Outline (General Concepts)

Outline (General Concepts)

Outlines will vary depending on the exact goal of the piece, but every outline should contain the following elements:

I.       Introduction: Eliminate all 1^st and 2^nd person pronoun usage throughout the essay

A.    Interest-catcher that relates to your thesis (HOOK)

B.     Transitional Sentence(s) that connect(s) your interest-catcher to your thesis through use of background statements, intriguing concepts, or relating the issue on a personal level for the reader

C.     Your thesis, which identifies the topic and reveals the central claim you are making about the issue (Remember to consider the type of essay when you develop your thesis: Proposal thesis makes a proposal in the form of an argument, Ethical thesis connects to an ethical principle that will be argued about the topic, and Cause and Effect thesis must argue a cause/effect relationship.)

II.     Several Body Paragraphs with Supporting Points that support the claim you have made in your thesis. Eliminate all 1^st and 2^nd person pronoun usage throughout the essay (Writing Paragraphs in an Argument)

A.    Topic sentence introducing the focus of the paragraph’s main topic and sub-point of the thesis in a clear way (Sentence Starters for Argument Essay Paragraphs)

B.     An explanation as to why this sub-point is important to your argument  (Using Ethos, Logos, and Pathos)

C.     Specific example(s), facts(s), etc. that support the argument point for this paragraph: you only use the source content to defend and develop your argument point—do not use source material to make your argument.  You need to make your argument logically, and then the source material is used to lend credibility to what you were arguing.  YOU lead the writing.  Do not let the sources lead the writing. (Signs of Trouble--Letting Sources Lead Instead of Follow Your Writing) Use properly cited quotes, paraphrases, or summaries. Try to use paraphrased source content instead of quotes.

D.    Remember to use transitions to move from one logical point to the next throughout the body-paragraph: lead your readers, do not jump over logical transitions. (Source Sandwich: Introduce, Quote, Evaluate)

E.     Your explanation and analysis of example(s) provided above that defended your argument

F.      Summative sentence to wrap up the point of the body-paragraph—it needs to reflect back to the topic sentence of the body-paragraph. Remember to provide transitions for your reader when possible in the last sentence—to your next point—but the main purpose of the final sentence is to wrap-up the body-paragraph.

III.  Body Paragraph(s) Discussing Opposition Eliminate all 1^st and 2^nd person pronoun usage throughout the essay (Opposition to your argument could also be addressed before your supporting points. There are other possibilities for the organization of the opposition to your argument, but it takes great care to make the flow of thoughts understandable to the reader, so start with this structure for our class writings.) COUNTER-ARGUMENT Body-Paragraphs

A.    Topic sentence identifying opposing viewpoint(s) of your argument (proposal argument, ethical argument, or causal argument) (Sentence Starters for Argument Essay Paragraphs)

B.     An explanation as to why you disagree (Using Ethos, Logos, and Pathos)

C.     Remember to use transitions to move from one logical point to the next throughout the body-paragraph: lead your readers, do not jump over logical transitions. (Source Sandwich: Introduce, Quote, Evaluate)

D.    Examples, facts, etc. that support your reason for disagreement: you only use the source content to defend and develop your argument point—do not use source material to make your argument.  You need to make your argument logically, and then the source material is used to lend credibility to what you were arguing.  YOU lead the writing.  Do not let the sources lead the writing. (Signs of Trouble--Letting Sources Lead Instead of Follow Your Writing)

E.     Summative sentence to wrap up the point of the body-paragraph—it needs to reflect back to the topic sentence of the body-paragraph

IV.  Conclusion: Eliminate all 1^st and 2^nd person pronoun usage throughout the essay (Writing Conclusions)

A.    Reiterates your thesis in different words: approach your thesis from a new angle to grab the reader

B.     Sums up what you talked about in your body paragraphs: focus on the points you asserted in the topic sentence of each of the body-paragraphs

C.     Drives home any final thoughts or call for action: be sure to make a final sentence that gives the reader something to think about after they have finished reading your paper, and create your title for the essay from the point made in this final sentence of the essay so that the essay title and the last sentence of the essay reflect each other

Remember that this is a rough guide, not a strict formula.

