Organizing Your Argument

Purdue OWL staf
Brought to you in cooperation with the Purdue Online Writing Lab

What is an
Argument?
An argument involves the process of…
establishing a claim and then
proving it with the use of
•

logical reasoning,

•

examples, and

•

research.

The Importance of
Organization
Why is organization important in argument?
Guides an audience through your reasoning process. Ofers a clear explanation of each argued point.
Demonstrates the credibility of the writer.

Organizing
Your Argument
 Title
 Introduction
• Thesis statement
 Body Paragraphs
• Constructing Topic Sentences
• Building Main Points
• Countering the Opposition
 Conclusion

Why You Need A Title
Title: (1) introduces the topic of discussion to the audience and (2) generates reader interest in the argument. Tip: Use active verbs in titles
For example:
Clean Campus  Cleaning up Campus With
Recycling Bins or Reducing Rubbish: Recycling on
Campus

Considering Titles

Imagine you just wrote a paper ofering solutions to the problem of road rage.
Which do you consider to be the best title?
Road Rage
Can’t Drive 55
Road Rage: Curing Our Highway Epidemic

What is an
Introduction?
Introduction: acquaints the reader with the topic and purpose of the paper.
An introduction ofers a plan for the ensuing argument: Introduction: Tell them what you’re going to tell them. Body: Tell them.
Conclusion: Tell them what you told them

Methods for
Constructing an
Introduction
 Personal anecdote
 Example—real or hypothetical
 Question
 Quotation
 Shocking statistics
 Striking image

What is a
Thesis Statement?
 It is the most important sentence in your paper.
 It lets the reader know the main idea of the paper.  It answers the question: “What am I trying to prove?”  It is not a factual statement, but a claim that has to be proven throughout the paper

Role of the
Thesis Statement
1. The thesis statement should guide your reader through your argument.
2. It is generally located in the introduction of the paper. 3. A thesis statement may also be located within the body of the paper or in the conclusion, depending upon the purpose or argument of the paper.

Thesis Practice

Choose a thesis for an argument about the need for V-chips in television sets?
Parents, often too busy to watch television shows with their families, can monitor their children’s viewing habits with the aid of the V-chip.
To help parents monitor their children’s viewing habits, the V-chip should be a required feature for television sets sold in the U.S.
This paper will describe a V-chip and examine the uses of the V-chip in American-made television sets.

Body Paragraphs and
Topic Sentences
Body paragraphs: (1) build upon the claims made in the introductory paragraph(s); (2) are organized with the use of topic sentences that illustrate the main idea of each paragraph.
Tip: Ofering a brief explanation of the history or recent developments of topic within the early body paragraphs can help the audience become familiarized with your topic and the complexity of the issue. Body Paragraphs

Paragraphs may be ordered in several ways, depending upon the topic and purpose of your argument: Ofering a