Throughout the semester, we have discussed many ideas from different perspectives. The narrative essay was your opportunity to tell your own story. It was a personal story and the point-of-view was distinctly yours. In the reflective essay, you moved from the personal point of view to a wider perspective. It was not a story so much as a thought piece, reflecting on the larger implications of a particular issue. Now we are focusing on argument. You have been exploring topics and have posed a research question. Your essay is an extended answer to that question; it must be an opinion–not a fact. That is, you have to work to get your reader to agree with your argument. While there are many ways to structure an argument, as you have seen through the many that we read in class, there are certain identifiable pieces that your argument should have. I draw this list from the Toulmin Method:
1. A clearly identifiable CLAIM or THESIS
This is your statement of opinion that you will explore in your essay.
2. Well-articulated REASONS for your claim.
These could be presented in separate paragraphs, which will include the next point, supporting evidence.
3. Supporting EVIDENCE for each reason.
Evidence can come in many forms: Facts (statistics, historical documents), personal experience (anecdotes, stories), judgements (these are the opinions of those whose ethos holds weight like the Surgeon General, Supreme Court Justice, Religious Leader, etc.), surveys, interviews, peer-reviewed or clinical studies, and the list goes on.
4. Acknowledge any ASSUMPTIONS that you might have or that others might accuse you of having that you need to address.
“An assumption is an unexamined belief: what we think without realizing we think it. Our inferences (also called conclusions) are often based on assumptions that we haven ‘t thought about critically. A critical thinker, however, is attentive to these assumptions because they are sometimes incorrect or misguided. ”
5. Be sure to anticipate any REFUTATIONS that should be articulated (anticipate what your opposition will say).
Refutation is the part of an argument in which a speaker or writer counters opposing points of view.