Optional presentation
Building an Argument Print
1. Make a list of 5 things about which you have strong opinions.
• It’s misleading for Dollar Tree to keep its name after raising its prices to $1.25
• Pineapples should never be on a pizza
• Retail and food industry workers deserve more respect because they are underpaid
and overworked
• Chris Rock did not deserve to be slapped at the Oscars because he was just doing
his job
• The most underrated horror movie of all time is The Cabin in the Woods
Explanation: Choosing topics you have strong opinions about helps you create a
solid argument in the future.
2. Now, narrow those five choices down to one choice. That one choice should have three
reasons to defend your answer.
Retail and food industry workers deserve more respect because they are underpaid and
overworked.
Explanation: Make sure to choose a topic that you can easily defend.
3. Write below your opinion about the subject you chose to consider.
Retail and food service workers are often mistreated and belittled due to their jobs,
however, they deserve more respect than society gives them.
Explanation: When writing your opinion, try to brainstorm all the reasons you feel that
way.
4. Now, with that in mind, list three reasons you are right.
Retail and food service are the two least paying industries, yet they are also the most
stressful, the least secure, the least likely to give benefits to workers, and they are often
the most labor-intensive.
Explanation: Although I list more than three here, three reasons are often the minimal
amount needed for a solid argument paper.
5. So now we have an opinion and three reasons. Let's fashion them into a thesis statement,
or as it may be called in argumentative writing, a claim.
Retail and food service workers deserve more respect because their jobs are the most
stressful, the least secure, and labor-intensive with little pay.
Explanation: Thesis statements are very important and serve as a roadmap for your
paper. Following the “A because 123” formula is a great way to keep your thesis clear
and concise.
6. Now, with idea number 1 in mind, find a source you could use that proves you are right.
Paste an MLA citation for it in the box below.
Zeytinoglu, Isik Urla, et al. “Working in the Margins: Women’s Experiences of Stress
and Occupational Health Problems in Part-Time and Casual Retail Jobs.” Women
& Health, vol. 41, no. 1, Jan. 2005, pp. 87–107.
Explanation: You can find scholarly sources by checking your school library or using
sources like academic journals, research studies, academic texts, publications,
and more. Here is a great guide for writing MLA format:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and
_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html