Elements of a thesis statement

    •    It must be ARGUABLE.
This means it presents an opinion, an argument, or an illustration of a view or experience.  It is not a mere statement of fact.

    •    It must ADDRESS the TOPIC.
While this element seems obvious too, writers often get going and one thought leads to another and another and the topic gets left behind. Re-read the prompt several times to make sure you haven’t gone off topic beyond the parameters of the assignment.

    •    It must be SPECIFIC enough to be covered in the paper.
What is the length of the assignment: two pages? ten pages? The length determines how broad or narrow the scope of your thesis will be. Adjust accordingly.

    •    It must MAKE SENSE.

This is the catch-all element that asks you to re-consider your wording, syntax, diction, and grammar. Make changes as you see fit.

How to format an outline

Complete this form to create your outline for your essay

Tentative title for your essay: ________________________________

I. Introduction/hook
Tell your reader what you’re writing about
Thesis statement: ______________________________________________________________


Your thesis statement should be a complete sentence that provides direction for the essay. Note: The thesis statement need not be the first sentence of your essay, but it should be part of your introductory paragraph.

II. Supporting point 1: _____________________________________________________

Try to express your point in a complete sentence that can serve as a topic sentence for the paragraph.
List specifics and details that you plan to use to develop your point.
A.    _______________________________________________________
B.    _______________________________________________________
C.   _______________________________________________________
D.   _______________________________________________________

III. Supporting point 2: _____________________________________________________

A.    _______________________________________________________
B.    _______________________________________________________
C.   _______________________________________________________
D.   _______________________________________________________

IV. Supporting point 3: _____________________________________________________

A.    _______________________________________________________
B.    _______________________________________________________
C.   _______________________________________________________
D.   _______________________________________________________


(Add more supporting points if necessary.)

Example Rhetorical Essay

Shaheriar Malik

Mr. Tompkins

English 100


2nd November 2016

United We Rise, Together We Fall

The article “Our Gas Guzzlers, Their Lives” is about a country in Africa named Burundi, and how the climate change is affecting it. This article is mainly aimed at the people in well-established countries who have it better off. Nicholas Kristof, the author, wants the readers to be convinced that global warming is real, serious, and not a matter to be ignored. To achieve this goal, he uses the three rhetorical appeals: ethos, logos, and pathos in such a way that the reader is, both, convinced, and sympathizes with the text.

The author starts off with a hook to gain the readers’ attention and intrigue them. He uses strong adjectives and interviews different people to make it even more convincing, and states facts on strong grounds. He also adds a touch of sympathy, or pathos, in the article. He doesn’t only use the three rhetorical appeals, but shapes the sentences, and the entire article in such a way that it’s comfortable to read, and easy to understand.

Kristof arranges the words, and uses them in a way that makes the reader feel bad about the situation. This is where he brings in ‘pathos’. He tells us that Burundi is the poorest country in the world with an annual average income of $100 per individual. It is also stated that one of every five children die before the age of five, and that the average life expectancy is 45 years. Not only does he state facts but also quotes other people, like scientists, officials, locals. He even tells us his own opinion about it, and says that global warming affects the whole world, not only a part of it. “Against that grim backdrop, changing weather patterns in recent years have already caused crop failures – and when crops fail here, people starve [P4 GGTL]” he says. The last sentence of the last paragraph states “The cost of our environmental irresponsibility will be measured in thousands of children dying of hunger, malaria and war” which is the author’s own opinion but it also plays a part in pathos.

The author also uses facts and figures, or ‘logos’ in his article. Kristof says that Lake Tanganyika’s shoreline has retreated 50 feet in the last four years, and ships can no longer reach the port, and Lake Victoria is losing half an inch of water every day. The reason these facts are believable is because he quotes credible people like scientists, and people who live or work there. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, he states facts like the average life expectancy, the average income of an individual, etc.

The answer to the question “Why should I believe this?” is that he actually went there and shares his own experience. And not only that, he quotes credible people: scientists, officials including the president of Uganda, locals, etc. Some of these people live there and go through the harsh conditions every day. The author interviewed them and shares their opinions in his article. All of this comes under ‘ethos’. He quotes Mr. Ehrhart, “It’s at the least disastrous and quite possibly catastrophic. Life was difficult, but with climate change it turns deadly. That’s what hits the alarm bells for an organization like Care,” he added. “How can we ever achieve our mission in this situation?”

