Everything you ever wanted to know about: Defend, Challenge, Qualify essay writing
Overview: With this type of essay, you need to persuasively agree, disagree or qualify a stated quotation through a
well-reasoned presentation of evidence developed from observations, experience, or reading.
HAVING detailed development of evidence is crucial.
Step one: Interpreting the meaning of the assertion
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Make sure you understand what the prompt (assertion) is asking.
State the meaning in your own words.
Decide your initial position
*BEWARE* of any prejudicial attitudes, sentiments, or stereotypes you have, these are not reasons to agree or disagree.
Have specific and accurate evidence:
1. be specific and accurate ---named and factually correct
2. avoid using movies, tv shows and other more informal aspects of society as evidence
3. reflect a well-educated, widely-read, mature individual’s thoughtful reaction
4. be unified, specific, accurate, adequate, relevant, and representative
5. avoid evidence that everybody will cite.
Step two: Organizing the Essay
1. Begin by writing a meaningful opening sentence or two which makes a personal observation about the focus of
question that reveals your thinking. DON’T write flowery, general beginnings…this is NOT TAKS!
a. get to the point, use the first sentence or two to begin to define the meaning of the assertion.
b. Allude to something here that will be finished in the conclusion.
c. End with the thesis you wrote while Brainstorming.
d. KEEP TRACT OF YOUR TIME…if you are running out of time at the end, skip part of the body and write
a strong, “I know everything and I am King/Queen of the world” conclusion!!!
2. Agree or disagree with an assertion by explaining your stance.
a. NEVER, NEVER, AND I MEAN NEVER SAY: “I think, or I feel…you either agree or disagree.
b. Acknowledge both sides of the argument.
c. A con/pro paragraph works immediately after the introduction.
d. Address every issue raised in the passage.
e. Your evidence should be specifically named examples that support your claim.
d. Having two unrelated examples is wonderful (personal observation, experience, and or reading)
f. Each paragraph should end with an interpretation of the similar conclusion that can be reached after examining
differing types of evidence.
Step three: The rest of the very interesting information
3. State your thesis in the form of a conclusion resulting from the evidence previously examined.
Tie up loose ends established in the intro by making a conclusion about how the assertion just explored applies to the
overall human experience.
* Make sure you take a paragraph to clearly summarize what the assertion.
* Use a variety of evidence. Try to include at THREE different examples with at least one of them being a novel of
literary merit.
* In your intro. You must clearly state if you agree or disagree.
* Use examples that support your thesis. Don’t claim you disagree and then give examples that prove the assertion is true.
* Read the ASSERTION carefully, you can’t make a passing score if you misread the prompt.
* Fully explain your examples. A paragraph for each specific example.
* At some point make a connection between the prompt and real life.
* If you know the author’s names, state them
* Try to use evidence that is unique, not one that everyone will be using.
Paragraph structure
1. Topic sentence – refers to thesis found in the introduction
2. Concrete detail sentence #1 shows support for the topic sentence. (For example…)
3. Commentary
4. Commentary
5. Concrete detail sentence #2 shows support for the topic sentence (In addition…)
6. Commentary
7. Commentary
8. Concrete detail sentence #3 shows support for the topic sentence (furthermore…)
9. Commentary
10. Commentary
11. Concluding sentence – sums up the paragraph
That’s right each paragraph is about 11-12 sentences long.
Author’s name
Avoid “the reading” or “the article” or “the prompt” – use the author’s whole name or last name
Never refer to an author by first name only. Do not use: Mr., Mrs., etc
Cliché’s
DON’T USE THEM, after all that’s why they are called cliché’s, they are overused.
I
Avoid using first person too often. A few scattered is ok. Any word used too often is
redundant.
Indent
Clearly indent for paragraphs – do not skip lines between paragraph.
Key terms
Define key terms in the context of your analysis if necessary – show you understand what the
important ideas mean.
Paraphrasing
Avoid extensive paraphrasing.
Praising
Avoid praising the prompt essay or aspects of the prompt essay:
“A perfect example…” – nothing is perfect
“This is an outstanding…” that is an opinion
quotation marks
Use them!!!!!!!when appropriate!!!!!
“Says”
DON’T USE THAT WORD…..
These are “happy” words:
Asserts
acknowledges
Argues
contends
Concludes
begins
“show”
stresses
suggests
indicates
claims
points out
conveys
believes
adds
Again this is a BAD WORD
illustrate
indicate
convey
provide
produce
create
establish
clarify
present
reveal
offer
demonstrate
portray
prove
illuminate
discredit
refute
“than/then”
use “then” and “than” correctly. “Then” is when; “than” is a comparison that means “In relation
to.”
Thesis
make your thesis statement as specific as possible.
“you/your”
Avoid the second person voice: the use of pronouns “you” and “your”.