Docsity
Docsity

Prepare for your exams
Prepare for your exams

Study with the several resources on Docsity


Earn points to download
Earn points to download

Earn points by helping other students or get them with a premium plan


Guidelines and tips
Guidelines and tips

The Argumentative Essay - Composition 2 - Intermediate - Examination 3 |, Exams of Grammar and Composition

Material Type: Exam; Class: Composition 2 - Intermediate; Subject: English; University: Richland College; Term: Forever 1989;

Typology: Exams

2010/2011

Uploaded on 05/12/2011

ska0040
ska0040 🇺🇸

4.3

(3)

4 documents

1 / 2

Toggle sidebar

This page cannot be seen from the preview

Don't miss anything!

bg1
IN ST RUCTIO NS F OR E SS AY 3: THE ARG UMENTATIVE ESSAY
You have now completed the pre-writing stages of finding a topic and sketching an outline. Review your Journal
Writing 5, Class Discussion 5, and the Preliminary Outline Assignments. Make any adjustments necessary to your
plan before you begin these next stages in the writing process.
STAG E 2: WRITING A WORKIN G DRAF T USI NG YOU R SKE LETON OU TLI NE
This essay assignment is designed to familiarize you with the form and structure of argument. For this reason,
you have been encouraged to explore issues of a more immediate nature. You have selected a topic that is
sufficiently narrow and focused, and one that you are sufficiently familiar with. This should allow you to write
the essay without using sources or research.
NOTE: Research and use of sources is not required for this essay, but if you choose to use information from
sources, you must cite the sources and use MLA Documentation Style.
In your pre-writing to discover a topic, you have been encouraged to avoid highly controversial or "hot
button" issues such as abortion, gun control, or other issues that have long been part of the public debate in
America. While you may be drawn to these kinds of topics out of personal conviction or the wide availability
of sources, they are simply too polarized and tired to be suitable for this kind of academic assignment.
Here are the specific requirements for Essay 3:
AUDIENCE: Direct the defense of your topic to a group of classmates who are reasonably educated and
informed. Imagine that they represent diverse ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and gender.
LENGTH: The final draft of this essay should run about 3 -5 pages, or 600 - 1000 words.
STRUCTURE: You should be able to follow your preliminary outline to create your overall structure for this
essay.
Introduction: In the initial draft, simply state your topic, your claim (or viewpoint) that you plan to
defend, and a brief summary of your plan of presenting the evidence. You will want to return to this
introduction when you begin your revisions and rework it in terms of voice and interest.
Body: Each of your supporting points in your defense will need a paragraph. State your point as a
way of creating a topic sentence for an evidence paragraph. You'll need at least three and probably no
more than five. Each evidence paragraph should have specific support by way of facts, statistics,
examples, or other details. Since the topic is likely more immediate to you, you may use personal
example as some of your supporting detail, but try to use more objective support as well.
Counter-argument: Once you have presented your defense, you are ready to write a counter-
argument paragraph. Make sure you begin this paragraph with a clear transition that indicates a
counter position. For example, you could begin, "Some people disagree with the need for _______ and
feel that _______ is a more appropriate solution to this issue." The counter-argument paragraph should
clearly state the most reasonable counter position, briefly explain it, and then overcome it. Be fair and
respectful to your opposition! Remember that you are trying to win over those readers who don’t
pf2

Partial preview of the text

Download The Argumentative Essay - Composition 2 - Intermediate - Examination 3 | and more Exams Grammar and Composition in PDF only on Docsity!

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ESSAY 3: THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

You have now completed the pre-writing stages of finding a topic and sketching an outline. Review your Journal Writing 5, Class Discussion 5, and the Preliminary Outline Assignments. Make any adjustments necessary to your plan before you begin these next stages in the writing process.

