Argumentative Essay

Big Idea

Rhetorical techniques help students become skillful practitioners of written language. 

Essential Question

How can writers construct persuasive arguments?

ARGUMENTATION ESSAYS

Guiding Question

How does a writer best support/defend a debatable opinion?

ar·gu·men·ta·tion

/ˌärɡyəmənˈtāSH(ə)n/

noun

• • • • 1. the action or process of reasoning systematically in support of an idea, action, or theory.

The function of an argumentative essay is to show that your assertion (opinion, theory, hypothesis) about some phenomenon or phenomena is correct or more truthful than others'. The art of argumentation is not an easy skill to acquire. Many people might think that if one simply has an opinion, one can argue it successfully, and these folks are always surprised when others don't agree with them because their logic seems so correct. Argumentative writing is the act of forming reasons, making inductions, drawing conclusions, and applying them to the case in discussion; the operation of inferring propositions, not known or admitted as true, from facts or principles known, admitted, or proved to be true. It clearly explains the process of your reasoning from the known or assumed to the unknown. Without doing this you do not have an argument, you have only an assertion, an essay that is just your unsubstantiated opinion.

Use these resources when writing your essay:

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

See Canvas for Scoring Guide

Here is a great video on argument fallacies to watch out for (and avoid)!