10

English
Quarter 1 - Module 2
Features and Parts of an Argumentative Essay

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 Table of Contents
Page
What This Module is About........................................................................................................... i
What I Need to Know..................................................................................................................... ii
How to Learn from this Module.................................................................................................... ii
Icons of this Module...................................................................................................................... iii

What I Know.................................................................................................................................. iii

Lesson 1:
Features of an Argumentative Essay............................................................................1
What I Need to Know..................................................................................1
What I Know..…………………………………………………………………… 1
What’s New .............................................................................................1
What Is It....................................................................................................3
What’s More ..............................................................................................3
What I Have Learned..................................................................................4
What I Can Do............................................................................................4
Assessment……………………………………………………………………… 4
Additional Activities…………………………………………………………….. 5
Lesson 2:
Parts of an Argumentative Essay.............................................................................6
What I Need to Know..................................................................................6
What I Know..……………………………………………………………………. 6
What’s In…………………………………………………………………………. 6
What’s New .............................................................................................6
What Is It....................................................................................................8
What’s More ..............................................................................................8
What I Have Learned..................................................................................9
What I Can Do............................................................................................9
Assessment……………………………………………………………………… 9
Additional Activities…………………………………………………………….. 10
Lesson 3:
Formulating a Claim................................................................................................. 12
What I Need to Know.................................................................................. 12
What I Know..……………………………………………………………………. 12
What’s In…………………………………………………………………………. 13
What’s New ............................................................................................. 13
What Is It.................................................................................................... 13
What’s More .............................................................................................. 14
What I Have Learned.................................................................................. 15
What I Can Do............................................................................................ 15

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 Assessment……………………………………………………………………… 15
Additional Activities..................................................................................... 16
Lesson 4:
Supporting Claim with Evidences............................................................................. 17
What I Need to Know.................................................................................. 17
What I Know..……………………………………………………………………. 17
What’s In…………………………………………………………………………. 17
What’s New ............................................................................................. 17
What Is It.................................................................................................... 18
What’s More .............................................................................................. 19
What I Have Learned....................................................................................19
What I Can Do............................................................................................ 20
Assessment……………………………………………………………………… 20
Additional Activities..................................................................................... 21
Assessment: (Post-Test)...............................................................................................…21

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What This Module is About
This module intends to help learners gain mastery of two competencies in the
Second Quarter. This provides reading texts and language tasks to acquaint learners
with the essential features and parts of argumentative essays. Four lessons are
sequenced as follows:
Lesson 1: Features of an Argumentative Essay
Lesson 2: Parts of an Argumentative Essay
Lesson 3: Formulating a Claim
Lesson 4: Supporting Claims with Evidences
As a tool for Alternative Delivery Mode, this module includes activities which
students can work on with very minimal teacher support. They are arranged in
increasing complexity to meet the varying needs of the learners.

Notes to the Teacher:

This module is designed for self-learning; however, you have an important
role to play. You are the learner’s most reliable reference. It is you who knows who
among the learners need more scaffolding to do the tasks. By frequently monitoring
the learners’ progress, you can provide the needed intervention.

Notes to the Learner:

Be sure to faithfully do the activities in this module. They are intended to help
you master the competency at your own pace. Answer keys are provided at the end
to help you check your own answers. Should you find that your answer is wrong,
think carefully and review. By doing so, your mistakes are not wasted because you
will learn from them. If you have other concerns, do not hesitate to ask help from
your teacher. You can also use other references to further enhance your learning.
Lastly, do not forget to have fun.

Note to Parents/Guardians:
Your main role is to make sure your child has a conducive place and enough
time to work on this module at home. To maximize learning, you can also help your
child if he/she encounters some difficulties but make sure it is really your child who
does all the required tasks. Finally, just feel free to contact your child’s English
teacher if needed.

What I Need to Know

In this module, you are expected to do the following:
1. Identify the parts and features of an argumentative essay (EN10WC-IIa-13.1)
a. Identify how introduction, body and conclusion are structured in an
argumentative essay
b. Determine the claim of the argumentative essay
c. Determine the reasons and evidences that support the author’s position

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 2. Formulate claims of fact, value, and policy (EN10WC-IIb-13.2)
a. Determine how claim is formulated
b. Write a claim of fact, value and policy from a given set of details
c. Provide reasons and evidences to support a claim

How to Learn from this Module

To achieve the objectives cited above, you are to do the following:
• Take your time reading the lessons carefully.
• Follow the directions and/or instructions in the activities and exercises diligently.
• Answer all the given tests and exercises.
Icons of this Module
What I Need to This part contains learning objectives that
Know are set for you to learn as you go along the
Module each day/lesson.

This is a pre-test assessment as to your level

What I know of
knowledge to the subject matter at hand,
meant specifically to gauge prior related
Knowledge
What’s In This part connects previous lesson with that
of the current one.

What’s New An introduction of the new lesson through

various activities, before it will be presented
to you.

What is It These are discussions of the activities as a

way to deepen your discovery and under-
standing of the concept.

What’s More These are follow-up activities that are in-

tended for you to practice further in order to
master the competencies.

