Writing Effective Paragraphs

Components of an Argumentative Essay

• An effective argumentative essay utilizes four components: claims, counterclaims, reasoning, and evidence
• Claims are the author's central argument that they are trying to persuade the audience to believe
• Counterclaims are arguments of the opposing side which the author will address
• Reasoning is the author's logic used to support and prove their claims
• Evidence is sourced facts, statistics, data, or quoted experts used to provide factual support for claims and reasoning

The Function of a Claim in an Argument

• A claim is an argument in statement form
• The central or overall claim of an argumentative essay is also known as the thesis
• There are four types of argumentative claims: claims of fact, claims of value, claims of policy, and claims of cause and effect

Types of Claims

• Claims of Fact: argue that something is or is not true, can be proven or disproven with evidence
• Claims of Value: make judgments on something's worth, morality, or merit
• Claims of Policy: argue in support of, in opposition to, or for the alteration of an existing policy, law, or mandate
• Claims of Cause and Effect: argue that one thing influences or affects another

Counterclaims

• A counterclaim is the argument opposing the author's claim
• Bringing up counterclaims provides the author with credibility and allows them to provide a rebuttal
• An effective counterclaim will both disagree with and disprove a claim

Reasoning and Evidence

• Reasons are the reasoning or logical proof provided to prove the argument
• Evidence provides factual proof for the reasons in an argument and can consist of facts, data, statistics, published study results, and quoted experts

Claim and Counterclaim Structure

• An argumentative essay has a basic structure that allows some room for the author's discretion
• The introduction contains a hook, transition statement, and thesis
• The body contains the author's sub-claims/reasoning, counterclaims, and evidence
• The conclusion summarizes the author's entire argument and addresses implications, predictions, and solutions

Example of an Effective Claim and Counterclaim

• Claim: The United States should ban capital punishment
• Reasoning: Capital punishment costs more than life in prison
• Evidence: "Florida has estimated that the true cost of each execution is approximately $3.2 million, or approximately six times what it would cost to keep that person in prison for all of his or her natural life" (Spangenberg and Walsh 15)
• Counterclaim: The United States should not ban capital punishment
• Reason: Capital punishment provides a sense of justice for the victim's family
• Evidence: "Justice requires that society impose on criminals losses equal to those they imposed on innocent persons. By inflicting death on those who deliberately inflict death on others, the death penalty ensures justice for all" (Andre and Velasquez)
• Rebuttal: While capital punishment can provide a sense of justice, it has been the case that innocent people have been executed through capital punishment, denying both the family of the victim true justice as well as creating a new victim through the court's faulty ruling; therefore, capital punishment actually adds to the injustice of the original crime
• Evidence: "Since 1973, 186 former death-row prisoners have been exonerated of all charges related to the wrongful convictions that had put them on death row" ("Innocence")