Discussion post

At some point during your college studies, an instructor will give you an assignment to write an argumentative essay. Let’s suppose that, while trying to think of an appropriate topic, you come across a Facebook entry about a movement aiming to make your campus smoke-free, not unlike the one presented at the beginning of this book.

You think that this issue is certainly controversial and also something about which you have a strong opinion. In fact, you are tempted to participate in the debate online. Choosing this topic for your essay will allow you to think through the issue in a more organized fashion, create an essay for your assignment, and contribute to the online debate. But how should you go about developing an argument?

The overarching skills you have practiced and learned in this book—recognizing, analyzing, and evaluating arguments—will help you develop good arguments of your own, whether you want to join in an online debate, support your position in a conversation with friends or classmates, or successfully write an argumentative essay. Even though the arguments you construct in these three contexts most likely will differ in style and length, each requires the same foundational critical thinking tools that you have acquired in the preceding chapters. However, instead of identifying an argument’s premises and conclusions and judging how well the conclusion is supported, you will be defending a conclusion of your own by providing relevant premises that support it. To use the formal terms from Bloom’s Taxonomy, you will be creating rather than analyzing and evaluating.

Good writing is a process that typically requires prewriting, writing, and revising. In this chapter, we do not provide instructions for improving your writing skills. Instead, we help you use the critical thinking skills that you have learned in this text in order to produce a logically convincing argument or argumentative essay. Even though an argumentative essay is generally longer and more formal than arguments you might post online or present to friends or classmates, the basic steps you will learn in this chapter can be applied to a wide range of argumentative writing formats.

In this chapter, you will learn how to write an argumentative essay by:

· Formulating an argument,

· Introducing the argument,

· Supporting the conclusion,

· Considering objections,

· Summarizing the argument, and

· Citing sources.

Formulating Your Argument

In your writing or composition classes, you may have learned some prewriting techniques to help you generate ideas about your topic. One that may be useful for your argumentative essay is brainstorming. When you brainstorm, you write down as many ideas as you can that relate to the issue you have chosen to write about. Just think about the issue, and write down any ideas that might be relevant to your argument. Don’t worry about the form of the ideas or how well they might work for your essay. The purpose of the exercise is simply to engage your mind and start collecting ideas you may have.

Exercise 12.1.

· Your Turn! Brainstorm at least five ideas for and five ideas against a campus-wide smoking ban.

Once you have generated some ideas through prewriting, you will need to examine them to decide which will be most convincing in your essay. Remember, as you learned in Chapter 2, an argument’s purpose is to persuade the reader or listener to accept the truth of your conclusion, so you must be sure that you understand the issue, that your conclusion is clearly stated and completely addresses the issue, and that your premises support your conclusion as unmistakably and forcefully as possible. When your reader needs convincing, you cannot expect that he or she will readily agree with you; instead, you should construct your argument as if the reader’s opinion opposes your own. What will convince him or her? Only clearly stated reasons relevant to the conclusion you are putting forward will be convincing.

Let’s suppose that you have decided to argue in favor of the Smoke-Free Campus Initiative. What reasons can you offer to support this view? In determining how to best convince someone who is not already inclined to accept your position, make sure that you do not utilize fallacious reasoning.

First, when offering a premise, do not give a claim that simply restates the conclusion, as in the following example.

We should ban smoking on campus because smoking on campus should be prohibited.

As you learned in Chapter 11, to say that “some claim is true because that claim is true” is to commit the fallacy of begging the question. No one who didn’t already accept the conclusion would accept this premise.

Second, do not shift the burden of proof, as in the following example.

We should ban smoking on campus. This is because no one has given a good reason to believe that we shouldn’t.

This argument commits the fallacy of appeal to ignorance because, rather than offering reasons to accept the conclusion, the arguer illegitimately shifts the burden of proof to his or her opponent. If you want to convince someone that your conclusion is true, you must provide reasons for that conclusion rather than expecting your opponent to do all the work.

Finally, make sure that the premises you provide are relevant to the conclusion they are intended to support. Consider the following example.

We should ban smoking on campus. After all, tobacco companies use deceptive marketing tactics targeted to young people in order to manipulate them into becoming lifelong smokers. And for what? Pure profit!

Although the premises in this argument may support penalizing tobacco companies for their social irresponsibility, they do not support the stated conclusion—namely, that we should ban smoking on campus. In this way, the argument comes dangerously close to committing the red herring fallacy.