By using the concepts posted to this handout, you will not only receive a higher score on your essay outline assignment, but your actual essay will be appropriately on track due to your structural planning. 

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Voice in Specific Fields-of-Study

Page 6

Writing in Specific Fields of Study

Knowing how to use VOICE and when to use VOICE

Here are some suggestions about including personal experience in writing (1^st person voice) for specific fields:

Philosophy: In philosophical writing, your purpose is generally to reconstruct or evaluate an existing argument, and/or to generate your own. Sometimes, doing this effectively may involve offering a hypothetical example or an illustration. In these cases, you might find that inventing or recounting a scenario that you’ve experienced or witnessed could help demonstrate your point. Personal experience can play a very useful role in your philosophy papers, as long as you always explain to the reader how the experience is related to your argument. (See our handout on writing in philosophy for more information.)

3rd Person Voice

Page 5

Defining 3^rd Person Voice

3^rd person voice is the STANDARD writing style for voice in scholarly, academic writing. 

The goal with 3^rd person voice is to write as if you were giving a presentation. 

You do not know the readers (therefore, no use of YOU—which is 2^nd person voice), and the readers do not know you (therefore, no use of I-, Me-, or My-type pronouns). 

You write ‘from a distance’.

Example: Proponents for proposition 219 argue for changes to the sanitation of our public water sources. With these changes, one will notice drastic improvement to the people, land, and wildlife in the area.  Clean drinking water is essential to a healthy life.

2nd Person Voice

Defining 

2^nd Person Voice

Page 4

Second Person: It's All About You

In standard English, the only word you need for the second person is "you". 

It is both the second person singular and plural forms. 

That's it - it's all about you.

2^nd person voice will NOT be used in academic argument writing—unless—your instructor specifically assigns you a participation post or peer review. 

When responding to a classmate, you know him/her on a personal level.  There is a familiarity due to shared interests and classwork. 

However, when you are writing an academic essay and the “YOU” pops up, it is awkward, and it takes the reader from being in your world of words to now thinking about themselves.

1st Person Voice

Page 3

Defining “Voice”

I’m sure that at some point in your academic writing career you have heard about ‘voice,’ but more than likely it was confusing to you as the instructor threw out terms such as 1^st person, 2^nd person, and 3^rd person voice.

There is more to voice than just the pronoun usage in the writing, but we must start there.

3 "Styles" for Voice

Page 2

Voice comes in 3-person-styles:

• 1st
• 2nd
• 3rd

While most people enjoy writing in 1st or 2nd person voice because that is how letters, emails, texts, and so on are written—with closeness and familiarity—it is not a professional form of writing.  1^st- and 2^nd-person voice are for more light-hearted and non-researched-style writing.

When you are writing an academic essay, there is one key point that you must always remember about VOICE:

The writing is not about you, it is about the reader...keeping the reader entertained, informed, and hooked.

To reach the largest audience, one will write in 3^rd person voice for that distanced, objective quality of writing necessary for papers with sources, argument, and appeals.

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ß Page 1: Keeping the Content in 3rd Person Voice                   Page 3: 1st Person Voice à

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Learning About Voice Page 1: Keeping the Content in 3rd Person Voice Page 2: 3 "Styles" for Voice Page 3: 1st Person Voice Page 4: 2nd Person Voice Page 5: 3rd Person Voice Page 6: Voice in Specific Fields-of-Study

Keeping the Content in 3rd Person Voice

Voice

"Voice" is an essential element of style that reveals the writer’s personality.

A writer’s voice can be impersonal or chatty, authoritative or reflective, objective or passionate, serious or funny.

When constructing the CONTENT of an academic essay, especially an argument essay, you must always remain in 3rd person voice. 

