ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

To all ENG 142 students:

For today's class I want you to go through the following notes on argumentative essay writing. Make sure you read and understand everything in the notes! This is because for the next class I will teach you more on argumentative essay and after that all of you will have to write an argumentative essay.

WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

• In writing an argumentative essay, you will have to make a statement or give an opinion on a particular issue and then support it with reasons, facts and examples.
• Argumentative writing-the point you make is debatable or open to question, which means that it may not be readily accepted by some of your readers.
• An argumentative essay is like a debate where one side is in favour of and the other side is against the issue being debated.
• However, an argumentative essay is in written form whereas a debate is in spoken form.

PLANNING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

It is useful to prepare an outline first before writing an argumentative essay. The outline includes the points that will help you to write a complete argumentative essay.


INTRODUCTION
Arouse the reader’s interest, introduce the subject and highlight its importance
State your stand on the subject

DEVELOPMENT
Indicate one or two of the more important arguments against your position
Refute the positions you have just stated
Present additional arguments in support of your position

CONCLUSION
Restate your position on the issue
Present an emotional appeal for your position, perhaps warning what might happen if your position is not accepted.






TEENAGERS AND JOBS

“The pressure for a teenager to work is great, and not just because of the economic plight in the world today. Much of it is peer pressure to have a little bit of freedom and independence and to have their own spending money. The concern we have is when the part-time work becomes the primary focus.” These are the words of Roxanne Bradshaw, educator and officer of the National Education Association. Many people argue that working can be a valuable experience for the young. However, working more than about fifteen hours a week is harmful to adolescents because it reduces their involvement with school, encourages a materialistic and expensive lifestyle and increases the chance of having problems with drugs and alcohol.

Schoolwork and the benefits of extracurricular activities tend to go by the wayside when adolescents work long hours. As more and more teens have filled the numerous part-time jobs offered by fast-food restaurants and malls, teachers have faced increasing difficulties. They must both keep the attention of tired pupils and give homework to students who simply do not have time to do it. In addition, educators have noticed less involvement in the extracurricular activities that many consider a healthy influence on young people. School bands and athletic teams are losing players to work and sports events are poorly attended by working students. Those teens who try to do it all for examples homework, extracurricular activities and work may find themselves exhausted and prone to illness. A recent newspaper story, for example, described a girl in Pennsylvania who came down with mononucleosis as a result of aiming for good grades, playing on two school athletic teams and working thirty hours a week.

Another drawback of too much work is that it may promote materialism and an unrealistic lifestyle. Some parents claim that working helps teach adolescents the value of dollar. Undoubtedly that can be true. It is also true that some teens work to help out with the family budget or to save for college. However, surveys have shown that the majority of working teens use their earnings to buy luxuries such as video game systems, CD players and disks, clothing and even cars. These young people, some of whom earn $400 or more a month, do not worry about spending wisely as because they can just about have it all. In many cases, experts point out, they are becoming accustomed to a lifestyle they would not be able to afford several years down the road, when they no longer have parents paying for car insurance, food, lodging and so on. At that point they will be hard-pressed to pay for necessities as well as luxuries.

Finally, teenagers who work a lot are more likely than others to get involved with alcohol and drugs. Teens who put in long hours may seek a quick release from stress, just like the adults who need to drink a couple of martinis after a hard day at work. Stress is probably greater in our society today than it has been at any time in the past. Also, teens who have money are more likely to get involved with drugs.

Teenagers can enjoy the benefits of work while avoiding its drawbacks, simply by limiting their work hours during the school year. As is often the case a moderate approach will be the most healthy and rewarding.



REFERENCE

L, John. 2000. College writing skills: fifth edition. Singapore: McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.