Writing the Argumentative Essay: The Introduction Remember to copy the slides with the pencil on them. Watch in presentation mode!! INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH ❖ The first sentence is a general statement, designed to attract the reader’s attention. ❖ Second and perhaps third sentences gives important background information that the reader must know about why it is an issue in the first place. ❖ The last sentence in the introduction must be your thesis. Different Types of Hooks Whol e slide • • • • • • • an unusual detail a strong statement a quotation an anecdote a statistic or fact a question (do not use You) a pretend scenario/hypothetical situation (picture yourself…/imagine…) What Type of Hook is This? 1. One student looks at his neighbor’s exam paper and quickly copies the answers. Another student finds out the questions on a test before her class takes it and tells her friends. What about you? Would you be tempted to cheat on an exam if you knew you wouldn’t get caught? Answer: Question What Type of Hook is This? Homicides cause death of more children in Washington, D.C, than any other single type of injury, including car accidents, house fires, or drowning. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is not exclusive to Washington. Answer: Facts/Statistics THESIS STATEMENT The thesis statement Whol e slide ❖ states your claim (opinion) on the topic (NO I) ❖ lists the reasons you will use to support your claim. SUPPORT THE THESIS Support your thesis with two reasons. Thesis Example School officials should allow energy drinks and soda on school because money from students buying the drinks can help the school, the drinks provide students with an energy boost and school officials should not have control over what students can put in their bodies. Read the following and then write the hook(s) and thesis statement in your composition book under argument. Karate, which literally means “the art of empty hands,” is the most widely practiced of all the martial arts. It is primarily a means of selfdefense that uses the body as a weapon for striking, kicking, and blocking. Originating in the ancient Orient, the art of karate is more than 1,000 years old. It developed first as a form of monastic training and later became the method of self-defense. During the seventeenth century, karate became highly developed as an art on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Over the years, this ancient art has gained much popularity, and today karate is practiced throughout the world. More than a method of combat, karate emphasizes self-discipline, positive attitude and high moral purpose. Hook(s)________________ Thesis Statement (claim & reasons) _______________ Read the following and then write the hook(s) and thesis statement in your composition book under argument. Experience, not theory, has taught me the truth of the popular saying, “Two heads are better than one.” For the past two years, the job of a secretary in my office has been successfully shared by two people. This “job-sharing” arrangement has worked out for all involved. All over the business world, the interest in flexible employment arrangements, like job-sharing, is growing. Employers are beginning to realize that there are many talented people out there who are looking for alternatives to traditional patterns of employment. In a job-sharing arrangement, a fulltime job is shared by two people. Job-sharing should be allowed by employers because tasks tend to be completed more quickly, a wider range of skills is brought to the job, and production is increased. Hook(s)________________ Thesis Statement (claim & reasons) _______________ Print one of the previous examples: ● Glue the printed example into your composition book. ● Highlight the hook yellow. ● Highlight the background green. ● Highlight the thesis orange. Karate, which literally means “the art of empty hands,” is the most widely practiced of all the martial arts. It is primarily a means of self-defense that uses the body as a weapon for striking, kicking, and blocking. Originating in the ancient Orient, the art of karate is more than 1,000 years old. It developed first as a form of monastic training and later became the method of self-defense. During the seventeenth century, karate became highly developed as an art on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Over the years, this ancient art has gained much popularity, and today karate is practiced throughout the world. More than a method of combat, karate emphasizes selfdiscipline, positive attitude and high moral purpose. Experience, not theory, has taught me the truth of the popular saying, “Two heads are better than one.” For the past two years, the job of a secretary in my office has been successfully shared by two people. This “job-sharing” arrangement has worked out for all involved. All over the business world, the interest in flexible employment arrangements, like job-sharing, is growing. Employers are beginning to realize that there are many talented people out there who are looking for alternatives to traditional patterns of employment. In a job-sharing arrangement, a full-time job is shared by two people. Job-sharing should be allowed by employers because tasks tend to be completed more quickly, a wider range of skills is brought to the job, and production is increased.
