Write an argument essay over post-secondary education. Is it worth it? In this position essay, you may take any position you want towards college education. Since you are in college, you will probably not be completely opposed to it, but your position may vary. Your position may be nuanced, i.e, you can argue in support of college education, but maintain that it is not for everyone or offer alternatives.
In other words, don’t hesitate to make your thesis statement a detailed and complex sentence.
NOTE If the topic seems too mundane and boring to you, choose another one in the area of education. If you are not sure whether it will work, shoot me an email. But remember, the topic has to be controversial (an issue). There should be at least two different positions on it.
PARTS OF YOUR ARGUMENT
Introduction: Your introduction should ultimately pose the question: So what? Why is college education even an issue, why is it controversial? The introduction should offer all the necessary background information (obviously, in a compressed form) your readers need to follow your argument in the body of the paper.
The beginning of your essay can start with a quote, a personal story, a dialogue, or just a general statement. The introduction can be creative, but—most important—it should provide all the necessary information and—preferably—engage your readers.
Note Should you start crafting an intro first as you work on your first free-writing draft? I would not. Write some preliminary version, but then go back to it when you have the body of the paper more or less complete and coherent. We do not start making a frame for the picture before the picture is ready.
Thesis statement Make sure you have one. In a direct-structure (thesis first-evidence–second) essay, the thesis statement should be inserted at the end of the introduction. Important Make sure your thesis statement consists of two parts: the claim + your reasoning (College is a good money investment for the future because X (reason one), Y (reason two), and Z (reason three).
Note 1 In this assignment, you do NOT need to do any database research for your secondary sources. All your sources can be taken from the text- book; they are the essays on college education you have already looked through or read last week, so they should be familiar.
However, if you want to branch out, feel free to use outside sources as long as they are reliable. While we have not yet talked about database search, most of you have done it before.
Note 2 Pay attention to the way you incorporate your evidence in the story. Consult Chapter 9 on the ways to bring in secondary sources into your argument through summary, paraphrasing and direct quoting. Don’t forget to use tag/signal phrases such as “According to XXX” “Such and such states that.”
Note 3 Introducing your sources by their title, profession, institutional affiliation adds credibility to your argument
POSITION ESSAY STRUCTURE
In this assignment, your will present your side of a controversial with detailed researched support, then will bring in the position of your opponent and refute it.
There are several possible structures that the writer may use depending upon the expected audience reaction to the position the writer is taking.
However, in this paper, you are asked to stick with the direct structure (In Assignment 2, I will give you more freedom with the choice of structure).
Direct Argument Structure
Introduction of Issue as a Controversy, Statement of Claim, and Preview of Reasons in Support of Claim
First reason in support of the writer’s claim with evidence
Second reason in support of the writer’s claim with evidence
Third reason in support of the writer’s claim with evidence
Presentation of the opposing side’s claim and preview of reasons in support of opposing side
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