Day 27/28: Introduction to argumentative paper

Goals: You will be able to... 
  • find out what an argumentative paper (your final paper) is
  • learn how to choose a good topic for your paper 
  • learn the difference between "essay" and a "research paper"    
Task 1: Debatable vs. non-debatable thesis statement (premise)
Task 2: Read the following argumentative paper topics from previous semester and pick 3 best and 3 worst topics. Discuss the reasons in your group.
  • Basic form of argumentative paper topics (thesis):
    - Topic (debatable issue) + position
    1. The death penalty should be abolished. 
    2. “Made in China” products are not harmful to the US economy.    
    3. Eating chocolate is beneficial for health.  
    4. Eating breakfast is important for better academic performance.
    5. Disinfection of the effluent of Chicago’s Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) is an unnecessary investment at this time.
    6. Using technology in classroom should be encouraged for its several benefits.
    7. Ethanol is an ideal liquid fuel to replace gasoline for energy independence and security. 
Task 3: How to choose a good paper topic   
Task 4: Supporting arguments & evidence  
Homework: Submit two tentative topics (thesis statements) by Monday, Nov 5. 
ESL 114 N Topic Submission
ESL 114 H Topic Submission 


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