What I Have Activities designed to process what you

Learned have learned from the lesson

What I can do These are tasks that are designed to show-

case your skills and knowledge gained, and
applied into real-life concerns and situations.

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 What I Know
Read each item carefully and circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. An argumentative essay is written to _____.

A. impress others B. persuade the readers
C. provide useful information D. teach an important lesson
2. Which is NOT needed in an argumentative essay?
A. author's claim or position on an issue
B. narration of a personal experience
C. possible opposing ideas and opinions
D. reasons and evidences as supporting details
3. To be more convincing, the claim of the essay should be supported by
_______.
A. clear statement of opposing views
B. detailed discussion of current events
C. logical reasons and evidences
D. narration of a personal experience
4. What does the introductory paragraph of an argumentative essay usually
present?
A. opposing arguments B. restatement of the main idea
C. supporting evidences D. thesis statement
5. In which part of an argumentative essay are the reasons supporting the
author's position discussed?
A. body B. conclusion C. introduction D. title
6. In an argumentative essay, the author's claim or position is usually first stated
in the _______.
A. body B. conclusion C. evidence D. introduction
7. In which part of an essay can this sentence be found?
So, with all these in mind, there is no doubt that we should support
the liquor ban.
A. body B. conclusion C. evidence D. introduction

8. What is the author's position on the issue of liquor ban in the paragraph
below?
The imposition of the liquor ban in this Barangay has
received both thumbs up and thumbs down. But, definitely, it is
commendable and our local officials deserve a standing ovation
for possessing a political will in implementing a not-so-popular
ordinance.
A. The liquor ban is not a popular ordinance.
B. The liquor ban is almost impossible to implement.
C. Its imposition has received both criticism and praises.
D. It is good and the officials deserve praises for its implementation.

For items 9-11, read the paragraph below.

Drunkenness gives nothing but headache (both literally
and figuratively). Up to 80% of police reports involving
domestic violence and vehicular accidents are attributed to
drinking alcoholic beverages. Likewise health experts provide
very long list of deadly diseases like cancer of the lung, liver,
intestine, and stomach which are caused by excessive
drinking.  

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9. What does the paragraph present?
A. An argument opposing liquor ban imposition
B. Common reasons of drunkenness among Filipinos
C. Legal sanctions against those who are caught drinking
D. Reasons and evidences against drunkenness

10. In which part of the essay is the paragraph most probably found?
A. body B. conclusion C. introduction D. topic sentence

11. What claim can be formulated from the given supporting details in the box?
A. Drinking is not a problem as long as it is done in moderation.
B. Drunkenness causes many health and socioeconomic problems.
C. Drinking alcoholic beverages help increase government revenues.
D. Drunkenness is a common trait among Filipinos from all walks of life.

12. Which is a claim of policy?

A. Schools should improve their washing and sanitation facilities.
B. You can protect yourself from disease through frequent hand washing.
C. Washing your hands with water and soap kills viruses that cause
diseases.
D. Hand washing activities can be costly but it’s one way to ensure public
safety.

13. If you want to convince others with your claim, what should you do?
A. Make your claim longer and more detailed.
B. Support it with reasons and evidences.
C. Tell people you are serious with your claim.
D. Write using effective literary and sound devices.

14. Given the supporting details below, what claim can be formulated?

If a full breakfast is taken in the morning, you will not eat more at lunch
and supper. In a recent study, people who eat more in breakfast lose 17.8
pounds in three months more than people who eat more at dinner.
A. A good breakfast makes you energetic the whole day.
B. Taking a good breakfast in the morning prevents obesity.
C. Many people are obese because they don’t take breakfast.
D. More amount of food is usually consumed during breakfast.

15. What type of evidence does the writer use in the paragraph below?
A review of 46 studies of motorcycle helmets and helmet laws reported
that every study comparing helmeted and non-helmeted crash victims
found that helmeted riders had lower fatality rates, ranging from 28 percent
to 7 percent lower.
A. emotion B. example C. opinion D. research

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viii
Lesson Features of an Argumentative Essay
1
What I Need to Know
In this lesson, you will learn to identify the features an
argumentative essay. Specifically, you are expected to
a. distinguish author’s position and
b. identify details that support the author’s position in an
argumentative essay.

What I Know
Tell whether the statement is TRUE or FALSE.
1. An argumentative essay is a form of narrative writing. ________
2. Both facts and opinions are necessary in an argumentative essay. ________
3. The main purpose of an argumentative essay is to provide sufficient
background information on a controversial issue. ________
4. The writer of an argumentative essay presents different sides of an issue and
lets the readers decide which is best form them. ________
5. In an argumentative essay, a writer needs to explain the weakness of an
opinion that is contradictory his position of an issue. ________

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What’s New

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 Read the sample argumentative essay below and find out what
it tries to convince the reader about libraries.

