Racism

English 1102 / E-Z / Argumentative Paper

What a wonderful world it would be if all of us agreed about everything and harmony prevailed everywhere! Unfortunately, this is hardly the case. Given what we know about the restless, inquisitive, contentious nature of human beings, argument is destined to be a permanent dynamic of human relations and social interactions—so it is a good idea to become practiced at it. For your first essay assignment this term, your task is to present a persuasive argument in support of something you believe. In planning your essay, the first thing you must do is to select your topic. The topic you choose should be something that meets all of the following criteria: (a) it should be of deep personal importance to you; (b) it should be something that is of universal interest; i.e., a topic that most people care about at least a little bit; (c) it should be a topic that is at least somewhat controversial in nature, which means that there should be many different viewpoints and opinions about it. The key to any successful essay—but especially an opinion essay like this one—is to select a topic you genuinely care about. This unit will focus on several current issues, and you may choose any one of these issues, or a related issue, to write about. Start by asking yourself: What really matters to me? Keep in mind that this paper has a RESEARCH component. Whatever topic you choose, it must be one that can be supported with current and accurate research.

Claim of fact: In this kind of claim, you are attempting to argue that something is or is not true, or that it is or is not a fact. If you are arguing against kids having cell phones, for example, you might use statistics indicating that cell phone use can lead to poorer health or anti-social behavior. For a claim of fact, you must have factual information at your disposal, and use it in building your argument. Your claim must be verifiable. Claim of policy: In this kind of claim, you are attempting to argue that a certain policy should be implemented, modified, or abolished. For example, you might argue that schools should ban cell phones for students. Naturally you should inform yourself fully about the subject, and back up your argument with concrete information. It is also important for you to consider whether the policy you are arguing for is practical, practicable, and sustainable. Claim of value: In this kind of claim, you are arguing about the justice or injustice of a situation, about moral values, and about “right and wrong.” Example: Cell phone use is “wrong” because it diminishes or replaces meaningful interactions among human beings. You do not necessarily need information for this kind of argument—you may argue by appealing to the emotions and the moral judgment of your reader. Keep in mind, however, that individuals have very different definitions of “right and wrong,” so you cannot assume that your readers’ definitions will match your own.

As soon as you have narrowed down your topic, your next task will be to settle on your THESIS. In a persuasive argument, a thesis is often called a claim. Read the following chart carefully so that you can distinguish the three basic types of claims:

HOW TO FORMULATE A THESIS

Here are some features of a good thesis:

• It should be a single, bold idea that is at least somewhat controversial. There

is no point in presenting an argument that every reader already agrees with.

In other words, your thesis should not be obvious or universally accepted

• It should be expressed in a single, well-worded, declarative sentence

• It should be well informed, the product of deep consideration, exploration,

and research about the subject

• It should be explicitly stated

• It should be tenable (possible to support)

HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR THESIS

After you have formulated a clear and interesting thesis, you must then proceed to

formulate clear POINTS in support of this thesis. The following are features of solid

points:

• They must be directly connected to your thesis

• They must be clearly and concisely stated

• They must be sensible and tenable

• They must be original without being outlandish

• They must follow from the thesis and link together to form a cohesive, linear

argument

• They must be supported with (a) discussion and (b) facts and statistics

• In addition to the above forms of support, you may also use (a) relevant

examples to illustrate the point, and (b) quotes from your sources.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THIS ESSAY

Please pay careful attention to all of the following. Failure to comply with them will

result in the loss of points.

1. It must have an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a

conclusion. (approximately 800-1,000 words)

2. You must establish a thesis in your introduction and support it in the body of

your paper.

3. Each body paragraph should contain a clear POINT, stated in a topic

sentence.

4. One of your body paragraphs should be a COUNTER-POINT and rebuttal.

This can go anywhere in the essay.

5. You must format your essay in proper MLA style

6. You must use at least three outside sources.

7. Each body paragraph must contain facts and/or quotes.

8. You must document your sources in the form of internal citations.

9. You must include a Works Cited page.

10. You may NOT use “I” or “you” at any moment in the essay, except in a quote.

11. You must ENJOY writing this essay.