Lesson #19

Introduction
to
Argumentat
ive Writing

Competencies:
Use specific rhetorical
devices
to
support
assertion:
appeal
to
logic through reasoning,
appeal to emotion or
ethical belief, relate a
personal anecdote or

Describe
argumentative
writing.
Analyze ideas in
argumentative
texts and identify

Employ the
language of
argumentative
texts.

Lesson Purpose: (I can)

Describe

argumentative
writing
Identify the
language of

 Write a thesis
statement based
on a topic
Support ones own
argument with
evidences

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

ARGUMENTATION

The

aim of
writing
argumentative
essays is to
convince or
persuade the

 One attempts to
change the readers
mind and convince
the reader to agree
with the point of
view or claim of the
writer.

 So an
argumentative
essay needs to
be highly
persuasive and
logical.

Argumentative
essays use logic,
reason, and emotion
to convince readers
to join the writer in
a certain point of

A.Choosing a Topic
.It should contain an
argument.
An argumentative essay
convinces readers to
agree with the writers
opinion.

B. Parts of an
argumentative essay:
The lead/hook captures
the readers attention.
The thesis states the
writers assertion (belief)
about the topic

The supporting
arguments (logos,
pathos, ethos)
convince the reader
that the thesis is
correct

Optional
counter
arguments
respond to reader
concerns and

C. The Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is always one
sentence that states your
assertion (belief) about a topic. A
thesis statement usually includes
a forecast (brief preview of your
arguments).
(I believe ___________ because of
argument 1, argument 2, and
argument 3.)

D. Supporting Arguments
(Types of language of
argumentation)
Logical Appeal (Logos) Does the
authors proposal make sense?
Ethical Appeal (Ethos) Is the
authors proposal the right thing to
do?
Emotional Appeal (Pathos) Will
accepting the authors proposal make

E.
Counter
argument

An argument opposed to
your thesis statement.
It expresses the view of a
person who disagrees
with your position.

 If done well, a counterargument will actually make

your thesis stronger. This is
because it gives you the
chance to respond to your
readers objections before
they have finished reading
the essay. It also shows that
you are a reasonable person
who has considered both

It should be
presented
thoroughly,
fairly and

 Show that the counterargument is based on

false assumptions: facts
are wrong, analysis is
incorrect, the values it is
based on are
unacceptable.

Example of a counterargument

Thesis: Minor
offenders
should be put
to jail.

Others would think that putting

minors in jail would be more
disastrous or harmful to them.
This
is
incorrect
assumption. Putting them in
jail will give them a chance to
reform themselves. People in
jail are rehabilitated by the
government.

They are provided with lectures or

sessions that aim to develop them
morally and spiritually. If minors are
jailed, they can be given a special
formation program while serving
their sentence. If people would
think that being in jail is harmful
because they are surrounded by
other criminals, the minors can be
separated from the adult inmates.

All minors can be put

together on the same jail,
or they can be grouped in
lesser number. (State your
counter-argument then say
that it is a false assumption
or it is incorrect. Then
explain your reasons why

Key Terms to Learn

1. a person who disagrees with
something and speaks against it
Argumentation _____
2. the act or process of forming
5
reasons, drawing conclusions,
and applying them to a case in
Refutation _____
discussion
6
3. point or statement that supports
Proponent _____
ones ideas and/or thesis
1
4. point or statement in opposition
to the argument being made in a
Opponent _____
written document or speech
4
5. the process of discrediting the
Counter Argument (CON) ____
arguments that oppose your
thesis statement
3
6. someone who argues in favor of
Pro Argument (PRO) _____
something; advocate
2

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF

ARGUMENTATION?

present

an
opinion on a
controversial
topic to the
reader;

explain,
clarify and
illustrate that
opinion;

persuade the
reader that the
opinion supported
in the essay is valid
by:
a. moving the reader
to action,

b. convincing
the reader
that the
opinion is

c. persuading
the reader that
the opinion is
at least worth
considering;

 support the opinion

by means of giving
evidence: facts,
examples, physical
description, support
of authority, and
statistics;

present
counterargument
s to the thesis
and refute them
respectfully
and
critically

Examples of hook

Thesis: Schools
should not
require school
uniforms
Hook: Anecdote

One Monday morning, I was ironing my

uniform as I was getting ready for
another school day. Because I was in a
hurry, I didnt notice that the iron was
at its maximum heat. My uniform was
damaged in no timThee! Since all the
other uniforms are in laundry, I had no
choice but to be absent. One academic
day was sacrificed because of the silly
uniform rule.

Thesis: Minors
should be put
to jail.
Hook:

How dangerous are the

juvenile delinquents
nowadays? What kind of
crimes can they commit?
(Follow these questions with
a brief explanation linking to
the thesis statement.)

Thesis: Minor
offenders
should be put
to jail.

Gone are the days when the only

persons capable of doing heinous
crimes were the adults. Watch the
news and it is very common to
hear teenagers involved in varied
crimes: drug pushing, hold-up,
robbery and even murder. (Follow
this with sentences linking to the
thesis statement.)

Thesis: Minor
offenders
should be put
to jail.

Jose Rizal once said, The youth is the

hope of the motherland. But only
those who are morally upright, those
who are spiritually nurtured and well
guided by the people that surround
them. This isnt true for the young
people who are trudging a different
path the path leading to criminal
activities. ( Follow this with sentences
linking to the thesis statement.)

