Monday, 25 April 2016

example of argumentative writing

Sample answer

Look out for some of the techniques from the previous pages used in the following sample answer.

Example letter arguing against school uniforms

Dear Mrs Andrews
I am writing because you chair a committee in charge of the compulsory wearing of school uniforms. I am a student at Brinsley High School, a friendly and successful school where uniforms are not worn.
I believe that there is good evidence that wearing school uniform is now outdated. I fully understand that uniform looks smarter than casual clothes and that this might attract parents on Open Day. However uniforms are expensive and forever need replacing as students grow. This poses a real worry to financially stressed families. This is made worse by the fact that the uniform is only available from an expensive school shop rather than from inexpensive and competitive retailers.
It's true that wearing uniform means students don't spend all morning choosing what to wear or beg parents for clothes that will impress their friends. However there is another side to this argument: uniforms breed uniformity. We are a culturally diverse nation and if we all dress the same, this encourages us to be the same. At Brinsley High, we are encouraged to express our individuality, yet this seems to be in conflict with the message enforced uniform sends to us.
A big argument in favour of uniform is one of safety. We are easily identifiable and this can be very useful if there is an accident. This appeals to parents who are always worried about new dangers facing us. But could it also be that wearing uniform can bring potential problems? Two friends of mine have been bullied while walking home just because their school uniform identified them as being from a "rival" school. Surely, you wouldn't want this to happen to one of your own children?
In conclusion, I can fully understand the motivation for making students wear uniform to look smart, to worry less about wearing the right clothes and also for safety. However, I hope I have shown that there is another case to be made. School uniforms can be a burden to parents with less money and to students identified as being different. They also stifle a sense of freedom and self-expression. I believe this rule is outdated and is in many ways illogical. It needs to change.
Yours sincerely,
Gary White

Discursive writing

What do I need to know about ... Discursive Writing?

What's the point?

Discursive wirting discusses the situation at hand. It presents an argument in a more balanced way than argumentative and persuasive writing and can appreciate the arguments both for and against a given position. Discursive writing does not argue for or against a point throughout the essay. After having assessed and evaluated all arguments, the writer generally states his/her opinion at the end.

What are the conventions?

Examples of conventions that could be used in a discursive essays are listed below. However, you have to be careful when using them that you do not become to strongly persuasive: 
  • Balanced and calm tone of voice
  • A structure that alternates between the two opposiing positions exploring each one
  • A balanced consideration of the evidence for each point and an analysis of the strengths and flaws of that evidence
  • Techincal and formal language where appropriate
  • Reference to other sources of expertise / quotations from famous thinkers
  • Connectives to link paragraphs together by pointing out similarites (Equally, Similarly, etc) or differences (On the other hand, However, etc)
  • Some persuasive techniques: hyperbole, repetition, oxymoron, triads, emotive language, imagery, similes, metaphors, rhetorical questions (although be careful when using all of these that you do not become too strongly persuasive

Structure

Introdution: This states clearly the problem of the investigation and why it is a significant issue.

Main Body: Consider the various sides of the position in turn, alternative between them. Assess each one and compare their relative strengths - do not include your own opinion at this point. For each point, use a new paragraph. Begin each paragraph with a key sentence which links back to the question.

Conclusion: Summing up the your key points and state your position again and what has made it difficult to come to this decision / whether there are any qualifications or uncertainties involved

Hints and Tips

  • use the TENNIS MATCH ARGUMENT STYLE or an alternating structure to make it interesting
  • Before you start writing your discursive essay any essay you should start with a SPIDER DIAGRAM- this is a really good way to put your ideas down to help you plan your essay. Also, you should know before writing your essay which side of the argument you are on (For or against). This is to avoid mistakes and confusion.
  • Argument phrasesto introduce points and make it clear

Against: 
  • “Some people believe/ think/ feel that…”
  • “Some people may argue”
  • "Others are of the opinion that...".
  • “While some people may claim”
  • “Furthermore some people may insist”
  • “Although some people would have us believe”

For: 
  • However, In contrast, On the other hand, Nevertheless
  • “While in the case that…”
  • “Further consideration, however, suggests…”
  • “Despite the fact that there is some truth in…”
  • “Although there is some evidence to support…”
  • "It is also argued that...”
  • "However there are also strong arguments against this point of view..."
  • "Another counter argument is that..."

Do's

  • Should choose 4-6 main points (hopefully a balance of for and against)
  • Use connectives- furthermore, moreover, in addition, additionally, similarly etc. On the other hand, conversely, however, in contrast etc.
  • Look at both points of view, and end with your own opinion.
  • The different points, for and against, should be ALWAYS separated, NOT mixed. Present the “For” points in a separate paragraph, and present the “Against” point in another separate paragraph keep alternating between the two.
  • The introduction should be balanced and serve just to introduce the topic.
  • The conclusion can be persuasive
  • Make examples as specific as possible

Dont's

  •  Use informal language when you are writing an essay, because you may be penalised in the exam
  • Forget that there are 3 different parts of a discursive essay: Introduction, Main Part and a Conclusion.
  • Forget to consider both sides - this is a persuasive essay, so you don't have to pick just one

Example Questions

  • Should boxing be banned?
  • Should students wear school uniforms?
  • Should kids be banned from watching violent movies?
  • Should animal experimenting be banned?

Example Answer

Animal Experiments 
A subject which always arouses strong feelings on both sides of the argument is the use of animals in medical research. I believe that, though this may have been necessary in the past, other ways can be developed to test drugs and, in the future, animals should not be used.
One of my main reasons for saying this is that living tissues can be grown in test tubes and new drugs can be tested on these. Computers can also be programmed to show how medicines will react in the human body. 

