Authoring Strong Arguments

Authoring Strong Arguments

By Dave Vaughan

What should you include in your introduction to have a strong argument?

Is a transition always necessary?​

Introductions are the first thing people read for your essay, so it's important to get it right.

INTRODUCTION​

Poll

Which of the following is a strong hook for an argumentative essay on the topic of government subsidies (promised money) for students buying laptops?

• We all live in a digital age with information at our fingertips, but not everyone has the luxury to access it.

• What do you spend your free time on when you're bored?

• The government has a lot of money and often wastes it on useless things like roads and bridges to nowhere.

• According to Grover Norquist, a advocate against all tax increases, "We should reduce total government spending as a percentage of the economy."

Fill in the Blanks

You should start your essay with a

idea in order to attract and appeal to the largest audience.

(general / specific / targeted / unrelated)

Draw

In the image below, underline the background information in the introduction paragraph.

Poll

Which of the following is a strong thesis statement on the topic of having a 15 minute morning recess in 6th grade at our school?

• Sixth graders need a recess because school is so boring.

• Students have an attention span of only 10 - 15 minutes, they needs breaks like recess to increase their attention span.

• HCAS needs to have a 15-minute recess for sixth graders because it resets their focus for later classes, it engages them in the 7Cs and it allows time for teachers to ready their classes before the lunch period.

• I remember how long the day feels when there is no recess. Staring at the clock almost hearing it tick once every 10 seconds it seemed. I felt I was trapped in another universe, one where the teachers voice was all around me. Blabbering on and on and on.

Good evidence matches your reasons, properly represents the source material, and is explained in the paragraph

What should you include in your body paragraphs?

Body Structure

EVIDENCE MATCHING

Evidence matching is a technique in essay writing that checks to make sure the proof for your reason is relevant to the topic of your paragraph and essay.

Good Evidence

Poll

Which of the following is good evidence for the argument that Zhubei should have a downtown waterpark?

• The city spends 12 million NTD on watering roadside plants each summer

• There are over 35 basketball courts in spaces across Zhubei

• Temperatures may exceed 35^oC in July and August

• A professor at a local university argues that "learning to swim is an essential skill for all children under age 12."

Poll

Which of the following is an appropriate explanation for the previous evidence in the argument to have a downtown water park in Zhubei?

• Since the river itself is not easily accessible, the water park will allow for more families to enjoy relief from the hot sun.

• The costs of private options are too prohibitive, most families cannot escape the heat and pay over 1000NTD each and every hot day in the summer.

• Offering a service like this attracts families to the city center and supports businesses.

• Air conditioning is harming the planet and melting the ice for polar bears.

Draw

In the picture below, underline the evidence in red and the explanation for the evidence in green.

You want to make sure you have a strong and relevant reason to go against your counterargument.

You also want to make sure you don't commit a fallacy.​

When starting out with persuasive essay writing, the best place to put a counterargument is in the opening to your last reason.

Why do you this is the case?​

WHERE IT GOES?

COUNTERARGUMENT

A counterargument is an idea that goes against your claim.

HOW TO USE IT

Poll

For which of the reasons would the counterargument "it's too expensive to afford right now," best be placed in an essay on replacing coal with green energy production?

• The planet is rapidly warming due to carbon in the atmosphere

• Green energy can be scaled down so household can purchase their own energy production options

• Some countries are taking the lead on building green technology, and they could become global powers because of this

• Green technology is time dependent and may not work 24/7 like coal technology does

Audio Response

What's one thing you learned about

1) Introductions

2) Evidence

3) Counterarguments

today?

Start your response with: "One thing I learned about ______ today was..."

Open Audio Recorder

Go to the class FAQ page (posted in the chat) and write your own draft of an introduction.

Remember the structure.

When you finish, comment on one other person's introduction before logging off.​

It's now your

turn​