PART 2: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS OVERVIEW L E A D - IN Imagine you have had a class discussion about the following question: ‘Should more people give up meat and become vegetarians?’ Read the view points (1-5) and match them to the reasons (A-E), as in the example. 1 Eating meat is bad for you J J j 4 Meat is an essential part of our diet; we cannot do without il Q 2 There are many healthy and 5 Vegetarian food is often tasty alternatives available 0 boring and tasteless ( J 3 Eating meat is cruel to animals Animals are A Soya beans kept in terrible and lentils arc conditions just so delicious and are good they can be killed sources «if protein. There aren't £ many vegetarian dishes that actually Meat provides ' us with the protein and vitamins that g> need. What is an argumentative essay? An argumentative essay is a formal piece of writing (it can also be called a persuasive or opinion essay).
It requires your opinion on a topic, which must be stated clearly, giving various viewpoints on the topic supported by reasons and/or examples. You should also include the opposing point of view in another paragraph. The primary objective is to persuade people to change beliefs that many of them do not want to change. Your essay must be written in formal style.
You often see the following key words in the essay titles: 1. Give your opinion on. Wh-word questions: - To what extent / How fa r do you agree/think What is your opinion about. Yes, no- questions - .agree or disagree? - Should.? - Is it necessary.
Formal style * T his m ean s y o u sh o u ld use: * Passive voice, impersonal constructions (e. It is argued that.; It is a common belief that.) * A range o f advanced vocabulary (verbs, adjectives, abstract nouns, ect) (e. heated debate concerning the controversial issue.) * Formal linking words/phrases (e. furthermore, however, nonetheless) * Complex sentences with a variety of links, dependant clauses, etc 53 (e.
Although it is widely accepted that compulsory military service, which provides an army with abundant manpower, is beneficial to a country’s ability to defend itself, closer analysis o f military efficiency suggests that it is advanced weaponry which play’s a crucial role in.) S Inversion, especially in conditionals (e. Were this true, we would.; Never has this been more obvious.) • You should not use: * Short forms (e. I'm, I t ’s) except when these are part of a quotation x Colloquial expressions, phrasal verbs, idioms (e. lots o f put up with, be over the moon about.
Experts say they think this is bad,.) * A series of short sentences (e. Many people think so. They are wrong.) * Simple linking words (e. and, but, so) except for variety.
WRITING PROCESS ❖ Step 1: Stimulating and brainstorming ideas ❖ Step 2: Outlining ❖ Step 3: Developing ideas and writing the first draft ❖ Step 4: Editing and writing the final version WRITING TASK: In this unit, you will write a five- paragraph argumentative essay about whether or not you think it should be legal to download or to share copyrighted material from the Internet. STIMULATING AND BRAINSTORMING IDEAS Everyday we are faced with ethical questions about what we think is right or wrong. In this unit you will express your opinion about whether or not it should be legal to download or share copyrighted property from the Internet. Exercise 1: Thinking about the topic A.
Discuss the picture with a partner. • Who are the two characters in this picture? • What do you think is happening? • Do you think the young man is guilty of a crime? B. Make notes about the kinds of copyrighted property people download off the Internet and whether or not you think downloading should be legal. Then discuss in small groups.
Exercise 2: Reading about the topic Many countries today are concerned about the ethics o f downloading and sharing movies o ff the Internet. The case o f Yoshihiro Inoune may make some people think twice before downloading copyrighted material o ff the Internet. 55 Read the article below. JAPANESE MAN FOUND GUILTY OF ONLINE MOVIE THEFT For the first time a Japanese court has found a man guilty of piracy and sentenced him to a year in jail.
Yoshihiro Inoue, 42, downloaded movies from the Internet. He made copies of the movies A Beautiful Mind, and share them with others. This is considered a crime in the U., Japan, and most other countries in the world. Inoue’s case sets a precedent for anyone who distributes films illegally.
His crime was stealing intellectual property. This kind of property, which is someone’s creative invention, is protected by copyright law. Today over eighty nations have copyright laws. These laws protect film makers, writers, photographers, and other innovative professionals.
People who download and copy these works often do not understand or care about the financial loss to many of these artists. To protect artistic works within the U., the Copyright Act of 1976 was created. Most recently the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005 was signed into law. In addition, there are treaties and conventions to protect intellectual property between nations.
One of these is the Universal Copyright Convention. Without these laws, piracy would go unchecked. Some of the many types of piracy include making DVDs, duplicating VHS tapes, using hand-held video cameras in movie theatres, and even receiving satellite signals without authorization. Yoshino Inoue is not the first person to steal intellectual property, but he is the first to be charged with a crime for doing so.
The movie industry in Hollywood and Asia are particularly interested in this case because they have a lot to lose. For a number o f years the recording industry has pursued anyone downloading music from the Internet. Now the movie industry is following their example because piracy costs them almost $3 billion each year. 56 A major film costs about $80 million - $55 million to make and $27 million to advertise and market.
