Argumentative Essay

Group members:
• Truong Hai Ha
• Tran Kieu Hanh
• Truong Thi Phuong
• Nguyen Thi Thinh
 Overview
1. Definition
2. Exposition vs. argumentation
3. Argumentative essay
3.1 Purposes of the essay
3.2 Argumentative topics
3.3 Organization of the essay
3.4 Evidence in the development
3.5 Counter-argument and the refutation
 1. Definition
“ An argumentative essay defends a
particular position on a debatable subject.
When you write an argumentative essay,
your purpose is to persuade readers that
your position has merit”

<Writing course book for sophomore-HULIS 2008>

 Overview
1. Definition
2. Exposition vs. argumentation
3. Argumentative essay
3.1 Purposes of the essay
3.2 Argumentative topics
3.3 Organization of the essay
3.4 Evidence in the development
3.5 Counter-argument and the refutation
 2. Exposition vs. argumentation
Exposition Argumentation

Purpose • To provide • To defend your

information assertion (opinion,
• To explain a theory, hypothesis)
particular subject
Forms • Exemplification • Combine various
• Process paragraph forms in
• Cause and effect developing its ideas
(cause and effect,
•…
definition,…)
 more complex
 Overview
1. Definition
2. Exposition vs. argumentation
3. Argumentative essay
3.1 Purposes of the essay
3.2 Argumentative topics
3.3 Organization of the essay
3.4 Evidence in the development
3.5 Counter-argument and the refutation
3.1 Purposes of the essay

The writers want the readers to

• Accept or reject an idea
• Realize that action should be taken to
solve a problem
• Try a new way of doing something
3.2 Argumentative topics
• Be narrowed down
• Contain an argument
• Be adequately supported (with
statistics, outside source citations,
etc.)
Be narrowed down
X: Marijuana should be considered
illegal. (Too general. In some medical
cases, marijuana is prescribed by the
doctors and the patients are encouraged
to use it in case of suffering from too much
pain)
√: Selling and using marijuana in public
places should be considered illegal.
Contain an argument
X: We should decide whether we want a
bicycle or a car. (our stand is not clear:
do we support having bicycles or cars?)
√: If we are under the age of 30 and want
a healthy life, we should definitely get a
bicycle instead of a car.
Be adequately supported

• I feel that writing an argumentative

essay is definitely a challenging task.
 feelings cannot be supported; we
cannot persuade other people
 If you believe that you can find
enough evidence to support your
idea and refute others effectively,
you can choose challenging
topics as well
Organization of the essay
I. Introduction - Give background of the 
subject and thesis of your essay
II. Presentation of your argument - build your 
case one point at a time, perhaps devoting 
one paragraph to the defense of each of 
your premises, or setting forth your 
evidence in separate, meaningful categories. 
III.Conclusion - pull your whole argument 
together in the last paragraph. Also add here 
some conventional device to finish your 
essay, such as a prediction, a new example, 
a reference to the example with which you 
began (now seen in a new light) etc.
Pattern 1:
I. Introduction:
Thesis statement
II. Body:

 PRO idea 1
 PRO idea 2
 CON(s) + Refutation(s)

III. Conclusion
Pattern 2:
I. Introduction:
Thesis statement
II. Body: 
 CON(s) + Refutation(s)
 PRO idea 1
 PRO idea 2
III. Conclusion
Pattern 3:
 I. Introduction:
Thesis statement

        II. Body:
 CON idea 1 -----
> Refutation
 CON idea 2 -----
> Refutation
 CON idea 3 -----
> Refutation
 Evidence in the
argument development

 Kinds of evidence
 Some problems with evidence
Kinds of evidence
• Fact: information that can be verified as
objectively true
• Example: a specific illustration of a
general statement
• Authority: someone who is generally
recognized as an expert on a particular
subject
 Some problems with
evidence and logic
• False conclusion: the conclusion is not
based on evidence
• Misplaced causes and effects: Just
because one thing follows another doesn’t
mean it is an effect of it and vice versa
• Bad evidence: Evidence is used that
comes from an outdated, incompetent, or
bias source
Counter-argument and the
refutation
 Counter-argument, refutation
 Methods of refutation
 Counter-argument,
Refutation
• Counter-argument: the opposing
viewpoint that disagrees with the writer’s
opinion
• Refutation: the writer’s response to the
counter-argument
 Methods of refutation
• Method 1: Demonstrate that the counter-
argument is wrong
• Method 2: Show that the counter-
argument is weak
• Method 3: Agree that the counter-
argument is valid, but show that the
writers’ point of view is more compelling
 References
• D.T.Mai, Writing skill course book, Hanoi
2008
• http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr
• http://essayinfo.com/essays/argumentativ

• http://essayinfo.com/essays/expository_e

• http://depts.gallaudet.edu/englishworks/w
 Sample 1
HEALTH AND HEALING 
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

Work in your group:

• Identify pattern of the essay
• Identify the thesis statement
• Pros, cons and refutation in which
paragraphs?
• Write the outline of the essay
Thesis: Do Reiki instead of taking medicine.

“This new theory argues that healing is at 
our fingertips: we can be healthy by doing 
Reiki on a regular basis.”
Counter arguments Refutation
2. People should trust 2. Reiki is also
medicine since it is scientifically proven
effective and and does not have
scientifically proven. side effects. (refutation
method: insufficient
4. Serious illnesses claim)
such as HIV/AIDS 3. Medicine also cannot
and cancer cannot treat serious illnesses
be treated without if not diagnosed at an
medicine. early stage. (refutation
method: opponents
are partially correct)
6. Reiki, like alternative
healing methods, 4. Reiki requires less
requires a lot of time if done regularly.
time. (refutation method:
opponents are
completely wrong)
Thanks for your
cooperation!