Moreover, animals are not always like humans. They do not suffer from all human diseases, so scientists have to give them the illnesses artificially. The joints in rabbit legs are inflamed with chemicals to help research in rheumatism. These tests do not always work because animals do not react to drugs in the same way as humans. Aspirin, for example, damages pregnant mice and dogs, but not pregnant women. Arsenic, which is a deadly poison for humans, has no effect on sheep, while penicillin, which is so valuable to humans, kills guinea pigs. 


In addition, I believe that animal experiments should not be used because of the unnecessary pain that they cause to animals. The government introduced new rules about the use of animals in experiments in 1986. Scientists claim that these rules safeguard animals because they state that discomfort must be kept to a minimum and that painkillers must be used where necessary and appropriate. Surely this means, however, that scientists can still decide not to use painkillers in the animal experiments because they do not consider them appropriate. The British Union against Vivisection claims that 75% of animals experimented on are given no anaesthetic. 


In spite of the claims of some scientists about the effectiveness of animal research, the death rate in this country has stayed the same over the last thirty years. There is also more long-term sickness, even though greater numbers of animals are being used in research. 


On the other hand, scientists claim that some experiments are so small, for example giving an injection, that painkillers are not needed. They also argue that experiments on animals have been very useful in the past. For instance, the lives of ten million human diabetics have been saved because of experiments with insulin on dogs. Dogs also benefited, as the same drug can be used on them. In fact, a third of medicines used by vets are the same as those used by doctors. 


It is argued by researchers that the use of animals in experiments cannot be replaced by methods using living tissue which has been grown in test tubes. These tests do not show how the drugs work on whole animals and so they only have limited effectiveness. 

Although I accept that some drugs can be used on animals and humans, this does not mean that they have to be tested on animals in the first place when alternative methods are available. Alternative methods do work. Various groups have been set up to put money into other ways of researching. For example the Dr. Hadwen Trust has shown how human cartilage can be grown in test tubes to study rheumatism. Similar research is being done into cancer and multiple sclerosis. Tests can be done on bacteria to see whether a chemical will cause cancer. There is even a programme of volunteer human researchers, where people suffering from illnesses offer to help in research. 

In conclusion, I accept that animal experiments have brought great benefits in the past, but now money needs to be spent on developing other methods of testing drugs and medical procedures, so that the use of animals can be phased out altogether. 


Reference: http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/education/bitesize/standard/english/writing/discursive_writing_rev3.shtml

persuasive writing

What do I need to know about ... Persuasive Writing?


What's the point?

The aim of a persuasive essay is to convince you audience to agree with you. You must have points for and against your position - in order to demonstrate that you have considered the other side. However, to make this essay effective points for your position should be much stronger than the points against you so that your audience end up believing the thing that you want them to.

What are the conventions?

What you need to use when you write a persuasive writing:

  • Rhetorical Questions, alliteration, triads, reptition, emotive words and imagery, hyperbole
  • Refrences to you or we, us and our to draw the reader in and make them feel you are on their side
  • References to they or them to make it seem like the opposition are a faceless enemy
  • Use of facts and figures / real life anecdotes to make the position seem convincing
  • Use of expert opinions to reinforce the reliabilty of your position
  • Real names, real places and real examples (even if made up) to make your point seem real
  • Depending on the audience, informal / easily accessible language might be appropriate
  • Appeals to the audience's sense of logic and 'common sense'
  • Emotional appeals / blackmail and the use of emotive words / imagery
  • A 'Tennis match' structure where you start with a point against you and then go on to attack it in the next paragraph
  • Simple comparisons that make your point clear / ridicule your opponent
  • A clear series of important points split up into different paragraphs
  • Confident Tone of Voice

Structure:
Each point should start with a new paragraph to seperate the essay into different points and sections
Save your two strongest points for the start and end of your essay to create a strong beginning and ending impact

Intro- You should start of by stating about your point, avoid using "this essay is going to be about..." and get straight to the point possibly with a rhetorical question or by painting a horrific image of what the world would be life if things don't go the way you want them to - e.g. if you are writing to argue against the banning of mobile ipods in school you might start in the following way

'Can you imagine a world where creativity is viewed as a shameful activity only to be indulged in behind closed doors? Can you imagine a world where self expression is not as important as copying down notes from a board? Can you image a world accompanied only by the monotonous sounds of everyday life instead of one energised by the latest beats and lyrics. This is the world that the school wants to create by banning iPods and this is the world that we must fight against with all our might.'

This opening incorporates many persuasive features: rhetorical questions, references to you to involve the reader, repetition, a confident tone of voice and most importantly the painting of an image of the awful world that would exist if the school had their way.

main body- Each paragraph (or pair of paragraphs) should concentrate on just one main argument for / against your position. It is best to start a paragaph with a point against you introduced with a phrase like 'Some people may believe that ... because ...' However, after briefly considering the evidence against you, you should argue back and defeat that point with a point of your own, often introduce with a phrase like 'However'. In cases where you are using a pair or paragraphs, paragraph one should be against you and paragraph two for you, so that you always end on a point in your favour.

It is important that you always support each point for or against you with at least some evidence / reasoning - even if it is a made up anecdote - so that there is some validity to your argument and it is not just assertion.

There are other, perhaps more interesting ways to write persuasively, but this is at least one structure that will work.

conclusion
- You can summarize the point you make or the overall idea of the writing but it is recommended that you end strongly - possibly with a triad, catchphrase, short sentence, powerful image or rhetorical question again

Hints and Tips

Do's

· You should have points agreeing and disagreeing with your argument.
· Starting with a point against and attacking it is effective.
· Should end with the most effective point that agrees with you.
- Remember who your audience is.
· Making a table for/against will help you plan the points that you will make in your essay 
· You should have evidence to support your point, in order to make it realistic and convince your audience.· Remember to write in paragraphs!