Lahore University of Management Sciences

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

Spring Semester 2018

SS 100 – Essay 1

Please select one of the prompts and write a 1,500 word argumentative essay. Students in the
Writing and Communication class (and the Instructor) make up the audience for this essay. The
essay is due on March 14th (Session 16). You are required to frame either a Claim of Value or a
Claim of Policy. A claim of value contends that something is either good or bad, right or wrong,
beautiful or ugly, better or worse than something, while a claim of policy urges that some policy
be implemented or some action be taken on a particular issue. A claim of policy is oriented
towards the future. Please be mindful of the fact that we are operating in the realm of probability
and not certainty.

Please bring a hard copy of your essay to class and upload a soft copy on LMS. Furnish a word
count, ensure that the essay is stapled, and bears your name and roll number. Ensure that the
work that you submit is your own and that you formally acknowledge all substantive borrowings
(words, phrases, sentences, ideas). Please be forewarned that all instances of plagiarism will be
dealt with according to university policy and regulations. Adhere strictly to the MLA format and
ensure that you use Times New Roman 12 point font. The essay should be double spaced and
have one inch margins all around. Proofread the paper carefully before submitting it to your
Instructor.

The essay should consist of six paragraphs, including a detailed introductory paragraph and a
conclusion. The introductory paragraph should follow a ‘inverted pyramid’ format, beginning
with a broad statement, and culminating in a focused thesis sentence or claim. In the
introductory paragraph, you are required to furnish sufficient background information to enable
the reader to understand the context. The introductory paragraph also establishes what some
theorists of argumentation label ‘exigence’ – why this particular issue is being addressed here
and now. The thesis sentence should be suitably qualified, include a ‘because’ clause containing
the three principal sub-arguments, and emerge organically from within the introduction.
Paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 of the essay should be devoted to the three sub-arguments and each sub-
argument should be treated like a mini-thesis. Your principal task is to defend your thesis and
your sub-arguments. Claims should be buttressed using evidence and reasons. Effective
transitional sentences should link paragraphs. The paragraphs should be well-developed, unified,
and coherent. Paragraph 5 of your essay should be devoted to your counter-argument. Scrutinize
your essay critically, anticipate the most strenuous objection that is likely to be raised against
your thesis, and attempt to refute it. Conclude the essay by briefly recapitulating what has gone
before, by considering its implications, and by gesturing towards future work that may be done
in the area.
Topics
1. CPEC
2. Iraqi Kurds and their quest for independence
3. Catalonia’s quest for independence
4. The Fourth Amendment and gun rights
5. The Paris Agreement on climate change
6. US relations with North Korea

Prompts
7. The constitution of Pakistan should be amended to provide for the creation of new
provinces.
Reflect on this claim of policy before deciding to defend or attack it.

8. Think carefully about the issue presented in the following quotation and either support or
refute the main idea.
Participating in the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement is the most well-considered
and productive strategy for holding Israel accountable for its violations of international
law.

9. The primary mission of colleges and universities should be preparing students for the
workforce. Do you agree with this idea? Justify what you think people want more than
anything else. Justify (give persuasive argument for your point of view)

10. Think carefully about the issue presented in the quotation & either support or refute the
main idea.
History measures human progress in technological development but not in terms of our
collective morality. Our contemporary civilization is no more moral than those that came
before.

11. There are two things people want more than …money…recognition and praise.-- Mary
Kay Ash
Do you agree with this idea? Justify what you think people want more than anything else.
Justify (give persuasive argument for your point of view).

12. Climate change is a terrible problem, and it absolutely needs to be solved. It deserves to
be a huge priority. – Bill Gates

13. Think carefully about the issue presented in the quotation and either support or refute the
main idea. 
 Both the music industry and the consumers benefit from the free availability of music on
the internet. The criminalization of music piracy is therefore misguided.

14. The introduction of new digital technologies has radically altered people's reading habits
over the past 25 years. In light of this change, explain why students should or should not
be required to read lengthy textbooks and novels in their classes.

15. Some educators favor replacing the letter-grade method of evaluating student
performance with a pass-fail grading system. Explain why you support or oppose such a
change, drawing on examples from your own experience in school or college.

16. The rise of “celebrity politicians” like Imran Khan and Barack Obama indicates the
triumph of style over substance in our media-saturated age.      

17. To reduce unemployment among young people, legislation has been introduced to repeal
all minimum-wage laws. Explain why you support or oppose such legislation.

18. Take a position of the following claim of value:

Art should always have a social or moral purpose.

19. All citizens should be required by law to vote.

20. The Russian annexation of Crimea is justified. Do you agree or disagree with this
statement?