As online learning becomes more common and more resources are converted
to digital forms, some people have suggested that public libraries should be shut
down and, in their place, everyone should be given an iPad with an e-reader
subscription.
Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money
because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more
people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can
simply click on what they want to read and access the material wherever they may
be. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy hard
copies of books; they can simply download as many digital copies as they need.
However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First,
digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems
than printed resources. A study done on tablet versus book reading found that
people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain less information, and understand only
10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in
print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous
health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes and headaches among
others at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and
mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health
issues such as fatigue, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle
strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to
feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people,
especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.
Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service
libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and quite a
number are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these
include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their
neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs and keeping the
community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted
events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and
meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more
connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that
nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a
major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to get in touch with
others and get their questions answered.
While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would
encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the
myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many benefits of
libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an
important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a
simple object.

 -Excerpt from Sarikas’ 3 Strong Argumentative Essay Examples, Analyzed

Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the main idea (thesis) of the essay?
A. The use of digital books and resources should not be allowed because they
are harmful.
B. All public physical libraries should be closed because it is not practical to
operate them.
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 C. It is a serious mistake to replace public physical libraries with electronic
gadgets like tablets.
D. Public libraries offer valuable and irreplaceable services to the local
communities.
2. How does the essay begin?
A. By presenting the thesis statement
B. By presenting the overview of the opposing arguments
C. By elaborating the benefits of public physical libraries
D. By explaining the disadvantages of using online resources
3. In which paragraph is the thesis statement found?
A. Paragraph 1 B. Paragraph 2 C. Paragraph 3 D. Paragraph 4
4. Which two reasons are cited to support the main idea of the essay?
I. Some people have suggested that public libraries should be shut down.
II. The closure of public libraries will save local cities and towns money
because libraries are expensive to maintain.
III. Digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more
problems than print resources.
IV. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if
the library has a physical location.
 
A. I & II B. I & III C. II & IV D. III & IV

What Is It

What is an Argumentative Essay?

You have just read an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is a
persuasive form of writing. It aims to change the mind of the reader by convincing
the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view.
Features of an Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay attempts to be highly persuasive and logical. It
usually assumes that the reader disagrees with the writer. An effective
argumentative essay has the following features:
1. It clearly states a claim or position on an issue.
2. It provides reasons including facts and opinions and supports these reasons
with evidences to prove its point.
3. It also presents opposing views (counterarguments) and explains their
weakness.
Take note of the following terms related to argumentative essay. 
A claim refers to the author's position on an issue or problem. This is usually the
thesis statement or main idea of an argumentative essay.
Support is any material that is used to prove a claim. This usually consists of
reasons and evidence.
Reasons are statements made to justify an action, decision, or belief.
Evidence is the specific references, quotations, examples, and opinions that
support a claim. It may include statistics, personal experience, or opinions of experts.
Counterargument is an argument made to oppose another argument. A good
argument anticipates opposing claims and provides counterarguments to disprove or
answer them.

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 What’s More
A. Go back to the essay. In the boxes provided below, identify the main
idea (thesis statement), the reasons and the supporting details
presented in the essay.
Counterargument/Opposing idea (What do other people think about the issue?)

Author’s Position/Thesis statement/Main idea (What does the essay try to

convince you?)

Reason Supporting Details/Evidence

Reason 1:

Reason 2:

B. What types of evidence are presented in explaining the reasons? On your

worksheet, mark check (/) those that are found in the essay and mark (x) those that
are not.
________ Statistics
________ Scientific studies
________ Personal experience
________ Direct quotations from experts
________ Examples

What I Have Learned

What are the features of an argumentative essay?
Answer this question briefly.

An argumentative essay ____________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do
You are to convince your friend to stop smoking cigarettes. You need
to clearly present your claim or position and support it with reasons and evidences.
Write them down using the outline below.

You claim or position:

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 Reason 1:

Reason 2:

Assessment
Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What is the purpose of an argumentative essay?

A. To convince the reader B. To entertain people
C. To narrate an event D. To teach a lesson
2. Which is NOT a feature of an argumentative essay?
A. It states the claim or position of the author.
B. It narrates an event in a chronological order.
C. It provides reasons and supporting evidence.
D. It presents opposing views and explains its weakness.
3. Statistics, expert opinion, quotation and personal experience can be used in
an argumentative essay as ________.
A. author's position B. main idea
C. supporting evidences D. topic sentence
4. To be more convincing, the main idea of the essay should be supported by
_______.
A. clear statement of opposing views
B. detailed discussion of current events
C. logical reasons and evidences
D. narration of a personal experience
5. Which is NOT necessary in an argumentative essay?
A. claim
B. evidences
C. narration
D. reasons
6. What is a counterargument?
A. A contradictory opinion
B. A supporting opinion
C. The weakness of the author’s position
D. Details supporting the author’s position

Additional Activities
Gather evidences that can support your position or claim on the issue of
cigarette smoking. You can read books, magazines or online references. You may
also talk to other people through the social media.

Evidences supporting your claim or position:

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Counterargument (Other idea that is contradictory to your opinion)

Its weakness:

Congratulations! You have just successfully finished this lesson.

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 Lesson Parts of an Argumentative Essay
2
What I Need to Know
In this lesson, you will learn to identify the parts and features of an
argumentative essays. Specifically, you are expected to
a. identify how introduction, body, and conclusion are structured and
b. distinguish author’s position and supporting details in an
argumentative essay.

