Vocabulary Terms for Writing an Argumentative Essay
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Title
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the name of a work of art or literary composition etc.
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hook
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a compelling sentence at the beginning of a story used to get the reader's attention
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concluding sentence
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The last sentence in a body paragraph. It is all commentary, does not repeat key words, and gives a finished feeling to the paragraph.
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claim
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Your basic belief about a particular topic, issue, event, or idea. To give an argument to support a position.
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thesis statement
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a statement or sentence that states the purpose of a paper or essay
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evidence
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direct quotes and/or information taken from a source to back up a claim
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transition words
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used to show the end of a section and the beginning of a new section
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thesis restatement
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First sentence of conclusion. Reminds the reader of all content reviewing the thesis.
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opposing view
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The contrasting opinion of your thesis statement
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counterclaim
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A solid and reasonable argument that opposes or disagrees with your claim.
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rebuttal
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- A written or verbal response to a counterclaim. The object is to take into account the ideas presented in the counterclaim and explain why they aren't persuasive enough, valid enough, or important enough to outweigh your own claim.
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refutation
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The part of an essay that disproves the opposing arguments.
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context
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This is information that would help a reader or a listener to understand why an issue matters or what is at stake.
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position
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Where you stand on the topic.
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support
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Your specific facts or specific evidence used to support why your claim is true
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refute
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Argue against a position or prove it to be wrong
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qualify
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A "partly-agree" stance in which you agree (in part) with another person's argument or position but also disagree with part of it.
