Summary of Tutorial on Argumentative essay
Introduction
The title of the book is a Tutorial on Argumentive essays. It was written by Professor Gary Jason, a Ph.D. holder in Philosophy. He was born in Pittsburgh and was raised in Los Angeles. He has published and approximation of six hundred trade and academic articles, opinion editorials, movie reviews, and book reviews. This paper is a recap of the tutorial on argumentative essays published by him.
How to structure Argumentive Essays.
Professor Gary Jason states that there are two forms of argumentive essays, which are, Position essay and review essay. The position essay discusses the merits and demerits of a given issue. One is supposed to support one side as opposed to the other and give points that indicate more merits than the demerits. In a review essay, one is supposed to act neural and explore significant issues on both sides without favoring any of the sides. In this case, one is not expected to give their opinion about their stance on the issue. Both essays have a standard structure, which is an introduction, body, and conclusion. However, in a position essay, one is supposed to indicate to the reader that he is not championing for any of them but only comparing and weigh both sides to achieve a more in-depth understanding. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The Golden Rules of Argumentation.
According to Gary, when writing an argumentive essay, one is supposed to follow the three essential rules of an argument. Firstly one is supposed to illustrate both sides of the argument without diminishing the opinions of the opposing views. Always acknowledge the side of the opposing side as a fair argument too. Secondly, one is not allowed to assume that their view on a matter is acceptable to everyone. If an idea is debatable, then they are supposed to follow up their argument with from citations of some scholarly surveys. Lastly, He argues that one should argue with logic and avoid illogical reasoning. Just as a person is supposed to treat other people as they would want to be treated then the same way one should reason with people the way he would want them to reason with him
Using Indicator words to achieve clarity.
Gary argues that for an argumentive essay to be clear, one is supposed to use words that indicate how one views the statements and where they are directed. First of all, one is supposed to signal in the introductory what he or she will be doing in the paper. In the last sentence in an introduction, one is expected to point out clearly that he or she will be not supporting any side and will be acting neutral, or he or she will be supporting one side of the argument depending on the type of argumentive essay. Second, one is supposed to signal whether the statement presented is a mere belief of his or her argument and the one cited, or it is convincing evidence of the fact. Finally, specific words should be used to point out that one is displaying an argument. Certain words are used to show that one is giving reasons and displaying prove to support a claim they support.
Appropriate kind of writing style.
Professor Gary points out that there are Creative and Expository kinds of writing styles, and although he acknowledges creative writing with respect, it is not what he looks for when teaching. Therefore the appropriate kind of writing style is the expository essay. It focuses on the validity of an argument — demonstration of the facts and balance of one’s presentation.
When to cite and when to quote.
Gary distinctly differentiates citation and quotation. Citation is identifying that one is using someone else’s ideas, data words, or theory. Citation is used to show a source that has been used as a shred of evidence to support the argument. Quotation, on the other hand, is using someone else’s exact words from a source. It is used when the words used by a source are too precise and cannot be expressed differently. Also, it can be used when a person wants the readers to interpret the words in a way that is clear to them.
Conclusion
To sum it up, there are two types of argumentive essays, review and position essay. Both of them depend on the golden rules of argumentation and are supposed to have signaling words to make arguments points clear. Citations and quotes should also be used to indicate evidence of the argument from a source.