What I Know
Circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Argumentative essays are written to ______.
A. impress others B. persuade the readers
C. provide useful information D. teach an important lesson
2. The three parts of an argumentative essay include
introduction, body, and _______.
A. analysis B. conclusion C. evidence D. reason
3. In which part of an argumentative essay is  the author's
claim or position usually first stated?
A. body B. conclusion C. introduction D. title
4. To be more convincing, the main idea of the essay should
be supported by _______. A. logical reasons and evidences
B. a narration of a personal experience
C. clear statement of opposing views
D. detailed discussion of current events

What’s In
Can you recall the features of an argumentative essay that you studied in Lesson 1?
Write important terms in the box.
What’s New
 Suppose you are taking a jeepney or a bus ride with an aggressive
driver. You are so afraid an accident will happen. What will you do? What will
you tell the driver?
Read the argumentative essay below and find out why “Aggressive
Driving Should Be Avoided”?

Aggressive Driving Should be Avoided

By Louis Mizell
Aggressive driving is a phenomenon, which has only recently got the public
worried. The National Highway Traffic Safety Council (NHTSC) defines aggressive
driving as the “operation of a motor vehicle in a manner that endangers or is likely to
endanger persons or property.” Actions such as running red lights, improper passing,
overtaking on the left, improper lane change, failing to yield, improper turns, running
stop signs, tail gaiting, careless driving, and speeding are examples of aggressive
driving. Such actions are dangerous to other road users. Aggressive driving should
be avoided because it causes crashes, injuries and fatalities.
The first reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it causes
crashes. According to NHTSC between 78 percent (excessive speed) and 100
percent (improper passing) of the cases of aggressive driving resulted in traffic
crashes and 96 percent of the drivers cited for “following too closely” or tail gaiting
caused crashes as a result of their aggressive driving. Moreover, “running red light,”
“improper passing,” and “overtaking on the left” topped other categories of
aggressive driving in contributing to traffic crashes.
Another reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it causes injuries.
NHSTC states that the percentages of the injuries caused by aggressive driving are,
in almost all categories of aggressive driving, above 100 percent.
Aggressive driving also causes fatalities. “Overtaking on the left” appears to
be the most important contributing factor in traffic fatalities as it relates to aggressive
driving. “Improper lane change,” “running stop sign,” and running red light” rank
second through four in terms of their contribution to traffic fatalities.
The above evidence shows that aggressive driving causes crash injuries and
fatalities. Hence, aggressive driving should be avoided. Since the opening on the
North-South Highway, the number of kilometers of roads in the country has
increased by one percent while the number of vehicle miles driven has increased by
35 percent. More cars and more drivers are also on the road leading to more
aggressive drivers.
 

From the argumentative essay “Aggressive Driving Should Be Avoided”,

identify its parts by rewriting the essential statements (topic sentence or main idea of
each paragraph) in the box.
Title: _________________________________________________
Introduction (Paragraph 1):

Body (Paragraph 2,3, & 4):

Paragraph 2: ____________________________________________

Paragraph 3: ____________________________________________

Paragraph 4: ____________________________________________
Conclusion (Paragraph 5):

What Is It
Parts of an Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay, like any other essays, has three parts: body,
introduction, and conclusion.
1. Introduction. The first part is the introductory paragraph. It presents the
problem and gives the background information needed for the argument and
the thesis statement or the main idea of the essay.
2. Body. The body of the argumentative essay contains the reasons. Each
paragraph talks about one reason which includes facts or opinions. The
reason is included in the topic sentence and is supported by details or
materials. These supporting materials can be examples, statistics, personal
experiences, quotations, etc.
3. Conclusion. The conclusion restates the main claim and gives one or two
general statements that exactly summarize the arguments and support the
main premise.

What’s More
A. Reason Out
The essay presented the three reason why aggressive driving should be
avoided. Complete the table below with those reasons and their
explanations.

Reason Explanation/Supporting Evidence

1.

2.

3.
 What I Have Learned
Complete the table with the necessary details to be written each part of an
argumentative essay.
Parts What to write
Introduction

Body

Conclusion

What I Can Do
Using the table, make an outline of an argumentative
essay. You can use the issue on cigarette smoking that you
explored in Lesson 1 (What I Can Do) as your topic. You are
also free to choose any other topic.
Topic:
Parts Important Ideas
Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Assessment
 Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. Which are the parts of an argumentative essay?

A. claim, reasons, and evidence
B. convincing, logical, and objective
C. title, thesis statement, and topic
D. introduction, body, and conclusion
2. What does the introductory paragraph of an argumentative essay usually contain?
A. the main idea of the essay B. the supporting evidences
C. the opposing arguments D. the details of the problem

3. Which is NOT found in body of the essay?

A. reasons B. evidences
C. opposing views D. summary of the arguments
4. What is the main purpose of the concluding paragraph?
A. to give background information on the problem
B. to present more evidences
C. to present why opposing views are weak
D. to summarize the claim and arguments

Additional Activities

Read the essay below and answer the questions that follow.

