Transcripts
1. Video 1 - Lesson Overview: If there is one thing that trips up secondary or high school English language students, it is how to write argumentative essays. Persuasive writing isn't easy and without organization or attention to details, the result can often be a rambling mess. The introductions are boring. There is little to capture the readers attention, let alone maintain their interests. The body points a week. There is no substantiation by way of evidence are credible examples. The writer's arguments are dry and baseless. The paragraphs are poorly structured, long winded introductions, disorganized body points, and the conclusions are either too short or too long with fresh points when they should have been addressed earlier in the essay. There is a ton of information on the Internet about argumentative essays with tips and tricks to facilitate the writing process. However, there aren't that many resources that concisely and comprehensively layout the writing process step by step. They can be tedious to understand and baffling to students. Here on Skillshare, I am offering a step-by-step guide on writing sound, logical and well-supported arguments with no steps skipped. How to pick the reader's interest and keep them engaged. What essentials to include in essays and how to structure them to make the writing process easier and less time consuming. How to sum up the arguments and a final words to wrap up the matter. What evidence or examples to use to support the writer's position. Hi, I am Manoj and I am an English language tutor based in Singapore. For years. I have taught students from local and international schools, from failing borderline late bloomers to aspiring students. In this online class, I will give you the essentials, everything my physical on-site students know about argumentative essays that have helped them move from overwhelm and confusion to writing with flair and conviction. I am going to break this class into three parts. In Part 1, I will talk about the introduction, how you can hook the audience, make the transition, and present your stand or thesis statement. In part 2, I will itemize what to include in the body of the essay. Two body paragraphs to support your stand. One body paragraph with an opposing view, which you will robot to add credibility to your stand. This requires a clear understanding of the structure. So I will cover the key components of an important tool called Peel with three 0s. And in part three, I will talk about the conclusion. How to sum up the points, link them back to your hook and your final words to wrap up your essay. Before joining Skillshare, I have been posting bits and pieces on my YouTube channel. Now I will show my entire process to help build up your persuasive writing skills. I will include tools like language banks and templates to get you started and guide you along. I will add bite-size exercises for you to put the lessons into practice for an engaging and effective piece of work. So whether you have been following me on YouTube or new to this class, hopefully, you will find something here to help supercharge your argumentative writing. Thanks for watching. I hope to see you on the other side.
2. Video 2 Introduction - Hook, Transition, Thesis Statement: In this video, I will cover the essentials of an effective introduction, the hook, transition and thesis statement. I will also provide examples and exercises for you to try. Introduction. Begin your introduction with a hook. It is a strong opening sentence to capture the readers attention. There are different ways to hook the audience. Here are my sixth most preferred ways to do this. One. Make a provocative statement. For example, people like him are going to fail too and continue writing from that. To incite curiosity. For example, I want to make a confession. A little over five years ago, I did something. Three, shot the reader. You will live six minutes longer because you listen to For tell a story. When I was seven years old, I played on top of a five, quote, an influential person. The acclaimed non-fiction writer, John Lee asserts that six, you could also ask a question. For example, don't you think it is possible to also decide which persuasive technique to use. Ethos, pathos, logos to engage your audience. Ethos is an appeal to ethics and use it to leverage professional credibility, qualifications, and expertise to make a point. Example, nine out of 10 dentists recommend this toothpaste. Studies by XYZ and foodborne suggests that trans fat raises the risk of heart disease. Since most fast food outlets cook with unhealthy trans fat, it is essential that young children and teenagers learn about the harmful effects and control their intake of junk food. Pathos is an appeal to emotions. It is to evoke an emotional response From the audience, such as fear, anger, or nostalgia. Example. If we do not adopt a cat, he may never find a home. Why should we allow speeding to continue killing young children and destroying families? That is why I am proposing speed bumps on at least three of our major roads. Logos appeals to logic. It just makes sense to the audience. Examples. If you do not keep up with your homework, expect your grades to drop. Everyone needs water to survive. With the recent water shortage. Shouldn't local governments take action to reduce water wastage? Transition. The transition is a bridge connecting the hook to your thesis statement. It tells the reader the focus of your essay, why it is important and how your paper can make a difference. Example. Now, more than ever, it is the average, not the lowly student who is the bully victim or witness to bullying. Whatever the circumstances, they all affect mental and emotional well-being as well as performance. Although fears may change over a lifetime, most people have something to worry about. Likewise, I used to be afraid of hate crimes, public speaking, and sometimes my family relations. But I have learned to overcome these fears. Still. There are others I continue to dread. Thesis statement. This is your opinion, your stand, how you strongly feel about the topic. Example. I believe the solutions to bullying are the responsibility of students, parents, and schools. So it is up to them to intervene before it is too late. In this essay, I will explain my fears of syringes, snakes and getting old. Now, let's put the hook transition and thesis statement into a framework. Hook, like the examples given earlier, you could start with the court or that researchers say that, or would you, or did you know that? Or you could use one of the other hooks mentioned earlier. Keep the hook concise, but remember, it must pack a punch. For secondary or high school students, write just one or two sentences and craft them well. Transition. One, define the key terms of the position you are taking. And to explain what you mean by these terms. You could write. This quote goes to show or the main reason why, Or no one would agree. Yet. Do not write too much, just a sentence or two. This is statement. Give a quick overview of the key points in the body to support your position. Like In this paper, I will cover and then write your thesis statement. Something like I agree or disagree with. Because now that you know that three components of an introduction to an argumentative essay, pause this video to see if you can identify the components in this example. There is nothing the public can do to control the environment. Do you agree? The local lake used to be brilliantly blue and teeming with aquatic life. Not anymore. In its place are dead trout and perch rotting with a stench that hangs heavily in the a, nauseating inhabitants half a mile away. It is another grim reminder of unscrupulous industrialists with no regard for nature. We can all play a part to protect the ecosystem by reducing, reusing and recycling materials, raising environmental awareness, and petitioning the authorities to take action. Now, resume the video to see the hook, transition and thesis statement. For more practice, tried writing introductions to the following questions. The media is responsible for negative self-image among youths. Do you agree? Going green is a luxury? What do you think? Open file a was suggested answers. Let's now move on to the body of the essay.
