Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
CARAGA REGION
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF AGUSAN DEL SUR

Learners’ Activity Sheet

English 10
Quarter 3 – Week 1

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

D.O Plaza Government Center, Patin-ay Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur

depedagusandelsur@deped.gov.ph
(085) 839-545

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
CARAGA REGION
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF AGUSAN DEL SUR
English – Grade 10
Learner’s Activity Sheet Quarter 3 - Week 1: Argumentative Essay
First Edition, 2020

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D.O Plaza Government Center, Patin-ay Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur

depedagusandelsur@deped.gov.ph
(085) 839-545

LEARNER’S ACTIVITY SHEET in ENGLISH 10

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 QUARTER 3: Week 1

Name:___________________________ Grade and Section:_____________

School:______________________________ Date:________________________
Teacher:_____________________________ Score:_______________________

I. Title: Argumentative Essay: Learning to Write It Right!

II. Learning competency: Compose an argumentative essay. (EN10WC-IIh-13)
III. Instructions: In this module, series of activities will be given to you to enrich
your knowledge or skill in writing an argumentative essay and how can you
transfer your new knowledge or skill into real-life situations.
IV. Activities:
A. Activity 1. NUGGETS OF WISDOM
Directions: Below are concepts related to developing and writing an
argumentative essay. Read thoroughly and take note of the relevant
information in your notebook.

Argument Defined

An argument is a presentation of your opinions and reasons on a certain

debatable issue. When you argue, your main purpose is to convince your reader or
listener to agree with your idea or opinion and support your stand.

How to Develop an Argument

To develop an argument, you need to confirm your own position, formulate a

claim, and build your case. You must also use evidences, like facts from statistical
data, to support your claims. You can appeal to your reader's rational and logical
thinking by using your evidences based on gathered facts or research. The convincing
power of your argument largely depends on your skill in presenting sound reasoning
and evidence.

Basic Components of an Argument

• Claim. This refers to what you believe to be true or good.

Consider the two statements.
1. “High school life is the best part of a student's education.”
2. “I like high school life.”

The first statement above is a claim while the second one is not. People can
argue the pros and cons of high school life but nobody can dispute what you like
or what you don’t like.

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 • Reason. This refers to your explanation and support to your claim.

Example: Divorce is beneficial to battered wives (claim) because in the

Philippines, infidelity and physical abuse are not grounds for annulment. (reason)

• Evidence. This refers to the details, such as researches and expert opinions
that support your reason and makes your claim acceptable.

Example: “According to the Philippine Commission on Women, physical injuries and

wife battering remains to be the most prevalent case across the twelve-year period,
from 1997–2009, accounting nearly half of all reported violence against women
(VAW) cases nationwide.”

Patterns to Organizing an Argumentative Essay

By McDougal Littell’s The Language of Literature

1. Reasons for Your Option: The main focus of your argument is only to present
your position and reasons. In this pattern, you start by presenting your position
or claim on an issue. Then, you proceed with a discussion of the reasons and
supporting evidences.

Your Position/Opinion Reason 1 Reason 2 Reason 3

Example:
Position: Wearing of face masks in public places should be imposed.
Reason 1: Wearing of face mask prevents the spread of COVID-19.
Reason 2: Wearing of face mask protects everyone from viruses.
Reason 3: Wearing of face mask is cheaper than hospitalization.

2. Why Your Opinion is Stronger: Here, you present your position or claim
on an issue as well as the supporting reasons and evidences. Then, you present
the opinion of other people and make your argument stronger by attacking
the reasons for the other opinion and building the merit of your own opinion.

Your opinion Your reasons Opinion from the other camp

Evidence refuting reasons for other

opinion and showing strengths of your
opinion

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 Example:
Your Opinion: The congressmen have done a good job in denying ABS-
CBN’s franchise renewal.

Your reason: ABS-CBN has numerous issues relating to taxes, citizenship of

its owner, labor malpractice and bias reporting.

Opinion from the other camp/counterargument: It should continue its

operation for the sake of its 11, 000 employees.

When a counterargument is presented, you as a writer must provide an

evidence to disprove the counterargument and further support reason for
your opinion.

Evidence disproving opinion from the other camp: About 40% of the
company’s employees are not regular and are not receiving benefits. The
employees can surely find ways to earn a living like looking for other jobs or
starting a new business.

3. Why Another Opinion is Weaker: In this pattern, you start by a

presentation or a discussion of a popular opinion that is contrary to your
position. Then, you present your opinion with its reasons and evidences and
at the same time point out the weakness of the other side.

Other opinion Reason Your opinion

Reasons supporting your opinion

and pointing out the weaknesses
of the other side

Example:
Other opinion: Sending home locally stranded individuals should be stopped.
Reason: The arrival of locally stranded individuals has caused the increase in
COVID-19 cases in the provinces.
Your opinion: The government should send the overseas Filipinos and locally
stranded individuals home following strict quarantine protocols.
Reasons: They have been away from home for many months without any
income. Sending them home will decongest crowded places in the cities
so it can help prevent the spread of the virus.
Evidences to support your opinion: The death of Michelle Silvertino after
waiting for five days at a footbridge in Pasay for her bus ride back to
Bicol becomes a wake-up call for the government to prioritize sending
home locally stranded individuals.

