1. The Six-Paragraph Argumentative Essay
An Introduction

2. Order of Paragraphs 1. Introduction 2. Body Paragraph One
3. Body Paragraph Two
4. Body Paragraph Three
5. Counterargument/Rebuttal Paragraph
6. Conclusion

3. Function of Paragraphs
1. Intro: Hook reader, provide background, include brief reference to counterargument, state thesis with 3-part roadmap.
2. Body Paragraph One: First point on roadmap
3. Body Paragraph Two: Second point
4. Body Paragraph Three: Third point
5. Counterargument/Rebuttal: Main criticism of your argument and your answer to that criticism
6. Conclusion: So what? Return to theme in intro, brief summary of main points, go beyond your thesis

4. Write a Working Thesis First
What point do you want to make, and what are three reasons or examples that help you prove your point?
Example: If faced with limited options to procure meat for my family, I would, in the future, resort to test-tube meat produced in a factory because it reduces the harms of factory farming, it is healthier than other meat, and it is technology worth supporting.

5. You Can Break the Thesis into 2 Parts
Example:
If faced with limited options to procure meat for my family, I would resort to test-tube meat produced in a factory. First, in-vitro meat reduces harms caused by factory farming; second, it is healthier than other meat; and finally, the technology is worth supporting.
Tip: Put your weakest point or reason in the middle.

6. After You Devise a Working Thesis, Write 3 Body Paragraphs
Body Paragraphs: For each main point, write a clear topic sentence that specifically delivers your main idea. Then provide solid support for your point:
Use examples and illustrations
Cite data (facts, statistics, evidence, details, and others)
Examine testimony (what other people say such as quotes and paraphrases)
Use an anecdote or story
Define terms in the paragraph
Compare and contrast
Evaluate causes and reasons
Examine effects and consequences
Analyze the topic
Describe the topic
Offer a chronology of an event (time segments)
OWL at Purdue (

7. Within Each Body Paragraph
Begin with a sentence that bridges ideas in the last paragraph and ideas in this one
Order the sentences in a way the reader can follow
Stay on topic
Use transitional words and elements to help link ideas
Conclude with a sentence that synthesizes or summarizes the main point
Put the paragraphs in the order they were listed in the blueprint sentence

8. Next Write the Counterargument and Rebuttal
1. Give fair expression to the main opposition or criticism of your argument. State it as fully and fairly as you can, given length restraints. This is a good place to cite research. Being fair to opposing voices enhances your credibility and strengthens your argument.
2. Concede something; throw the opposition a bone.
3. Rebut: Although you concede that the criticism holds some merit, you still win the argument. Say why you are right; what is the opposition missing?

9. Then Write the Intro Basic parts of the introduction paragraph:
1. Lead or hook
2. Background (just enough to get the reader from his or world into the topic)
3. Brief allusion to counterargument
4. Thesis statement with 3-part roadmap

10. Intro Sample
The idea of meat from a Petri dish need not activate one’s gag reflex, nor should it push us into the woods as predators of deer and other hapless wild creatures. The possible industrialization of test-tube meat holds promise because of the many benefits this technology provides. Some may call this meat Frankenfood and reject it as arrogant over-reaching by humans, but in-vitro meat production is just another use of science and technology that aims to solve some of our worst environmental and social problems. If faced with limited options to procure meat for my family, I would resort to test-tube meat produced in a factory. First, in-vitro meat reduces harms caused by factory farming; second, it is healthier than other meat; and finally, the technology is worth supporting.

11. Finally, the Conclusion: The Most Challenging Section
Strategies:
Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. Refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
Synthesize, don’t summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
(UNC Writing Center)

12. Conclusion: More Strategies
Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.
Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.
(UNC Writing Center)

13. Other Tips
Consider your purpose and audience. Keep them both in mind as you revise.
Seek feedback and use what you can.
Read your paper aloud.
Ruthlessly cut whatever doesn’t support your thesis.
Give yourself time to write and time away from writing.
Do not plagiarize. Ask your instructor for help.
Reward yourself: Writing is one of the most cognitively challenging activities on the planet.

14. License
CC-BY
Lorna Nelson
CVCC