3. Video 3 Body - PEEEL Paragraphs: In this video, I covered the key components of body paragraphs. In your body of the essay, you should ensure the paragraphs are relevant to the position you are taking. The paragraphs must be clearly explained and backed by credible evidence. Every paragraph is made up of five components, collectively known as peel point or topic sentence. Write down a clear point topic sentence that supports your thesis statement. This can be one sentence long. Express conviction in your sentences. For example, social media has become a primary cause of anti-social behavior. With depression among compulsive uses or non-stop posts and messages on social media are causing distraction at work, hampering productivity and threatening economic progress. Elaborate. Clarify the keywords in your body point. Elaborate on the point, why, and how it is important in the context of the topic. Write one or two sentences. Evidence, provide an example to validate and support your point. Examples can be observable trends, hypothetical situations, facts, or statistics, right? One to three sentences. Explain explain how your evidence relates to your body point, how they example proves it, provide the merits of your evidence, right? One to three sentences. Link, paraphrase. That is using different words. Recap your body point and link it back to your thesis statement. Write one sentence. Next, how many paragraphs should you write in your essay? The answer is three. Body paragraphs 12 are to support your stand. Body paragraph three is to rebut the critics main point against your position. Again, use peel body paragraph 3. This is the counter argument or rebuttal. Begin with a point or topic sentence with the critics main point against your position. Write one sentence. Some may argue that. Or critics may claim that. Elaborate with one to two sentences. Why or how the critics claim that point or topic sentence is important. Evidence, using one to three sentences, your evidence should rebut the critics point or topic sentence. For example, this is a false argument or not true because and even if it is true, it still fails to explain with one to three sentences. Say why you continue to maintain your position despite the critics. Point or topic sentence. Link with one sentence, link back to validate your position. I have provided a language bank to help you write your sentences. Open File B to access the file. Note, it is vital to support your paragraphs with reasons or evidence. Students often gloss over this, which weakens their arguments. Do not do this when giving a reason. Do not write for example, all schools should offer systematic career guidance so that students who do not want to study can drop out of school and find a job. Instead, write. All schools should offer systematic career guidance so that students can better access their interests and aptitudes for future careers. Citing evidence using ethos, pathos and logos, you can do this by giving an example. Pathos, students should be wary of strangers they meet online. Take the recent case of a young student who befriended an adult on social media. He mistreated her when they met in person. The girl was psychologically traumatized and underwent counseling to help her recover from the incident. To example, logos. Countries should diversify their sources of energy away from non-renewable oil, gas, coal, uranium. Otherwise, industries may grind to a halt. Progressive countries are looking to develop renewable sources like solar, wind, wave, hydrogen, and geothermal energy to power their industries. 3, based on a testimonial ethos, a friend of mine had a harrowing experience when she overdosed on slimming pills and was hospitalized. Crash dieting and slimming pills. Unnecessary if we control our food intake and exercise regularly. Dr. Sam Smith from the general hospital works with anorexic patients. He says, People who crashed diet are likely to give up, binge, eat and put back all the weight lost. Moreover, it is bad for health. He advises a diet of more fruits and vegetables and exercising three times a week. For based on a personal observation. Pathos. Boys should do more household chores. My mother does most of the work, instructed my sister and me to wash up after meals. Males like my father and brother tend to leave utensils in the sink. When I told off my brother, he replied that he was only copying my father, who in turn follows his dance example. In my opinion, such chauvinistic behavior precedes modern day lifestyles. In modern times, when both parents are holding jobs outside, they should also share household chores and expect the same from their sons and daughters. Next, let's craft a body paragraph in support of your position. Question. Some say the Internet does more harm than good. What is your view? Your position? The Internet has become a cesspit for misdeeds. Body paragraph one, supporting logos, point, topic sentence, entertainment. One of the most popular downloads from the Internet has been at the center of online abuse and scams. Elaborate gaming, music and video sites with chat rooms are especially popular for users to interact anonymously. They have also become venues for online fraud. Cyberbullying. Evidence. Annual crime collated by XYZ Institute, ratified by ABC Police Force.com, have shown a 30 percent increase in online scams in 2019. The data was aimed squarely at sites with chat rooms. Crime cases have arisen 3% from 2018. Just from online scams alone. Explain. By easily gathering information about the unsuspecting