Major Writing #3: Argument Essay
Due: A draft is due in class for peer review on Tuesday, April 30th . The final version is due by Sunday, May 5th. Late essays will not be accepted.
Minimum Length Requirement : 850 words minimum (not including the Works Cited)
Value: 150 points
Task:
Choose a topic from the list below and write a persuasive essay that proceeds from an arguable claim/thesis. You may narrow your topic if desired. Your purpose is to convince your reader to agree with you on the issue or to act in a way that you think is right—or at least to hear you out, even if they disagree with you.
Topic:
Convince someone the importance of mental health
Guidelines
Your essay should build from a strong claim/thesis. Read about claims on p. 473. Read about organization on p. 476. The thesis statement should appear at the end of your introduction. It should directly state your position on the topic and give your main reasons for that position.
Support (a.k.a. Supporting arguments, reasons) for the argument laid out in the thesis statement should include a blend of facts, statistics, examples, expert testimony, and personal experience (if applicable). Read about finding effective evidence on p. 474-475.
Support should be clearly
Subheadings are optional.
Remember that a convincing argument blends all 3 types of appeals (to reason, to emotion, to ethics). Read about these different types of appeals in the sweatshop argument example 470-72.
At least once in your essay, you must anticipate and respond to other arguments (a.k.a. counterarguments) Read about how to state an opposing argument fairly and accurately and then to refute it on p.481-82,
As you are writing, remember to keep your audience in mind and to tailor your argument to their particular needs and interests. Read about audience on p.473-74.
Your argument will be more convincing if it is clearly written and relatively free of grammatical errors.
Outside Sources/ MLA-Style In-Text Citation / MLA-Style Works Cited Page:
Source requirements: a minimum of total 4 sources
Three from UNM-G library databases, at least one of those sources must be a scholarly, peer reviewed journal article.
One more source from any location that you deem suitable for college-level research (from any location)
More than four sources may be used, if you like
Everything taken from a source needs a correctly formatted in-text citation (signal phrase and parenthetical citation).
Always put source material in context. For example, if you mention the results of a study, you need to tell the reader when and where the study was conducted, who conducted the study, and who was being studied. As a general rule, a sentence of your own should come before and/or after the source material to explain or connect the paraphrase or direct quote to the rest of your essay.
For in-text citations, use a proper signal phrase and correct parenthetical citation for all quotations and paraphrases. You must quote or paraphrase each of your outside sources at least once in the paper.
Attach an MLA-Style Works Cited page to your paper. All entries must be properly formatted.