What good reasons can you provide for supporting a campus-wide ban on smoking? Let’s suppose that you agree with the Smoke-Free Campus Initiative because it will make for a cleaner, safer, and healthier campus. You can use a Formal Analysis to outline your argument.

Exercise 12.2.

· Your Turn! What has gone wrong in the Formal Analysis above?

You should be able to recognize two problems with the Formal Analysis that was just stated. First, the premises and conclusion are not stated as claims. Recall from Chapter 2 that you can determine whether a sentence is a claim by placing the phrase it is true that … in front of it. You wouldn’t say “It is true that cleaner campus” or “It is true that ban smoking.” These need to be reformulated as claims that are clear and specific.

The second problem with this Formal Analysis is that the issue is not properly identified. “Smoking on campus” is a topic, not an issue. Recall from Chapter 3 that every issue begins with the word whether. Once you have formulated your conclusion as a claim, place whether in front of it, and the result will be the issue. Notice how the following Formal Analysis clearly presents the premises and conclusion as claims and properly identifies the issue.

Exercise 12.3.

· Your Turn! Write a Formal Analysis containing three premises supporting a conclusion on the other side of this issue.

Introducing Your Argument

An argumentative essay typically consists of four to six well-developed paragraphs comprising three main parts: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Since the purpose of an argument, and thus an argumentative essay, is to convince the reader of something, an inviting and compelling introduction is vital. Within this paragraph, you must grab the reader’s attention, identify the issue and show its importance, and make clear what main point you intend to support in the body of the paper.

In an attempt to gain reader interest, writers commonly construct ineffective introductions, as in the following example.

Since the beginning of time, some people have believed that they are allowed to do whatever they want, even if it endangers others. The case of the so-called rights of smokers to foul the public air with their secondhand smoke is a current example of this problem. Students on this campus are trying to ban all cigarette smoking, and I completely agree with them. In this paper, I intend to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that my conclusion is the only possible correct one.

In trying to catch the reader’s attention, this introduction commits a common mistake by giving an overly simplified generalization that is factually inaccurate.

Since the beginning of time, some people have believed that they are allowed to do whatever they want, even if it endangers others.

The problem of people endangering others hasn’t occurred since the “beginning of time,” if for no other reason than that people haven’t existed since the beginning of time. It also misstates what the issue is by claiming that people want to do “whatever they want.” The issue is whether cigarette smoking should be banned on campus, a much more specific issue.

The second sentence continues the theme of trying to be dramatic as a way of getting the reader to pay attention.

The case of the so-called rights of smokers to foul the public air with their secondhand smoke is a current example of this problem.

Smokers may harm or annoy others, but doing so is not their primary motivation. To suggest otherwise mischaracterizes the position of smokers’ rights advocates, a mistake you should recognize as a strawman fallacy. Furthermore, smoking outdoors certainly leads to less exposure to secondhand smoke than smoking indoors.

In the third sentence, the writer is attempting to present his or her main point. Although the reader might be able to figure out the writer’s position on the issue, it would be better if the conclusion was explicitly stated. When you are attempting to convince a reader of the truth of your conclusion, you want that conclusion to be easily understood.

Finally, the last sentence in the introduction overreaches.

In this paper, I intend to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that my conclusion is the only possible correct one.

Here the writer has substituted not-so-subtle rhetoric—“prove beyond a shadow of a doubt” and “my conclusion is the only possible correct one”—for good argumentation. When analyzing an argument, you should leave such rhetorical flourish out of the analysis of the argument because the conclusion is not more likely to be true just because the author claims that it is “proven.” Also, the task in the paper is to give a good argument, not prove something beyond any possible doubt.

So how could this paragraph be improved? Consider the following example.

Many states not only prohibit smoking in designated areas, but have banned smoking entirely in workplaces and other public spaces. This movement has extended to college campuses. According to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation, 1,343 U.S. college campuses have enacted smoke-free campus policies (“Smokefree and Tobacco-Free U.S. and Tribal Colleges and Universities”). Many people disagree about whether smoking should be completely prohibited on college campuses. In this essay, I will argue that our university should completely prohibit smoking across campus because doing so will make our campus cleaner, safer, and healthier.

