Argumentative Thesis Statements.docx
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Argumentative Thesis Statements.docx
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ArgumentativeThesisStatements
ArgumentativeThesisStatements
Features:
-Makesanargumentativeassertionaboutatopic;itstatestheconclusionsthatyouhavereachedaboutyourtopic.
-Makesapromisetothereaderaboutthescope,purpose,anddirectionofyourpaper.
-Isfocusedandspecificenoughtobe"proven"withintheboundariesofyourpaper.
-Isgenerallylocatedneartheendoftheintroduction;sometimes,inalongpaper,thethesiswillbeexpressedinseveralsentencesorinanentireparagraph.
-Identifiestherelationshipbetweenthepiecesofevidencethatyouareusingtosupportyourargument.
-Itmustbearguable.Inorderforittobearguable,itmustpresentaviewthatsomeonemightreasonablycontest.
ThingstoRemember:
1.Athesisstatementisanassertion,notastatementoffactoranobservation.
Factorobservation:
Peopleusemanylawnchemicals.
Thesis:
Peoplearepoisoningtheenvironmentwithchemicalsmerelytokeeptheirlawnsclean.
2.Athesistakesastandratherthanannouncingasubject.
Announcement:
Thethesisofthispaperisthedifficultyofsolvingourenvironmentalproblems.
Thesis:
Solvingourenvironmentalproblemsismoredifficultthanmanyenvironmentalistsbelieve.
3.Athesisisthemainidea,notthetitle.Itmustbeacompletesentencethatexplainsinsomedetailwhatyouexpecttowriteabout.
Title:
SocialSecurityandOldAge.
Thesis:
ContinuingchangesintheSocialSecuritySystemmakesitalmostimpossibletoplanintelligentlyforone'sretirement.
4.Athesisstatementisnarrow,ratherthanbroad.Ifthethesisstatementissufficientlynarrow,itcanbefullysupported.
Broad:
TheAmericansteelindustryhasmanyproblems.
Narrow:
TheprimaryproblemoftheAmericansteelindustryisthelackoffundstorenovateoutdatedplantsandequipment.
5.Athesisstatementisspecificratherthanvagueorgeneral.
Vague:
Hemingway'swarstoriesareverygood.
Specific:
Hemingway'sstorieshelpedcreateanewprosestylebyemployingextensivedialogue,shortersentences,andstrongAnglo-Saxonwords.
EvaluatingArguments
EvaluatingPremises
Istheinformationuponwhichthepremiseisbased:
1.Known(knowable)
2.Sufficient
3.Representative
Example:
90%ofconsumersaskedrecommendthiscellphone.
EvaluatingConclusions
Istheconclusionanecessaryconsequenceofpremises?
Example:
UsingLogictoDevelopanArgument
TheProblem
Considerthisexample,whereawriterwantstoarguethatthestateminimumwageshouldbeincreased.Thewriterdoesnotfollowtheguidelinesabovewhenmakinghisargument:
Itisobvioustoanyonethinkinglogicallythatminimumwageshouldbeincreased.Thecurrentminimumwageisaninsultandisunfairtothepeoplewhoreceiveit.Thefactthatthelastproposedminimumwageincreasewasdeniedisproofthatthegovernmentofthisstateiscrookedandcorrupt.Theonlywayforthemtoproveotherwiseistoraiseminimumwageimmediately.
TheSolution
1.Makelogicalpremises:
Premise1:
Minimumwageshouldmatchthecostoflivinginsociety.
Premise2:
Thecurrentminimumwagedoesnotmatchthecostoflivinginsociety.
Conclusion:
Therefore,minimumwageshouldbeincreased.
2.Usethesepremisestodevelopacomposition:
Thepurposeofminimumwageistoensurethatworkerscanprovidebasicamenitiestothemselvesandtheirfamilies.AreportintheJournalofEconomicStudiesindicatedthatworkerscannotliveabovethepovertylinewhenminimumwageisnotproportionatewiththecostofliving.Itisbeneficialtosocietyandindividualsforaminimumwagetomatchlivingcosts.
Unfortunately,ourstate'sminimumwagenolongerreflectsanincreasingcostofliving.Whentheminimumwagewaslastsetat$5.85,theyearlysalaryof$12,168guaranteedbythiswagewasalreadybelowthepovertyline.Yearslater,afterinflationhasconsistentlyraisedthecostofliving,workersearningminimumwagemuststruggletosupportafamily,oftentaking2or3jobsjusttomakeendsmeet.35%ofourstate'spoorpopulationismadeupofpeoplewithfulltimeminimumwagejobs.
Inordertoremedythisproblemandsupporttheworkersofthisstate,minimumwagemustbeincreased.Amodestincreasecouldhelpalleviatetheburdenplacedonthemanyresidentswhoworktoohardfortoolittlejusttomakeendsmeet.
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Example:
DeductiveArgument
FirstInductiveSample
TheForestServiceisresponsibleforprotectingnationalforests.SpecificfederalguidelinesweresetupintheForestService’schartertoprotectnationalforestsfromdestructiveloggingpractices.TheForestServicehas191millionacresunderitsjurisdiction.SpecificlawsrequirethattheForestServicemanageitslandsfor“allinherentvaluessuchasthepreservationofhabitat,theprotectionofwatersheds,theestablishmentofpublicaccessforrecreation,andtheuseofforestsforitstimberresources.
