question 5.5

ENC 1102 Refutation Argument

Have you ever read an editorial by an author with whom you adamantly disagreed? Have you ever read a news story that quoted an elected official who made a comment you believed was so misguided that you felt a strong desire to respond? This assignment offers you the experience of articulating and expressing your areas of dissent with a published author and/or quoted sources within a published work. The purpose of this essay is to give you the opportunity to utilize your critical thinking skills to read and critique an article to analyze your points of disagreement. In finding the source or sources of your dissention with a published work, you will formulate, organize, and express your counterarguments in this assigned Refutation Argument paper.

Characteristics of a Refutation Argument

A successful refutation argument will do the following:

● Identify the author, article, and publication of the refuted piece ● Summarize the main ideas and evidence offered by the author ● Analyze areas of dissention where student disagrees with author ● Present the student’s counterarguments and objections in professional tone ● Utilize at least two outside sources to add strength to student’s refutation

Essay Requirements

✓ The paper must be 1000-1500 words in length; information on the Works Cited page does

not count toward this total.

✓ The final draft of this paper must be submitted to Turnitin.

✓ Minimum of two secondary sources accessed from TCC library

✓ MLA format for presentation and for source documentation (in-text citations and Works

Cited Page)

How will I be graded? 20% Formatting

Adheres to formal letter writing standards both in content and form.

20% Thesis

Thesis which identifies the original author’s argument, your refutation to it, and the supporting

reasons for your refutation.

10% Ethos

Establish your ethos and stake in the argument.

20% Address Author/Speaker’s Use of Appeals

How is the author using or lacking in use in regards to exigency, pathos, logos, and ethos?

20% Refutation

3 outside sources should be quoted from in support of the opposition and logos should be present.

10% Conclusion

A conclusion which makes a specific, appropriate call to action.