Rule for Writers Chapter 47

Rules for Writers chapter 47

An important skill that we can learn is how to write an argumentative essay.  Take a stand, evaluate it, decide on how reasonable it is, and make an argument of our own.  Be well informed, look up facts and be able to evaluate things, deciding where people are right about things and making up your mind what is true and what isn’t.  Remember if your essay has sources, document these.  Your outcome is to get your readers to think twice about what they think and maybe consider your opinions. Knowing how to critique someone else’s argument and make a solid one of your own is a vital part of being a successful individual.  This will take a lot of research because you want to be able to challenge your readers. Construct a series of smaller supporting arguments that are important to the thesis which could be the outline of your essay.  Strong arguments rely on examples and evidence.

In your introduction identify and state your main idea, objects of presentation, this is your thesis. Provide background and let your readers know why you are arguing it.  Convince your readers that this is worth reading. In the body of your essay use clear topic sentences in each paragraph, how can dramatic build-up happen and then resolution to the build-up play out?  You may need to be prepared to deal with objections to your thesis and counter them.  If they are countered in a respectful way this could make your arguments stronger.  It is a good idea to discuss the objections to your thesis first and then discuss your argument. Once it is time to arrive at the conclusion, revisit the thesis, summarize where your audience has been, and make an impact with a final detail, illustration, or quotation to keep your readers thinking.

The way that I will use the above writing is to gather a lot of information on my thesis, and come up with an outline using this information.  Remember who my audience is.  Keep my writing interesting and write convincing information for my readers, while respecting the arguments of others.