Thesis
Statement:
Minor offenders
should be put to
jail

 Ethos: (appeal to
authority, the
argument has to
be supported by
data or quote from
authorities or
experts in the

Minors are being used

by
syndicates
and
criminal elements to
commit
crimes
for
them. According to the
latest data from the

Logos:
(appeal to
logic, or
appeal to do

Minors are committing very serious

crimes such as murder. Everyone
knows, even young children that it is
wrong to kill. Hence, young murderers
cannot use immaturity as an excuse
for committing such crimes. Young
people who took others lives are still
answerable to law. (The students
may continue this paragraph but it
should remain appealing to logic.)

Pathos:
(appeal to
the emotion)

Minor offenders are usually those

misguided children and teenagers
who have not been loved and
cared for. When they are out in the
society, they sink deeper and
deeper to wrongdoings. It is very
heartbreaking to see innocent
children being dragged into the
sinkhole
of
mischief
and
criminalities(The students may
continue this paragraph but it
should remain appealing to the

HOW TO WRITE
ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS
STAGE

1: CHOOSING A TOPIC AND

WRITING THE THESIS STATEMENT

Decide on a controversial topic

(debatable and interesting)
Write an argumentative thesis statement.
Generate ideas (free writing or
brainstorming

The Argumentative Thesis

Statement

The

thesis statement
should define the scope
of the argument and
make an assertion that
is open to debate.

THE EXPOSITORY THESIS STATEMENT VS.

THE ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT

Both expository and argumentative thesis statements

express a certain opinion about a topic.
However, an expository thesis statement does not
include a sharp opinion; rather, it discusses
advantages, disadvantages, types, reasons, results,
problems, solutions, processes, or categories of an
issue often in the form of listing, enumeration,
classification, or sequencing.
An argumentative thesis statement, on the other hand,
has a clear stance on a debatable topic, fiercely
argues that the writers opinion is correct and
reflects this subjectivity both in its style and tone.

On the Whole
On

the whole, while writing

argumentative thesis statements, be
sure to have a debatable topic,
state your claim and stance as
strongly as possible and make
the reader understand that your
aim is to persuade rather than
only to inform.

STAGE 2: GENERATING IDEAS

After

formulating your argumentative

thesis statement, you need to brainstorm
a variety of supporting ideas, counter
arguments and ways to refute these
opposing views.

When Supporting your Argument

One important concern in writing an argumentative
essay is to strengthen your argument. To do this, you
need to base your argument on sound evidence. In
supporting your argument, the evidence that you
include can be facts, examples, support from authority
(testimony), and statistics.

Facts: data that have been objectively proven and are

generally accepted (such as historical facts, scientific
data, statistics etc.)
Examples: should be sufficient number of examples to
prove the case.
Opinions of experts

Counter Arguments
One way to strengthen your argument is
to show that you have a deep
understanding of the issue and also to
show that you can anticipate and address
the counterarguments or objections that
your audience may have. In this way you
show that you have thought the issue in
detail.

Generating Counter Arguments

How strong is the opposition?
What arguments might be used

against my

thesis statement?
How can I refute these arguments?
Will I have to agree with some of these points?
Which of my arguments might the opposition
try to discredit?
How closely does my audience identify with
the opposition?
Can I see any weak links in the oppositions
thinking?

Counter Arguments
Sometimes it may be difficult to anticipate the counterarguments.
Here are some strategies that you can make use of if you are
having difficulty at this stage:

Do some research. It may seem to you that no one could possibly

disagree with your position, but you will be astonished to find that
someone most probably already has.

Talk with a friend or your instructor. Someone else may point out
certain counterarguments that may never have occurred to you.

Consider the thesis and your supporting arguments and think of

how people may object to each of them.

Refuting the Counter Arguments

Refuting Counter Arguments by Claiming that they are:
1. Incorrect: demonstrating that your opponents reasoning is
wrong because it is based on incorrect or misleading
information
2. Irrelevant: showing that your opponents viewpoint is
inappropriate and unrelated because it is not relevant to the
key point
3. Insufficient: showing that your opponents reasoning is weak
because it is based on insufficient information or ignores
significant information. Partially agree with the opponents
point of view but on the whole prove that it is weak

What are the primary

characteristics of a written
argument?

It focuses on
adebatableproposition or claim
the claim becomes your thesis.
It is based on an analysis of your
audience.

 It represents and evaluates

opposing points of view on
the issue fairly and
accurately.
It reasonably argues for your
claim and against opposing
claims.
It supports your claims with

What

kinds of claims can you

make in an argument?

Claims of factthat arenot easily

measured or verified, such as
"Grades do not measure intelligence
or achievement."
Claims about cause and effect, such
as "Capital punishment does not
deter violent crime."

 Claims about value, such

as "Boxing is a
dehumanizing sport.
Claims about solutions or
policies, such as
"Pornography on the
Internet should be
censored."

What is an appeal to an
audience?
A strategy for gaining their trust or
confidence that the argument you
are presenting is reasonable,
appropriate, and worthwhile.

What kinds of appeals can you use to support

your argument?
Appeals to reason (logos), such as inductive
logic (scientific method).
Appeals to character (ethos).
Appeals to emotion (pathos).
Combined appeals.

Final Tips for Writing an

Argumentative Essay

Find a debatable topic.

Word your thesis carefully to provoke thought or
action.
Do research.
Make a pro-con chart.
Outline your arguments so that they are focused and
organized.
Anticipate objections and differing viewpoints and
show why your argument is stronger even if the others
have some merit.
Support all your claims with convincing evidence and
reasoned analysis.
Avoid logical fallacies; they weaken any argument.