argumentative-writing.ppt

Unit15 ArgumentativeWriting UnitObjectives Attheendoftheunityouwillhaveageneralideaofwhatargumentativewritingisandbeawareoftheimportanceofargumentation befamiliarwiththeessentialsforanargumentation and3 knowabouttheformofargumentativewriting Task1Samplereading Askthestudentstoreadthesamplewritingonpagesof150 151 Workinpairsanddiscussthefollowingquestions AccordingtoMaryaMannes whatiswrongwithTV WhatdoesshebelieveTVcouldaccomplish IssheoptimisticthatTVwillreachthisstageofdevelopment Thewritertellsusthatherchildhoodwasnottypical Whataspectsofherchildhooddoyoufeelsupportthatstatement WhydoesthewriterusethelongquotationbythenewspapercolumnistSylviaPorter Writingtechniques Writingpurposes Wewriteargumentativeessaystopresentyouropinionb explain clarify andillustratethatviewpointandc persuadethereadersthattheviewpointisvalidorcorrectsothattheaudiencewillbemovedtoactionorbelief Presentyouropinion Anopinionisabelief anattitude oraviewpoint Sometimes youwritetogiveyouropiniononasubject Factoropinion Therearetwokindsofstatements Astatementoffactisnotthesameasastatementofopinion Astatementoffactissomethingthatcanbeprovenrightorwrong Pleasecomparethefollowingstatements Theyarefactsoropinion TheEmpireStateBuildingisinNewYorkCity ItisfuntoclimbthestepsoftheEmpireStateBuilding Presentyouropinion Whenyouwrite itisveryimportanttorecognizeifyouarewritingfactsoropinions Astatementofactcanbeproventrueorfalse butastatementofopinioncannot Certainwordsactassignalsthatastatementisanopinion Wordsthatshowapprovalordisapprovalarewordsofopinion someopinionwordsarebetter best good bad pleasant unpleasant poor andgreat E g RalphisabetterstudentthanSpot Statementsthatsaywhatisdesirablearestatementsofopinion Wordslikeshould oughtto andmustareopinionwords E g LindashouldaskStantothedance Predictionsareanotherkindofopinion Wordsandphraseslikewill shall andisgoingtosignalaprediction Anystatementthatpredictswhatwillhappeninthefutureisanopinion Writingtechniques FormsofArgumentation Argumentforconvincing athesisstatementofourposition supportingreasonsandevidence Outlinescheme 1 Argumentforsolvingaproblem statementofaproblem asuggestionofabestsolutionOutlinescheme OutlineschemeIntroduction explanationoftheproblem analysisofcausesandeffects relevancetoreadersBody Thesolution thesis proposition Explanationoftherelationofsolutiontoproblem Effect Practicalityofsolution SuperiorityofonesolutionoverothersConclusion Writingprocedures DecideuponatopicAvoidthesubjectsthatcanbedeterminedimmediatelybyavailablefactualmaterials e g Poor InterviewisawayofrecruitmentBetter MyViewonInterviewasaSelectionProcedureAvoidsubjectsthatare no wintopics forwhichnoconclusioncanbereached esp thosewhichinvolvepersonaltaste e g Mydogismorebeautifulthanyourdog ShakespeareismyfavoriteEnglishwriter Avoidsubjectsthatwouldnotinterestourreaders Writingprocedures 2 Structuringanargumentativeessay anintroduction abody aconclusion Theintroductiongivesbackground stimulatethereaders interestintheproblemorproposal andalsoconvincethereadersthattheycantrustusandthattheycanbenefitfromourproposition TheThesisSentencewouldbeconciseandessential andconsistofmainargument ahintofallargumentstobedevelopedinthebodypart Afterthebrain storming transformtheTentativeThesisSentencetotheThesisSentence SugarConsumption anindicationofageneralsubject Thisfragmentisn tathesisstatement Instead itsimplyindicatesageneralsubject Furthermore yourreaderdoesn tknowwhatyouwanttosayaboutsugarconsumption Narrowdownthetopic Reducingsugarconsumptionbyelementaryschoolchildren Thisfragmentnotonlyannouncesyoursubject butitfocusesononesegmentofthepopulation elementaryschoolchildren Furthermore itraisesasubjectuponwhichreasonablepeoplecoulddisagree becausewhilemostpeoplemightagreethatchildrenconsumemoresugarthantheyusedto noteveryonewouldagreeonwhatshouldbedoneorwhoshoulddoit Youshouldnotethatthisfragmentisnotathesisstatementbecauseyourreaderdoesn tknowyourconclusionsonthetopic Takeapositiononthetopic