT (STATE YOUR CLAIM)

TOPIC SENTENCE (CONTROLLING IDEA)FOR EACH BODY PARAGRAPH

EVIDENCE-DETAILS, REASONS, EXAMPLES, FACTS

TRANSITION WORDS AND PHRASES

CITATIONS

COUNTERCLAIM

CONCLUSION

AN ARGUMENT ESSAY STATES A POSITION OR

CLAIM ABOUT AN ISSUE. THE WRITER SUPPORTS

THEIR CLAIM WITH CONVINCING EVIDENCE

AND REASONS.

DEFINITION

INTRODUCTION INCLUDES THE

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT WHICH

INTRODUCES THE ISSUE AND A CLEAR THESIS

STATEMENT WHICH PRESENTS THE WRITER’S

CLAIM ABOUT THE ISSUE

BODY PARAGRAPHS/SENTENCES

CONVINCING REASONS AND RELEVANT

EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE ARGUMENT. EACH

BODY PARAGRAPH STARTS WITH A TOPIC

SENTENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE WRITER’S

CLAIM. POINT OUT WEAKNESSES IN OPPOSING

ARGUMENTS. TRANSITION WORDS/PHRASES-

CONNECT IDEAS.

CITATIONS-QUOTATIONS WITH QUOTATION

MARKS AND PAGE #’S IN PARENTHESES

CONCLUSION RESTATES THESIS AND

OFFERS A RECOMMENDATION.

SUMMARY STRUCTURE

B

M

E

INTRODUCTION

INCLUDES THE INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT WHICH INTRODUCES THE ISSUE AND A CLEAR THESIS

STATEMENT WHICH PRESENTS THE WRITER’S CLAIM ABOUT THE ISSUE

• INTRODUCES THE ISSUE.

• EX. A GROWING NUMBER OF SCHOOLS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE CHANGING TO A YEAR ROUND SCHEDULE.

• PRESENTS THE WRITER’S CLAIM ABOUT THE ISSUE

• EX. YEAR ROUND SCHOOLING IS A GREAT IDEA.

• EX. YEAR ROUND SCHOOLING IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT THESIS STATEMENT

BODY PARAGRAPH/S

• THE BODY- PROVIDES CONVINCING REASONS AND RELEVANT EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE ARGUMENT. EACH BODY PARAGRAPH STARTS WITH A TOPIC SENTENCE THAT SUPPORTS THE WRITER’S CLAIM. POINT OUT WEAKNESSES IN OPPOSING ARGUMENTS.

• TRANSITION WORDS/PHRASES- CONNECT IDEAS.

• CITATIONS-CITE YOUR SOURCE!

• QUOTATIONS WITH QUOTATION MARKS, AND

PAGE #’S IN PARENTHESES

STRONG TRANSITION WORDS AND PHRASES

BEGINNING TRANSITIONS- TO BEGIN,

MIDDLE TRANSITIONS-

ADDITION: IN ADDITION, FURTHERMORE, MOREOVER, ALSO

EXAMPLE: FOR EXAMPLE, FOR INSTANCE, THUS, IN OTHER WORDS, IN PARTICULAR

COUNTER ARGUE: ALTERNATIVELY, CONVERSELY, IN CONTRAST, ON ONE HAND, ON THE OTHER HAND, ON THE CONTRARY, YET

ENDING/SUMMARIZING TRANSITIONS: TO THIS END, IN SUMMARY, THEREFORE, AS A RESULT,

BUILD BACKGROUND

RESEARCH SEVERAL SOURCES

NEWS AND MAGAZINE ARTICLES

VIDEOS

STATISTICS

FOR EACH SOURCE, HIGHLIGHT PROS AND CONS IN TWO COLORS

RECORD PROS AND CONS ON GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

COMPLETE ARGUMENT OUTLINE

DRAFTING-TRANSITIONS

Beginning Transitions- To begin, Middle Transitions- Addition: in addition, furthermore, moreover, alsoExample: for example, for instance, thus, in other words, in particularCounter argue: alternatively, conversely, In contrast, on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, yetEnding/Summarizing Transitions: To this end, in summary, therefore, as a result,

DRAFTING-CITATIONS

•DRAFTING- CITING SOURCES

• ACCORDING TO THE HUFFINGTON POST ARTICLE TITLED, “SHOULD THE U.S. SWITCH TO YEAR-ROUND SCHOOLING?” AUTHOR MATTHEW LYNCH DISCUSSES HOW STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED BY THE SCHEDULE CHANGE.

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH/SENTENCE

THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THE CONCLUSION RESTATES THE THESIS STATEMENT. A CONCLUSION SHOULD

ALSO OFFER THE READER WITH A RECOMMENDATION.

REVISE AND

EDIT

• MAKE SURE TO VARY TRANSITIONS

• SPELL CHECK

• INDENT EACH PARAGRAPH

FINAL DRAFT-TYPE IT UP!