ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY CHECKLIST
I.
Introduction
A. Hook – Put the reader in your shoes. Rhetorical question or paint a picture.
B. Transition Sentence
1. “This is the situation…” or “This is what is happening to …”
C. Background information. You can sometimes get this from the prompt or
the central idea of an article.
D. Thesis statement
E. List three reasons
II.
Rebuttal
A. Introduce the opposing argument
1. Start with “opposing views claim …”, “Some experts often argue …” or
“Those on the other side are not completely inaccurate when they
claim…”
B. Acknowledge Parts are Valid
1. Start with “Certainly,” “Of course,” “One cannot deny that…”
C. Counter the Argument
1. Start with “Nevertheless,” “However,” “On the other hand…”
D. Introduce the Conclusion
1. Start with “Therefore,” “Thus” As a result…”
Body Paragraph 1
A. Start with transition such as “One reason we must (restate thesis) is (list
first reason).”
B. Support with textual evidence, details, statistics and facts.
C. Use at least one persuasive technique
Body Paragraph 2
A. Start with transition such as “Another reason we must (restate thesis) is
(list second reason).”
B. Support with textual evidence, details, statistics and facts.
C. Use at least one persuasive technique
Body Paragraph 3
A. Start with transition such as “A final reason we must (restate thesis) is (list
third reason) OR “In addition to (reason 1) and (reason 2) we must (restate
thesis) because (list reason 3).”
B. Support with textual evidence, details, statistics and facts.
C. Use at least one persuasive technique
III.
IV.
V.
VI.
Conclusion
A. Restate thesis
B. Summarize argument
C. Call to action – What you want the reader to do
1. To help (rephrase thesis), “please write”
2. To help (rephrase thesis), “please call”
3. To help (rephrase thesis), “please vote”