Moreattentionshouldbepaidtothefoodandbeveragechoicesavailabletoelementaryschoolchildren Thisstatementassertsyourposition butthetermsmoreattentionandfoodandbeveragechoicesarevague UseSpecificLanguage Expertsestimatethathalfofelementaryschoolchildrenconsumeninetimestherecommendeddailyallowanceofsugar Thisstatementisspecific butitisn tathesis Itmerelyreportsastatistic Makeanassertionbasedonclearlystatedsupport BecausehalfofallAmericanelementaryschoolchildrenconsumeninetimestherecommendeddailyallowanceofsugar schoolsshouldberequiredtoreplacethebeveragesinsodamachineswithhealthyalternatives Noticehowthethesisanswersthequestion Whatshouldbedonetoreducesugarconsumptionbychildren andwhoshoulddoit Whenyoustartedthinkingaboutthepaper youmaynothavehadaspecificquestioninmind butasyoubecamemoreinvolvedinthetopic yourideasbecamemorespecific Yourthesischangedtoreflectyournewinsights Writingprocedures Thebodyofthepapermustmakeallappealsandpresentthekindofevidencewhichcanconsistofstatistics authority analogy facts casestudies historicalorsocialbackground orexplanationofcauses Theconclusionshouldsummarizetheargumentandrestatetheproposition andtobemosteffective makeanappealtothereadersforwhateveractionmaybeappropriate Pointstoremember Outlinescheme 1 Introduction thesis Weakestargumentthatsupportsouropinion Strongerargumentthatsupportsouropinion Strongestargumentthatsupportsouropinion Counter argumentsandrefutationConclusion Outlinescheme 2 Introduction thesis Counter argumentsandrefutationWeakestargumentthatsupportsouropinion Strongerargumentthatsupportsouropinion Strongestargumentthatsupportsouropinion VI Conclusion Outlinescheme 3 Introduction thesis Counter argument1andargumenttorefuteitCounter argument2andargumenttorefuteitCounter argument3andargumenttorefuteitStrongestargumentthatsupportsouropinion VI ConclusionThefirsttwostructuresemphasizepositiveargumentsandthelastonelaysemphasizeonrefutation FormsofArgumentation Persuadingreaders Ifyoureallywantyourwritingtopersuadereaders youmustsoundreasonable Calm detailedinformationisgenerallymorepersuasivethanheated emotionalopinions Pleasecomparethefollowingtwoparagraphs Whichparagraphwouldbemorelikelytoconvinceastatelegislaturetopassaseatbeltlaw TipsforargumentativewritingNotice Paragraph1insultsthereadersbyusingwordssuchassillyandcrazy Paragraph2avoidsname callingandprovidessomefactsandfigures Tipsforargumentativewriting Tipsforargumentativewriting PassageOneIthinkthatthisstateshouldrequireautomobiledriversandpassengerstowearseatbelts Itissodangeroustodrivewithoutbelts Peoplecanbekilled Peoplejustdonotrealizehowsillyitistorideinacarwithoutaseatbelt Thereisabsolutelynoreasontotravelinanautomobilewithoutaseatbelt Somepeoplesayitwrinklestheirclothes butthatiscrazy Itallcomesdowntoonething Seatbeltssavelives Tipsforargumentativewriting PassageTwoIthinkthisstateshouldrequireautomobiledriversandpassengerstowearseatbelts Safetytestsprovethatpeoplearelesslikelytobehurtbadlyinanautomobileaccidentiftheyarewearingseatbelts Thirty twostateshavealreadypassedlawsrequiringpeopletowearseatbelts Thoseseatbeltlawshavereducedtraffic relateddeaths Somepeoplemaysaythatseatbeltsareuncomfortableorabother Ithinkthatisasmallpricetopayforaddedsafety Itallcomesdowntoonething Seatbeltssavelives Persuadingreaders Tipsforargumentativewriting SupportingyouropinionOnceyouhavewrittenyouropinion yourjobistoconvinceyourreadersthatyouropinionisright Sometimes youmustdosomeresearchtocomeupwithenoughconvincingarguments Givespecificreasonsthatsupportyouropinion TipsforargumentativewritingCertaintopicsmightrequirealittleresearchtofindfactsandfigures Readthefollowingexample Tipsforargumentativewriting Tipsforargumentativewriting IbelievethatIshouldbehiredasawaiterinyourrestaurant BecauseIworkedasawaiterlastsummerinAnn sDinerinSeattle Ihavehadthenecessaryexperience Infact beforeIleftAnn sDinertoreturntoschool Iwaschosen OutstandingEmployeeoftheMonth Boththeowner JillJohnson andhercustomersstatedthatIwasafriendly speedyworker Inevermissedadayofwork andIalwaysarri