The main contents of the chapter consist of the following: How to write a compare & contrast essay? well written compare & contrast essay, steps for writing a compare & contrast essay, topic selection, dos and don’ts, common mistakes, example, exercise,...
Lecture 13 Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay Recap • • • How to Write a Compare & Contrast Essay? Well Written Compare & Contrast Essay Steps for Writing a Compare & Contrast Essay • Topic Selection • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes Argumentative Essay An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion Examples: An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that * he or she should use public transportation instead of driving Argumentative Essay • In persuasive or argumentative writing, we try to convince others to: – agree with our facts, – share our values, – accept our argument and conclusions, and – adopt our way of thinking • Elements toward building a good Argumentative/Persuasive essay include… establishing facts – • clarifying relevant values – • for your audience (perspective) prioritizing, editing, and/or sequencing – • to support an argument the facts and values in importance to build the argument forming and stating conclusions How to Write a Argumentative/Persuasive Essay? • A persuasive essay is a form of essay writing that is built around a certain argument • Persuasive essays are thus also called argumentative essays • In this type of essay, the writer aims to Steps for Writing a Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Step # 1: Decide upon the issue you will discuss It needs to be something you have a solid opinion on, and also something people disagree about Step # 2: Research the issue, to be aware of how to best prove your point Consider what your possible opponents can object to with every point you make Steps for Writing a Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Step # 3: Make an outline, listing your strongest arguments that will help you prove your point Look for statistics, factual data and quotes of famous people to support your arguments Step # 4: Write an introduction, stating how debated the issue is and why it is Steps for Writing a Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Step # 5: Argue your point, introducing a new reason or fact in every paragraph There should be no less than three strong arguments to support your of view point Steps for Writing a Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Step # 6: Draw a conclusion Here you may express your understanding as to why the matter is so hard to agree on, but conclude that the position you support is the best possible (or most likely to be true) variant based on the evidence you provided earlier in the essay Step # 7: essay Thoroughly proofread your Example of Argumentative/ Pesruasive Essay Why People Should Read Books? Introduction Paragraph It is quite a disappointment that people have stopped reading books Books used to be the only kind of intellectual entertainment just a hundred years ago, but, with the invention of radio, television, cinema, and, most recently, the Internet and computer games, it seems that reading books is no Supporting Details First of all, books expand our knowledge and conception of the world around us You may argue that movies and TV documentaries just that too, but I believe that books are a much better alternative, since they allow each reader to experience the same story using one’s own imagination When a hundred people watch a movie or a TV show, they see the same thing – whatever the director and the operator wish to show Books are very different The experience achieved through reading is richer and more personal, since the same description and the same word choice will result in as many different interpretations as there are readers We are all unique, and books allow us to experience whatever is narrated, in the light of our own personal values, through our ideas and our imagination Supporting Details Secondly, books enrich our vocabulary, introduce us to new notions and offer us a wider choice of words With every book you read, you become more intelligent Even reading one seemingly more primitive pulp fiction book per month, can enrich one’s personal vocabulary with dozens of new words, help build more concise sentences and express oneself better, make one’s speech more intelligent and sophisticated Watching certain TV programs and documentary movies can also widen one’s vocabulary, but hardly as effectively as books do, since when reading, we operate with both visual and audial (if reading aloud) receptors, so our perception becomes more effective and our memory works more efficiently In addition to that, our imagination reproduces mental pictures of what we are reading about, so a new word automatically links to a certain image and a certain feeling that it relates to Therefore, reading books is a great tool when it comes to learning and developing one’s vocabulary Supporting Details Finally, books are a great source of inspiration Unlike fine art, architecture or travelling, books help us create our own mental illustration for everything we read on paper So, in a way, books make us all artists and creators of our own mental cartoon, movie or illustration collection Every image we create ourselves is automatically allotted a certain emotion, whether a simple or a more complicated one So, every mental image that a written word causes is vibrant with feelings and emotions This is what makes books so powerful and so Conclusion I am certain that creating a system of symbols and eventually an alphabet, words, and books was the greatest invention of humankind Tips Tips • • Use synonyms– Having the same word over and over will place a toll on the reader's nerves – Mix it up a bit Also, not use boring words, such as: – • "big" or "nice." Instead, try: – "enormous" or "compassionate." Tips • Make sure you know your audience – • Stick to a certain tone, whether it is: • formal, • informal, • funny, • pleading, etc Use persuasive statements Tips • Don't make the essay too long – Long papers are not always impressive and can be plain boring • Use similes and metaphors – Say things like, "She was as graceful as a butterfly." Or "He was like a tiger, always hungry." Use 'like' and 'as' Tips • Try to hook your audience in your first paragraph – • Make each sentence count – • then slowly draw them in throughout your entire essay, until the last paragraph, where you let them go (a lot like fishing) Adding extra sentences will not drive your point home Keep the essay clear and concise When restating, not duplicate any sentence Tips • Be sure to keep your deadline in mind if you're having issues brainstorming! • You can also write three paragraphs for the body, and instead of minor points, write logical, supporting reasons for the topic Tips • Don't plagiarize people's work • Be aware of the possible counterarguments that would go against what you are trying to say – You need to plan ahead for oppositions – Therefore, list some common oppositions and Summary • • • How to Write an Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay? Well Written Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay Steps for Writing a Argumentative/ Persuasive Essay • Topic Selection • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes References • http:// academichelp.net/academic-assignments/essa • http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/persu • http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm • http:// www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Persuasive-Essay ... Write a Compare & Contrast Essay? Well Written Compare & Contrast Essay Steps for Writing a Compare & Contrast Essay • Topic Selection • Dos and Don’ts • Common Mistakes Argumentative Essay An argumentative... Write a Argumentative/Persuasive Essay? • A persuasive essay is a form of essay writing that is built around a certain argument • Persuasive essays are thus also called argumentative essays •... academichelp.net/academic-assignments/essa • http://academichelp.net/samples/essays/persu • http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm • http:// www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Persuasive -Essay