Argumentative
Essay
For this
project, your prompt has been chosen for you. You must choose one position:
Argue for going to college after high school.
Argue for starting a career after high school.
Argue for going to trade school after high school.
For an
assigned prompt, pay attention to signs that it’s asking you to take a
position. You’re being asked for your opinion, so you must pick a position on
what should happen and make an argument for it. This prompt requires a
multi-paragraph essay response that should include the following:
Your position
A main claim
The provided sources to gather evidence to support your
claim
Your
argumentative essay should include the following:
An introduction paragraph
Five to seven body paragraphs with provided resources
A conclusion paragraph
For this
argumentative essay, you must use the provided resources as your information.
Here’s all the information you need to create both in-text and Works Cited page
citations. Remember that you must use at least three of these sources in
your paper. You can use more than three if you like, but only include in your
Works Cited page the sources that you reference in the text of the paper.
Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/decades-pushing-bachelors-degrees-u-s-needs-tradespeople
Source: https://digitalcommons.linfield.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1709&context=linfield_magazine
Source: https://www.youtube.com/embed/YX9NWYz3Gzk
Source: https://college-education.procon.org/
As you’re
writing, consider the typical elements of an argumentative essay:
Choose a position on that topic and write a
strong thesis statement.
The thesis statement appears in your
introduction. Your introduction should do the following:
Catch the reader’s attention.
Give some background information on
your topic.
End by letting the reader know
exactly where you stand on your topic.
Develop your supporting points and
evidence.
The body paragraphs of your essay are
where you’ll develop your argument and support it with evidence from your
sources. Make sure your evidence is logical, relevant, and credible.
Address counterclaims and refute them with
evidence.
It’s extremely important to refute any
counterclaims you bring up. If you mention a counterargument without showing
how it’s wrong, it will make your argument weaker.
Write a Conclusion
The last paragraph of your essay will
paraphrase your main claim (thesis statement), briefly summarize your
supporting points, and show the significance of your topic. The conclusion is
the last paragraph of your essay. It shouldn’t introduce new information such
as claims or counterclaims different from those presented in the body
paragraphs. It should make your reader understand why your argument matters.
Use MLA format
List all the sources used to support your
argument.
Remember to write in third-person.
Match the subject and the verb.
Use clear pronouns / antecedent agreement.
Use correct word combinations.
Correct spelling and punctuation.
Sentences should be clear.
Avoid run-on or fragmented sentences.