The article would’ve been dull and boring if not played around with. The author doesn’t leave the facts and quotes left separately, but mixes the three appeals. He brings in sympathy to logos and ethos, and gives his own opinion about the situation. All by shaping the sentences to make the reader feel bad, and agree with him. The facts like the shrinking of lakes, average income, life expectancy, death rate sound very sad because of how they are expressed, and how they are arranged. The author also mixes ethos and pathos by quoting others sharing their opinions about the climate change, and positioning them in a way that it looks convincing. All three rhetorical appeals are also mixed together when he quotes the panel “Projected reductions in yield in some countries could be as much as 50 percent by 2020, and crop net revenues could fall as much as 90 percent”, where there are facts in a quote which bring in sympathy.

The whole article is perfectly organized and arranged as it makes the reader agree to his argument and feel bad about it. The reader might share this article with others, so they can try and make a difference. The author slipped in his opinions in some parts, quoted credible people, stated facts to support his argument, and brought emotions in this article and did a very good job at it. Although there is a quote from a fisherman that says that even the hippos are unhappy, which brings in a bit of humor and makes the reader not take the matter seriously. Other than that, it was all well rounded.

Words Cited (this would be on a separate page)

Kristof, Nicholas. “Our Gas Guzzlers, Their Lives.” The New York Times, 28 June 2007

Argumentative essays

Breaking down an argumentative essay

This is a clear, to the point powerpoint of how to write - and how to break down - an argumentative essay.

Evaluating Arguments

Toulmin’s Model of Arguments

Stephen Toulmin, a 20^th century British philosopher, developed a model for evaluating arguments. This is a simplified version of his model.

The three major elements of Toulmin’s argument model are:

Claim – the statement, position, or idea that the author wants the reader to accept.

            Example: The sales and operation of most SUVs should be banned.

Your claim should be a complete sentence that expresses an arguable (not a factual) statement.

Reason – the reasoning or logical connection between the evidence and the claim. The reason explains why, according to the argument, the claim is true.

            Example: SUVs contribute to global warming.

Remember: Your reason should be an idea, not a specific piece of evidence. You can think of the reason as a generalization of the evidence.

Evidence / data – the facts, examples, authoritative opinions, statistics, etc. that the author presents to support the claim

            Example: Studies show that SUVs emit significant levels of greenhouse gases.

Test your claim, reason, and evidence by inserting them in the following questions and answers.

1. What is the author’s argument?

Answer: Claim because Reason.     

Answer: The sales and operation of most SUVs should be banned because SUVs contribute to global warming.

Your claim should specifically and precisely express the author’s main argument, and your reason should make sense as a “because” clause to your claim.

2. How do we know?

Answer: Evidence

Answer: Studies show that SUVs emit significant levels of greenhouse gases.

Your evidence should make sense as the answer to the question, “How do we know?”

Aristotle’s categories for basic appeals in arguments:

Emotional appeals (also known as pathos) play to the reader’s feelings and values.

            Example: In an argument for health care reform, the writer presents a story about one family suffering under the current system that evokes the reader’s sympathy and sense of fairness.

Ethical appeals (also known as ethos) seek to establish the credibility of the writer as trustworthy.

            Example: The writer cites a source that the reader trusts; the writer gives the reader a sense that complete facts are being presented and/or all sides of an issue are being treated fairly.

Logical appeals (also known as logos) use reasoning and logic to make their points.

            Example: The writer makes strong logical connections between steps of her argument, such as clearly explaining how a cause produces a particular effect. The writer supports her claim with convincing factual evidence.

Essay 1 – Rhetorical Analysis

“To analyze an argument rhetorically means to examine closely how it is composed and what makes it an effective or ineffective piece of persuasion. A rhetorical analysis identifies the text under scrutiny, summarizes its main ideas, presents some key points about the text’s rhetorical strategies for persuading its audience, and elaborates on these points.”                              -- Ramage, Bean, and Johnson in Writing Arguments

]

Write a rhetorical analysis essay of 4-5 pages on one of the articles listed below from The New York Times (search nytimes.com or use links on course site):

