The Argumentative Essay
AP Style
Academic paper = analyze facts or ideas to: make sense of them, tell me their
meanings, their significance.
Articulate relationships
Create rational contexts
Argue particular relationships
Questions should be:
Significant
Objective
Analytical
Why has Europe moved closer to unification since World War Two?
How do Western assumptions about the relationship between body and mind influence the practice of medicine?
Why can so many post-colonial nations be considered “failed states” many decades after independence?
What was the relationship between theology and social context in the early Methodist movement?
Topic:
Modern
Technology
Education
Create your own academic question
Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology was simpler?
Is education is the single most important factor in the development of a country?
The Thesis
Describes the relationship
Major terms
Example Structures:
Because A is of B nature, then C.
If A causes B, then B is of C nature.
B does not cause C, but A influences both B and
C, etc.
A) Increased ethnic tensions
PLUS B) Lack of local infrastructure
DESPITE C) Influx of foreign aid
CAUSES D) The instability of the postcolonial nation-state
DIFFERED
A) Bohrs’ approach to physics
B) From that of
Einstein; This difference is not only
REFLECTED C) In the language each uses; it is
CONSTRUCTED D) By that language.
A logical argument exists whenever two elements are present:
Claim/Assertion
EXAMPLE: Most Americans need to exercise more.
Support/Evidence
EXAMPLE: According to the latest government figures, most
Americans are overweight.
Claims of
FACT
Examples:
The Constitution restricts our right to bear arms.
Immigrants are taking away jobs from Americans who need work.
Claims of
DEFINITION
Examples:
Alcoholism is a disease, not a vice.
The death penalty constitutes "cruel and unusual punishment."
Claims of
CAUSE
Examples:
The popularity of the Internet has led to a rise in plagiarism amongst students.
Tougher gun laws would decrease the number of homicides.
Claims of
VALUE
Examples:
Doctor-assisted suicide is immoral.
Violent computer games are detrimental to children’s social development.
Claims of
POLICY
Examples:
Welfare programs should not be dismantled.
The state ought to issue vouchers for parents to use to fund their children’s education.
hard EVIDENCE; or
expert OPINION.
the logical relationship between claim and support
the assumption
CLAIM: Most Americans need to exercise more.
SUPPORT According to the latest government figures, most Americans are overweight.
WARRANT: Exercise can enable weight loss.
Warrant
Claim Support
Warrant = bridge between claim and support
Connecting abstract and general
(deductive reasoning= general to specific)
the warrant = the major premise of the syllogism (a categorical rule)
the support = the minor premise (a specific instance or case)
the claim = the logical conclusion derived from these two premises
QUALIFICATIONS that acknowledge the limits of your argument.
CLAIM: Most Americans need to exercise more.
SUPPORT According to the latest government figures, most Americans are overweight.
WARRANT: Exercise can enable weight loss.
Further Qualification: However, strenuous exercise is not appropriate for those with certain health conditions.
Why would you want to qualify your argument?
Concession
Rebuttal
Introduction
Hook
Establishes qualifications
Establishes common ground
Fair tone
States claim
Background
Necessary information
Lines of argument
Good reasons (Supports/Warrants)
Alternative Arguments
Advantages and disadvantages of views (Qualifications)
Explains why your view is better
Conclusion
Summarizes
Elaborates the implications of your claim
Reinforces credibility
Emotional appeal
Clear message
The German poet Goethe once wrote, “Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you help them to become what they are capable of being.”
Goethe’s statement might be implied to schools, government, social services, business, even to families— any place, really, where people interact with each other. Is Goethe just expressing an unattainable principle of human behavior, or does his ideal have real-life applicability? In a wellorganized essay, comment on the validity of
Goethe’s statement as a realistic guide to personal relationships. To support your point of view, you may draw evidence from your reading, studies, observation, and personal experiences.