  (1) According to veterinarian and animal-rights advocate Dr. Michael W. Fox, more
than 100 million animals are used each year in laboratory tests. These animals are
used to study such things as the causes and effects of illnesses to test drugs. This
unnecessary and cruel animal testing must be stopped.
(2) The most important reason to stop this testing is that it’s wrong to make living
creatures suffer. Even though they can’t talk or use tools as people do, animals have
feelings. Zoologist Ann Speirs says that animals may suffer even more than people
do, because they can’t understand what’s happening to them.
 (3) People who favor animal research argue that the medical advances gained
justify animal experimentation. They also say that the suffering experienced by the
animals is minor. People like that are dumber than any guinea pig or rat.
  (4) Another important reason to stop this testing is that everybody knows it isn’t
reliable. Many drugs that help animals are harmful to people. One example is the
drug thalidomide. After it was tested in animals in the 1950s and early 1960s, it was
given to pregnant women. More than 10,000 of these women gave birth to
handicapped babies. The process works the other way, too. Many drugs that help
people kill animals. Two common examples are penicillin and aspirin.
  (5) Animal testing also affects the environment. The Animal Protection Service says
that a quarter million chimpanzees, monkeys, and baboons are taken from their
natural homes and used in laboratory experiments every year. Those animals will
never be able to reproduce, and whole species may become extinct.
  (6) A final reason for not using animals in experiments is that there are other
research methods available. Two examples are using bits of animal tissue and cells
and using computer models.
  (7) In conclusion, animal testing has to stop because it just can’t go.

Source: McDougl Littell Literature

1. What is the claim or the author's position of the essay?

A. Animals are used in laboratories.
B. Animal testing should be stopped.
C. Veterinarians are against using animals in laboratories.
D. Veterinarians say animals are useful in laboratories.

2. In which paragraphs is the claim or the author’s position in the essay found?
A. Paragraphs 1 & 2 B. Paragraphs 1 & 4
C. Paragraphs 1 & 5 D. Paragraphs 1 & 7

3. What is presented in paragraph 5?

A. An argument that animals should be used in testing
B. Claim that animals should not be used in laboratories
C. Reason and evidence that animals should not be used in testing
D. The author's position, reason and evidence about animal testing

4. What is the purpose of paragraph 3?

A. present the claim or the author’s position
B. present the counterargument and attack it
C. present evidence of the usefulness of animal testing
D. present the a reason why animals testing is bad

5. How many reasons why animals should not be used in experiments are
presented in the essay?
A. 2 B. 4 C. 6 D. 8

6. What type of evidence is used in this sentence?

Zoologist Ann Speirs says that animals may suffer even more than
people do, because they can’t understand what’s happening to them.
A. example B. expert opinion
C. personal experience D. statistics

Another well-done job! Congratulations! You’re now ready for the next lesson.
 Lesson Formulating a Claim
3
What I Need to Know
In this lesson, you will learn to formulate claims of fact, value, and policy
(EN10WC-IIb-13.2). Specifically, you are expected to
a. determine how claim is formulated; and
b. write a claim of fact, value and policy from a given set of details.

What I Know
What could be the author’s claim given the details below?
If a full breakfast is taken in the morning, you will not eat more at lunch and
supper. In a recent study, people who eat more in breakfast lose 17.8 pounds in
three months more than people who eat more at dinner.

Claim: ______________________________________________

What’s In
In the previous lesson, you have already studied the parts and
features of an argumentative essay. Before you proceed with the next
lesson, tell whether the statement TRUE or FALSE.
1. An argumentative essay is composed of introduction, body and conclusion.
_________________
2. The main purpose of an argumentative essay is to narrate a personal experience.
_________________
3. An argumentative essay presents both sides of an issue without presenting the
author’s position. _________________
4. Reasons and evidences are needed to support the claim of an argumentative
essay. _________________
5. The weakness of opposing claims or counterarguments are also discussed in an
argumentative essay. _________________
 What’s New
Arguments and opinions are everywhere. It is common to see
friends sharing their views on controversial issues. Politicians convince
voters to vote for them and they explain why they deserve their votes.
Advertisements have certain claims that a certain product can solve
your problems. You, too, for sure have already tried expressing what
you think on certain issues.
Try to write your own opinion on the issues or questions below.
1. What should students do to
obtain quality education at
this time of COVID-19
pandemic?
2. Is wearing face mask
necessary for all people?
Why or why not?

3. Is it crime to post on social

media a threat to the life of
the president?

What Is It

What is a claim?
You make a claim if you answered the three questions above. A claim or the
writer’s or speaker’s position on an issue is an important element of an argument.
A claim is your opinion on a controversial issue. Remember your opinion
cannot be wrong and the only way you can mess up is to poorly support your
opinion.
The topics above are asking three specific types of questions: questions of
fact, value, and policy which require you to make claims of fact, value, and policy.
Question of Fact
This type of question asks you to make a claim of fact. It asks you about the
truthfulness or falsehood of something.
Example:
Is it a crime or not to post on social media a threat to the life of the president?
The answer is either “Yes” or “No” and will become convincing you provide a
logical reason and evidence.
Question of Value
This question asks you to make a claim of value or to talk about the relative
merit (goodness or badness) of something. Here you are usually asked to choose
between things, ideas, beliefs or actions, and explain why you do so.
Example:
Is wearing face mask necessary for all people? Why or why not?
Questions of Policy
This question asks you to explain what should be done on a certain issue.
Take note of the key word which is usually “should” or any equivalent.
 The question asks the writer to make a plan of action or a claim of policy to
solve some sort of problem. The answer is a breakdown of the plan and a
justification that it fixes the problem.
Example:
What should students do to obtain quality education at this time of COVID-19
pandemic? (Plan and justify.)
Now, you are ready to do more activities.

