Read the following three examples of argument — from college, the workplace, and everyday life — and answer the questions that accompany them. As you read, notice that argument uses many of the other kinds of writing you have studied to support a position. It may tell a story, give examples, describe something, explain how something works, break a large point into categories, define a term, compare two or more things, or show cause and effect.

For each essay, review the Four Basics of Good Argument (“Understand What Argument Is”) and practice the critical reading process explained in Chapter 1.