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IV.Here’s More!
In writing your argumentative essay remember that you must have the
following parts:
1. Introduction. The first part is the introductory paragraph. This presents
the issue, gives initial information necessary to develop the argument,
and provides the thesis statement or 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. This is the last part of the essay. This can provide a
restatement of the main claim and a concise summary of the argument.

Revising and Editing

1. Read your essay.
2. Be alert for errors in reasoning. Avoid vague statements that are difficult
to prove such as statements that have words and phrases like no one,
none, everyone, every time, etc.
3. Develop the supporting material. Look for the key idea in each
paragraph. Reread the material supporting each key idea. Furthermore,
add reasons, facts, or statistics if needed.
4. Use precise vocabulary. Replace vague or overused words and phrases
with language that is precise and reflects your strong feelings about the
subject.
5. Evaluate your completed essay based on these criteria.

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ACTIVITY 1. ON THE RIGHT TRACK
Directions: Fill in the graphic organizer with important steps to take and appropriate
words to say when faced with the given situation.

You are taking a jeepney or a bus ride with an aggressive driver. You are so afraid that
an accident will happen. How will you convince the driver to refrain from aggressive
driving?

A. What will you do?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
__________
B. What will you tell the driver?
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
______________________________
__________

ACTIVITY 2- READ AND REASON OUT

Directions: Read the argumentative essay below and find out why aggressive driving
should be avoided. Three reasons were presented in the essay. Complete the table
below with those reasons and their explanations.

Aggressive Driving Should Be Avoided

by Louis Mizell

Aggressive driving is a phenomenon, which has only recently got the public worried.

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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 vehicles miles driven has increased by 35 percent. More cars and more
drivers are also on the road leading to more aggressive drivers.

Reason Explanation/Supporting Evidence

1.

2.

3.

ACTIVITY 3 WRITE IT RIGHT

Directions: Identify the parts of the argumentative essay “Aggressive Driving Should
Be Avoided,” by rewriting the claim of the writer, topic sentence or main idea of each
paragraph required in each box.

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Title: ____________________________________________________________

Introduction (Paragraph 1):

Body (Paragraph 2, 3, & 4):

Paragraph 2: __________________________________________________________

Paragraph 3: __________________________________________________________

Paragraph 4: __________________________________________________________

Conclusion (Paragraph 5):

ACTIVITY 4- REASONABLE POSITION

Directions: Among the four statements in the box, one is the author’s position and
the rest of the statements are reasons that defend the position. Fill in each blank with
what is asked.

A. Bicycle accidents often result in serious injuries.

B. Cities should create bike lanes on all major streets to encourage safety.
C. Bicycle lanes would separate bike traffic from car traffic, making travel for
everyone safe.
D. Safe bike paths would encourage people to ride bicycles for recreation and
transportation.

What is the author’s position/opinion?

__________________________________________________________________

What are the reasons behind the author’s position?

Reason 1: _________________________________________________________
Reason 2: _________________________________________________________
Reason 3: _________________________________________________________

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ACTIVITY 5. SUPPORTING AND OPPOSING POSITION

Directions: Read the author’s position inside the box. Analyze the statements that follow
then answer what is asked.

Author’s Position: The motorcycle helmet law should not be relaxed.

I. Motorcycle helmets help save lives and reduce injuries.
II. Helmet laws save taxpayers’ money.
III. Relaxed helmet laws are difficult for authorities to enforce.
IV. Motorcyclists should have the right to decide whether or not
they will wear helmets.

1. Which sentences support the author’s position?

A. I, II B. I, IV C. II, III D. II, IV
2. Which sentence contradicts the author’s position?
A. I B. II C. III D. IV
3. Which evidence can be used to support the claim that helmet laws save taxpayers’
money?
A. Statistics show that helmeted riders had lower fatality rates, ranging from 28
percent to 73 percent lower.
B. Studies show intensive care costs spent by the government for non-helmeted
riders averaged three times those of helmeted riders.
C. Studies show that public funds pay up to 82% of the costs to hospitalizations of
cancer patients.
D. Statistically, there is negligible difference in death injury rates between
places with no helmet laws and those with relaxed laws.

4. Which sentence can be supported by this evidence?

If all motorcyclists would have worn helmets in 2016, 802 more could have been
saved.
A. I B. II C. III D. IV

5. Given this pattern of developing an argument, what is the best arrangement of the
sentences?
Other opinion Reasons Writer’s opinion

Reasons supporting your opinion and pointing

out the weaknesses of the other side

A. I, II, III, IV B. I, III, IV, II

C. II, IV, I, III D. III, IV, I, II

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ACTIVITY 6. WRITE TIME

Directions: Write your own argumentative essay by doing the indicated tasks for each
step of the writing process. Organize the details of your essay through a graphic organizer
provided.

