Lesson 6: Arguing and Comparing

Lesson 6: Arguing and Comparing
Examination Number: 050417
Preparation for Examination 6
Arguing and comparing
1. Review Chapter 16 and 17 (pages 555-636)
2. Review the tips for integrating comparison and contrast into any essay (page 387)

Examination

Whichever method you use in submitting your exam answers to the school, you must use the number above.
Note: This examination counts as the final exam for this course, so it's worth 30 percent of your course grade. You will not complete a separate proctored examination.
Objectives
Write an argument of 1,000-1,250 words that incorporates comparison and contrast.
Topic
Convince your readers either to enact or to stop the enactment of a law for one of the following:
v According to the American Red Cross, someone needs blood every two seconds in the United States and to meet that need, six million blood donations are needed each year. Most people are aware that hospitals depend on blood donations, but other than donors' good will, there's no certainty that blood will be available whenever it's needed. Should people be required to donate blood at least once a year if a doctor determines they're physically capable of doing so?

v Global positioning system units (GPS devices) are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, more and more automobile manufacturers are including them as a standard feature in new vehicles to enable owners to access detailed directions from place to place and to track their automobile in case it's stolen. These units also provide an average ground speed. Should states require that all vehicles be equipped with GPS units that transmit a signal that the Police can track in order to enforce speed limits.






Patterns of Development
Use argument with comparison/contrast and any other strategies you need to develop your thesis fully.
Purpose
The primary purpose is to persuade the readers to agree with your position. The secondary purpose is to express your feelings about the readers taking action on the topic (secondary purpose)
Audience
Write to a neutral or wavering audience of your fellow citizens. (Don't write to an agreeing audience or to a disagreeing audience)
Process
1. Work from “Choosing Subject to Compare” through “Discovering Similarities and Differences and Generating Details,” pages 389-391.
2. Applying the given requirements, work through pages 606 to the top of 609 in the section Generating Ideas and Writing Your Thesis. Skip the section entitled “Researching the Issue.” Narrow the focus appropriately for the assigned length before attempting to develop the essay.
3. Continue the Guided Writing Assignment with Developing Your Thesis and making a claim on page 610 through page 619. Incorporate comparison and contrast as well as other patterns of development as needed to accomplish your purpose.
4. As part of the revising and editing analysis, students must make any necessary changes to their work to meet the assigned requirements, including the essay evaluation information. See Appendix.
5. Submit the final draft of your essay to the school by mail or by electronic submission in the required format. See Course Procedures.
Caution: The essay requires evidence only from your experience, not evidence from outside sources. See the plagiarism policy, while applying to any writer using information irresponsibly.