If you read each paragraph carefully you will find that the essay does answer all the anticipated arguments. By preparing this type of graphic organizer for your paper before you write, you are setting up your organization pattern. By composing it after you write, you can list all the points you made and then fill in the opposing viewpoints to see if you answered them. If you haven’t, you can go back and revise your work to make it more convincing. | Now go back and look at the essay. Does the con column answer all the arguments anticipated by the pro side If you read each paragraph carefully you will find that the essay does answer all the anticipated arguments. By preparing this type of graphic organizer for your paper before you write you are setting up your organization pattern. By composing it after you write you can list all the points you made and then fill in the opposing viewpoints to see if you answered them. If you haven t you can go back and revise your work to make it more convincing. The pro con chart is then both a pre-writing and a revision strategy. Selecting facts and details As important as it is to know how to write body paragraphs it is just as important to know what to put into them. You ve often heard arguments defined as solid. That means that the argument is based on strong evidence empirical data and reliable verifiable sources. In other words you re not going to argue that teenage smoking is bad because your mother said so. You re going to argue that it is an unhealthy habit because you have scientific data that proves it to be habit forming. You re not going to say that Tipper Gore should be denied her request for record labeling simply because you ve heard Purple Rain and three of your friends found it to be perfectly clean. You d go to the arguments founded in the Bill of Rights. Who better to support your argument than Thomas Jefferson and James Madison Finding the examples facts data and empirical evidence to support your claim is called research and the more careful you are in choosing your information the more powerful you can make your case. It is important to comment about plagiarism at this point. As you research what others have to say about your topic you will find that someone has invariably said what you want to say better than you can ever hope to. But you cannot steal someone else s words any more than you can steal his or her money. Plagiarism is just that stealing .
