The AP Argumentative Essay

AP English Language and Composition** Information taken from 5 Steps to a 5, Second Edition by Barbara L. Murphy

and Estelle M. Rankin, McGraw-Hill Publishers, New York, 2007

The AP Argumentative Essay

Most frequently, the AP exam will present you with a prompt that could be a brief excerpt, a quotation, a statement, or an anecdote. . .

The Argumentative Essay

In this type of essay, you will be asked to do the following:– Understand the nature of the position taken in

the prompt– Take a specific stand- agree, disagree, or

qualify- with the assertion in the prompt– Clearly and logically support your claim using

your own experience, reading, and/or observations

• What does it mean to: – Agree? I think about this subject in the same

way as the writer/speaker.– Disagree? I think the writer/speaker is totally

wrong.– Qualify? I think some of what is said is

correct and some of what is said is incorrect.

• Regardless of the synonyms used, these are your only three choices on the argumentative essay.

Classical (Ciceronian) Formula for an Argument

• Present the issue/situation/problem

• State your writer’s assertion/claim/thesis

• Support your claim

• Acknowledge and respond to real or possible opposing views

• Make your final comment or summary of the evidence

Logical Appeals

• Ethical (Ethos)- an appeal to the reader’s good sense, good will, and desire to “do the right thing”

• Emotional (Pathos)- an appeal to the reader’s fear, patriotism, etc.

• Logical (Logos)- an appeal to inductive and deductive reasoning

Induction and Deduction

• Induction: forming a generalization from a set of specific examples; premises make the conclusion certain

Example: Margo has 17 stuffed teddy bears, 3 stuffed cows, 11 stuffed monkeys, 4 stuffed camels, and 6 stuffed elephants. Margo likes to collect stuffed animals.

Induction and Deduction

• Deduction: reaching a probable conclusion based on given premises; uses the syllogism, a format which consists of a major premise, a minor premise, and a conclusion; goes from the general to the specific

Example:– Major Premise: All lions are cats– Minor Premise: Leonard is a lion.– Conclusion: Therefore, Leonard is a cat.

Watch out for Logical Fallacies!!!

Logical Fallacies

• Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories:– Non sequitur argument: Latin for “does not follow”;

argument where the conclusion does not follow from the premise.

• Example: Diane graduated from Vassar. She will make a great lawyer.

– Begging the Question: where the writer assumes in his assertion/premise/thesis something that has yet to be proved

• Example: Taking Geometry is a waste of time. High school students should not be required to take this course.

Logical Fallacies

• Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories:– Circular Reasoning: restates the premise rather

than giving a reason for holding that premise• Example: I like to eat out because I enjoy different foods and

restaurants.– Straw-man Argument: the speaker/writer attributes

false or exaggerated characteristics or behaviors to the opponent and attacks him on those falsehoods or exaggerations

• Example: You say you support allowing people under eighteen to drive. I will never understand why weak-willed drivers like you are willing to risk your life and the lives of all other drivers with these crazy teenagers on the road!

Logical Fallacies

• Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories:– Ad hominem Argument: technique that attacks the

person rather than dealing with the issue under discussion

• Example: We all know Sam has several speeding tickets on his record. How can we trust him to vote for us on the issue of a trade agreement with Europe?

– Hasty Generalization: drawing a conclusion about an entire group based on evidence that is insufficient

• Example: The veterinarian discovered a viral infection in five beagles. All beagles must be infected with it.

Logical Fallacies

• Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories:– Overgeneralization: often called stereotyping; here,

the speaker/writer draws a conclusion about a large number of people, ideas, etc. based on very limited evidence

• Example: All members of Group A are not to be trusted.

– Post-Hoc Argument: cites an unrelated event that occurred earlier as the cause of a current situation

• Example: I saw a black cat run across the street in front of my car five minutes before I was hit by a foul ball at the ball park. Therefore, the black cat is the cause of my bruised arm.

Logical Fallacies

• Logical fallacies are mistakes in reasoning and fall into several categories:– Either/Or Argument or False Dilemma:

writer/speaker asserts that there are only two possibilities, when in reality, there are more

• Example: Tomorrow is April 15; therefore, I must mail in my tax return, or I will be arrested.

Kinds of Support/Evidence for the Argumentative Essay

• Facts/Statistics• Details• Quotations• Dialogue• Needed Definitions• Recognition of the opposition• Examples• Anecdotes• Comparison and Contrast• Cause and Effect• Appeal to Authority

Does it Matter what tone I take on an argumentative essay?

• Not really…the College Board is open to a variety of approaches on this type of essay.

• Just be sure that your choice of tone is appropriate for your purpose.

Will I be penalized for taking a unpopular or unusual position on the given issue?

• No, as long as you are addressing the prompt and appropriately supporting your position, you will not lose points for taking a “different” approach.

• Your essay is graded for process and mastery of language, not for how close you come to agreeing with your reader’s viewpoint.

Planning Your Time on the Argumentative Essay

• 1- 3 Minutes: reading and working the prompt

• 3 Minutes: Deciding on a position

Planning Your Time on the Argumentative Essay

• 10 minutes: Planning the support of your position

• 20 Minutes: writing your essay, based on your preparation

• 3 Minutes: proofreading