Advanced English

Example Outline for the Pro-Position Paper using the Toulmin Model Introduction Attention Grabber Thesis Statement (Pro-position + reasoning via your 3 key points/grounds) Context Qualifiers and/or Definitions and/or Background info Grounds / 1st Pro-point Backing (establish credibility of the source) Warrant (evidence) Connection/Transition Grounds / 2nd Pro-point Backing (establish credibility of the source) Warrant (evidence) Connection/Transition Grounds / 3rd Pro-point Backing (establish credibility of the source) Warrant (evidence) Connection/Transition Conclusion *Normally, the Toulmin model would also include a counterargument and rebuttal, but we will save that for the combined pro/con position paper in Week 7. Although you are not required to submit an outline for this paper, it does help to see how the argument will be presented and where your 3 secondary sources might be most useful. From here, you can begin drafting the body of the paper. Focus on the body paragraphs first, then work your way back to the intro and conclusion. For shorter papers like this one, the intro and conclusion usually reflect each other, so it makes sense to write them together. As our text notes, "If you can't think of a clever opening, state your claim and move on to the body of the essay. After you draft your reasons and evidence, a good opening may occur to you" (Seyler & Brizee, 2018, 104). Man with tie and no face Strive for a formal, objective tone by applying only third-person point of view. First-person (I, me, my, we, our, us, mine) and second-person (you, your) point of view can cause the tone of the paper to sound casual and even accusatory. On pages 106-107, Seyler and Brizee (2018) present means of avoiding aggressive or discriminatory word choice and tone, such as "language that is racist or sexist or reflects negatively on older or differently abled persons or those who do not share your sexual orientation or religious beliefs." Remember, the goal is to convince your audience, but an audience put on the defensive by inflammatory word choices is less likely to listen.

Set some time aside to revise and edit the document before your submission. Our text has a helpful checklist on page 107. Click on the first link to review the checklist in this lesson or the second link to download a PDF version. Link: Revision Checklist Link (PDF): Revision ChecklistPreview the document References Olsen, G.A. (1993). Literary theory, philosophy of science, and persuasive discourse: Thoughts from a Neo-premodernist. Journal of Advanced Composition, 13 (2), 283-309. Seyler, D.U. & Brizee, A. (2018). Read, reason, write: An argument text and reader (12th ed.) New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.