In this introduction, the author presents a clear context for the debate over banning smoking on campus. The initial sentence is still general, but much more in line with what most of us would acknowledge to be the case—that fewer and fewer public places, such as offices and restaurants, allow people to smoke. The context as the author has developed it in the first two sentences begins quite generally, but by the third sentence, the author has narrowed it to the debate on campus. This is sometimes referred to as a funnel introduction. With this kind of context development, the author gives evidence that the issue is important, and if the issue is important, the essay arguing about that issue is important, too. Note, also, that the source of the information from the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation is cited in parentheses. Finally, the fifth sentence in the paragraph presents the exact conclusion that will be supported in this essay and summarizes the reasons to support that conclusion. This is sometimes referred to as the thesis of the essay. Notice that, as you learned in Chapter 3, the issue and conclusion should be consistent. The issue stated in the fourth sentence employs almost identical terms to those used to identify the conclusion supported by the arguer.

Exercise 12.4.

· Your Turn! Write an effective introduction to the argument you outlined in Exercise 12.3.

Supporting Your Conclusion

In the body of the essay, you will take each of your premises that support the main conclusion and make them the focus of an individual paragraph. Thus, in the first paragraph of the body of the essay, you will restate your first premise and give additional evidence as well as examples as needed to clarify and support that premise. In other words, each paragraph should present a subargument in support of one of the premises in your main argument. Depending on the assignment, you may need to offer support from reliable outside sources, or you may just offer support based on your own careful thinking. Again, since the reader cannot be expected to already be on your side in this matter, you must give the best subarguments you can and be clear about how all of this contributes to the support of each premise.

We have chosen to give an argument with three premises, but you could construct an argument with a different number of premises. Three or four solid reasons often provide substantive support for an argument, while remaining a small enough number to not overwhelm the reader. As you build each subargument, remember to state clearly each intermediate conclusion and its supporting premises as claims. To help the reader differentiate the premises for the main conclusion from the premises for the intermediate conclusion, use inference indicators generously. Also, if you utilize sources to support your claims, make sure that the sources are ones that your reader will find credible.

Let’s start with the first premise, “Cigarette butts are a significant source of litter on campus.” What reasons can you offer that support this claim? Suppose that you are disgusted by the number of cigarette butts littering the areas surrounding building entrances. You write the following paragraph to reflect your feelings.

First, cigarette butts are a significant source of litter on campus. Who likes to see that? It’s gross. Stop using the campus as an ashtray!

You may remember from Chapter 3 the difficulty of identifying claims that are implied by rhetorical questions and commands like the ones used in this passage. Although they can be interpreted as implying premises, this is usually a poor argument technique. Using rhetorical questions and commands rests on the reader’s ability to figure out what claims you intend as support. Therefore, if you want to convince the reader to accept your conclusion, you will be more successful if you clearly state your reasons rather than hoping that the reader will be able to figure out what you mean.

In the following example, the author presents the subargument with each claim explicitly stated. Notice the use of inference indicators to help the reader distinguish the intermediate conclusion (serving here as a topic sentence) from the premises that support it.

First, cigarette butts are a significant source of litter on campus. This is because, although courteous smokers use designated cigarette waste receptacles, many smokers extinguish their cigarettes on the ground or in other unsuitable places, leaving the smoldering butts behind. Since so many smokers refuse to responsibly dispose of their cigarette waste, the campus has a serious litter problem.

Now it is clear that the second and third claims are premises of the subargument that are meant to support the first premise of the main argument. Notice also that the fourth claim is a restatement of the first. To develop the paragraph further, you can explain how litter is a problem or give examples of problem areas on campus associated with smokers. Just make sure that the reasons you offer in your subargument are clearly stated and relevant to the conclusion they are supporting.

Now, let’s turn to the second premise of the main argument—namely, “Secondhand smoke is hazardous to both smokers and nonsmokers.” Although you might think it is common knowledge that secondhand smoke is a health hazard, your argument will be stronger if you provide evidence that this is true. Suppose this passage is what you come up with.

The second reason for banning smoking on campus is that secondhand smoke is hazardous to both smokers and nonsmokers. According to Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights, secondhand smoke kills over 50,000 people each year (“Secondhand Smoke”). Eliminating smoke on campus will lessen the number of people on campus who are exposed to these toxic fumes.

Although the statistic that secondhand smoke kills over 50,000 people each year, if true, would add a lot of power to your argument, you must remember that you are trying to convince a potentially skeptical reader. That means that whatever sources you use must be ones that your reader will find credible.

Hint!

