1、Unit 4 Argumentative WritingLearning Aims and ObjectivesOn successful completion of this unit,students should be able to:Organize and write an argumentative essay;Identify and evaluate the support a writer provides to defend an argument;Develop an arguable thesis;Argue both sides of an issue;Support
2、 and explain arguments with facts,examples,data,research or quotations;To refute opposing arguments;Review transition and cohesion techniques.I.Lead-in ActivitiesII.Guidance for Argumentative WritingIII.Writing PracticeIV.AssignmentV.Sample Argumentative EssaysLead-in ActivitiesActivity 1:Oral Task.
3、Choose one of the following two questions,and talk about it with your partners.1.What are the important issues now being discussed on your campus?Students selecting teachers?Students being streamed into hierarchical classes based on their English proficiency?Students having the final say in evaluati
4、ng a teacher?More-stringent academic standards for students?Choose an important issue or problem on your campus and explain it.You may want to check the campus newspaper for ideas.2.What is a hot social issue or problem that concerns you and other students you know?Economic advancement Vs environmen
5、t protection?Who are to blame for current environmental damage?The growing CPI?Should government intervene to save the market?Talk about this issue or problem and discuss its influence.What are people doing about this issue or problem?What is your opinion and why?Activity 2:Listening Task.Listen to
6、J.F.Kennedys Inaugural Address and try to find what strategies J.F.Kennedy has used to persuade and convince his audience.unit_4_肯尼迪就职演讲-arguementative.mp3 J.F.Kennedy was the youngest candidate ever elected to the presidency,who won the election with a narrow margin,so his inaugural address was des
7、igned to convince and persuade the American people and the world that the President and his team were capable of leadership,with vigor and with vision.Therefore in his speech he employed several rhetorical devices like antithesis,parallelism and repetition.Then listen to the speech and find out the
8、sentences concerned.repetition parallelism antithesis Activity 3:Investigate your campus to find out activities on argumentation among the students at your university.Choose one or more of the following activities.Check your student center,campus bulletin boards,and the campus newspaper for advertis
9、ements or club recruitments.How much do you find?What issues are important on your campus?Attend a meeting of a group or club on campus,and observe how they argue in their discussions and how they convince others.Watch TV or video about debate such as CCTV English debate competition and find out how
10、 the contestants argue and what rhetorical devices are used in their speeches.II.Guidance for Argumentative Writing 1.Definition of Argumentative Writing An argumentative essay is to attempt to change the readers mind,to convince the reader to agree with the point of view or opinion of the writer.Th
11、erefore,it is supposed to be highly persuasive and logical.Argumentative writing is the act of forming reasons,making inductions,drawing conclusions and applying them to the point that is under discussion.It is used to show that your opinion or theory about some topic is correct,or at least somehow
12、more accurate or convincing than what has been put forward by others.Remember,your aim is to persuade the reader that your point of view has meritthat your argument is sound and cannot easily be dismissed.2.Identify and evaluate the support a writer provides to defend an argument Read the magazine a
13、rticle in the textbook“College Lectures:Is Anybody Listening?”,which will give you a general idea of argumentative writing.In it,David Daniels questions a traditional teaching method:the lecture class.Before you read,answer these questions:Have you attended any lecture classes in college?If so,what
14、happened in them?Is lecturing an effective way for you to learn?Do you think your experience in lecture classes is typical?Why might some object to lecturing as a teaching method?Why might some defend it?1.Comprehension/Discussion Questions What is Daniels thesis?Where is it located?What reasons doe
15、s he give to support his thesis?How does he support and explain his reasons?What teaching method does Daniels propose to replace lectures?According to Daniels,what are its advantages?What might be some disadvantages?Do you agree with Daniels thesis?Why or why not?Imagine that you wanted to support l
16、ecturing as a teaching method.What reasons would you give?2.Develop an Arguable Thesis Thesis is the MOST IMPORTANT SENTENCE in your paper.To develop an argumentative thesis,the author has to take a stand of an issue;frequently,too,it proposes a course of action(often expressed,by the way,with the m
17、odal should).In the argument for students selecting teachers,the thesis for a paper on this topic might be,“Universities should give all students the right to select their teachers.”Of course,someone else might argue,“Universities should not give all students the right to select their teachers.”So,w
