The goal of argument, most often, is to convince others that they should change their minds about some issue. Barack Obama has been trying to convince Congress and the American people that health care reform is in the best interests of citizens and the nation. In his speeches on the issue he compares numbers, best estimates of current and future costs under the current system, to the savings and proposed benefits of reform measures; he cites examples of citizens neglected or underserved by the current system and the kinds of coverage that will be available after reform. He argues that reform, for a number of sound reasons, economic and ethical, is necessary to the health of the nation. To “win” he must convince others by providing reasons so compelling they agree with his position.
Yet another goal of argument is to decide or explore rather than to convince others of the rightness of a position. Before making an informed decision or taking a position, we need an adequate acquaintance with a subject or issue and the various perspectives in which it can be seen. Writing that presents information and perspectives to help people to understand an issue, without presuming to have answers, or any easy ones, is another goal of argument. Looking at the facts, asking questions, comparing perspectives, the writer prepares us to see the dimensions of a given problem or issue.
Thus, the thesis of the essay should be an arguable claim, one that tries to convince readers of something or perhaps do something, or explore a topic so that readers are in a position to make an informed decision. The thesis should address an issue that has no ready or absolute answer, not one readily verified by resort to factual report, but one that readers might realistically take different perspectives on.
Argument or fact?
*Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
* Van Gogh’s work is that of a madman.
* Plastic bags are polluting the seas.
*Consumers must reduce their carbon footprint.
*The average temperature of the earth has risen over the last century.
*Glaciers are melting at a rate unprecedented in modern times.
Build your essay around an arguable claim. Support it with reference to your readings, first-person experience, a factual basis and logical analysis. Consider the following thesis: The use of plastics worldwide must come under closer scrutiny and regulation.
Readers now want to know why, and how the issue affects them and, indeed, if there is something they might do to help resolve the issue. Your sources provide background information, demonstrate your knowledge of the topic, provide authoritative support and perspective, and show the range of perspectives possible, in fairness to differing opinions.
Select material for quotation on the following bases:
1) 1 the wording is particularly memorable, to the point, and not easily paraphrased
2) it expresses an author’s or expert’s direct opinion that you want to emphasize
3) it provides example of the range of perspective
4) it provides a constrssting or opposing view
Format quotations in the following manner:
Brief quotations of no more than four lines should be worked into the text within the usual margins from left to right, and enclosed by quotation marks. Use a signal phrase or tagline to introduce them, followed by a colon or comma. Longer passages should be set off in block format, indented and aligned 10 spaces from the left margin, with no quotation marks but those that may be internal to the passage itself.
Example from “An Ocean of Plastic”:
Kitt Doucette describes the threat of plastic to all marine life, and perhaps human life, too: “Even small organisms like jellyfish, lanternfish and zooplankton have started to ingest tiny bits of plastic. These species, the very foundation of the oceanic food web, are becoming saturated with plastic, which may be passed further up the food chain.” The fish we eat may contain the residues of these ingested plastic particles, and pose clear health risks. He explains, citing also the authority of a leading marine biologist:
[. . .] the chemical toxins concentrated in the [plastic] waste lodge themselves in the animals’ fatty tissues, accumulating at ever increasing levels the higher you go up the food chain. It isn’t clear yet if these chemicals are reaching humans, but PCB’s and DDT are know to disrupt reproduction in marine mammals. In human they have been linked to liver damage, skin lesions, and cancer. “The possibility of more and more creatures ingesting plastics that contain concentrated pollutants is real and quite disturbing,” says Richard Thompson, a British marine biologist who has been studying microplastics for 20 years.
Use brackets around any material you add for the sake of clarity or any change to the original necessary, such as a verb tense or use of a pronoun, or ellipsis punctuation to abbreviate the length of the passage. The source title, be it an article title in a magazine or newspaper or that of a website from which you have borrowed material, should be identified at the outset or your introduction and use of the material. The year or date of such information should be recent , or otherwise noted.
*MLA citations and works cited will not be necessary for this assignment.
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