ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS COUNTERARGUMENT WHATS THE POINT Stronger argument

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS

COUNTER-ARGUMENT: WHAT’S THE POINT? • Stronger argument • Consider both sides

FINDING THE COUNTER-ARGUMENT Side one Side two

WAYS TO BEGIN COUNTER CLAIMS • Many people believe that ________. • It is often thought that ________. • It might seem as if ________. • While it’s common that ________, …

WAYS TO TRANSITION FROM COUNTER CLAIM TO YOUR OPINION • What this argument fails to consider is _______. • This view sounds convincing at first, but _______. • Although the core claim is valid, it suffers from the flaw in its _______.

PROMPT Write an essay arguing whether attending college is worth the expense.

INTRODUCTION • Hook • Introduce topic • State differing points of view • Your thesis (take a side)

INTRODUCTION EXAMPLE Besides buying a house, paying for college is the most expensive purchase that a person can make. In discussions of the value of a college education, one controversial issue is whether the degree earned is worth the debt that is typically incurred. There are those who are convinced that all that is learned at a 4 -year college can be obtained independently through personal study. What this argument fails to consider is that a college education is worth the expense because there are lessons learned in college that can’t be learned on one’s own and the education gained through

COUNTER-ARGUMENT IN BODY • Topic sentence • Counter-argument • Your argument • Support • Connection to thesis

BODY PARAGRAPH EXAMPLE Of course education does not always rely on experiences but dwells within the knowledge transferred from professor to student. There are those that believe a person is able to selfeducate through diligent reading. On the contrary, the learning that is gained in college is unlike that which one receives alone. For instance, as seen in Good Will Hunting, through lessons from the professor that he works with, Matt Damon’s character soon realizes that there is more to education than just reading. He is infinitely proud of the wisdom he has attained alone but eventually sees that there are those that he can still learn from, showing that interaction with those in higher education is

LET’S PRACTICE! • Write an introduction & one body paragraph for the following prompt. • Include in your intro: • A hook • The counterargument • Your thesis • Include in your paragraph: • Topic sentence • Counter-argument • Your argument • Support • Connection to thesis Write an essay convincing the reader that it is important to have tolerance for others in the 21 st