What’s More

A. Tell whether the sentence is a claim of fact, claim of value, or claim of policy.
1. Wearing a face mask is part of the new normal. ____________________
2. The government should provide assistance to those who lost their jobs.
____________________
3. Face-to-face classroom instruction is more beneficial than distance learning.
____________________
4. Internet connectivity is necessary to continue working even when you stay at
home. ____________________
5. Frequent hand washing prevents the spread of viruses.
____________________
B. Write a claim for the given supporting details below. The first one is done for you.
1. A review of 46 studies of motorcycle helmets and helmet laws reported that
every study comparing helmeted and non-helmeted crash victims found that
helmeted riders had lower fatality rates, ranging from 28 percent to 7 percent
lower.
Claim: Wearing helmet is a must for motorcycle riders.
2. If you do not smoke, or if you quit smoking, you greatly reduce your risk for
diseases and early death. You also protect the health of others by preventing
exposure to second hand smoke.
Claim: ______________________________________________
3. “They say that death penalty is inhuman. But what is so human about killing
an 18-year-old child or raping her? Drugs have reduced human killing into
bestial state.” (President Duterte)
Claim: ______________________________________________
4. Eating iron-rich rice prevents anemia and protects the body from infections.
The new rice mix seeks to lessen if not totally eliminate malnutrition in the
country, particularly iron-deficiency anemia, through the introduction of iron
fortificant to rice.
Claim: ______________________________________________
5. With access to internet, unlimited information is just right at the tip of one’s
finger to keep abreast with what’s happening in and around the world. This
means better training for our student writers and more chances of winning
competitions.
Claim: ______________________________________________
 What I Have Learned
Complete the sentences.

A claim refers to _____________________________________________________.

The three types of claim are ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

What I Can Do

Go back to the topic you explored and outlined in Lesson 2 (What I

Can Do). Formulate claims of fact, value, or policy. Write your answer below.

Topic

Claim of Fact

Claim of Value

Claim of Policy

Assessment
Read each item carefully and encircle the letter of the correct answer.
1. Which is a question of fact?
A. Are Filipinos saddened by the closure of the TV network?
B. Does ABS-CBN help improve the life of the Filipinos?
C. What are the possible effects of the ABS-CBN shutdown?
D. Which is more beneficial – to watch TV or play outside?
2. Which is a claim of policy?
A. Covid-19 pandemic has a tremendous negative effect on world economy.
B. Governments need to provide financial assistance to families during a
lockdown.
C. Staying at home is beneficial to prevent the spread of the deadly corona
virus disease.
D. The origin of COVID-19 still remains uncertain but the WHO says it’s most
probably from animals.

3. If you want to convince others with your claim, what should you do?
A. Make your claim longer and more detailed.
B. Support it with reasons and evidences.
C. Tell people you are serious with your claim.
D. Write using effective literary and sound devices.
For Items 4-7, read the paragraph in the box.
Male adolescents should be given extra attention by adults because
during adolescence boys are more likely to suffer from mental health
problems than girls. Most of the deadliest and longest lasting mental
problems experienced by children are experienced by adolescent males.
 For example, there are six male adolescent schizophrenics for every one
female. Adolescent autistic males outnumber females two to one.
4. What is the claim in the paragraph above?
A. Male adolescents are better than females in terms of mental health.
B. Male adolescents need help from adults in handling mental health
problems.
C. Both males and females have mental health issues that need attention.
D. Both males and females have good mental dispositions during
adolescence.
5. What type of claim is made in the paragraph?
A. claim of expertise B. claim of fact
C. claim of policy D. claim of value
6. What reason is provided to support the claim?
A. Boys are more prone to mental health problems.
B. Girls are more likely to experience mental health problems.
C. Both boys and girls can suffer from mental health problems.
D. There are ways to help adolescents develop good mental health.
7. What type of evidence is presented to support the claim?
A. expert opinion B. personal experience
C. quotation D. statistics

Additional Activities
On the issue of mental health, what should students do to improve their
mental well-being? Formulate a claim below.

Your claim on mental health issue:

___________________________________________________________________
 Lesson Supporting Claims with Evidences
4
What I Need to Know
In this lesson, you will learn to formulate claims of fact, value, and policy
(EN10WC-IIb-13.2). Specifically, you are expected to
a. write a claim of fact, value or policy from a given set of details; and
b. provide reasons and evidences to support a claim.

What’s In
What are the three types of claim?
A. _____________________________________________
B. _____________________________________________
C. _____________________________________________

What I Know
Read the paragraph and answer the questions that follow.

