Essay writing – making an argument
A model for essay writing – similar model with example next page:
Introduction: essential information that leads to thesis
Examples: CCTV means many cameras in public places, which helps the police to
solve crimes. At the same time, CCTV means you’re being watched everywhere you
go.
Thesis: The discussion in a nutshell – often a key question
Is CCTV a good thing?
Argument 1: It helps solve crimes. If the police can identify the criminal…
Supporting idea/information: violent crimes in places such as gas stations and
parks has gone down … The police can often catch criminals more quickly…
Argument 2: You are being watched all the time – it makes people insecure…
Supporting idea/information: Who has the video footage, and for how long can it
be stored?
(additional arguments and supporting information/ideas)
- Misuse of information
-
Conclusion:
 Summarize the arguments
 Assess the arguments
Rules for effective communication: Paul Grice (1975)
Gricean norms: adapted from
http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/fass/projects/stylistics/topic12/14cp1.htm
Quantity
Quality
Structure
Style
 BE PRECISE: give your readers as much
information as they need, not more, not
less
 BE INFORMATIVE: give your reader
important information/thoughts
 BE TRUTHFUL: Don’t lie about what you
don’t know, and back up your points
with evidence
 BE RELEVANT: stick to your key point;
don’t stray, and finish a point before you
start another
 BE RESPECTFUL: don’t swear, don’t talk
down to your reader, don’t pretend to
know your reader, don’t use irony or
sarcasm
From everyday conversation to writing:

Ronaldo is the fucking best football player in the whole
world.
Christiano Ronaldo is perhaps the best football player in
the world. He has won ‘Best player in the world’ 3 times,
and he has scored more goals than any other player in
the big European football leagues.

To start out with, Harry is NOT pretty! He is so pleased
with himself, he just thinks he is so pretty.
Harry Styles is one out of 4 members in the band One
Direction. Some fans believe that Harry is the leader of
the band and that he is the pretty boy in the band. I don’t
agree. I think Harry is a bit arrogant and tries to get
people to notice him instead of the whole band.

I think that One D is the lamest band ever.
One Direction is a popular band with a lot of fans all over
the world right now. I really don’t understand that,
because their music is not my style. I respect musicians
who write their own songs, and I don’t think One
Direction write their own songs.
Links
material and examples here: http://www.eslflow.com/Acargumentativessay.html
http://www.syracusecityschools.com/tfiles/folder722/unit04-Transition_Words_for_Argument.pdf
1 page – good words/phrases for connecting an essay
http://www.smart-words.org/linking-words/transition-words.html list with more transition words (for the
advanced learner)
http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/reading-worksheets/fact-and-opinion-worksheet.pdf (there are
many worksheets on this site; these are the only ones I really like. ‘Fact or opinion’ could be a good warmup for discussion/essay writing) Another good example here is for making the opening statement:
http://www.ereadingworksheets.com/writing-worksheets/creating-persuasive-attention-catchers.pdf