Paragraph Writing (Content Development)

Paragraph Writing

Use the Writing Paragraphs CONTENT handout to learn more about what to include in your argument essay paragraphs.  The handout has been broken into 5 pages to help students go directly to the content that they need the most.

WRITING PARAGRAPHS: TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE 1 --   Starting with an Outline
PAGE 2 --  Writing Topic Sentences
PAGE 3 --  Analyzing Topic Sentences
PAGE 4 --  Dividing Argument Content
PAGE 5 --  Developing Unified and Coherent Paragraphs

Use the Paragraph Writing article below to learn about developing your ideas for your paragraphs for clear, logical argument.

Written by Christopher Cascio
Available at https://education.seattlepi.com/develop-write-paragraph-3825.html 

Developing and writing a successful paragraph can be a challenging task because it requires you to carefully organize a single, complete thought into logical -- and grammatically correct -- written sentences. A paragraph can stand alone as a single thought, or it can serve as one thought in a larger composition. Regardless of its role, your paragraph will require careful planning and execution. In terms of execution, it will need a clearly defined topic sentence, several supporting examples, and a conclusion.

Introduction Content

Write Good CONTENT for an
Argumentative Essay INTRODUCTION

A good introduction in an argumentative essay acts as a good opening statement in a trial. Just like a lawyer, a writer must present the issue at hand, give background, and put forth the main argument -- all in a logical, intellectual and persuasive way.

Start With a Hook Start your introduction with a sentence that gets the reader interested in the topic. To pique the reader's interest, you can begin with a quote, a personal story, a surprising statistic or an interesting question. For example, if you are arguing that smoking should be banned from all public places, you can start your introduction by referencing a statistic from a verified source: "Tobacco use kills more than five million people every year -- more than HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined, according to the World Health Organization." This strategy grabs the reader's attention while introducing the topic of the essay.  {You can use source content as your HOOK.}

Include Background Providing readers with background on the topic allows them to better understand the issue being presented. This information provides context and history that can be crucial to explaining and arguing your point. For example, if you are arguing that there should never be a military draft in the United States, your introduction can include information about the history of the U.S. draft and the events that led to it being abolished.  {You cannot use source content in the BACKGROUND.}

State Your Thesis The thesis is the essence of an argumentative essay. In a single, clear sentence, it sums up what point you are trying to make. The thesis statement should assert a position on a particular issue -- one that a reader can potentially argue against. Therefore, the thesis cannot be a fact. For example, if a professor assigns the general topic of war, you can formulate the following thesis statement: "The United Nations must be redesigned because it is currently incapable of preventing wars." The rest of your essay serves to explain and provide evidence in support of your thesis statement. {You MUST NOT use source content as part or all of your THESIS.}

What to Leave Out A good introduction should not be describing arguments or providing analysis that belongs in the body paragraphs. Your introduction should introduce and set up your point, rather than lay out evidence to support it. Also, while your intro is a road map for the rest of the essay, you shouldn't explicitly announce what and how you will be arguing: "I am going to prove to you that ..." This type of set up does not add any pertinent information and only serves as filler.

NOTE!!! The example is written in 1st person voice—which is a BIG no-no in academic writing.

All academic writing--especially argument writing--must be in 3rd person voice.

See the Essay Structure links for more assistance with your INTRODUCTION.]

SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS

Proposal Argument:

1. Drug companies who manufacture opioid-based pain killers must take responsibility for the opioid crisis in America by paying for Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to educate the country, using part of the revenue from such medications to pay for free or reduced clinics to assist those addicted, and providing overdose-reversing medications to first responders to help save lives of those who overdose.
2. To combat the opioid crisis in America, Public Service Announcements (PSAs), public school curriculum about opioid abuse, and overdose prevention medications must be provided to bring awareness and lifesaving precautions to the public.

