English Proficiency 1 – EP1 2019-2020 Assignment 3

NAME:
Below you will find two debatable statements. Choose one.
• Do you agree or not with the statement?
• Write a 100-150 word argument or counterargument.
• First reflect about how you will go about doing this assignment.

1. First, I will read and decide which one to choose

2. Then I will brainstorm for ideas and create an outline for my argument
3. After that, I will write the text according to the outline
4 Lastly, I will check and check again using the scale provided

Play Politics GARRY WILLS

1. Learn to write well. Most incoming college students, even the bright ones, do not do it and it hampers them in courses and in
later life. Read what you write to a friend, and ask the friend to read it back to you. Lack of clarity, coherence or shape will
leap out at you.
2. Read, read, read. Students ask me how to become a writer, and I ask them who is their favorite author. If they have none,
they have no love of words.
Garry Wills, a professor emeritus of history at Northwestern University, has been teaching since 1962.
College Advice, From People Who Have Been There Awhile Educators give some helpful advice to young adults entering school this fall.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/06/opinion/06collegeadvice.html NYT, Op-Ed Contributor, September 6, 2009

I agree with the second proclamation of Professor Garry Wills, a statement from his opinion article “Play Politics” for the New
York Times. Reading is immensely crucial for writing in a good manner. Firstly, reading provides many with a better grasp of
lexicon as a consequence of routine confrontation with unique words. Lexical knowledge is a vital component of adequate and
articulate writing. Additionally, reading allows many to experience distinct approaches of written expression which inevitably
supplies readers on finding their own voices. A style of writing that may assist them on conveying themselves singularly. All
in all, with benefactions such as vocabular improvement and development of written expression, reading is indeed a key
element of training how to develop into a writer.

Peer comments:

Writing Scale
3. Constructing an Argument
Criteria Questions Think about...
1. Argument Is my argument debatable? Including an opinion, point of view, …
2. Thesis statement Is my thesis statement clear and concise Linking to a particular type of argument, …
(one sentence)?
3. Support/ Is my support structured and organized? -Linking support and thesis statement
Evidence -Linking to a type of argument, …
4. Evidence Is my supporting evidence labeled? Positive evidence, counter-arguments, refutation, …
Explain/analyse, discuss, compare/contrast, define, …
5. Argumentation Is my argumentation convincing? Cluster information, look for topic categories, … Is it
effective/persuasive, … organised, structured, …