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NARRATOR: Often in writing assignments,

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you are asked to write an argumentative essay.

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In this video we're going to talk about how to write an argumentative essay.

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First let's talk about what an argumentative essay is.

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An argumentative essay takes a position or an opinion on

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a certain topic and tries to convince

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the reader that their point of view is true or correct.

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The essay will provide evidence and reasons to support their point of view.

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So how do you write an argumentative essay?

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When developing an argument, it is good to remember that there

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are always at least 2 sides to an argument.

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In your essay,

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you will need to present each of these 2 sides or more if there are multiple arguments.

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Then in the introduction paragraph of your essay,

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you will need to introduce the different sides and give

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your opinion about which side you believe has the strongest evidence.

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The introduction paragraph should include a hook,

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some background information,

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and a thesis statement.

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The hook is something that will interest the reader to continue reading your essay.

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The background information would be information about your topic that would be helpful to

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the reader, and the thesis statement will

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state clearly what you plan to write in your essay.

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After the introduction paragraph,

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there should be at least 3 body paragraphs explaining

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the main points that support the thesis statement,

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and you may have more than 3 body paragraphs,

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but you should have at least 3.

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Each body paragraph will give evidence,

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examples, and explanations for each of the points presented in the thesis statement.

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The argumentative essay needs to have evidence to prove your points.

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The final paragraph is the conclusion paragraph.

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The thesis statement is restated, and the writer gives his reasons why he believes

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his opinion is the correct one and

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appeals to the reader to agree with his argument in the essay.

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So your format for an argumentative essay looks something like this.

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The introduction paragraph with a thesis statement,

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the opposing claims about your topic,

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your viewpoint about the topic,

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and then the conclusion that gives your reasons

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for why you believe your viewpoint is correct.

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The object of the argumentative essay is to

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convince those who object to your main argument.

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This is what you need to do in an argumentative essay.

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So try to choose the strongest of the objections and

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show why that objection is flawed or not true.

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The order of the argument can be presented in two ways.

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You can present the side you do not agree

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with, followed by the side you believe is better.

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Or you can present your side first and then present the opposing side next.

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In your final paragraph or paragraphs,

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you will want to discuss why you believe there's

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more evidence for the side you think is stronger or true.

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The argumentative essay is slightly different from the persuasive essay.

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The persuasive essay only presents

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your side or your point of view and gives evidence for that.

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The argumentative essay looks at both of the points

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of view and also gives evidence for both.

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So you need to consider both sides of an argument in an argumentative essay.

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We sometimes call these counterarguments.

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So be sure to present the other side and their reasons for their point of view.

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Now, one good way to write the argumentative essay is to

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predict the consequences of their point of view.

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So this would include your ideas of what would happen if this situation continues.

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Let's look at a possible argumentative essay assignment.

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"Higher education should be free for everyone."

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Present the different arguments about this topic and defend your opinion.

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Now, the first thing you should do is to brainstorm for some ideas

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or do some research to find reasons why

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people believe that higher education should be free.

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Thinking of at least three ideas is a good idea.

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Then you should brainstorm for ideas of the other side of

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the argument about higher education should not be free.

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The structure for your essay may look something like this.

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You decide to first write about the ideas that

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argue that higher education should be free.

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In the next paragraph you would talk about the reasons

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why some believe that higher education should not be free.

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In your conclusion,

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you would write why your point of view is correct.

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So after some research or brainstorming,

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maybe you decide on these ideas for your essay,

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you would develop each of these paragraphs with

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evidence and examples to prove that point of view.

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Now, evidence that you can use in an argumentative essay include expert's opinions,

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factual information, or statistics.

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Be sure to reference any of these facts in your writing by using a citation method,

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either the APA or the MLA.

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Now, all of these types of evidence can add

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credibility to your argument and prove your point.

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So when writing your support paragraph,

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be sure to make your point and then give further details,

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maybe an example or some type of evidence, to back it up.

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Do this for both sides of the argument.

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For example, you need to find a quote or some kind of an example

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from the opposing point of view to show how they see the topic.

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So to review what an argumentative essay is,

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an argumentative essay takes a position on a topic.

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It presents both sides of the argument or multiple sides

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if there are more than 2 sides,

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and then it attempts to convince the reader that the writer's opinion is correct.

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Try using these strategies the next time you need to write

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an argumentative essay. Happy writing. (MUSIC)