Argumentative Essay
Claim
 Your claim is the most important part of your essay!
It is the answer to your prompt and the main idea
behind your essay. You cannot write an essay or find
evidence until you have a claim.
 Begin your claim by restating the prompt, and then
write your answer.
Claim – Example 1
Prompt: Which is the best type of pizza: pepperoni or
cheese?
Claim: The best type of pizza is _________ because
________________ , _____________, and
_______________ .
Claim – Example 2
Prompt:
Should the death penalty be used in the state of
Florida?
Claim:
The death penalty should/should not be used in the
state of Florida because __________ ,
___________, and _____________ .
Writing a Claim for our Prompt
Is reaching a consensus always a good idea, or are there
times when it is better to disagree?
Claim
Reaching a consensus is always a good idea because
_________, _________, and __________.
It is better to disagree than to reach a consensus because
________, _________, and __________.
What belongs in an introduction?
Hook your reader with a FADDQQ!
2. Introduce or explain your topic.
3. State your thesis.
1.
1. Hook your reader with a FADDQQ!
 We always want our essays to have an interesting
beginning sentence that hooks our reader’s
attention. We call this sentence the hook or the
FADDQQ.
 What is a FADDQQ?
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
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
Fact
Anecdote (a short personal story)
Declaration
Description
Quote
Question
FADDQQ - Examples
Prompt: What is the best kind of pizza?
Fact  More than one million pepperoni pizzas are
ordered each year.
Anecdote  I remember the first time I ever ate
pizza…
FADDQQ - Examples
Prompt: What is the best kind of pizza?
Declaration  Pizza is one of the world’s best foods.
Description  Gooey cheese, spicy pepperoni,
delicious sauce – the three ingredients that make the
best pizza.
FADDQQ - Examples
Prompt: What is the best kind of pizza?
Quote  Barack Obama once said, “Pepperoni pizza is
my favorite kind of pizza.” (cite your source!)
Question  What could be better than a nice, hot
pepperoni pizza?
FADDQQ - Examples
 Prompt: Which season is the best?
Fact
Anecdote
(a short personal story)
Declaration
Description
Quote
Question
Write a FADDQQ for your essay.
Prompt: Is reaching a consensus always a good idea, or
are there times when it is better to disagree?
Fact
Anecdote
(a short personal story)
Declaration
Description
Quote
Question
2. Introduce or explain your topic.
 Give background information that transitions from
the FADDQQ to describe your topic.
3. Claim
 Write your claim! Remember to restate the question
in your answer and give 3 reasons.
Sample introduction
Imagine that you are given a choice. You could end
someone’s life, or you could save them. Now imagine
that the person whose life you hold in your hands
committed a horrible crime. Would you still save
them? Many believe that even the worst among us
deserve a chance for redemption. However, many
states within the U.S. still use the death penalty. The
death penalty should be abolished in all states in the
United States because everyone deserves a second
chance, many states have already abolished the death
penalty, and individuals who are wrongfully accused
may be executed by mistake.
What comes next???
The body of the essay is the portion of the essay in
which the claim is supported with reasons and
evidence.
The last paragraph of the body of your essay will
include a rebuttal, which is the paragraph in which
you will present a counterclaim and refute it.
The purpose of the body of your essay is to support
your claim with evidence from your sources.
Body Paragraphs – Supporting Reasons and
Evidence
 Your 3 reasons from your claim ARE the first 3
paragraphs of your essay.
 We follow the following format for body paragraphs:
T-ICE
 Topic sentence with transition
 Introduce your evidence (background info)
 Cite textual evidence
 Explain how your evidence supports your topic
Body Paragraphs: T-ICE
Topic Sentence
Your paragraph should begin with a sentence that explains
the main idea of the paragraph. Remember to use a
transition word!
You will write your topic sentences using the 3 main
reasons from your claim.
EXAMPLES:
To begin with, pepperoni pizza is the best kind of pizza
because of its heavenly taste.
As a matter of fact, the death penalty has been abolished in
many states.
Body Paragraphs: T-ICE
Introduce your evidence
 Add information to lead up to your quoted evidence.
You should clearly describe who is talking or
thinking in your quote and what the situation is
before the quote appears in your paragraph.
Body Paragraphs: T-ICE
Cite textual evidence
Cite textual evidence to support your point. Remember
to embed your quote in a sentence and include a
sentence starter.
Body Paragraphs: T-ICE
Explain how the evidence supports your topic
sentence.
Sample T-ICE Body Paragraph
As a matter of fact, the death penalty has already been
abolished in many states. Recently, a national
organization conducted a survey to determine which
states still use the death penalty. According to the
National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, “18
States do not have the death penalty” (National
Coalition to Abolish the Dealth Penalty 2). This
statistic shows that many states have recognized that
there are other, better methods of dealing with heinous
crimes than the death sentence. Other states should
follow this example and abolish their death penalties
as well.
The Rebuttal
 In the rebuttal, you present the
counterargument: the point of
view that is the opposite of the
claim you chose for your essay.
How to Write a Rebuttal
 There are 3 steps to a good rebuttal:
1.
2.
3.
Counterargument: Present the opposite side
of the argument. State the main points of this
argument in an accurate and fair manner. (If
you show too much bias, it makes your
argument seem less credible.)
Your position on the issue: Clearly state
why you disagree with the counterargument.
Refute the counterargument: When you
refute something, you disprove it. Present
evidence to show why you disagree with the
counterargument.
Some helpful transitions…
 On the other hand,…
 At the same time,…
 One cannot deny that,…
 However,…
 Admittedly,…
 Certainly,…
 Of course,…
 Nevertheless,…
Sample Rebuttal
Admittedly, there are those who believe that the
death penalty actually prevents death. Many argue that
because criminals fear the death penalty, it prevents
future murders. However, studies have shown that the
threat of the death penalty is no more effective at
preventing murder than the threat of a life sentence
(Bedau 4). If this is the case, then there are clearly
more humane options than the death penalty.
Conclusion
 Your conclusion is a summary of the main points of
your essay.
 You should restate your claim and your main three
reasons USING DIFFERENT WORDS.
 End your essay with a call for action or future
possibilities. Challenge your reader to do
something or think about something life-changing.
Sample Conclusion Paragraph
Taking all of this into account, it is clear that the
death penalty should be abolished. Everyone deserves
a second chance, many states have already abolished
the death penalty, and individuals who are wrongfully
accused may be executed by mistake. If we cannot
show forgiveness or find alternative options to the
gruesome punishment of death, then we really are no
better than those criminals we condemn. We must
work towards a reality in which death is not the
answer.
Finalize your rough drafts!