English 1 Pre-AP Mr. Jagger
Argumentative Essay Paragraph Evaluations with Sentence Frames
Evaluating Introduction Paragraph
- Introduce the issue with a hook attracting the reader’s attention.
- Present both sides of the argument, without taking a specific position on either.
Some people believe that … Others hold the opposite belief that …
On the one side, some think that … On the other hand, others hold that…
- Make a distinct claim that clearly states your position in the argument.
-Claim sentence is topic (pick a side in the argument) + opinion (what are you going to prove?)
Students who are about to graduate from high school should/should not …
Young people thinking about their future …
Attending college with the help of student loans is/is not …
Pursuing a career not requiring a college education is/is not …
Evaluating Supporting Reason Paragraphs
- Clearly present supporting reason.
X agrees that…X argues that…
X believes that…X demonstrates that…
X claims that…X acknowledges that…
X emphasizes that…X insists that…
X observes that…X suggests that…
X reports that…
- Present evidence relevant to the reasonwith appropriate transition phrases.
- Does the first appearance of an evidence source include the full in-text citation: author name, source number, title?
Example: David Leonhart, in the source #2 article “Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off,” states, “…”
X explains, “…”
According to X, “…”
X writes, “…”
In X’s view, “…”
Writing in the article “…,” X asserts that “…”
- Analyze the evidence, beginning with a transition phrase.
Basically, X is saying…In other words, X believes…
X is insisting that…X’s point is that…
In making this comment, X argues that…
Evaluating Counterargument Paragraph
- Introducecounterargument with a transition phrase.
Opponents/Proponents of X will claim that (what the other side believes)
Some will argue that …
It is often argued that …
Opposing views claim …
X claims that…
-Did you clearly explain what the other side of the argument believes, and why they believe this?
- Supportcounterargument with evidence from a source.
-Is the evidence cited correctly?
Writing in the article “…,” X asserts that “…”
According to X, “…”X writes “…”
In X’s view, “…”
- Does your rebuttal clearly provide reasons why you disagree with this opposite point of view?
While it is true that…, it can also be said that…In spite of the fact that…
Despite this argument,…However,…
Nonetheless,…On the other hand,…
Nevertheless,…But…
Evaluating Conclusion Paragraph
- Begin the paragraph with a transitional phrase signaling a conclusion, followed by a restatement of your claim.
In sum, then, …In short, …
In other words,…In conclusion, then,…
There is little doubt that…Although some may object that…,…
To put it another way,…
- In one or two sentences, accurately summarize the main reasons supporting your claim.
- Provide a general warning of the consequences of not following/agreeing with your claim, and/or a general statement of how the community will benefit from following/agreeing with your claim.
- Avoid raising new claims in the conclusion.