Introductory essay
Read What is Argumentation? (pp. 6-11) in the Introduction 1 of the English 200: Expository Writing II textbook.
Then complete the Introductory Assignment and upload it to this assignment.
Your Assignment: Identify a time when you were OR were not successful in persuading an audience (a person or a group of people) to act upon, agree with, or believe a particular idea.
• What was your main point?
• What reasons did you provide in your attempt at persuasion?
• Why were you (un)persuasive with this topic and this particular audience? Explain what caused your success or failure.
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate your awareness of argumentation at the start of the semester.
It also introduces the teacher to your writing ability and style. This assignment is introductory, and therefore it is a low-stakes assignment. You will be given full points for completing the assignment.
Pre-Writing:
To help you complete this assignment, consider the follow prompts:
• What formal and informal groups/organizations/communities do you belong to? (classes, clubs, societies, church/religious, dorms/floors, neighborhoods, jobs/staff, sports teams, sororities/fraternities, families, etc.)
• What controversies/disagreements/issues exist within these groups? What are/were your ideas about these issues? Have you participated in discussions? What were your opinions and reasons?
• Who did you try to persuade? Were these attempts formal, addressed to governing bodies, committees, councils, etc.? Or were these attempts informal, addressed to discussion participants, friends, colleagues, etc.?
• Were you successful in your persuasive arguments? Why/Why not?