Organizing Your Argumentative Essay
Traditional, Deductive—Thesis claim/position at beginning and proven throughout paper
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Provide background information in introduction which leads to thesis claim—your position on
the issue
Body paragraphs prove subclaims needed to prove the thesis claim true, incorporating (and
citing) a variety of evidence to build a convincing argument
Body paragraphs also include concessions and refutations to show you understand both sides of
the argument, concede where the opposition has valid points, but why your position is better.
o Concessions can be woven throughout body paragraphs as the issues at hand are
presented
o Concessions could be made in their own paragraph(s)
Conclusion reiterates thesis claim/position and why it is the best solution, extending the
argument to provide the “so what?” of the paper.
Deductive Option 1—Subclaim Arguments
Deductive Option 2—Lenses/Issues (economic,
social, etc.)
Intro—Background/Thesis Claim
Intro—Background/Thesis Claim
Subclaim/Argument 1
Lens/Issue 1 with concessions/refutations as
appropriate
Subclaim/Argument 2-5
Concessions/Refutations
Lens/Issue 2-5 with concessions/refutations as
appropriate
Conclusion/So What?/Call to Action
Conclusion/So What?/Call to Action
Try structuring thesis as below to maintain clear focus and adequate complexity
Although
x , y ; therefore, call to action .
Example: Although standardized, high-stakes assessments for students set a bar of competency for
graduates, no assessment can adequately represent the learning of unique individuals; therefore,
standardized assessments should be considered alongside other factors to determine student
readiness for graduation.
Pragmatic/Natural, Inductive—Thesis claim/position at end after sorting through all the information
and weighing both sides
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Provide background information in introduction to explain the conversation taking place about the
issue and why, focusing on the key question.
Then the arguments for each side are clearly and neutrally explained, giving equal hearing to both
sides of the issue and acknowledging the circumstances and contexts in which each position is valid
Once both sides have been articulated, the two sides get to respond to each other through
concessions/refutations to reach a common ground
From the common ground arises a potential solution which is the thesis/claim of the paper.
Conclusion offers this claim, why it is the best solution, extending argument to provide the “so what?”
of the paper
Inductive Rogerian Option
Intro/Background/Question
Position 1 arguments neutrally presented
Position 2 arguments neutrally presented
Position 1 responds to Position 2 and Position 2 responds to Position 1 (concessions/refutations as the two
sides get to talk to each other)
Common Ground Proposed Solution/Thesis Claim/Call to Action
DEDUCTIVE SAMPLES
Although
x , y ; therefore, call to action .
Sample Thesis: Although standardized, high-stakes assessments for students set a bar of competency
for graduates, no assessment can adequately represent the learning of unique individuals; therefore,
standardized assessments should be considered alongside other factors to determine student
readiness for graduation.
DEDUCTIVE OPTION 1—Subclaim Arguments
Thesis Claim: See above
Subclaim 1: Assessments do not adequately reflect individual student learning.
Subclaim 2: Assessments put unnecessary pressure and stress on students.
Subclaim3: Assessments waste valuable resources as they cost ridiculous sums and take away instructional
time.
Concessions/Refutations: Granted, we need standards and consistent competency expectations so a high
school diploma actually means something agreed upon, but we already have standards that teachers, as
professionals, are teaching to and assessing students on. Students seeking higher education beyond high
school already take college entrance exams like the SAT/ACT, so additional tests are not necessary.
DEDUCTIVE OPTION 2—Lens/Issues
Thesis Claim: See above
Lens/Issue 1: Standards/Academic Rigor/Quality Education
 Concede: A high school diploma needs to ensure ability. US lags behind other countries in academic
performance. Need to focus on academic rigor and high standards.
 Refute: Testing not best avenue to achieve those goals. Improving teacher professional development
and reviewing approved curriculums are two other ways to increase rigor without increasing
assessments for students.
Lens/Issue 2: Pressure
 Concede: HS preparation for adulthood/workforce, and life is filled with expectations, challenges and
stress. Students will ultimately be better prepared for inevitable challenges later in life if they learn
how to cope with pressures they face in high school when a solid support system is in place.
 Refute: However, there is a difference between stress levels—certain levels can build character, yet
taken to far can spell disaster. Today’s youth are under immense pressure, which additional testing
just adds to, and they are not coping well nor building character from it.
Lens/Issue 3: Economics/Cost
 Cost of testing extreme—both in money and time. Schools strapped for cash. Why would we not
invest the funds we do have on educating our children rather than testing them during the time they
could be learning.
Inductive, Rogerian Sample
Intro/Background/Question: History/purpose of public education, standards movement, NCLB. Question: What is the
best way to ensure our schools are meeting these purposes? Do assessments provide reliable data and insight into how
well students and schools are achieving expectations?
Position One: NEED MORE ASSESSMENTS/MORE EMPHASIS ON ASSESSMENTS
 Diploma needs to mean something—consistency, standards, basic skills. Assessments show student success on
those key skills
 Grades subjective/grade inflation—standardized assessments eliminate teacher bias
 The U.S. lags behind other countries in academic achievement—we need to improve to continue to compete in
the global economy.
Position Two: ASSESSMENTS SHOULD BE DE-EMPHASIZED/LIMITED
 Information is just a snapshot into student learning, not the whole story. Ignores many variables and turns
complex students into merely a number
 Stress on students—increased rates of depression, anxiety, suicide
 Assessments cost a great deal of money and take away valuable learning time
Position 1 Responds to Position 2
 The fact that an assessment only gives a snapshot supports the need for more assessments so we have more
windows into a student’s performance
 Stress is a reality of life; we need to prepare students to handle it.
 Assessments are an investment into our future, so yes, they cost money now, but will ultimately save money as
our students are better prepared to enter college courses and complete their degrees to join the workforce.
Position 2 Responds to Position 1
 Every content area taught in schools has standards already in place that teachers are teaching to and assessing
students on; grades for students ARE reflecting their performance on those standards and students are being
assessed regularly by teachers on the learning happening in those classes.
 Grades are somewhat subjective, so is anything that humans are involved in. Do we want robots assessing our
students? Grades can tell more about a student’s work ethic, determination—possibly more important to
success than knowledge. If grade inflation is a problem, then address the issue with teacher training and support
rather than burdening students for adult shortcomings.
 The U.S. is lagging in performance as measured on tests. Can tests adequately measure some of the core skills
necessary for success—problem-solving, adapting to change, perseverance—or just knowledge? Also, we have
been increasing standards and assessments to try to close that performance gap for years now and made no
progress, so continuing to pursue an unproductive course of action, investing large sums into that course of
action, is illogical.
Common Ground/Proposed Solution/Thesis
 Common Ground: Standards are necessary and the U.S. educational system is not effectively meeting the needs
of its students in preparing them to compete in a global economy. Standardized assessments give an objective
measure of student performance compared to peers, which can help the U.S. better evaluate how well the
educational system is doing. Both sides want students to be prepared for life beyond high school and recognize
today’s students are competing in a global economy.
 Proposed Solution: We keep minimal standardized tests in place for data collection and comparison to track
progress (1 per year perhaps), but do not add on additional standardized assessments, instead investing in
teacher training to ensure student class time and class assessments are increasing the rigor and performance of
students. Additionally, we lower the stakes of the standardized testing to provide students a variety of ways to
demonstrate mastery of core skills to still hold students to a consistent and high standard without causing undue
pressure. By doing so, we offer teachers and students more time together in the classroom to focus on
individual skill development and still can measure our gains on standardized test to inform future decisionmaking regarding public education.