These sample theses contain the argument as to 'what needs to be done to alleviate the opioid crisis in America,' and they are addressing this issue from the proposed steps for change.  The sentences clearly delineate the progression of argument for the body paragraphs and assert a very precise argument viewpoint.

Ethical Argument:

1. Christians in America must oppose all genetic modifications in the scientific communities because it unethically engages in murder, idolatry, and coveting.
2. Americans must oppose embryo genetic modification yet allow free-will choices for adults to receive personal genetic modification based on the ethical beliefs of equality and the pursuit of happiness.

These sample theses contain the argument as to 'how far scientists should be able to go in genetic modification,' and they are addressing this issue from the ethical standard of Christianity or Americanism.  The sentences clearly delineate the progression of argument for the body paragraphs and assert a very precise argument viewpoint.


Cause/Effect Argument:

1. Social media has altered reality for young generations through false popularity, cyberbullying, and increased sexuality, resulting in a more devious and depressed culture of Americans.
2. The culture of the American family has been altered by social media through a lack of personal communication and device addiction.

These sample theses contain the argument as to 'the cause/effect relationship between social media and cultural changes in America,' and they are addressing this issue from the cause/effect style argument layout.  The sentences clearly delineate the progression of argument for the body paragraphs and assert a very precise argument viewpoint.

Some of the content was modified by J. Dick from Soheila Battaglia’s article at  https://education.seattlepi.com/write-good-argumentative-essay-introduction-1484.html SAMPLES and additional guidance created by J. Dick Go to https://learnessaywriting.blogspot.com/p/everything-you-need-to-know-about.html for a detailed handout about the INTRODUCTION created by me—J. Dick!

References

Utah State University Writing Guide: Introduction and Conclusion

Clark College: Writing Strong Argument Papers

Purdue University: Introductions, Body Paragraphs, and Conclusions for an Argument Paper

World Health Organization: 10 Facts on Second-hand Smoke

About the Author

Soheila Battaglia is a published and award-winning author and filmmaker. She holds an MA in literary cultures from New York University and a BA in ethnic studies from UC Berkeley. She is a college professor of literature and composition.

Photo Credits

Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images

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Using Ethical Appeals

ETHOS

Introduction: Understanding an Emotional Audience Page 1: Emotional Appeals: Defining Emotional Appeal Page 2: Producing an Effective Emotional Appeal Page 3: Ethical Usage

Ethical Usage

Page 3

Ethical Usage

When you make emotional appeals avoid unethical tactics, such as exploitative manipulation.

 

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

List the types of manipulative techniques used to emotionally appeal to audiences

Producing an Effective Emotional Appeal

Page 2

Producing an Emotional Appeal

Finding words to match the speech context and audience’s disposition is essential to producing an effective emotional appeal.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Identify the components that produce an emotional appeal in a speech

Emotional Appeals: Defining Emotional Appeal

 Page 1

Emotional Appeals

Defining Emotional Appeal

An emotional appeal is used to sway the emotions of an audience to make them support the speaker’s argument.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Break down the components that make up an emotional appeal

Understanding an Emotional Audience

Introduction

Know Your Audience;

Target the Audience;

Persuade the Audience

Using Ethos to Influence the Audience: Introduction

Before starting the journey of writing a successful essay, one should always keep in mind the audience of the essay.

Which type of audience will read the essay?

What is the purpose of this essay?

What emotional, logical, and statistical evidence do you already know about the topic?

Any author should be well prepared to answer these questions.

LEAD the Sources

Signs of Trouble:
Letting Sources Lead (Instead of Follow) in Your Writing

Have you understood the writing assignment and written an ORIGINAL piece of writing with a new 'take' on the topic and your own argument leading the charge? 

Even if you think that you have, you will want to review your essay--after the first draft--to make sure that YOU are leading the writing and not your sources.  Write an Original Essay.

