Argument Paragraph Topic Sentence Anchor Chart
What is a summary? A brief statement that distills a large amount of information down to its most important parts.
What should you include in your summary of evidence? The main idea of your evidence.
Sample Argument Paragraph Topic Sentence
People should not eat fast food because it causes health problems.
Sentence dissection
Debatable Claim |
Summary of Evidence
|
People should not eat fast food |
because it causes health problems.
|
Conjunctions
Use words like because and since to join the claim with the summary of evidence.
Practice with Topic Sentences
Dissect These Sample Topic Sentences
Directions:
Circle the debatable claim.
Underline the summary of evidence.
1. Chocolate milk should not be served in school lunches because of its high sugar content.
2. My school lunch isn’t as healthy as it should be since it leaves me feeling sick and tired after I eat it.
3. People should feel free to eat chocolate on a regular basis, despite concerns about obesity in America, because consuming chocolate in moderation can have positive health effects.
TASK 12. Analyze the sample IELTS essay. Underline the Topic Sentence, highlight the evidence and commentary.
It is sometimes argued that too many students go to university, while others claim that a university education should be a universal right.
Discuss both sides of the argument and give your own opinion.
In some advanced countries, it is not unusual for more than 50% of young adults to attend college or university. Critics, however, claim that many university courses are worthless and young people would be better off gaining skills in the workplace. In this essay, I will examine both sides of this argument and try to reach a conclusion.
There are several reasons why young people today believe they have the right to a university education. First, growing prosperity in many parts of the world has increased the number of families with money to invest in their children’s future. At the same time, falling birthrates mean that one- or two-child families have become common, increasing the level of investment in each child. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that young people are willing to let their families support them until the age of 21 or 22. Furthermore, millions of new jobs have been created in knowledge industries, and these jobs are typically open only to university graduates.
However, it often appears that graduates end up in occupations unrelated to their university studies. It is not uncommon for an English literature major to end up working in sales, or an engineering graduate to retrain as a teacher, for example. Some critics have suggested that young people are just delaying their entry into the workplace, rather than developing professional skills. A more serious problem is that the high cost of a university education will mean that many families are reluctant to have more than one child, exacerbating the falling birthrates in certain countries.
In conclusion, while it can be argued that too much emphasis is placed on a university education, my own opinion is that the university years are a crucial time for personal development. If people enter the workplace aged 18, their future options may be severely restricted. Attending university allows them time to learn more about themselves and make a more appropriate choice of career.
TASK 13 Presenting an argument
Read the text below, in which somebody is trying to decide whether to go straight to university from school, or spend a year travelling around the world. Put the argument into the correct order. The first one and last one have been done for you.
Underline the Topic Sentence, highlight the evidence and commentary.
A) I'm ready in two minds about what to do when I leave school. Should I go straight to university or should I spend a year travelling around the world? (1)
B) It is often said that knowledge is the key to power, and I cannot disagree with this.
C) On the one hand, I would experience lots of different cultures.
D) Unfortunately, another point is that if I spent a year travelling I would need a lot of money.
E) And I'm not alone in this opinion. Many consider a sound career and a good salary to be an important goal.
F) However, it could be argued that I would also meet lots of interesting people while I was travelling.
G) Secondly, if I go straight to university, I'll learn so many things that will help me in my future life.
H) First of all, there are so many benefits of going straight to university.
I) But I believe that it would be easy to make a bit while I was travelling, giving English lessons or working in hotels and shops.
J) Moreover, I'll be able to take part in the social activities that the university offers, and meet lots of new friends who share the same interests.
K) The most important point is that the sooner I get my qualifications, the quicker I'll get a job and start earning.
L) Nevertheless, these inconveniences would be an inevitable part of travelling and would be greatly outweighed by the other advantages.
M) In my opinion, starting work and making money is one of the most important things in life.
N) On the other hand, I could end up suffering from culture shock, homesickness and some strange tropical diseases.
O) Furthermore, if I spent a year travelling, I would learn more about the world.
P) All right, I've made my mind up. Now, where's my nearest travel agency? (16)
TASK 14. Academic essays analysis.
Read the given essays on the problem of Cannabis legalization.
Is the argument persuasive? Were you persuaded to agree with the writer? Why or why not?
Does the writer provide enough evidence to prove the claim? (Underline the evidence.)
Analyze the type of evidence
What other evidence would make this an even more persuasive paragraph?
Analyze the credibility of sources of the given evidence
Highlight the claims that the authors state.
Underline the Topic Sentences.
Does the writer provide commentary that explains the evidence, why it’s important and how it proves the claim? (Put a star next to each commentary sentence.)
What method of organization do the main body paragraphs use?
*: explain why the paragraph is organized in this way. How does this organization support the argument?
Prove the essays are Academic style essays (language, Grammar, etc.).
Analyze the structure and organizations (=transitions)