Argumentative Writing

0 ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING is 00a 00common type of 00assignment00 in school, though few students handle it well. Why? Because they often pick a topic they have not thought much 00about00, and without enough material to argue their way through, 00they00 end up restating the same 00point00 over and over. The essay 00becomes00 one long repetition.02br
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00If you have more than one essay option, choose a topic you are familiar with. 00However00, you don’t always have that option, especially in an essay exam. This is why you need to read extensively and keep up with current events01b00: 02b00The00 more you understand the world, the more topics you can write about. 02br
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00We cannot help you 00come00 up with arguments—that’s your job. But we can help you understand how to organize your essay a little better.02br
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00To argue effectively, you need to 02br
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1. 00State clearly what the issue is. 02br
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2. 00State your position in the 00thesis statement00. 02br
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3. 00Support your position with sound arguments 00supported by details or examples00. 02br
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4. 00Anticipate 00and respond to00 your readers’ objections or concerns. 02br
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5. 00Conclude 00cogently00.02li
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01b00For example:02b02br
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01b00Should Tara Win?02b02br
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00(01b00Define the issue:02b00 ) Many who 00watched00 the figure skating 00events00 at the 1998 Winter Olympics insist that Michelle Kwan, not Tara Lipinski, should have won the 00ladies'00 competition. Both Michelle and Tara landed seven triple jumps in the long program. Tara, though 00the00 more proficient jumper of the two, lacked sophistication in her skating, so many believe Michelle's clean and artistically exquisite program was just as worthy, if not more so, of an Olympic gold medal. 01b00(State your position: )02b00 But I think 00that00 00on the night of the competition00, 00 deserved to win.02br
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01b00(Support your position with sound arguments: )02b02br
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00In any figure skating competition, winning means giving 00one's01b00 02b00very best in both the short and the free program.01b00 02b00Michelle was the odds-on favorite for the 00ladies'00 gold, especially after edging 00 out for first place in the short program. Judges stepped into the White Wing arena on February 16 with very high expectations01b00 02b00for Michelle. But Michelle’s Olympic long program lacked the crispness she once displayed at 00the00 Nationals. She 00demonstrated00 superior technique and nailed all her elements; but to avoid mistakes, she skated a little too cautiously and slowly. 00In00 the eyes of experienced judges, Michelle’s performance was a slight 00letdown00. Tara, whom every onlooker expected to wait for her golden moment in 2002, who had been upstaged by Michelle throughout the season, 00and00 who had received negative media reviews the preceding three months, skated later, and gave it her all. Her great speed, her energy, and her two triple-triple combinations, 00wowed00 the judges into ranking her performance ahead of Michelle's. By trying her best, she captured the Olympic spirit and the gold.02br
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00Not only was Michelle's performance not her best 00of00 the season, 00but00 her long program, “Lyra Angelica”, 00also00 lacked the ingredients of a winning program. Before 1998, Michelle’s programs were considered to be among the most sophisticated, filled with connecting elements between her jumps and spins. But “Lyra Angelica” consisted of nothing but stroking from element to element. More 00critically00, “Lyra” did not include any footwork sequence, a crucial element in any well-rounded program– a strategic error, considering 00that 00footwork 00is00 Michelle’s strength. Though 00's program was not as elegant, her program did include some semblance of footwork after her combination spin, and compared favorably to a stripped01b00-02b00down “Lyra” in all technical elements. 02br
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01b00(To accommodate readers with different views, include a counter-argument and refute it: )02b02br
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00A lot of folks who joined in the debate ended up being split between Michelle's artistry and 00's athleticism. Michelle’s artistry should have won the day, experts say. (01b00counter-argument: )02b00 However, let’s remind ourselves that this is, after all, a sport.00 00Artistry was nowhere in the judging criteria; presentation was – and that was used to reward technical prowess displayed effortlessly.00 00Six out of nine judges believed 00 presented the program well enough to win. The majority won.01b00 00(Conclusion. Restate your position, and if possible, add a new and arresting perspective: )02b02br
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00I, who was born in 00, would love to see a Chinese face on top of the podium. 01b00(Conclusion restated with a new perspective) 02b00But let us not get into the debate of who is a better skater, or what it was the skaters did that made them the greatest. Even though your favorite skater will remain the greatest in your eyes, 00 was the best competitor the night she won.02br
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01b00A few more things to note about argumentative writing:02b02br
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• 00You can state your position after you weigh the pros and cons. However, many beginners find it easier to state it in the opening paragraph. 02br
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• 00You can cite various forms of evidence to support your argument, including anecdotes, statistics and testimonies from authorities (Axelrod, 232). 02br
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• 00To come up with good arguments for your essay, you need to think critically. We cannot help you there—this can be a whole college course in itself. However, I’ve provided some websites at the end of this post that may help. 02br
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• 00Avoid strong language that may put off readers with opposing views. Statements like these will keep readers from reading your essays01b00:02b02br
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  • 00“00X00yz is immoral and unethical. You should not do it.” 02br
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  • 00“Anyone who knows anything about skating would put 00 ahead of Michelle.” 02br
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  • 00“Premarital sex is unnecessary, immoral, and unhealthy. We need to defeat lust.”02li
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  01b00These websites have more information on argumentative writing:02b02br
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  01b00Bibliography02b02br
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  00Axelrod, Rise B. and Charles R. Cooper, 01i00The 00's Guide to Writing. 02i00 : 00’s Pres, 1994.01h2

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  00==02br
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  00For an example of a "definition essay": 05002br
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  00Other writing guides: 05402br
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040pid53359231hrefhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/general/gl_argpers.htmlcLogic in Argumentative Writing242hrefhttp://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=1266cGuide to Critical Thinking and Argument233hrefhttp://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/ARGUMENTATIVE%20ESSAY.htmcArgumentative Essay244hrefhttp://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Originally-Writing-Well-Composition/dp/1439244103/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246409826&sr=1-1cThinking Originally and Writing Well