Argumentative Essay
Types:
You will be asked to do one of the following:
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Strategies to write an argument:
1. Read the passage to locate the author's major claim. 2. Reread the prompt for any hints toward the author's claim or background or the situation. 3. Brainstorm a list of examples from history, literature, and your personal life. Decide whether or not you agree with the author's major claim. Choose the best example(s) to support your side. 4. Choose your best rhetorical strategy and begin your essay. Remember that you only read an excerpt. 5. Reread the PROMPT (above the passage) to verify you responded as directed. |
The AP Persuasive Essay
Persuasive Essay Practice
The AP English Language & Composition persuasive
essay question can ask you to do any of the following:
1)
Defend, challenge, or qualify a quotation about, or
particular take on, a specific topic
2)
Evaluate the pros and cons of an argument and then
indicate why you find one position more persuasive than another
3)
Take a position of whatever debatable statement is
provided in the prompt
Unlike the other two essays you will be asked to
write, this essay does not provide any text other than the prompt. Instead,
your thesis is supported by your own reading, observations, and experiences. In
other words, this essay’s only support is you;
what you “know” is the textual support. This essay can be difficult, as the
question, regardless of what it is, presupposes that you have knowledge about
the topic under discussion. The more you’ve learned about the world around you,
and the more opinions you have formulated about it, the better.
If you choose to defend
what the text argues, you will give reasons that support the argument given. If
you choose to challenge what the text
argues, your reasoning will contradict the argument. If you choose to qualify what the text argues, you will
agree with parts of the statement and disagree with others. Or, you might agree
with the statement, but only under certain circumstances.
The “pros and cons” essay is similar to the “qualify”
essay in that you must give reasons both supporting and contradicting the
statement. You must then evaluate why one side is more convincing. The
“position” essay requires that you establish a specific position in response to
the statement in your thesis and support it.
As always, the thesis for these essay prompts must be
specific and focused. Avoid merely restating what the prompt states. Instead,
make the prompt your own by articulating a specific argument.
What Does the Argumentative Essay Require of Me?
Basically, you need to do three things:- understand the nature of the position taken in the prompt;
- take a specifi c stand—argue, qualify, or disagree—with the assertion in the prompt; and
- clearly and logically support your claim.
What Does It Mean to Agree, Disagree, or Qualify?
An argumentative essay on the AP English Language and Composition exam will present you with an excerpt or a statement. Once you understand what the passage is saying, you have to ask yourself: Do I think about this subject in the same way as the writer/speaker? (Agree) Do I think the writer/speaker is totally wrong? (Disagree) Do I think some of what is said is correct and some incorrect? (Qualify) Regardless of the synonyms used, these are the three choices you will have.Timing and Planning the Essay
How Should I Approach the Writing of My Argumentative Essay?
Before beginning to actually write the essay, you need to do some quick planning. You could brainstorm a list of ideas, construct a chart, or create an outline. Whatever it is, you MUST find a way to allow yourself to think through the issue and your position.Once I've Chosen My Position on the Given Issue, How Do I Go About Supporting It?
Remember that you've been taught how to write an argument throughout your school years, and you've even studied it in detail in your AP Comp course this year. Here is a brief overview of the kinds of support/evidence you could include to bolster your argument:
- — facts/statistics
- — details
- — quotations
- — dialog
- — needed definitions
- — recognition of the opposition
- — examples
- — anecdotes
- — contrast and comparison
- — cause and effect
- — appeal to authority
Does It Matter What Tone I Take in My Argumentative Essay?
The College Board and the AP Comp readers are open to a wide range of approaches. You can choose to be informal and personal, formal and objective, or even humorous and irreverent, and anything in between. Just be certain that your choice is appropriate for your purpose.Will I Be Penalized for Taking an Unpopular, Unexpected, Irreverent, or Bizarre Position on the Given Issue?
As long as you are addressing the prompt and appropriately supporting your position, there is no danger of your losing points on your essay, because you've decided to take a different approach. Your essay is graded for process and mastery and manipulation of language, not for how close you come to the viewpoint of your reader.How Should I Plan to Spend My Time Writing the Argumentative Essay?
Learning to budget your time is a skill that can be most helpful in writing the successful essay. The following is a sample timeline for you to consider:- 1–3 minutes reading and working the prompt
- 3 minutes deciding on a position
- 10–12 minutes planning the support of your position
- 20 minutes writing the essay
- 3 minutes proofreading
Wallace Stegner
Born: February 18, 1909, Lake Mills
Education: University of Utah, Iowa Writers' Workshop, University of Iowa
Awards: Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, National Book Award for Fiction, Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
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Books
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