Any time you use another’s ideas or words, you must cite the source. We have used Modern Language Association (MLA) formatting, and the full bibliographic information appears later in the chapter in the “Works Cited” list at the end of the essay. See the section “Citing Your Sources.”

What makes a source credible? A credible source is one that is knowledgeable about the subject and one that readers can trust to be honest. After all, a source is hardly to be believed if he or she is ignorant of the subject. And a source can’t be trusted if he or she is likely to be biased, dishonest, or trying somehow to take advantage of the reader. As you should remember from Chapter 11, when you reference an authority that is not knowledgeable about the subject in question, you commit a fallacy of illegitimate authority. Moreover, if the source you reference is an advocate for one side of the debate, your reader is unlikely to trust that source. Although what the advocate says may be true, the source is unlikely to convince your reader. You are better off citing sources that are considered objective.

The second reason for banning smoking on campus is that secondhand smoke is hazardous to both smokers and nonsmokers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, smoking not only causes heart disease and lung cancer in smokers, but also causes heart disease and cancer in adults who have never smoked. Nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work increase their risk of developing heart disease by 25–30% and increase their risk of developing lung cancer by 20–30% (“Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke”). Since secondhand smoke poses a health hazard to nonsmokers, we should ban smoking to protect the health of everyone on campus.

This argument is more likely to convince a skeptical reader, since it references a source, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that is both knowledgeable about the subject and commonly regarded as objective.

Finally, let’s turn to the third premise of the main argument, “Banning smoking supports those students who want to quit smoking.” Suppose you provide the following support for this premise.

The final reason to ban smoking on campus is that banning smoking supports those students who want to quit. For example, when I moved to California in 2000, I was finally able to quit smoking, in part, because smoking was prohibited in enclosed public spaces. So, banning smoking on campus will likely help others do the same.

Using examples is a great way to support your claims. However, notice that with only this one example, the argument is rather weak. You learned in Chapter 8 that arguments that generalize from a very small sample size to a larger population are mistakes in reasoning called hasty generalizations. The argument would be stronger with more evidence.

Consider this example.

The final reason to ban smoking on campus is that banning smoking supports those students who want to quit. This is demonstrated by a 2007 study comparing the effects of having strong (a complete smoking ban) to weak (all other “no smoking” restrictions) smoking regulations for restaurants in 351 Massachusetts towns. Researchers randomly interviewed 1,712 adult smokers, and found that living in a town with a strong regulation was associated with a threefold increase in the odds of making a quit attempt (Albers et al.). Therefore, complete smoking bans encourage people to quit smoking.

Notice how much stronger the evidence is in the second version. A study with a sample size of 1,712 people is much stronger than the previous anecdotal evidence with a sample size of 1.

Exercise 12.5.

· Your Turn! Develop effective subarguments to support the premises of the argument you introduced in Exercise 12.4.

Considering Objections

The last part of the body of the essay is where you consider an objection that would likely be made by someone who does not accept your position. Although it might be tempting to present an objection that you can easily dismiss or disarm, the strength of your essay is proportionate to the strength of the objection you are able to refute. You can think of it like the scoring in an Olympic diving competition—the more difficult the dive, the higher your score if you perform it successfully. So, for this section, choose the objection you believe most forcefully opposes your position, and state it clearly and in its most powerful form.

Suppose that you believe the strongest reason not to support the smoking ban is that it infringes on an individual’s right to choose how to live. Present this objection as clearly and forcefully as you can.

Many people who object to banning smoking on college campuses claim that doing so violates an individual’s right to choose how to live his or her life. They claim that the only legitimate reason to limit a person’s freedom is to prevent harm to others, and if smokers want to risk their health, it should be their choice. Besides, nonsmokers can choose whether or not to be around smoke. If they don’t want to risk breathing secondhand smoke, they can just avoid designated smoking areas.

Next, you should reply to the objection. If you can show that there is a major flaw in the argument’s premises or that the objection can be overcome by your argument, your position on the issue will be more convincing. However, be careful not to claim too much, as is done in the following example.

However, we should reject this argument because it’s clear that anyone who supports so-called smokers’ rights is himself or herself a smoker.

This reply isn’t very effective. As you learned in Chapter 11, arguments that attack the arguer instead of the argument commit the ad hominem fallacy. In fact, that is what has happened here. Although smokers are likely to be advocates of smokers’ rights, the fact that they have a vested interest in their position does not mean that they have given a poor argument. To show that their conclusion is false, you must respond to their argument, not attack them.