SecondInductiveSample
In1991,inYellowstonePark,theForestServicelost47centsoneverydollarittookinfromclear-cutting.From1979to1990,theagencylost327milliondollarsthroughroadsubsidiestologcompanies.Clear-cuttingisallowedwhereendangeredspeciessuchasbadeagle,grizzlebear,andperegrinefalconlive.TheForestServiceplanstobuild403,000milesofloggingroadsinnationalforests,freeofcharge,forloggingcompanies.Roadsdestroyhabitatandpublicrecreationopportunities.
InductivePremise1
ThenationalForestServiceisafederalagencychargedbylawtoprotectallaspectsofuseofournationalforests.
InductivePremise2
TheNationalForestServiceusesitsresourcestopromotetheloggingindustrymorethantoprotectthenationalforests.
DeductiveConclusion
Thenation’sForestServiceisnotprotectingournationalforestsasthelawrequires.
DeductiveArgument
Thenation’sForestService,anagencyofthefederalgovernment,isnotprotectingournationalforestsasthelawrequires(deductiveconclusion)becausetheinterestsofloggingcompaniesseemtobeofgreaterconcernthanthenation’sforestsortheirenvironments(premises).
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UsingLogictoDevelopanArgument
DefinitionofArgumentation
Theaimofargumentationistouselogic(bothinductiveanddeductive)tocreatereasonedcommunicationofideas,insights,andexperiencestosomeaudiencesoastoproduceanewunderstandingofsomeissueforthataudience.
InformalLogic
InductiveReasoning
Theprocessofgatheringtogetherindividualbitsofinformationinordertodrawageneralizationfromtheparticularbits.
Process:
1.Problemisrecognized
2.Mindanalyzesproblembycreatingparticularideasfirst
3.Mindcreatesageneralization--apremisedrawnfromparticulars
DeductiveReasoning
Deductivereasoningoccurswhentwoormoreinductivepremisesareusedtogeneratenewideas.
Ineffect,deductivethinkingisaconclusionoranargumentaboutrelationshipsamongideasinagivenseriesofinductivepremises
Enthymemes
Asyllogisminwhichoneofthepremisesisimplicit.
Enthymemesareusedfor:
1.Thesesforentirebooks,essays,andarticles
2.Topicsentencesforparagraphs
3.Supportingevidencewithinparagraphs
RecognizingEnthymemes
Premises
because,assumingthat,onthegroundthat,seeingthat,itisevidentfrom,giventhat,for,since,itfollowsfrom,inviewofthefactthat,when,where,if
Conclusions
thus,hence,forthisreason,asaresult,consequently,then,inconclusion,demonstratesthat,evidently,accordingto,so,soweobserve
LogicalVocabulary
Premise.Propositionusedasevidenceinanargument.
Conclusion.Logicalresultoftherelationshipbetweenthepremises.Conclusionsserveasthethesisoftheargument.
Argument.Theassertionofaconclusionbasedonlogicalpremises.
Syllogism.Thesimplestsequenceoflogicalpremisesandconclusions,devisedbyAristotle.
Enthymeme.Ashortenedsyllogismwhichomitsthefirstpremise,allowingtheaudiencetofillitin.
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Saturday,April28,2007
LessonNine
Introduction
Thepurposeoftoday'slessonistogiveyousomefinalinformationthatyouwillneedtoknowinordertosuccessfullycompletethefirstdraftofyourwritingassignment.Tothisend,wewillfinishreadinganddiscussingthesampletextsthatwelookedatlastweek,wewillreviewourwritingassignment,lookingspecificallyattherhetoricalelementsincludedintheassignment,andwewilldiscusssomeconventionsofbusinessletters.
SampleText
FinishreadinganddiscussingsampletextII.
ReviewWritingAssignment
WriteabusinesslettertoanAmericanenvironmentalNGO(non-governmentorganization)inChengdutorequesthelpforanenvironmentproblemonourcampusorinourcity.Intheletter,youmustexplaintheenvironmentalproblem,proposeasolution,andrequesthelpfromtheNGO.Thelettershouldbe450–500wordsinlength.
Subject-Environmentalproblemonourcampusorinourcity
Purpose-Torequesthelp
Audience-NGOemployee
ReviewBusinessLetters-Form
LookatSample1onpage215ofourtextbook.Reviewthedifferentpartsofabusinessletter.
ReviewBusinessLetters-Content
1.IntroductoryParagraph.Stateyourmainpoint.Beginwithafriendlyopeningandthenquicklytransitiontoyourpurposeforwritingtheletter.Useafewsentencestoexplainyourpurpose,butdonotusetoomuchdetails.Thesedetailswillbewritteninyournextparagraphs.
2.BodyParagraphs.Supportingevidenceforyourpurpose.Thisiswhereyouwilluseexpositiontoexplainandconveyinformationabouttheenvironm
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