COVID-19 is dangerous because it is highly infectious and fatal. The World

Health Organization reports that a carrier of the virus can infect at least three to four
persons and the infection increases exponentially. Recently, the number of infected
people around the world has reached more than three million in only five months.
Statistics also show that more than 10% of the infected people can die of the
disease. The virus has already killed over 300,000 people with the most number of
cases and deaths in the United States despite the country’s state-of-the-art medical
facilities and health care system.
1. What is the claim of the writer? ___________________________________
2. What type of claim is it? ___________________________________
3. What reason is cited? ___________________________________
4. What evidences are presented? ___________________________________
______________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

What’s New
Suppose you want to ease quarantine measures in your community. How would you
do it? How would you make it convincing? Write your answer below.

What Is It

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How to formulate a claim of fact, value, or policy

A claim is usually supported by reasons and evidences as illustrated below.

You can write a paragraph by formulating a clear and logical claim

supported by a reason and evidence. Likewise, you can develop an essay by
formulating a single claim which is supported by one or more reasons with
corresponding evidences. The convincing power of your claim depends on the
quality of your reasons and evidences which can be facts or opinions or a
combination of both based on statistics, experience, examples, quotations,
expert opinion etc.
Study this example.

Topic: The danger of COVID-19

Question of Fact: Is COVID-19 dangerous?
Claim of Fact: COVID-19 is dangerous.
Reason: It is highly infectious and fatal.
Evidence: According to the WHO, the virus can infect 3 to 4 people,
has infected almost 3 million and killed over 300,000
worldwide.
From the outline above, a three-star paragraph can be written like the one in
the box below.

Claim of Fact Reason

COVID-19 is dangerous because it is highly infectious and

fatal. The World Health Organization reports that a carrier of the
virus can infect at least three to four persons and the infection
increases exponentially. Recently, the number of infected people
around the world has reached more than three million in only five
months. Statistics also show that more than 10% of the infected Evidence
people can die of the disease. It has already killed over 300,000
people with the most number of cases and deaths in the United
States despite the country’s state-of-the-art medical facilities and
health care system.

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 What’s More

Complete the outline and write a short paragraph in the box.

A. Topic: Universal wearing of face mask
Question of Policy: Should all people be required to wear face mask
when they go outside their homes? Why?
Claim of Policy: All people should be required to wear face mask
when they go outside their homes.
Reason: Universal wearing of face mask prevents the
spread of COVID-19.
Evidence:
________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________
Paragraph:

B. Topic: Handwashing
Question of Value: Why is frequent hand washing important?
Claim of Value: Frequent handwashing is important.
Reason:
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
Evidence:
_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________
Paragraph:

What I Have Learned

Complete the sentence.
For a claim to be convincing, it must ___________________________
__________________________________________________________________.

24
 What I Can Do
Go back to the claims you have formulate in Lesson 3 (What I Can Do).
Choose the claim which you think is the most appropriate for the issue. Then,
provide reasons and evidences to support your claim. Don’t forget that you need to
do research to gather evidence.
Topic: _________________________________________________

You claim or position:

Reason:

Evidence:

Assessment
Circle the letter of the correct answer.

1. What claim can be formulated out of the given supporting details below?
Stress and anxiety caused by bullying can make it more difficult for
young people to learn. It can affect concentration levels and decrease
ability to focus. It has also caused a high number of absenteeism and
dropout in schools.
A. Bullying can become a major barrier to learning.
B. Bullying is rampant in public schools nationwide.
C. Bullying has become almost impossible to solve.
D. Bullying causes damage to learners’ mental health.

2. What claim can be formulated out of the given supporting details below?
The Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 infected 500 million people and
killed around 50-100 million, which at the time was around 5 percent of
the world’s population. More people died from this pandemic than
soldiers from countries involved in World War I.
A. Flu can be very dangerous.
B. Flu comes from different origins.
C. There is no available flu vaccine.
D. There are different types of flu.

3. What claim can be formulated out of the given supporting details below?

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 On average, a Filipino pays 1,000 for his Internet connection.
Meanwhile, the global average is about 250, with most of these already
being high-speed connections.
A. Internet costs higher in the Philippines than in other countries.
B. Internet is faster in the Philippines than in other countries.
C. Internet should be considered a universal necessity.
D. Internet speed should be improved in this country.

Additional Activities
Should the government impose tax on online businesses? Why or why
not? Make a claim and support it with reasons and evidences.

Your claim:

Reasons:

Evidences:

Summary
In summary, an argumentative essay is written to convince or persuade the
reader to agree with what the writer believes. To achieve this purpose, there must be
a clear statement of the author’s position on the issue, also known as claim. The
claim can be a claim of fact, value, or policy. It is usually presented in the
introductory paragraph and restated in the conclusion.
There must be substantial supporting details which include reasons and
evidences derived from researches, statistics, expert opinion, personal experience
an examples to make the claim more convincing. These are thoroughly discussed in
the body of the essay.
Now, you are ready to take the post-test to determine how far you have
mastered the desired competencies.

You are now ready to take the post-test. Best of luck.

