Argumentative Writing
“Give me liberty to know, to utter, and to argue
freely according to conscience, above all liberties”
-John Milton
Arguing in Writing
 Often, when having a verbal argument with someone, it
becomes heated and rationality and reason sometimes fly out
the door (along with the person losing the argument).
 When you are writing/constructing an academic argument,
however, there is no room for emotional outbursts or loss of
reason.
 The Prentice Hall Guide for CollegeWriters states that “A written
argument creates an atmosphere of reason, which encourages
readers to examine their own views clearly and
dispassionately” (Reid 510).
The Thesis of your Argument
 The thesis is the most important part of an argumentative
essay. It MUST be a debatable claim.
 Claims for Written Argument generally fall into one of three
categories (as illustrated by Stephen Reid):
-Claims about Cause and Effect
-Claims about Value
-Claims about Solutions and Policies
CLAIMS ABOUT CAUSE AND EFFECT
 Examples:
-Testing in the schools improve the quality of education.
-Secondhand smoke causes lung cancer.
-Capital punishment does not deter crime.
-Television has a negative effect on family life.
Sample Thesis: Excessive television watching is causing a
decrease in familial bonding and family rituals that are
important to parents and children alike.
CLAIMS ABOUT VALUE
Examples:
-Boxing is a dehumanizing sport.
-Internet pornography degrades a sense of human dignity.
-College is a waste of time and money.
-The availability of Welfare encourages laziness and large families.
Sample Thesis:
While most sports showcase competition and skill, boxing
presents two men resorting to physical beatings and baser
animalistic instincts. Therefore, boxing should not be considered a
sport.
Claims about Solutions or Policies
 Examples:
-Pornography on the Internet should be censored.
-The penalty for drunk driving should be mandatory jail time and
loss of your driver’s license.
Sample Thesis: In this modern age, with the availability of cell
phones and taxis, there is really no excuse for drunk driving.
Due to this, stricter penalties about drunk driving should be
enforced, including the revocation of driver’s licenses and
mandatory jail time.
Journal Time! Choose one.
 NCAA football should have playoffs.
 Fraternities and sororities should be forbidden to serve




alcoholic beverages.
Students should work for one year between high school and
college.
Public universities should be free to all eligible students.
High school courses should be pass/fail only.
Families should eat dinner together nearly every night at the
dinner table.