Argumentative Writing Terminology

Interesting sentence, phrase, or quotation that catches the readers attention. This is found at the beginning of an essay (often the first line) and introduces the topic, tone, or theme of the essay. - anecdote, interesting facts, humorous story, personal experience(s), etc.

A paragraph that has a statement at the beginning that \"hooks\" the reader into an explanation as to the main point of the essay and goes on to define the argument in question, then list the main points that will be proven, and ends with a statement that says what side the argument the author is taking.

A position taken in an argument supported by a set of reasons and presented as a single (compound/complex) sentence that is usually found at the very end of the introductory paragraph of an argumentative essay.

A person or a group of people that are affected by the topic of argument.

A belief statement, usually supported by evidence

A statement that logically justifies your claim - it can be a fact or an opinion supported by facts (evidence)

The specific pieces of information that support a claim. It can take the form of facts, quotations, examples, statistics, or personal experiences.

The opposing view or opposite idea and the reasoning behind it.

To prove wrong by argument or evidence. It's a statement that highlights or explains what's wrong with an opponent's argument.

A paragraph that states if your thesis was proven and goes on to summarize all the main points of the essay (stated as fact now that they've been proven) in order to make a final, now fully supported claim, regarding your stance in an argument you've fully developed. In an argument, it will also have a \"call to action\" where you ask the readers to either act a certain way, change their way of thinking, or do something specific.

A sentence that wraps up your argument by summarizing the main idea.

a speaker's (you the author) specific appeal to the audience to respond to the speaker's persuasive goal. It will be something the reader must *do, *think/attitude adjustment, or *change about themselves.