Argumentative essay

OUTLINE

Follow the outline below to make your outline. You may use complete sentences only for thesis, topic sentences and items you wish to quote. You must use short one or two word phrases for other items in the outline. You may include information necessary to cite supporting evidence in your outline, such as author, page numbers and year of publication (APA) or author and page number (MLA).

Research Question: <<What is your research question?>>

Introduction
Attention Grabber (one or two sentences – thought provoking question, or anecdote, statistic or fact designed to get reader’s attention) use short phrase to state your attention grabber in the outline
Explanation of issue (this will be two to three sentences that give reader the knowledge necessary to understand this issue – what is this thing about?) Use short phrases for explanation points
Thesis or claim (one sentence statement of your claim – review claim types in chapter 10. What kind of argument are you making? You may use a complete sentence in your outline for the claim)

Reason 1 -Position paragraph: Reason 1 in a sentence
Give your supporting reasons (remember reasons start with ‘because’ or other linking words).
Reason 1 idea
<<A1e: What evidence supports this the first reason? >>
Notes/evidence from articles go here with (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Your evidence from the articles can be quoted (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Your evidence from the articles can be paraphrased (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Use author tags and introduce your evidence.
The more articles you pull evidence from the stronger your argument is.
Explain each evidence detail. How does it help to prove your point in your topic sentence.
Closing sentence
Reason 2- Position paragraph: <<R2: What is your topic sentence?>>
Reason 2 idea
<<A1e: What evidence supports this the first reason? >>
Your evidence from the articles can be quoted (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Your evidence from the articles can be paraphrased (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Use author tags and introduce your evidence.
The more articles you pull evidence from the stronger your argument is.
Explain each evidence detail. How does it help to prove your point in your topic sentence.
Closing sentence
Reason 3- Position paragraph: <<R3: What is your topic sentence?>>
Reason 3 idea
<<A1e: What evidence supports this the first reason? >>
Your evidence from the articles can be quoted (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Your evidence from the articles can be paraphrased (citation) (year) (pg. #)
Use author tags and introduce your evidence.
The more articles you pull evidence from the stronger your argument is.
Explain each evidence detail. How does it help to prove your point in your topic sentence.
Closing sentence

Opposition Paragraph:
Give a summary of the opposing viewpoint. If you are disagreeing with the article that you chose, then you may give a short summary of the article here and the author’s reasons and evidence.
<<O: What is the opposition topic sentence?>>
Opposition idea
<<O1e: What evidence supports this opposition A?>>
<<O2: What is the second supporting reason for the opposition?>>
<<O2e: What evidence supports this opposition B?>>
<<O3: What is the third supporting reason for the opposition?>>
<<O3e: What evidence supports this opposition B?>>

Refutation/concession Paragraph: Your response to the opposing views
How do you counter the opposing viewpoint? It is a good strategy to say that the opposing viewpoint makes sense or has some good points, but you will show why it’s wrong here.
<<R/C: What is your refutation topic sentence?>>
<<R/C 1: Why is the first supporting reason from body paragraph 5 wrong?>>
<<R/C 1e: What evidence or thinking refutes reason A?>>
<<R/C 2: Why is the second supporting reason from body paragraph 5 wrong?>>
<<R/C 2e: What evidence or thinking refutes reason B?>>
<<R/C 3: Why is the second supporting reason from body paragraph 5 wrong?>>
<<R/C 3e: What evidence or thinking refutes reason B?>>

Conclusion
1-2 summary your argument from above.
Leave a strong last impression: use an anecdote, popular quotation, or a prediction for the future.
Call to action – ask your audience to do something or suggest something be done about this topic.