Anker Susan. Real Essays with Readings with 2009 MLA Update

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 18 • Argument 307

Dear Senator Kerry:

1 My name is John Around Him, and I am a student at Bunker Hill Com-

munity College in Boston, Massachusetts. I am Native American and a

veteran of the war in Iraq. I know that you, as a veteran of the Vietnam

War, can relate to putting your life on the line in an environment of

gunﬁ re, explosions, chaos, and confusion, wondering if the next second

might be your last. For most young people, being in the middle of a dan-

gerous war — being shot at and surrounded by death and violence — is

not an appealing way to earn money for college. However, for students

like me who do not qualify for federal ﬁ nancial aid, it may be the only

way to go to college, and this is why I am writing to you. The federal

ﬁ nancial aid system needs to be changed because it is not effective in

helping students, especially low-income and minority students, pay for

college.

2 I grew up on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota and

graduated from Little Wound High School in 2001. I was an average

student, with a grade-point average of just under 3.0. I always wanted to

go to college, but I asked myself, “How would I pay for it?” I lived with

a single-parent father and with two other families, and my father would

often help others who needed it. My father was a language teacher, not

highly paid, so for me family ﬁ nancial support for college was out of the

question. I had to ﬁ nd another answer.

3 When I turned to the federal ﬁ nancial aid system, I found that there

is money to help some students pay for college, but none for a student

like me. According to the College Board’s report, “Trends in College

Pricing, 2006,” the average tuition, room, and board costs for public

universities is $12,796 (though many are much more, as is the case here

in Massachusetts) — way out of line for my family’s ﬁ nances. Yet accord-

ing to the ﬁ nancial aid formula, my father made too much money.

4 The formulas used to determine a student’s ﬁ nancial need are

not realistic: They don’t represent the average student’s situation. For

example, according to the formula, to be considered independent (which

largely determines eligibility) a student must meet one of the following

PAUSE: How does

John appeal to his

audience here?

■ COMBINING

MODES: Note John’s

use of narration within

his argument.

PAUSE: Note that

John uses narration

in this paragraph.

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WRITING ESSAYS

308 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

criteria: He or she must be either twenty-four years of age or older,

married, a veteran, or an orphan or ward of the court. Many students

today, however, are ﬁ nancially independent as soon as they graduate

from high school. In 2005, according to the National Center for Edu-

cation Statistics, 64 percent of students at community colleges and 37

percent at public colleges and universities were ﬁ nancially independent.

Fifty-eight percent of those students worked at least thirty-ﬁ ve hours per

week, and 67 percent delayed entering college to earn money to help

pay for it. Still, those under age twenty-four are not considered to be

independent, and their family income is taken into consideration, even

when the student receives no family support. As a result, many students

have to try to meet one of the other eligibility requirements. For too

many, the answer is joining the military, going to war.

5 I am not saying that students should not enlist in the military.

Would I have signed on if I had received ﬁ nancial aid? I don’t know. I

support our troops and enjoyed my time in the service. The military’s

values and discipline and my experiences there have contributed to who

I am today, and I am thankful for that. However, I don’t believe that

students should have to risk their lives to qualify for ﬁ nancial aid.

6 I am writing to you not only on my own behalf but for the well-

being of my family and my country. The federal ﬁ nancial aid system

ignores a majority of students in need of aid. Despite rising tuition costs,

our ﬁ nancial aid options are slim, and more and more students aren’t

able to achieve a college education, our path to success. This problem

is like a cancer; unless treated, it will spread and will hurt our nation’s

future.

Sincerely yours,

John Around Him

1. Double-underline the thesis statement.

2. According to John, what factors make the federal ﬁ nancial aid system

ineffective?

3. What is your reaction to his letter? Is his argument persuasive?

PAUSE: Summarize

what John says

about the criteria

for eligibility. What

kind of evidence

does John use in

this paragraph?

PAUSE: Why is

this conclusion

effective?

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 18 • Argument 309

4. Senator John Kerry is both a veteran and a senator from the state

where John Around Him attends college. What other facts, if any,

make this student’s appeal to the senator likely to be effective? If you

don’t know anything about John Kerry, look up his biography before

you answer.

Although he was a decorated soldier, he was also the founder of the

Vietnam Veterans against the War.

5. What was one immediate effect of John’s letter to Senator Kerry?

Kerry promised to change the rules; John got a good job and made a

valuable ally.

Critical Reading and Writing: Key College Skills

1. Summary. Brieﬂ y summarize each of the three selections, including

the issue, the writer’s position, and the reasons that he or she gives for

taking that position.

2. Analysis. Review each piece’s introduction and conclusion,

which are both essential parts of a good argument. Which introduc-

tion do you think is the strongest and why? Which conclusion

and why?

3. Synthesis. Review Donnie Ney’s essay on “Attendance in College

Classes” and John Around Him’s letter to Senator John Kerry, both

of which concern student rights. Take a position on whether students

are fairly treated by institutions such as a college and the government,

drawing on information in the two example arguments. Use your own

experience, too.