victims. Cybercriminals have fished, tract, extorted, and infected computers with viruses. Scammers have continued to evolve with realistic tricks, most commonly by impersonating officials using psychological techniques like social proof, Reciprocity, and threats to get what they want. Link. It is often difficult to recover money and undo the emotional trauma. So it is essential that uses exercise caution when meeting online with unknown people. Now, it's your turn. Question. Younger people are able to cope better with stress and challenges than older people. Do you agree? Your stand? Younger people have a stronger coping mechanism than adults to deal with life's challenges. Open file C for a suggested answer. Let's now try a rebuttal paragraph. Question, has fear prevented humans from accomplishing seemingly impossible goals? Your stand? We can overcome gargantuan obstacles by conquering fear. Body. Paragraph three, counterargument rebuttal point, topic sentence, critics main point against the opposition. Some may argue that although fear has its benefits, we must bear in mind that too much fear will stifle our development. Elaborate why, how the critics claim their point or thesis is important. Being overly fearful of the unknown and intangible will prevent people from venturing into uncharted territories. Evidence rebuttal your evidence to rebut the critics point or thesis. Even if it is true, it fails to explain how humans have traveled into outer space, areas previously unexplored. Explain why you continue to maintain your position despite the critics point or thesis. Apollo 11 would never have landed the first humans on the moon if fear had got in the way of a dream. As the late John F. Kennedy famously declared, We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do other things. Not because they are easy, but because they are hard. To achieve great feats, we must learn to conquer fear and find the courage to overcome obstacles that come our way. Link, link back to validate your position. Only through courage to take on tough challenges. Will the human race continued to make strides and add value? Now, it's your turn. Question. Has wall being fair on life and regard for civility? Your stand? War has failed to produce fairness and respect for humankind. Open file D for a suggested answer.
4. Video 4 Conclusion - Finish Strong: How to conclude your essay? One, paraphrase your thesis statement. One sentence to recap the three points in your body to prove your thesis. One to three sentences. Three, share your final thoughts using ethos, logos to link back to your hook. One to three sentences for, if applicable, recommends solutions or a plan of action. One-sentence question, money is the religion of the 21st century. Do you agree? Your stand? Money dominates over other belief systems. Conclusion, summary of points. Recap your main points. By recognizing money is the religion of the 21st century. It merely implies dominance over other belief systems, but not the eradication of other religions. As discussed, money has taken center stage in the 21st century, while others have receded into the background. The big picture, share final thoughts on the topic. Recommended solutions, line of action. Who knows, We'll money be defined according to digital rather than physical assets in time to come? Question. Some say that the Internet does more harm than good. What is your view? Your standards? We are responsible for the way we use the Internet. Conclusion, summary of points. Recap your main points. To safeguard ourselves. Becoming victims online, we should take precautions while surfing. Better monitoring and supervision are necessary by parents and watchdogs. The big picture. Chef, final thoughts on the topic, recommended solutions, plan of action. The Internet has made it far more convenient to access information and services, but just as easily exposing us to risks. Ultimately, the onus is on the individual to use the internet responsibly, which determines if the Internet is beneficial or detrimental. Now, it's your turn. Question. Sp or prevented humans from accomplishing seemingly impossible goals. Your stand. We can overcome gargantuan obstacles by conquering fear. Open file E for a suggested answer. Here is another exercise question. Younger people are better able to cope with stress and life's challenges than older people. What is your opinion? Your stand? Younger people are able to deal better with stress and changes in their lives than older people.
5. Video 5 - Lesson Recap: To sum up the key points, and argumentative essay is a type of expository writing to make a sound, logical and well-supported argument, a thesis must be presented and argued throughout. A rebuttal paragraph is necessary to add credibility to your argument. Plan, your essay well, to find it easier to stay on point and engage your audience. To do this. Here's a tip. Plan. Your body points burst. Next. Carefully considered what evidence or explanation you would need to substantiate each. Then think about making your introduction, engaging with a strong hook to grab the reader's attention. Decide whether you are using ethos, pathos, and logos to persuade and maintain the reader's interests. Wrap up your essay by rephrasing your thesis statement and thinking how to conclude by summarizing your 340 points, having a call to action, or issuing a probing question. Finally, I would encourage you to post your projects on the project board. I hope you found this lesson useful. Thanks for watching all the best for your essay writing. Bye.
Manoj Nair