Steps
1. Choose a topic that really matters to you. It may be an issue in your school, community,
or the country in general. The issue must be a suitable topic for an argumentative
essay. It must have two sides.
2. Formulate a working thesis statement. This is your claim or a forceful statement of your
position about the topic of your interest and the reasons for your position.
3. Gather support materials. You need facts and statistics to have strong reasons and
evidences to support your position. Write the facts and statistics you have gathered
through research including other opinions or counterclaims.
4. Your argumentative essay must have an introduction, body and conclusion.
5. Please be guided with the rubrics given.

RUBRIC FOR ASSESSMENT OF THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

POINTS 4 3 2 1
Very Good Good Fair Poor
INTRODUCTION Introduction is Introduction Introduction Introduction
thoroughly is developed provides a presents a
developed with with a fairly thesis thesis statement
a clear and clear and statement but that is unclear
concise thesis concise thesis lacks clarity and not concise.
statement. It statement. It and It fails to
captures captures conciseness. It capture the
profound interest and somehow reader’s
interest and engages the captures the interest.
engages the reader to read interest of the
reader to read further. readers.
further.
BODY Sufficient facts, Facts, Few facts, Facts, statistics,
statistics, and statistics, and statistics, and and evidences
evidences are evidences are evidences are are missing to
provided to provided to provided to support the
strongly support support the support the author’s
the author’s author’s author’s position.
position. position. position. Supporting
Supporting Supporting Supporting details lack
details are details are details are relevance in
accurate, relevant and fairly relevant elaborating the
relevant, and helpful in and helpful in thesis
helpful in elaborating elaborating the statement.
elaborating the the thesis thesis

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thesis statement. statement.

statement.
CONCLUSION Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion Conclusion
effectively recaps the fairly recaps poorly recaps
recaps the position, the position, the position,
position, wraps wraps up the wraps up the does not wrap
up the reasons reasons to reasons to up the reasons
to defend the defend the defend the to defend the
position, and position, and position, but is position, and is
poses a striking poses a call to unable to pose unable to pose
call to action for action for the a call to action a call to action
the audience. audience. for the for the
audience. audience.

ARGUMENT ESSAY GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Introduction Paragraph

Attention Grabbing Hook (get the reader’s attention):

Description of the issue (introduce the topic/issue):

Your claim/thesis statement (your opinion on the topic/issue):

Body (Evidence Paragraph)

Reason 1: Supporting your claim with Reason 2: Supporting your claim with
evidences and sources evidences and sources

Other Opinion/ Counter Claim (a claim that disagrees with your argument):

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Rebuttal showing strengths of your opinion:
(Evidence refuting reason for other opinion or counterclaim):

Conclusion Paragraph

Summary and restatement of claim/thesis statement:

Call to action (what you want your readers to do):

End Statement:

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V. Closure/ What I Have learned
Direction: Write down the insights and key takeaways you gain from the lesson. Include
in your journal the topic which you wish to explore more about, and the persons whom
you think can help you learn them.

• The insights I learned in this lesson enable me to

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

• I will continue learning and explore more about

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

• To learn and explore more about this, I will continue to seek help from
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

VI. References:

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.

Region 10 English SLM Quarter 2 - Module 3

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Answer Key

Activity 1- ON THE RIGHT

TRACK (Page 4)

A. Students’ answer may

vary
B. Students’ answer may
vary

ACTIVITY 2- READ AND REASON OUT (Page 5)

Reason Explanation/Supporting Evidence

It causes Between 78 percent (excessive speed) and 100 percent (improper

crashes. 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 according to NHSTC
It causes NHSTC states that the percentages of the injuries caused by
injuries aggressive driving are, in almost all categories of
aggressive driving, above 100 percent.
It also causes Overtaking on the left” appears to be the most important
fatalities contributing factor in traffic fatalities as it relates to aggressive
fatalities driving. “Improper lane change,” “running stop sign,” and
“running red light” rank second through four in terms of their
contribution to traffic fatalities.

ACTIVITY 3- WRITE RIGHT (Page 6)

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Title: Aggressive Driving Should Be Avoided
Introduction (paragraph 1): Aggressive driving should be avoided because it causes
crashes, injuries and fatalities.
Body
Paragraph 2: The first reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it causes
crashes.
Paragraph 3: Another reason why aggressive driving should be avoided is it causes
injuries.
Paragraph 4: Aggressive driving also causes fatalities.

Conclusion (paragraph 5): The above evidence shows that aggressive driving
causes crash injuries and fatalities. Hence, aggressive driving should be avoided.

Activity 4- REASONABLE POSITION (Page 6)

Author’s position: Cities should create bike lanes on all major streets to encourage
safety.
Reason 1: Bicycle accidents often result in serious injuries.
Reason 2: Bicycle lanes would separate bike traffic from car traffic, making travel for
everyone safe.
Reason 3: Safe bike paths would encourage people to ride bicycle for recreation.

Activity 5- ANALYZE ACTIVITY 6- WRITE

ITS PURPOSE TIME
(Page 7) ARGUMENT ESSAY
1. A
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
2. C
3. B (Page 9)
4. A Students’ answer may
5. D vary
V. Closure/ What I have
learned (Page 10)

Students’ answers may vary

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