4. Evaluation. Using the four basics of good argument as a measure,

choose the selection that you think is the best example of a good argu-

ment, and explain why.

Write an Argument Essay

In this section you will write your own argument essay based on one of the

following assignments. Before you begin to write, review the four basics of

good argument on page 290. Also, read the Tips for Tackling Argument

in the box on the next page.

■ TEACHING TIP

The Critical Reading

and Writing assign-

ments can be done

either in writing or as

class discussion.

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WRITING ESSAYS

310 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

ASSIGNMENT 1 WRITING ABOUT COLLEGE, WORK,

AND EVERYDAY LIFE

Write an argument essay on one of the following topics or on a topic of your own

choice. Select an issue that you care about so that you can argue powerfully.

COLLEGE

• Persuade one of your teachers to raise the grade on your last assignment

(in a course you are currently taking).

• Defend the following statement: “A college degree means something.”

• Present your instructor with reasons why you should be able to make up

a test that you missed.

• Write a letter to the Student Affairs ofﬁ ce proposing a student service

that does not currently exist.

WORK

• Argue against a company policy that you believe is unfair.

• Argue that you should get a promotion.

• Argue that an employer should or should not have the right to forbid

ofﬁ ce romances.

• Argue that employers should or should not monitor employee e-mail use.

TIPS FOR TACKLING ARGUMENT

Read the assignment carefully, highlighting key words. An

assignment that uses argument might say, Do you agree or

disagree with the following statement?, Defend or refute X,

or Do you believe X? Why or why not?

2. Carefully decide on your position and the evidence that you

can use to support it.

3. Use any of the writing strategies you have learned to make

your reasons forceful. Tell the background story, provide

sensory details, give detailed examples, explain how some-

thing works, break things into categories with examples,

deﬁ ne a term as you are using it, compare two or more

things, or explain how one thing causes another. Respond

in advance to objections that your reader might have.

4. Write a powerful conclusion, showing why your position is

important.

■ Use the diagram on

page 300 to help you

organize.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 18 • Argument 311

EVERYDAY LIFE

• Argue against a rent increase.

• Argue for or against McDonald’s being sued by obese people who have

eaten there regularly.

• Take a stand on a local issue or policy that you believe is unfair.

• Write a letter to your congressional representative asking him or her to

work to change a law or policy that you believe is unfair.

ASSIGNMENT 2 WRITING ABOUT AN IMAGE

The people in the photograph are protesting proposed reductions in federal

rent subsidies for low-income tenants. In cities with high rental costs, the

reductions will force many people out of their homes.

Choose a proposed change that threatens your personal security, and

present an argument against it.

ASSIGNMENT 3 WRITING TO SOLVE A PROBLEM

THE PROBLEM: An alumnus has given your college a large donation that is

intended to improve the quality of student life. The president has set up a

committee to determine several possible uses for the money, and you are one

of the students on that committee.

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WRITING ESSAYS

312 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

THE ASSIGNMENT: Working either on your own or with a small group, ﬁ rst

decide on three possible uses of the money that would improve the quality

of student life. Then, choose one of them, and write a letter to the president

arguing for this use of the donation. Be sure to include solid reasons for your

choice.

RESOURCES: To help you decide which of the three possible uses you will argue

for, you might type into a search engine key words related to areas in need of

improvement at your college (for example, [your college] computer center). List

any Web sites that you use.

ASSIGNMENT 4 WRITING ABOUT READINGS

The examples of argument in this chapter cover the issues of lowering the

drinking age, eliminating mandatory class attendance in college, and revising

unfair federal ﬁ nancial aid provisions. At the heart of each of these issues is a

basic conﬂ ict between individual rights and institutional rules or laws. Keep-

ing this in mind, choose one of the following assignments.

• Choose one of the issues covered in this chapter, and write your own

pro or con argument on the issue, using the evidence that the reading

presents but adding to it with your own. Find at least one other source

(either in print or online) on the subject, and refer to that source to

support your position. Be sure to document your sources.

• Choose a different issue that pits individual rights against institutional

policies. Here are some examples of such topics:

– Should physician-assisted suicide be legal? (See the readings in

Chapter 51.)

– Should a college have the right to censor the college newspaper?

– Should military recruiters be allowed to visit high schools?

– Should same-sex marriage be banned?

– Should marijuana be legalized?

– Should the government be able to continue wiretapping U.S.

residents without a court order?

– Should students have to pass standardized tests to graduate from

high school?

– Should junk food be banned from public elementary and high

schools?

Write an essay responding to the question, and use at least one online or

print source to support your position. Be sure to document the source.

■ RESOURCES

Additional Resources

for Teaching REAL

ESSAYS has visual plan-

ning forms for

argument and the

other essays covered

in Part Two. These

forms are also online at

bedfordstmartins

.com/realessays.