18、hen compose an arguable thesis,you must:Let the reader know the main idea of the paper;Answer the question:“What am I trying to prove?”Remember a thesis statement Is not a factual statement,but a claim that has to be proven throughout the paper;Helps to guide your reader through your argument;Is gen
19、erally located in the introduction of the paper;A thesis statement may sometimes be located within the body of the paper or in the conclusion,depending upon the purpose or argument of the paper.Planning To decide on your thesis,ask yourself,“What is my answer to the topic question?”Your answer(yes,n
20、o,maybe in some instances)represents your opinion,which will provide your thesis statementthe angle from which you will argue.To support your thesis statement,ask yourself:“Why do I believe this?”“What are the main reasons?”“What has been written about this topic?”Your answers will provide the mater
21、ial for the body of your essay.Reasons could be personal,cultural,social or economic.Perhaps you can think of other reasons.Organization Your essay must clearly explain the position you will take on your chosen topic.You must provide reasons that elaborate your ideas and give strong support to your
22、argument.Remember you are trying to persuade the reader of the worthiness of your assertion.Therefore your essay requires the following:A thesis statement,which introduces the position you will take on your chosen topic.The main reasons for your opinion.Credible and persuasive support for your posit
23、ion.This may include some critical review of what others have written about this topic,which you can use to strengthen your argument.(For instance,you could give another persons opinion,and then show why you believe this to be flawed.)A strong conclusion in which you sum up your argument.Your conclu
24、sion should re-emphasize the main points made in your paper.You may choose to reiterate a call to action or speculate on the future of your topic,where appropriate.Avoid raising new claims in your conclusion.3.Ways to Support and Explain Arguments:There are a number of ways to support your point in
25、an argumentative paragraph.Since the purpose is to convince or persuade,you can use whatever type of organization and support that is suggested by the reason you give.Usually,facts,anecdotes,textual evidence,examples,experts testimony,logical reasoning and analogy are exploited to support and explai
26、n the reasons:1)Facts:Facts include data that has been objectively proven and is generally accepted,such as historical facts,scientific data,statistics,and so forth.In order to obtain facts to support your point,you may need to do some library research.2)Anecdotes:Anecdotes are brief stories about e
27、vents or experiences that are recounted in an interesting way.In order to provide convincing support,anecdotes must be relevant to the argument,well told,and true to life.To be relevant,an anecdote must serve as more than entertainment;it must provide a necessary contribution to your argument.3)Text
28、ual Evidence:Textual evidence comes from literature review.It can be quotes,paraphrase,or summarize passages used to strengthen your argument.Carefully select these bits of textual evidence and make them relevant to your arguments thesis and reasons.4)Examples:To be effective,the examples you use sh
29、ould be typical and selected from a sufficient number of reliable sources to prove the case.If you use examples from personal experience,be sure that such material is applicable to a larger group.5)Experts Testimony:Experts testimony is used to help support your point.An expert is a person who is pa
30、rticularly knowledgeable about a topic because of his or her research,profession,or experience.You will need to use the proper quotation and citation format for opinions from experts.6)Logical Reasoning:Logic reasoning is a way of proving or disproving a point of view by expounding on the relationsh
31、ip,mainly that of cause and effect,between events to convince or persuade.7)Analogy:Analogy is to explain a new or unfamiliar or complex object/event with what the reader might find more familiar or easier to understand.III.Writing Practice1.Writing tasks Task 1 Study the following thesis statements
32、.Put an“A”in the blank if the statement is argumentative.Be careful!A statement having should as part of the verb is not automatically argumentative.1._ College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses.2._ Prospective consumers should be addressed to promote sales.3._ Univer
33、sity should set a dress code on campus.4._ This university has more advanced facilities than any other university in the city.5._ Students should have a say in the hiring and firing of teachers.6._ Pornographic books ought to be banned from the library.7._ Gene Therapy is gaining a promising market.
