Unit 4: Extended Writing Project

An argumentative essay is a form of persuasive writing.

Research is how you find new information or double-check facts or ideas that you don’t know for sure.

A source might be a textbook, a newspaper article, a website, a dictionary, or an authority on a subject.

A primary source is a firsthand account of thoughts or events by the individual who experienced or witnessed them.

A secondary source analyzes and interprets primary sources.

The writer of argument can choose from a number of organizational structures, including compare and contrast, order of importance, problem and solution, cause-effect, and chronological (or sequential) order.

The writer of argument can choose from a number of organizational structures, including compare and contrast, order of importance, problem and solution, cause-effect, and chronological (or sequential) order.

Experienced writers use transition words and phrases in their writing to help readers understand which organizational structure is being used.

Reasons are statements that answer the question “Why?”

Relevant evidence includes facts, statistics, definitions, quotations from experts, observations from eyewitnesses, and examples.

Without solid supporting evidence, the writer would simply be stating his or her opinion about a topic—and that is rarely convincing to readers.

The introduction is the opening paragraph or section of an argumentative essay or other non-fiction text.

The introduction of an argumentative essay identifies the topic to be discussed, states the writer’s claim, and previews the supporting details (reasons and evidence found during research) that will appear in the body of the text.

The introduction of an argumentative essay identifies the topic to be discussed, states the writer’s claim, and previews the supporting details (reasons and evidence found during research) that will appear in the body of the text.

The introduction of an argumentative essay identifies the topic to be discussed, states the writer’s claim, and previews the supporting details (reasons and evidence found during research) that will appear in the body of the text.

The introduction is also the place where most writers include a “hook” that engages readers and helps them connect to the topic.

A conclusion is the closing paragraph or section of an argumentative essay or other type of non-fiction text.

An effective conclusion restates the writer’s claim and briefly summarizes the most convincing and strongest reasons and researched evidence from the body paragraphs.

Some conclusions offer some form of insight relating to the argument.

Analysis/Explanation: After presenting evidence, you should explain how the evidence helps support your topic sentence—and general claim—about the topic.

Analysis is important in an argumentative essay. It is how you make sure that readers understand the connections you are making between the supporting evidence and the claim.

Quotations are an excellent form of evidence, but they need to be integrated into your writing carefully, or they will sound awkward.

Remember, if a full quotation is too long, you can use ellipses (...) to show the parts that you left out...

Paraphrasing involves restating information in your own words.

To avoid plagiarism, be sure to introduce the source of the quotation before you quote it.

The writer neatly integrates the quotation.

Citations are notes that provide information about the source texts.

Whether sources are primary or secondary, they must be credible and reliable.

Whether sources are primary or secondary, they must be credible and reliable.