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WRITING ESSAYS

Chapter 18 • Argument 313

• Choose another issue that is important to you. (If you can’t think of

one, try looking through a news magazine or newspaper, or go to

slate.com, salon.com, grist.org, or another news source.) Write

an argument defending your position on the issue, using at least one

source. Document any source that you use.

ASSIGNMENT 5 ARGUMENT WRITING TESTS

Many states and colleges require students to take a timed writing test. Often

the test calls for an argument essay on an assigned issue, and students must

argue for or against the issue, as directed. Many people believe that a good

writer should be able to argue either side of an issue regardless of his or her

personal feelings. Choose one of the following questions, come up with evi-

dence to support both sides of the issue, and write an essay defending one side

or another. Note: Part of the requirement of the essay is to be able to support

each side, so you will need to turn in the support you develop for each side

of the position.

• Should car manufacturers be forced to improve fuel economy, even if

they pass the costs onto consumers?

• Agree or disagree with the following statement: Rap musicians should

be stopped from using lyrics that encourage violence and demean

women.

• Should U.S. citizens be required to vote?

Follow the steps in the Writing Guide below to help you prewrite, draft, revise,

and edit your argument. Check off each step as you complete it.

WRITING GUIDE: ARGUMENT

STEPS IN ARGUMENT HOW TO DO THE STEPS

Focus.

■

■ Before and as you write, think about your position on an

issue and the ways that you can persuade readers to see

things your way. Review the four basics of good argument

on page 290.

Prewrite to explore your

topic.

See Chapter 4 for more

on prewriting (including

freewriting).

■

■ Use a prewriting technique to explore an issue that you

care about and your position on it. Freewriting is a good

technique for many people.

■

■ Consider why the issue is important to you and how it

affects you.

■

■ Think about what reasons you have for your position.

■

■ Take a few minutes to build some energy about the issue.

continued

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WRITING ESSAYS

314 Part Two • Writing Different Kinds of Essays

STEPS IN ARGUMENT HOW TO DO THE STEPS

Write a thesis statement.

The thesis statement of

an argument essay usually

includes the issue and the

writer’s position on that issue.

Issue + Position =

Thesis

The minimum wage should be

raised.

See Chapter 5 for more on

writing a thesis statement.

■

■ Consider your readers and their possible opinions.

■

■ Write a thesis that includes the issue and your position.

Support your thesis

statement.

The major support for an

argument consists of the

reasons for the writer’s

position. These reasons must

be backed by evidence, such

as facts, examples, and expert

opinions.

See Chapter 6 for more on

supporting a thesis statement.

■

■ Think about your readers and the reasons that will convince

them of your position.

■

■ Use a prewriting technique to come up with good reasons

for your position.

■

■ Choose the most persuasive reasons, selecting at least three.

(Drop reasons or evidence that are weak or not directly

related to your position on the issue.)

■

■ Back your reasons with facts, good examples, or expert

opinions. (Consider whether you will need to use outside

sources.)

■

■ Consider and address opposing positions.

Make a plan.

See Chapter 7 for more on

planning.

■

■ Write a plan or outline, arranging your reasons according to

order of importance and saving the most important reason

for last. (See the diagram on p. 300.)

Write a draft.

See Chapter 8 for more on

drafting.

■

■ Write an introduction that gets your readers’ interest

and presents your thesis. See if you can use one of the

introductory techniques in Chapter 8.

■

■ Using your outline, write a topic sentence for each of your

reasons.

■

■ Write body paragraphs with supporting evidence for each of

your reasons.

■

■ Write a concluding paragraph that makes a ﬁ nal case for

your position based on the reasons you have presented.

■

■ Title your essay.

Revise your draft.

See Chapter 9 for more on

revising a draft.

■

■ Ask another person to read and comment on your draft.

■

■ Cut any reasons that don’t directly support your point or

that seem weak.

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Chapter 18 • Argument 315

STEPS IN ARGUMENT HOW TO DO THE STEPS

Revise your draft (cont.).

■

■ Add reasons and evidence that might help convince readers

of your position.

■

■ Add transitions to move readers smoothly from one reason

to another.

■

■ Rewrite your thesis statement to make it more concrete and

forceful.

■

■ Reread your introduction to make sure that it states your

position with conﬁ dence and hooks your readers.

■

■ Reread your conclusion to make sure it reminds readers of

your position and makes a ﬁ nal pitch for it.

■

■ Make sure that the essay as a whole is energetic and drives

home your point.

■

■ Make at least ﬁ ve changes to your draft to improve its unity,

support, or coherence (see pp. 127–40).

■

■ Check to make sure the draft follows the four basics of good

argument.

Edit your draft.

See Parts Four through Seven

for more on editing.

■

■ Use the spell checker and grammar checker on your

computer, but also reread your essay carefully to catch any

errors.

■

■ Look for errors in grammar, spelling, or punctuation. Focus

ﬁ rst on sentence fragments, run-ons, errors in subject-verb

agreement, verb errors, and other areas where you often

make mistakes.

■

■ Ask yourself: Is this the best I can do?

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