ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

INTRODUCTION
Attention-Getter:
 Meant to capture the audience’s attention
 Shocking or little-known fact
 Rhetorical Question
 Serious Quote

Background Information:
 Teach your audience about your topic without introducing the argument.
 What is your topic?
 Timeline of your topic
 Other important information essential for the reader to know

Thesis Statement:
 The backbone of your essay!!
 Set-up: “Your argument because… reason #1, reason #2, and reason #3.”
BODY PARAGRAPHS
Main Idea:
 Reason #1, Reason #2, or Reason #3 in your thesis statement.

Evidence:
 Using your sources, find a quote that supports your reason/main idea.

Analysis:
 Explain your quote (2-3 sentences)
 Explain why your quote supports your argument (4-5 sentences)

Link to Thesis:
 Relate back to your argument and your reason.
 “Argument because reason #1, reason #2, or reason #3.
*KEEP IN MIND*
- For each body paragraph, you should be using more than one piece of evidence/ quote from your sources.
COUNTER ARGUMENT
Main Idea:
 Even though (your argument), some may believe (opposite of your argument) because… main point of opposing
argument.

Evidence:
 Quote from opposing source

Analysis:
 Explain opposing source quote (2 sentences)
 Explain why opposing source is wrong and your argument is right! (4-5 sentences)

Link to thesis:
 Even though some people may believe (opposite of your argument), your argument is right because (main point)
*KEEP IN MIND*
- You need to have two pieces of evidence/ quotes against your argument!
CONCLUSION
Restate your topic and why it is important.
Restate your three main ideas
Restate opposing argument and why it is not the better argument.
Closing statement:
 Your closing statement should leave no doubt in the reader’s mind why your argument is right.
 The “in your face opposing argument” statement.
WORKS CITED
6 Sources
4 Sources supporting your argument
2 Sources not supporting your argument
Sources in alphabetical order by author’s last name…
 If the source does not have an author- and only a title, it will automatically go to the end of your works
cited list. You will then (if multiple sources with only titles) sort those in alphabetical order.

Hanging indents.
HOW TO PROPERLY CITE
Your quote will go inside of “quotation marks”
After your quote, the author’s last name will be placed in (parenthesis).
Your punctuation mark (period) will not go inside of the quotation marks, instead, you
will punctuate outside of the last parenthesis.
Put it all together and it will look like this:
 “According to a 2018 study, students preferred working on homework inside of class because they
were able to ask questions. Many students commented on all of the other activities they participate in
outside of class” (Hurley).