Responding to an Argument paper
FWA # 1 OUTLINE
I. SUMMARY OF ARTICLE (following the RULES OF SUMMARY)
a. Should only be ONE paragraph
II. THESIS SECTION
a. Maybe be two paragraphs long, but no more!
III. POINT # 1
a. May be multiple paragraphs
IV. POINT # 2
a. May be multiple paragraphs
V. POINT # 3
a. May be multiple paragraphs
VI. SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM
a. May be multiple paragraphs
VII. CONCLUSION
a. DO NOT use the phrase, “In conclusion…”
TIPS FOR FWA # 1
1. You must EXPLAIN YOURSELF:
a. Use FACTS, EVIDENCE, REASONING, and LOGIC to EXPLAIN and SUPPORT your points!
b. IDENITFY all the sources you use!
i. According to Bailey Gardner, head veterinarian at the San Diego Zoo, all cats should wear pants (Donaldson 2).
c. ANTICIPATE your reader’s questions!
2. PROOFREAD YOUR PAPER.
a. Look out for
i. SENTENCE FRAGMENTS
ii. RUN-ON SENTENCES
iii. Wordiness
iv. Misspelled words
v. Punctuation
vi. Etc.
3. Write as though this is going to be published in The New York Times, Newsweek, Sports Illustrated, The Washington Post, and Parade Magazine.
5. Try not to use “you” or “your”; use “we” and “our” instead
6. NO DROPPED QUOTES!
a. In recent years, cat juggling has become an increasingly popular trend. According to a March article in USAToday, Lucy MacGillicuddy, animal historian, explains that cat juggling first entered the United States through Guatemala, although the phenomenon first appear in Russia in 1946. “The Russian cat jugglers – they were amazing. There were cats from all over the world, juggling all sorts of knives, spoons, and rodents.” [This is a DROPPED QUOTE!] MacGillicuddy also mentions the resistance to cat juggling, especially from the Chinese, who viewed the practice as barbaric and cruel (“Juggling Kitties”). This is a familiar story for those who lived in pre-revolutionary Russia.
b. This is how you FIX A DROPPED QUOTE:
i. MacGillicuddy quotes former cat wrangler Igor Stravinsky, who enthuses, “The Russian cat jugglers – they were amazing. There were cats from all over the world, juggling all sorts of knives, spoons, and rodents.”