Assignment #5: Persuasive Argument
Description:
Write a researched argument on a narrowly defined topic and specific stance. In doing so, you should state or imply
your thesis, describe the issues surrounding the topic, negotiate differences, and provide documented support throughout.
You’ll want to pay particular attention to your Introduction and Conclusion (including tweaking them after you have
drafted and revised the body of your paper).
Audience: Peers, family, instructor. Consider what we may already know and what you want us to know.
Purpose: To adequately research, summarize the issues, negotiate the differences, and effectively argue a stance on a
narrowly defined subject. In addition, you will continue to practice and master effective communication/writing skills,
including style, tone, diction, transitions, and parallelism; appeals (ethos, pathos, logos); organizating and grouping
information; and supporting details (definition, evidence, examples, analogies, testimonies, statistics, quotes, etc).
Research: Essays, articles, and books (obviously); government documents; interviews; surveys; personal narratives
and descriptions; and so on. If its credible and applicable, find a way to work it into your paper. Again, you will
want to review and expand on the information from your Annotated Bibliography (as well as your Situation Analysis).
Remember: if you question whether something is common knowledge, cite the idea/wording to be safe.
Length: In order to summarize the issues, negotiate differences, and effectively argue your stance (with appropriate
claims, support, and development), your final paper should be in the area of 10 to 12 typed, (with 11- or 12-point type) and normal marginsnot including the Works Cited section.
Evaluation Criteria:
The paper has a clearly defined thesis (based on our class discussions and your text).
The thesis is effectively argued and supported with appropriate, documented evidence.
The paper makes effective use of logical (logos), emotional (pathos), and ethical (ethos) appeals.
The paper outlines, summarizes, and negotiates the issues/sides surrounding the topic.
The paper includes credible, documented research that is incorporated into the text (i.e., in-text citation)
according to MLA standards (using the techniques discussed in class and the information in your textbook).
The paper includes a Works Cited section at the end of the paperformatted according to MLA standards.
The paper is free of plagiarism in any form (coined terms, phrasing, even ideas). When in doubt, cite.
The style and tone are appropriate for the purpose, audience, and subject matter.
The essay is free of distracting grammatical and mechanical errors (in polished form).
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