Creating an Effective Argument How to win any argument you ever get into with your parents or siblings! Just kidding…

Thesis Statement  No matter what type of writing you do, it has a main topic or idea.  Your thesis statement should summarize the point of view and guide the reader.

What is a Thesis?  A claim (not a fact) that can be supported by reasons  It answers the writing prompt  Usually one sentence  Placed in the beginning of a multi-paragraph essay (usually towards the end of paragraph 1)  Placed at the very beginning of a single paragraph essay  Should be stated outright

Effective Thesis Statements Effective thesis statements often have three parts: 1) subject 2) main idea 3) evidence or support

Example  Raising the legal driving age to 18 would be good for Minnesotans.  WHY is it good for Minnesotans?  HOW does it benefit them?  WHICH Minnesotans benefit from an increased driving age?

Example Ok, so maybe it’s too vague. Let’s try again. Raising the legal driving age to 18 would be good for Minnesotans who drive. Better, but I’m still missing the WHY and HOW.

Example Third time’s a charm. Raising the legal driving age to 18 would be good for Minnesotans who drive because it would decrease the chance of getting into an accident by removing the most accident-prone drivers from the roads.

Example  Now I have all three components:  Subject: raising the legal driving age  Main idea: raising the legal driving age to 18 would be good for Minnesotans  Evidence or support: make driving safer by eliminating high-risk drivers

What a Thesis is NOT  It is NOT an announcement  i.e., I am going to tell you about writing essays.  It is NOT introduced with phrases such as “I feel…” “I think…” or “I believe…”  i.e., I think students in high school should write essays often.  It is NOT a statement of fact  i.e., Students in high school write essays.  It is NOT a question  i.e., What makes a good essay?

The Body  Once you have a SOLID thesis statement, what next?

Do…Don’t…  Use passionate language  Cite textual evidence that supports your opinion  Provide facts, evidence, or support  Give reasons to support your opinion  Address the opposition and REFUTE it with evidence  Use weak language like “I feel…”  Claim to be an expert unless you actually are one  Rely strictly on moral or religious claims  Assume the reader will just agree with you because you say so  Slander anyone, including the opposition

But why do I have to follow these rules?  Eliminate bias from your argument  Give a well-rounded picture of the topic  Increase the level of trust your reader has in you  Preemptively refute the opposition

Ok, but how?  Brainstorm your reasons and decide why your audience would or wouldn’t agree with them  Argue with yourself – ask yourself how someone would argue against your points  Consider your audience and write to them (what will have the greatest effect on them?)  Be sure you have the facts and textual evidence you need to sound authoritative