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Eliminate These Words From Your Writing

Languages 10 Words That Have No Place in Formal Writing Purists may tell you that many of the words in this list aren't words at all, but that's a little misleading. A few of the words are simply misspellings, and the rest are informal expressions that frequently appear in everyday speech. Nevertheless, they have no place in formal writing. READ NOW

Learning Communication and Writing Skills

If you need to know how to write essays with correct structure, grammar usage, and strong, logical content, then you are not alone. Essay writing is probably one of the most struggled-with topics in high school, university, and beyond. Most people never learn how to write essays properly in their developmental years, and they miss out on opportunities as a result. Fortunately, learning how to write essays and communicate correctly, with the content in proper, standard English, is actually quite easy as long as you can stay calm and break the work down so that you can tackle it step-by-step.  

Introduction CONTENT

An INTRODUCTION paragraph of an essay is very important, and it is also relatively BRIEF—3-10 sentences in length.

The purpose of an INTRODUCTION is to bring the reader into the writing while fully exposing WHERE the writing will be going.

Therefore, the 3-part-layout in writing is so important.  The content of an INTRODUCTION has 3 parts to it:

1.    HOOK

2.  BACKGROUND

3.  THESIS (with essay map)

While the CONTENT in these three sections will vary, the PURPOSE of the content does not.

The Purpose of the "Hook"

The HOOK is the very first sentence of an introduction paragraph.  The content of this sentence will determine a few things: the tone of the writing (humorous, philosophical, or persuasive).  You will want to choose your words carefully in this first sentence.  After all, you only get one chance to make a great impression, and this first sentence of the introduction paragraph will do just that! 

See the INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE (HOOK) section—below—for more information on how to organize the introduction.

Introduction Step 1: "Hook"

"Hooks" for the INTRODUCTION

Questions in an Introduction

Sources in Introductions

Quote Resources for "Hooks"

The Purpose of the Background

The BACKGROUND section in the introduction paragraph is where the writer provides basic, common-knowledge content about the topic of the essay.  There will be no source usage in the BACKGROUND section.  You have not actually started your essay yet.  You are leading up to the real content of the essay--that will be found in the body-paragraphs of the essay--and so you are not using any source materials here.  The whole introduction paragraph is YOU, YOUR VOICE, YOUR CONTENT. 

See the INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE (BACKGROUND) section—below—for more information on how to organize the introduction.

Introduction Step 2: Background

Basics of an Introduction

Providing Background in Introduction

Sources in the Background Section??

The Purpose of the Thesis Statement (with essay map):

The THESIS section in the introduction paragraph is the very last sentence of the introduction paragraph.  This is where the writer provides THE POINT of the essay.  There will be no source usage in the THESIS section.  You will not have a THESIS that is a question.  Your content in the THESIS is straightforward, direct, and clearly delineates the focus (the point) and direction (the essay map) for the whole paper.  The THESIS is YOUR VIEW, YOUR VOICE, YOUR CONTENT. 

See the INTRODUCTION STRUCTURE (THESIS) section—below—for more information on how to organize the introduction.

Introduction Step 3: Thesis Statement

What is a Thesis??

How to Write a Good Thesis Statement

Thesis Structure / Argument Support Development

Strong Thesis Statements

Thesis Presentation and Lessons

Thesis Statement Exercise

For more information about the CONTENT and STRUCTURE of an INTRODUCTION paragraph, feel free to use these links from other areas of my site:

Purpose of an Introduction

Understanding the Funnel-Approach

Details and Forecasts in an Introduction

Structuring the Introduction

Why Do We Need Great "Hooks" for Introductions?

Why Can't I Use Sources in the Background?

Background Information Narrows the Topic

Prewriting for the Introduction

A Proper Thesis and Checklist

For more help with INTRODUCTIONS, see the content below.  The content posted below is not linked to my own work.  These links are supplemental content with outside source material samples

Persuasive essay INTRODUCTION

Write an Introduction Paragraph (for an Argument Essay)

Write an introductory paragraph for an argumentative essay | LearnZillion