STAGE 2: WRITING A WORKING DRAFT USING YOUR SKELETON OUTLINE

This essay assignment is designed to familiarize you with the form and structure of argument. For this reason, you have been encouraged to explore issues of a more immediate nature. You have selected a topic that is sufficiently narrow and focused, and one that you are sufficiently familiar with. This should allow you to write the essay without using sources or research. NOTE: Research and use of sources is not required for this essay, but if you choose to use information from sources, you must cite the sources and use MLA Documentation Style. In your pre-writing to discover a topic, you have been encouraged to avoid highly controversial or "hot button" issues such as abortion, gun control, or other issues that have long been part of the public debate in America. While you may be drawn to these kinds of topics out of personal conviction or the wide availability of sources, they are simply too polarized and tired to be suitable for this kind of academic assignment. Here are the specific requirements for Essay 3: AUDIENCE: Direct the defense of your topic to a group of classmates who are reasonably educated and informed. Imagine that they represent diverse ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, and gender. LENGTH: The final draft of this essay should run about 3 -5 pages, or 600 - 1000 words. STRUCTURE: You should be able to follow your preliminary outline to create your overall structure for this essay. Introduction: In the initial draft, simply state your topic, your claim (or viewpoint) that you plan to defend, and a brief summary of your plan of presenting the evidence. You will want to return to this introduction when you begin your revisions and rework it in terms of voice and interest. Body: Each of your supporting points in your defense will need a paragraph. State your point as a way of creating a topic sentence for an evidence paragraph. You'll need at least three and probably no more than five. Each evidence paragraph should have specific support by way of facts, statistics, examples, or other details. Since the topic is likely more immediate to you, you may use personal example as some of your supporting detail, but try to use more objective support as well. Counter-argument: Once you have presented your defense, you are ready to write a counter- argument paragraph. Make sure you begin this paragraph with a clear transition that indicates a counter position. For example, you could begin, "Some people disagree with the need for _______ and feel that _______ is a more appropriate solution to this issue." The counter-argument paragraph should clearly state the most reasonable counter position, briefly explain it, and then overcome it. Be fair and respectful to your opposition! Remember that you are trying to win over those readers who don’t

agree with you. Offending, insulting, or demeaning the opposition will not help you win them over. Use reasonable details to overcome the opposing viewpoint. Conclusion: The conclusion is an important summing up and review of your evidence in defense. Give the reader a good sense of closure and leave them with a strong sense of your integrity and reasonable voice.

STAGE 3: GETTING FEEDBACK. POSTING YOUR WORKING DRAFT FOR GROUP

RESPONSES

Post your Essay 3 Working Draft to two places: (1) When you complete your essay, click on the menu item GROUPS in eCampus. Find your group listed under " Group Pages " and click on it. There you will find "File Exchange" as one of the options. In "File Exchange" you can "Add File." This will allow your group members to open your document. They will write comments about your essay. Follow the same procedure as with Essay 1, posting your responses to the DISCUSSION BOARD forum within your Group Page. Be sure that you go into the forum and post your Writer Concerns as soon as you upload your file. This will allow your classmates to understand what challenged you as a writer so they can better direct their comments and suggestions to help you. (2) As with Essay 1, I would like you to upload a copy of your Essay 3 Working Draft to the Assignment link labeled ESSAY 3 WORKING DRAFT within Learning Module 4 in eCampus. This will allow me to review and comment on your draft as well. Your file must be saved as a Rich Text Format file (.rtf) and be entitled with a one-word label that includes your last name (example: MartinezEssay3WD). Now the real writing begins! It's time to study the responses from your group members and your instructor and begin the revision and editing process.

STAGE 4: REVISING, EDITING, AND PROOFREADING YOUR DRAFT

Revision of an argumentative essay is especially challenging because you must not only carefully weigh your organization and content for accuracy and effectiveness, you must also consider your own voice and how you come across in the writing. This kind of revision requires sensitivity to the emotional quality of your language. You will need to tone down and eliminate any emotionally charged words, phrases, or statements. Strive to achieve a reasonable, concerned, and fair-minded voice. This will help you gain readers’ confidence and credibility and trust in you as a writer. Grammatical inaccuracies and careless errors of spelling also undermine reader trust, so your final draft must be scrupulously proofread.