·         “Instead of Jail, Court Fines Cut to Fit the Wallet” by Tina Rosenberg

·   

·         “Gender Based Toy Marketing Returns” by Elizabeth Sweet

·          

Your essay should explain the argument presented in the article and evaluate its effectiveness in persuading its audience of its central claim and reasons. Your essay should identify at the outset the audience at which the piece is aimed, its argumentative purpose, and its central argument.  Once you have identified these concerns, evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness of the given text.  A rhetorical analysis examines 1) the writer’s use of the three rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos); 2) the arrangement and style of the piece; 3) the context (kairos) of the piece

To earn a passing grade, your essay should include:

1.      A title!

2. An introduction that identifies your article and sets up your argument about the article.
3. A thesis that evaluates the effectiveness of the article based on the author’s use of rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, logos), style, and context.
4. Effectively organized paragraphs with strong topic sentences and transitions.
5. Examples from the article (summaries and paraphrases in your own words and sentence structure, as well as some brief, correctly integrated direct quotations).

6.      A conclusion that provides closure to the essay and considers the implications of the argument.

7.      Consistent, correct use of MLA style, including

1. Proper MLA in-text citations for all paraphrases and direct quotations from the article (see pp. 384-7) and
2. A Works Cited page in correct MLA format (which does NOT count towards your page minimum) since you will be quoting from your article (see pp. 387-96). Your only source will be your article. No other research is allowed.

8.      Adherence to the conventions of standard written English.

Prewriting:

1. Choose an article and read it over carefully a few times.
2. Freewrite about your response to the argument made in the article.  What is the argument? Did the author convince you of the argument? Why or why not?  Be specific.
3. Freewrite or brainstorm responses to each of the following questions:

a.       How does the author present her- or himself as credible (ethos)?  Does this strategy work? Why or why not?

b.      Does the author use any emotional appeals (pathos)?  Are such appeals effective?  Why or why not?

c.       Does the author use sound reasoning (logos) to present the argument?  Be specific.

d.      Is the style and organization of the text effective? Why or why not?

e.       What does the author do to frame the context (kairos) of the piece?  Could more have been done? How so?

4.      List 4 quotes you might use in your essay, and explain how each one relates to your assessment of the author’s use of ethos, pathos, logos, or kairos.

5.      Write a possible thesis for your essay.

Reading presentation: Non-fiction

Sign-up and make a note of the article titles and presentation dates that you sign up for below.

You will be presenting your analysis in class along with two to five of your classmates. The class will be counting on you to be on top of the article you are covering, so please be prepared!

To receive credit, you must participate in the presentation of your analysis. You will be graded primarily on your written analysis (breakdown of scoring below), but outstanding presentations will be rewarded.

Read the article that you will be analyzing carefully. If possible, read it twice. On your first reading, just try to identify the main idea(s) and get a feel for the writer’s approach and the flow of the piece. On your second reading, go over the text more carefully; notice how the writer constructs his or her argument. You will probably want to mark up your text and/or take notes.

To prepare your written analysis:

Identify the author’s name and the title of the article. Answer the following questions. Put your answers in outline form (see sample analysis on the reverse side of this sheet).

1.     What is the central claim (or thesis) of the selection? Your answer should be a complete sentence in your own words (not a quote!). Be as specific as possible, but remember that your claim should cover the whole article. 

2.     Is the central claim expressed explicitly or implicitly? The claim is explicit if the writer spells out what it is. The claim is implicit if the writer only implies the claim but does not state it outright. 

3.     What reasons link the evidence to the claim? In other words, why does the evidence support the claim? Reasons may be presented explicitly or implied. 

4.     What evidence does the writer present to support his or her claim? Specify and categorize the evidence (e.g. examples, personal experiences, analogy, authoritative opinion, facts, statistical data, cause-effect reasoning, results of scientific experiments, comparison, interviews, etc. – see sample on back). 

5.     Comment briefly on the persuasiveness of the article by answering one or more of the following questions.  

·       Is the argument convincing? Does it rely on emotional, ethical, and/or logical appeals?

·       How do the style, organization, and/or tone contribute or detract from the persuasiveness of the argument?

·       What is your personal reaction to the article?

6.     Write a discussion question to ask the class about the article. The best questions will stimulate interesting discussion about the issues raised in the article. You may also ask questions that “test” your classmates’ recall and understanding of the article. 

7. While you read, you will come across words you do not know. Choose two words and look up their dictionary definitions, and the context in which they are used in the article or essay you read. Report them to the class along with the rest of your report.