Essay #6 (Argumentation) 15% Minimum Length: 900 wordshttps://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/1/Alternatively called ‘taking a position,’ this is a assignment. You’re working with purepersuasion, and your goal is to convince your reader of the legitimacy of your point of view.How you do that can be accomplished in many different ways. If you like the Ancient Greeks’approach, you’ll focus on pathos (emotion), logos (logic), and ethos (tone and overall impressionyou make). Instead of looking at how to persuade someone, sometimes it’s useful to think abouthow you would put together an utterly unconvincing piece of persuasive writing. Going about itthat way can be fun — think about the big credibility destroyers out there. Here are just a few:bias, incorrect facts, outright lies, personal attacks, emotional rants and diatribes, completedisregard for the audience’s views and values, and random, Jackson Pollack-esque paint-splattertype of organization. It might even be fun to write something that fails miserably as a persuasivedocument. I hesitate to do so, though. What if it sticks and it’s all I can do? I feel the same kindof hesitation I feel when I think about imitating a thick Southern accent. What if my mouth andvoice ‘stick’ and it’s all I can do from now on? Scary! But, all rambling and ruminating aside, Ithink that the more we experiment with the argumentation essay and its form, the more weunderstand what’s at the heart of persuasion.Elements to include:ˆThe rhetorical situation – what do you want you reader to do after reading your paper?What do you want them to think, do, act, or express?Background and contexts — and mini-lit review if necessaryMain idea / primary thesis Support for your idea — evidence paragraphsBody paragraphs — each topic sentence ties to the primary thesisThe other side — accommodating other viewpointsStatistics, examples, case studies, testimonials — let’s show how we can supporteverything we need to supportConclusion … with thoughts, even if there are issues (pique curiosity — make your readerwant to follow whatever you write)
