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Copyright (C) 2008-2009 David B. Axelrod |
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HELPFUL LINKS |
WRITE
A PROPERLY STRUCTURED PERSUASIVE ESSAY OF 500 WORDS, FOLLOWING THE FORM
SPECIFIED BELOW FOR ARGUMENTATION.
ABSOLUTELY NO OUTSIDE SOURCES ARE TO BE USED IN THIS PAPER! ARGUE
FOR OR AGAINST ONE SIDE ON THE QUESTION:
WE
SHOULD/SHOULD NOT {SELECT AN ISSUE FOR APPROVAL} BECAUSE {STATE YOUR
ONE BEST REASON}.
A hint: select a topic you know well enough that you aren't tempted to go read up or would need to research to find factual examples. To do that, you may want to pick a very local, specific, even personal argument. If you have personal experience that can be generalized to make a logical case to do or not do a particular thing, that is more what I am looking for then some broad discussion of the death penalty or abortion! Unless you have faced the death penalty, you probably aren't going to find personal examples to use to prove your point! Example
of what might not work: Why they might not work: They lend themselves to cliche, tempt students to go to "canned" research or rely on old papers they read or even wrote. Example
of what might work: Why they might work: You are personally involved and know the subject matter well enough to describe examples on your own. CLICK HERE FOR: DISCUSSION OF STUDENT THESES CLICK HERE FOR: SAMPLE STUDENT PAPER WITH MY COMMENTS. NOTE:
Papers will be graded on how well you can structure and support your argument.
The success of your paper hinges on the examples you chose to prove your
point and your ability to discuss them. You
will not lose credit for “taking the wrong side,” but you will not do well
if you fail to argue logically. You must support
your one best reason why you are for or against your point with at least three
specific examples.
Click here for: STYLE SHEET & Required Structure:
I. A. Thesis Statement = OPINION because REASON
B. DEFINE
C.
YOUR
D.
TERMS
X. (Use as many sentences as you need.)
II.
A. If we look at {some specific EXAMPLE from your own knowledge) we can
see {what we should/shouldn't do=what you are trying to prove}.
1st
B. Set
the scene for, introduce your evidence.
E
C.
Present your specific example.
X.
D. Paraphrase {put your evidence in other words}.
E. Relate the evidence to you want to prove {show your reasoning}.
III.
2nd EX.
{Another specific example as above.}
V.
A. We have look at {summarize, categorize your examples} to see
{what you want
to prove}.
C
B. Summarize first example.
O
C. Summarize second example {minimum of two examples for essay}.
N
D.
Summarize third example (optional).
C
E. Conclusion {what you want to prove}.
L.
X. (Use as many sentences as you need.)
NOTE:
Each letter of the outline represents a step in the argumentation process.
Clearly, to
write 500 words and to develop your ideas clearly and
logically, you may write several sentences for many of the lettered steps.
NO
OUTSIDE SOURCES ARE ALLOWED FOR THE COMPOSITION OF THIS PAPER.
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