Structuring an Argument
Plan a clear line of argument, explain the links between paragraphs, answer the strongest relevant opposing case fairly, and reach a conclusion that fits the evidence.
What a learner can do afterwards
- State the line of argument in one sentence before drafting
- Answer a counter-argument at its strongest rather than a weak version of it
- Order paragraphs so readers encounter needed ideas before the points that use them
1 · Read
You have checked claims and their support. Now draft your own main claim, or thesis, in one sentence. Make it specific and supportable. A disputed factual claim can be a thesis; an agreed background fact usually needs no argument. Keep qualifications the evidence needs. This working claim can change as you investigate.
Plan each paragraph's job. Explain a problem before assessing a remedy, or define a standard before applying it. Other paragraphs may give independent reasons for the same claim. Make those links clear. Remove material with no role in the argument. Change the thesis when relevant findings call for a different position, not merely to keep an unrelated paragraph.
Present the strongest relevant objection accurately, including its reasons. Answer those reasons with evidence. If there are not enough staff for longer library hours, calling critics lazy does not address staffing. Acknowledge valid concerns and check whether a supported revision addresses them. If an objection defeats a central promise, revise or abandon that promise. Your first position need not survive.
Place strong evidence where readers can understand and assess it. They may need it early, or after a definition or earlier finding. There is no rule that the strongest point belongs last. Explain essential new evidence in the body. In the conclusion, bring together what the discussion supports and state any limits on the claim.
Draft a supportable claim, explain paragraph links, answer objections fairly, and let the evidence shape your conclusion.
Original lesson, practice questions and flashcards written for this learning dataset.
Four original readings and six flashcards written for this learning dataset. Linked videos by Khan Academy.
More to read
Planning a claim you can investigate
A plan starts with a working answer to the essay's question. State the position you want to support, then ask what a reader would need to know to assess it.
Imagine proposing a school instrument-loan scheme. Questions about demand, repairs and available instruments would help you investigate the proposal. They are questions to answer, not facts the plan lets you assume.
Include a serious objection. If maintenance costs make the scheme unaffordable, investigate a smaller version. Do not announce that the smaller version works before checking it. Your findings might support a revised proposal or a different decision.
An outline gives the investigation direction. It does not require you to defend your first answer after the evidence changes.
Checking the scope of a thesis
For this planning exercise, draft your thesis in one sentence. State a claim that needs reasons or evidence. It might concern a disputed event, an interpretation or a proposed action.
Check its scope. A claim about every pupil is broader than a claim about the pupils who answered a survey. Words such as 'all' and 'always' need support that reaches every case they cover. A qualification can make the claim more accurate.
Now compare the thesis with your paragraph plan. Each paragraph should contribute to the argument, though different paragraphs may offer independent reasons. If research changes the position you can support, revise the thesis. If a paragraph is unrelated, remove it instead of changing the subject to keep it.
Giving each paragraph a job
Write a brief note for each planned paragraph. Say what it contributes and what evidence it needs. These notes help you spot missing links before drafting full paragraphs.
A paragraph comparing two proposals may need the comparison standard explained first. A paragraph assessing a remedy may need readers to understand the problem. Other paragraphs can supply separate reasons for the same decision.
Read the notes in order. Could a reader follow each move? If a later point uses an idea that has not appeared, move the explanation earlier. If two points are independent, make their shared connection to the thesis clear.
The outline helps you organize reasoning. It does not automatically make paragraphs short or establish that their claims are true.
Testing your response to an objection
An objection deserves the same checks as your own claim. Identify what it says, the reasons behind it and the evidence offered. Present the strongest relevant version accurately before responding.
Suppose a proposal would use a room that another club already needs. Praising your proposed activity does not answer the scheduling concern. A different room might address it, but you would first need to check that room's availability and suitability.
Sometimes a concern can be resolved. Sometimes it requires a narrower proposal or a different conclusion. Do not treat acknowledging it as resolving it.
Before finishing, compare the response with the original concern. Does it answer that concern's reasons, and have you established the information your response relies on?
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2 · Watch
به انگلیسیTake it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.