34、8._ Science advancement is a double-bladed sword.9._ The world should not condone the international trade in human organs for medical implants from underdeveloped countries.10._ Manners are important in human communication.Task 2 Read the following thesis statements,and think of the reasons in suppo
35、rt(“pros”)of the theses and the reasons against(“cons”).On separate paper,list as many reasons as you can for both sides.Then underline the reason for each thesis statement that you think is the crucial one,the one at the heart of the issue.College students should have freedom to choose their own co
36、urses.A student convicted of cheating in an exam should automatically be expelled from college.A year of national service,with low pay,should be required of all 18-year-olds in this country.Task 3 Study the following sentences which give reasons for why certain actions should or should not be implem
37、ented.Then decide what kind of development you would use to argue for each of them.For example,would you explain with the use of examples and/or factual details?Would you explain a process?Would you discuss causes or effects?Would you compare and contrast?1.One reason that we should legalize marijua
38、na is that the government could collect taxes on its sale._ 2.One reason we should not legalize marijuana is that its use leads to the use of more dangerous drugs._ 3.We should not build more nuclear power plants because of the potentially devastating effects they could have if they break down._ 4.R
39、equiring parents to get licenses in order to have children would help to reduce child abuse._ 5.One of the advantages of having a football team is that it boosts student morale._Task 4 Write an argumentative essay on one of the following topics.Try to use the developmental pattern of a five paragrap
40、h essay:1introduction,2-4body and 5conclusion.(300-400w)Topic:Should the world condone the international trade in human organs for medical implants from underdeveloped countries(i.e.kidneys)?Thesis:No,I believe that the trade of human organs from underdeveloped countries cannot be condoned.Main poin
41、ts:1)Social it leads to the exploitation of the poor by the wealthy.As there is shortage of such organs on the world market,it encourages the growth of an illegal black market.2)Moral it is a corrupt practice that devalues the worth of some peoples lives.3)Economic poor people sell a body organ in t
42、he hope of easing their financial situation,but the health of the donor can be impaired and lead to their death.4)Legal avenues currently exist in developed countries donations from accident victims at the bequest of the victim themselves or a consenting family member;voluntary donations from a pers
43、on of say a kidney or bone marrow.2.Checking and reviewing Peer Review:When you have finished writing the first draft,give it to a classmate to read and review.Use the peer review check list in Appendix I to respond to each others draft.Self-Assessment:Use this check list to help you to give suggest
44、ions to your peers and to revise your own essay.Checklist for an Argumentative Essay/PaperPoints to Consider Yes No 1.My subject for the argumentative essay is aimed at addressing an issue.2.I have stated my position on the issue.3.I have argued for my position and my essay is logically organized.4.
45、My argumentative essay has defined the main concepts or terms 5.It presents all sides of the issue,including the opposing sides.6.My main points/arguments are supported by evidence.7.My argumentative essay has evaluated the arguments presented.8.My reasons,premises,&evidence are enough to convince t
46、he reader or change the mind of my opponents.9.I have distinguished between my own ideas and those taken from other authors.10.I have acknowledged the sources for other authors.11.I have checked through my work for errors of spelling and punctuation.12.I have proofread my“final”paper at least twice
47、and asked someone else to proofread it to avoid typos.3.Extensions for argumentative writing To write an effective argumentative essay,you are supposed to be able to:1)Refute opposing arguments Refuting opposing arguments is a characteristic that is more particular to argumentative essay than to exp
48、ository essays.Given the two sides of the issue,if you want to convince the reader that you are right or your idea is more valid or significant,you have to prove your own stand and disprove the counterparts opinion.If the opponent makes some valid points,you should concede them and agree that they a
49、re valid,and then go on to argue your own points.2)Offer a counterargument Addressing the claims of the opposition is an important component in building a convincing argument.It demonstrates your credibility as a writer and demonstrates that you have researched the multiple sides of the argument and
50、 have come to an informed decision.Counter-arguments may be placed at various positions throughout your body paragraphs.You may choose to build each of your main points as a contrast to oppositional claims,or offer a counter-argument after you have articulated your main claims.Remember,to be effecti