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Assessment: (Post-Test)
Read each item carefully and circle the letter of the correct answer.
1. An argumentative essay is written to _____.
A. impress others B. persuade the readers
C. provide useful information D. teach an important lesson
2. Which is NOT needed in an argumentative essay?
A. author's claim or position on an issue
B. narration of a personal experience
C. possible opposing ideas and opinions
D. reasons and evidences as supporting details
3. To be more convincing, the claim of the essay should be supported by
_______.
A. clear statement of opposing views
B. detailed discussion of current
C. events logical reasons and evidences
D. narration of a personal experience

4. What does the introductory paragraph of an argumentative essay usually

present?
A. opposing arguments B. restatement of the main idea
C. supporting evidences D. thesis statement
5. In which part of an argumentative essay are the reasons supporting the
author's position discussed?
A. body B. conclusion C. introduction D. title
6. In an argumentative essay, the author's claim or position is usually first stated
in the _______.
A. body B. conclusion C. evidence D. introduction
7. In which part of an essay can this sentence be found?
So, with all these in mind, there is no doubt that we should support
the liquor ban.
A. body B. conclusion C. evidence D. introduction
8. What is the author's position on the issue of liquor ban in the paragraph
below?
The imposition of the liquor ban in this Barangay has
received both thumbs up and thumbs down. But, definitely, it is
commendable and our local officials deserve a standing ovation
for possessing a political will in implementing a not-so-popular
ordinance.
A. The liquor ban is not a popular ordinance.
B. The liquor ban is almost impossible to implement.
C. Its imposition has received both criticism and praises.
D. It is good and the officials deserve praises for its implementation.

For items 9-11, read the paragraph below.

Drunkenness gives nothing but headache (both literally and
figuratively). Up to 80% of police reports involving domestic
violence and vehicular accidents are attributed to drinking
alcoholic beverages. Likewise health experts provide very long

27
 list of deadly diseases like cancer of the lung, liver, intestine,
and stomach which are caused by excessive drinking.  

9. What does the paragraph below present?

A. An argument opposing liquor ban imposition
B. Common reasons of drunkenness among Filipinos
C. Legal sanctions against those who are caught drinking.
D. Reasons and evidences against drunkenness
10. In which part of the essay is the paragraph most probably found?
A. body B. conclusion C. introduction D. topic sentence
11. What claim can be formulated from the given supporting details in the box?
A. Drinking is not a problem as long as it is done in moderation.
B. Drunkenness causes many health and socioeconomic problems.
C. Drinking alcoholic beverages help increase government revenues.
D. Drunkenness is a common trait among Filipinos from all walks of life.
12. Which is a claim of policy?
A. Schools should improve their washing and sanitation facilities.
B. You can protect yourself from disease through frequent hand washing.
C. Washing your hands with water and soap kills viruses that causes
diseases.
D. Hand washing activities can be costly but it’s one way to ensure public
safety.

13. If you want to convince others with your claim, what should you do?
A. Make your claim longer and more detailed.
B. Support it with reasons and evidences.
C. Tell people you are serious with your claim.
D. Write using effective literary and sound devices.

14. Given the supporting details below, what claim can be formulated?
If a full breakfast is taken in the morning, you will not eat more at
lunch and supper. In a recent study, people who eat more in
breakfast lose 17.8 pounds in three months more than people who
eat more at dinner.
A. A good breakfast makes you energetic the whole day.
B. Taking a good breakfast in the morning prevents obesity.
C. Many people are obese because they don’t take breakfast.
D. More amount of food is usually consumed during breakfast.
15. What type of evidence does the writer uses in the paragraph below?
A review of 46 studies of motorcycle helmets and helmet laws
reported that every study comparing helmeted and non-helmeted
crash victims found that helmeted riders had lower fatality rates,
ranging from 28 percent to 7 percent lower.
B. emotion B. example C. opinion D. research

Yahoo! You have successfully finished this module.

Key to Answers

28
__/__ statistics ___/___scientific studies ___/___personal experience
29
__x__ direct quotation from experts ___/___ examples
What I Know
Lesson 2
Assessment
What I Have Learned
B.
A.
What’s More
What’s New
What I Know
Lesson 1
Assessment (Pre-test)
What’s In

What’s New

Introduction (Paragraph 1):

Body (Paragraph 2,3, & 4):

Conclusion (Paragraph 5):

What’s More

What I Have Learned

Assessment

Additional Activities

Lesson 3
What I Know (Sample answer only)

30
What’s In

What’s New (Sample answers only)

What’s More A.

B. page 14 (Sample answers only; answers vary)

What I Have Learned

Assessment

Lesson 4
What’s In

What I Know

What’s More (Sample answers only; answers vary)

31
Assessment (Post-test)

References

Allen, Janet et al. Literature. Illinois: McDougal, 2008.

Almonte, Liza et al. Celebrating Diversity through World Literature: English G10
Learner’s Material. Pasay City: Department of Education, 2016.

Applebee, Arthur. The Language of Literature: Teacher's Edition. Illinois: McDougal

Littel, 2006.

Mizell, Louis. “Aggressive Driving Should Be Avoided.” (2007)

http://www.aaafoundation.org.

Sarikas, Christine. 3 Strong Argumentative Essay Examples, Analyzed.

SAT/ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips. (2018)
https://blog.prepscholar.com/argumentative-essay-examples

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