Most controversial issues have good reasons for and against supporting them, and you should acknowledge a good objection if one exists. So, instead of pretending that a good objection is easily dismissed, you should honestly appraise the point and concede what needs to be conceded. This reply to the objection, for example, is more effective than the first version.

This argument makes a good point. Any ban on smoking does limit the freedom of those individuals who would choose to smoke, so it is not something that should be taken lightly. However, on many occasions, as in the case of seatbelt or helmet laws, the public safety benefits outweigh the loss of freedom to the individual. Besides, nonsmokers shouldn’t have their freedom restricted in order to avoid health hazards. Let the smokers be the ones to move.

Rather than misrepresenting the opponent’s viewpoint, this reply acknowledges the strength of the objection. However, it proposes that, even in spite of the strength of the objection, the reasons for the other side of the argument are more compelling.

Exercise 12.6.

· Your Turn! Present the strongest objection you can think of to your argument against the Smoke-Free Campus Initiative, and write an effective response to it.

Summarizing Your Argument

Your final paragraph is your last chance to convince the reader to accept your side of the issue. The most effective strategy is to briefly restate the major points of your argument—namely, the conclusion and premises of your main argument. If handled poorly, a conclusion can actually leave the reader with less inclination to be convinced rather than with more. Let’s consider one example.

Smoking is an unhealthy, disgusting, and expensive habit that does not belong on a college campus. We must ban smoking wherever we find it. Won’t you please join me in eliminating this scourge from our campus community?

Although this conclusion may be passionate, it is not effective, and it does not follow the guidelines for a successful concluding paragraph. First, this paragraph is clear about which side of the issue is defended, but it doesn’t restate the main points of the essay. The second sentence goes beyond the conclusion argued for in the premise by urging a universal ban on smoking. Finally, the essay ends on a weak plea for help, one that is not likely to win any converts to the cause.

Let’s look now at a better way of concluding the essay.

In this essay, I have argued that we should ban smoking on campus. I have supported this conclusion with three lines of reasoning. First, banning smoking will reduce litter on campus. Second, banning smoking will reduce student exposure to secondhand smoke. And, third, banning smoking will help students who smoke to quit. Although banning smoking on campus will somewhat limit the freedom of individuals, the benefits of doing so greatly outweigh the inconvenience of having to leave campus to smoke. In order to rid the university of the ill effects of cigarette smoking, we next need to work with administrators to create a smoke-free campus.

Not only does this conclusion summarize the main points of the argument in somewhat different language, but also it shows the importance of your argument. By suggesting the actions that follow from accepting the conclusion, you connect the argument to its larger implications.

Exercise 12.7.

· Your Turn! Develop an effective conclusion for your argumentative essay.

Citing Your Sources

Whenever you use the ideas or words of another person, you must acknowledge doing so and utilize proper citation techniques. Otherwise, whether done deliberately or accidentally, you commit plagiarism, the presentation of another person’s ideas or words as if they are your own. In the example essay we constructed, we have utilized MLA formatting. However, this is not the only way to properly cite sources; the formats developed by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the University of Chicago are also commonly used in academic writing. Be sure to check with your instructor to find out which citation style he or she requires for essays.

At the end of your essay, you should include a list of “Works Cited.” It is very important that you provide the information about your sources in the proper format so that your reader can verify the evidence you provide in your argument. If your citations do not match, the reader will likely find you unreliable and will not be convinced by your argument (or, worse, your essay will be penalized!).

Works Cited

· Albers, Alison B., et al. “Effect of Smoking Regulations in Local Restaurants on Smokers’ Anti-Smoking Attitudes and Quitting Behaviours.” Tobacco Control 16.2 (2007): 101–6. Print.

· “Health Effects of Secondhand Smoke.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5 Mar 2014. Web. 26 June 2014.

· “Secondhand Smoke.” Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights. 4 Feb. 2014. Web. 26 June 2014.

· “Smokefree and Tobacco-Free U.S. and Tribal Colleges and Universities.” American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation. 29 Apr. 2014. Web. 26 June 2014.

Each of the four references to sources that we used in this chapter (including the one source we deemed not credible) and that we included in parentheses has a corresponding entry in the “Works Cited” list.

Exercise 12.8.

· Your Turn! Write a “Works Cited” page for any sources you utilize in developing your argument.

