Drafting your argument essay

A-89

Draft a working thesis in the following space. The working thesis should be stated as a clear position on a debatable issue and be supported by specific, persuasive evidence.

Question

Drafting your argument essay - 1

Click Save to save your work and return to it. Click Submit to record your activity in your instructor's gradebook. You can also review your response in the gradebook at any time.

Begin to draft by breaking your thesis—main claim—into two, three, or four subclaims. Doing so allows you to plan the parts of your argument. See an example.

Checklist for constructing an argument

Question

Drafting your argument essay - 2

Click Save to save your work and return to it. Click Submit to record your activity in your instructor's gradebook. You can also review your response in the gradebook at any time.

Write a first draft of your argument essay in your word processing program. Because it is often helpful to get some feedback on an early draft (Is my argument clear? Have I countered opposing arguments? Is my evidence persuasive?), exchange papers with a classmate or two for peer review and feedback.

Tips for peer reviewers