Organizing Arguments

Question: What am I trying to prove?

Answer: The American child is being corrupted by exposure to certain types of music.

Question: Why are American children being corrupted by exposure to certain types of music?

Answer: American children are being corrupted by exposure to certain types of music because…

Everything that follows “because” is a point to cover about the claim.

1. … because too many kids do not have parental guidance.

2. … because kids are targeted by artists who deliver an “insidious message” through their music.

3. … because at-risk kids are buying many of those albums and, as a result, they are being exposed to an “insidious” message.

• A claim is a statement about a perspective on an issue
• A claim answers the question, “What are you trying to prove?”
• Claims sometimes attempt to prove that a situation or condition exists.
• Claims sometimes attempt to prove that a situation or condition should change and perhaps explain how it should change.
• Reasons explain the logic behind a claim.
• Reasons answer the question, “Why do you believe this to be true?”

BLOCK METHOD ALTERNATING METHOD

Thesis: (Claim)

PARAGRAPH 1 Introduction and background

PARAGRAPH 2 PARAGRAPH 2

Opposing Viewpoints A. Opposing Point 1

1, 2 and 3 B. Answer 1

PARAGRAPH 3 PARAGRAPH 3

Answer to point 1 A. Opposing point 2

B. Answer 2

PARAGRAPH 4

Answer to point 2 PARAGRAPH 4

A. Opposing point

PARAGRAPH 5 B. Answer 3

Answer to point 3

POSSIBLE PARAGRAPH 5 (Extra Point)

POSSIBLE PARAGRAPH 6 (Extra Point)

PARGRAPH (CONCLUSION)

At some point in the essay, you should make a concession (a point at which you can agree on at least one point).

EXAMPLE:

Claim: The degree of parental involvement is not to blame for youth violence. (I know this to be true because)

Reason 1: We have many examples of parents who are actively involved with their children’s lives, yet those children exhibit violent behavior.

Reason 2: We have many examples of children who never exhibit violent behavior in spite of the fact that they have no parental involvement in their lives.

Reason 3: There are cases in which two or more siblings raised in the same home b the same parents with the same amount of parental involvement exhibit different kinds of behaviors--one sibling may be violent while the other is not.

Reason 4: Many other factors influence the behavior of children once they reach a certain age.

LABELING YOUR ARGUMENT

If differing points of go unlabeled, readers may become bewildered. To prevent confusion, identify each view every time there is a shift from one side to another. The four pairs of transitions below will be helpful.

Con: adversaries; opponents; critics; opposition

Pro: advocates; proponents; supporters; sponsors

The list below indicates some of the common transition words indicating logical connections between sentences and paragraphs. The words are grouped according to the logical function they carry out (this list is not meant to be comprehensive).

1. Words indicating a continuity with what has gone before: and, in addition, moreover, furthermore, also, indeed, besides, secondly, next, similarly, again, equally important, beyond that.

2. Words indicating an example or illustration of a point introducing evidence: for example, for instance, as an illustration.

3. Words adding emphasis to a point which is reinforcing a previous point: in fact, in other words, that is, indeed, as a matter of fact.

4. Words indicating a conclusion from or a result of what you have just been discussing: thus, hence, therefore, consequently, as a result.

5. Words indicating a contrast with what has just been said: but, however, nevertheless, by contrast, on the other hand, conversely.

6. Words indicating a qualification, doubt, or reservation about what you have just been discussing: no doubt, of course, to be sure.

7. Words indicating a summary statement is coming up: in short, all in all, in brief, in conclusion, to conclude, given all this.

8. Pronoun and adjectival links to something which has gone before: this, that, the above-mentioned, such.

9. Words establishing time relationships (important in narrative paragraphs): after, afterwards, then, later, before, while, at the same time, immediately, thereupon, next, meanwhile, subsequently, previously, simultaneously.

10. Words indicating spatial relationships (important in physical descriptions): above, beside, next to, on the other side, facing, parallel, across from, adjacent.