Hint!

Reread and revise your essay to make sure that the argument is clear and that you have not committed any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Peer review—having a classmate or friend critically evaluate your paper—is an effective means of improving the quality of your essay. Another set of eyes (hopefully, beforeyour instructor’s) can spot errors in logic or grammar that you have overlooked.

Writing an Argumentative Essay

Step 1: Outline your argument.

· Match the conclusion with the issue.

· State the premises and conclusion as claims.

· Choose premises that are clearly relevant to the conclusion.

Step 2: Introduce your argument.

· Grab the reader’s attention.

· Identify the issue, and set out the context.

· Clearly state your conclusion.

· Summarize your premises.

Step 3: Support your conclusion.

· Identify each of the main premises, and state each as a claim.

· Provide reasons, evidence, and/or examples that support each premise.

Step 4: Consider objections.

· Accurately represent the strongest point(s) against your view.

· Honestly appraise how your argument accommodates the objection(s).

Step 5: Summarize your argument.

· Repeat your main conclusion.

· Restate your main premises in the same order in which they appear, but using different language.

· Suggest one important larger implication of your argument.

Step 6: Cite your sources.

· Choose credible sources.

· Give full and detailed credit for others’ ideas to avoid plagiarism.

Exercise 12.9.

As a class or on your own, choose an issue from the following list, and use it to write an argumentative essay. Alternatively, your instructor may assign the entire class to work on a single issue.

1. Issue: Whether the U.S. government should reinstitute a military draft

2. Issue: Whether juveniles who commit violent crimes should be treated as adults in the criminal justice system

3. Issue: Whether euthanasia should be permitted so that a terminally ill person can end his or her extreme suffering

4. Issue: Whether using cell phones while driving should be banned

5. Issue: Whether health care should be free for all citizens

6. Issue: Whether torture is ever acceptable

7. Issue: Whether animals should be used for scientific research

8. Issue: Whether English should be the official language of the United States

9. Issue: Whether same-sex couples should be allowed to marry

10. Issue: Whether marijuana should be legalized

Chapter Review Questions

1. How does brainstorming help you formulate your argument?

2. What goes in the first paragraph of an argumentative essay?

3. How should you provide support for your conclusion in an argumentative essay?

4. What are the two features of a credible source?

5. Why must you respond to the strongest objection to your position when writing an argumentative essay?

6. What goes in the summary of an argumentative essay?

7. How can you successfully avoid plagiarism in your argumentative essays?

One Step Further

The five-paragraph essay, long a staple of university courses, may strike you as something you will leave behind as soon as you graduate. If so, you might be in for a surprise. You can use your argument construction skills to help you in your career. For example, a letter of application, whether it is for a job, a promotion, or admission to graduate school, should be an argument. But instead of giving support for some side of a controversial issue, your letter should include evidence to convince someone that you are the best person for the opportunity you seek. Moreover, strong argument construction skills can help you convince your boss that your ideas should be adopted, convince your clients that your services are in their best interest, or convince your co-workers that your solution to a problem will be effective. You may even be expected to put such arguments in writing.

Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon and recent purchaser of The Washington Post, is reported to require essays from his executives. Don Graham, the former owner of the Post, explained that Mr. Bezos’s dedication to the essay was one reason he decided to sell the venerable newspaper to him:

When Jeff holds meetings at Amazon he asks people not to use Powerpoints but to write an essay about their product or program or what the meeting is to be about. For the first 10 or 15 minutes everyone sits and reads the essay. His point is that if you write at length, you have to think first, and he feels the quality of thought you have to do to write at length is greater than the quality of thought to put a Powerpoint together.

Fortunately, you now have skills that will leave you better prepared for the writing that you may have to do for and in your career.

1. Do you agree that writing out an argument improves the quality of your thinking in ways that preparing a PowerPoint presentation does not? Why or why not?

2. Write an argumentative essay in the form of a letter of application for a new job, a promotion at your current job, an internship, a scholarship, or a leadership position within a student or community organization. Format your letter using the structure outlined in the image below. Note that it differs slightly from the argumentative essay format in that you will not include an issue in the first paragraph, and will not consider an objection to your position in paragraph five.

3. Exchange letters with one or more classmates. Write a Formal Analysis of your peer’s argument. Does he or she provide three reasons to select him or her for the position? Does he or she provide evidence for each of those reasons? Make one suggestion for how the letter can be improved.