Although many people believe that the film industry makes enormous profits, almost half of all films do not earn enough money to pay back their investors. If people continue to download movies off the Internet instead of paying to see them, the movie industry will trouble surviving. * Japanese Man Jailed for Online Movie Piracy in Hollywood Crackdown. * Agence France Press, December 2004.
Exercise 3: Understanding the article. Write T for true or F for false for each statement. Inoue was an employee of a Hollywood studio. Copying movies is a crime in most countries.Fewer than eighty nations protect artistic works.
The recording industry started prosecuting pirates before the movie industry did. These thefts could cost the movie industry almost $27 million a year.People who invest in movies always make money. Exercise 4: Responding to the article. Write your answers for each question in full sentences.
Then discuss your answer with a partner. Why was this arrest so important? 2. What is the function o f the Universal Copyright Convention? 57 3. Why is the movie industry so afraid of downloading and sharing of films? 4.
Do you think Yoshino Inoue should have gone to jail for internet piracy? Why? 5. What kind of punishment do you think should be used against people who commit Internet piracy? Exercise 5: Freewriting Write for ten to fifteen minutes on the topic below. Express yourself as well as you can. Don’t worry about mistakes.
According to the movie industry, people who download and distribute copyrighted materials should go to jail. What do you think of the movie industry’s decision? • Do you think the law should intervene in these cases? 58 • How are new technologies making it so difficult to enforce the law or easy for people to break the law. • Do you think enforcement of the laws will be difficult? Exercise 6: Brainstorming ideas A. Review your freewriting exercise.
Then, in a small group, discuss the following questions. Record your answers in a notebook. What does private property mean to you? 2. What are some of the basic types of information found on the internet? 3.
What information on the internet should be free to download? 4. What are some arguments against downloading artistic property from the Internet? 5. What are some arguments for downloading artistic property from the Internet? B. Have you changed your position as a result of the discussion? Review the information you have collected in your notebook.
Underline any useful or interesting ideas. Cross out any ideas you do not want to use in your essay. Exercise 7: Brainstorming vocabulary A. Use the chart below to categorize the words and phrases.
own a copyright commit a crime possession download share files break the rules program Law Property Computers Legal B. Think back to the vocabulary your group used in Exercise 1 above. Can you add any words to the charts above? 59 PRACTICE: Stimulating and brainstorming ideas for the following topic: 1. Although more and more people read news on the Internet, newspapers will remain the most important source o f news.
Do you agree or disagree? 2. Children learn best by observing the behaviour o f adults and copying it. What extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? STEP II. OUTLINING Before making an outline, study the organization of an argumentative essay below: ARGUMENTATIVE ORGANIZATION There are possible organization patterns as follows: 1.
With a refutation Pattern 1 Pattern 2 Introduction Introduction PRO idea 1 CON(s) + PRO idea 2 Reftjtation(s) CON(s) + PRO idea 1 Refutation(s) PRO idea 2 Conclusion Conclusion Pattern 3 Introduction CON idea 1 ---- > Refutation CON idea 2 — -> Refutation CON idea 3 ---- > Refutation Conclusion 60 Introduction • Background information gives a broader picture of the issue and why it is important. It can give details about the history of the people involved: what they want, and how it affects them, • The thesis statement clearly states the writer's point of view about the issue. Body Paragraphs • The topic sentence in each body paragraph presents one distinct reason for the writer's point of view stated in the thesis. • All supporting details in each paragraph must support the topic sentence.
These details can be facts, examples, statistics, definitions, causes and effects, quotations, anecdotes, or questions. • The writer often presents an opposing opinion (a counter argument); however, the writer may then express some agreement with the opposing view (a concession), but will show evidence that the argument is stronger [a refutation). The counter-argument is often in body paragraph one or three. Conclusion • The conclusion restates the argument that appeared in the thesis.
• It can end with a prediction, a warning, or other type of comment that reinforces the writers their viewpoint. • It may state the general issue in a broader context. Without a refutation - One-sided arguments Note: In supporting- an opinion essay, you are asked to discuss one side of an issue i. you either agree or disagree with a certain statement.
You do not have to give the opponent's view and offer a refutation. Pattern 4 Pattern 5 Introduction Introduction PRO idea 1 CON idea 1 PRO idea 2 CON idea 2 PRO idea 3 CON idea 3 Conclusion Conclusion 61 - Tw o-sided argum ents (This type can also be called discussion essays) Pattern 6 Introduction PRO ideas CON ideas Conclusion An introduction of a discussion essay in which you present the topic, making a general remark about it without giving your opinion; A main body in which you present the points fo r and the points against, in separate paragraphs, supporting your arguments with details / examples; A conclusion which includes your opinion (e. In my opinion/view, I believe/ think, etc.