Day 1

Day 1

Basic essay structure

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Now, let's get down to business. There are many types of essays: descriptive, narrative, argumentative, expository essays, etc. (the list is pretty long!). But don't be scared by all these words, because we're going to be looking at only one essay type during the marathon: argumentative essays.

An argumentative essay is an essay that defends a statement with arguments.

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Necessary vocabulary:

(Click for definitions)

Thesis

Benefit

Claim

Argument

Statement

Counterargument

Drawback

Objective

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What we are going to learn in the next 5 days is how to clearly present your statement/opinion and structure an argumentative essay. To do that, we first need to know some important elements of a structured essay.

You can learn anything. Let's go!

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Hook

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Hook examples

"Every year, about 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans." (fact) "Managing your time effectively is like conducting an orchestra; every task has its place and rhythm." (comparison) "You're in a lifeboat with a maximum capacity of five people, but there are six of you. What do you do?" (question) Sometimes hooks can be rhetorical questions (риторичні питання): Is it important to exercise in the morning?

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Thesis

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Thesis: examples

"There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement." Why is this a bad thesis? Because it doesn't argue for or against a statement: it simply tells us about positive and negative aspects. Remember: we're talking about an argumentative essay, where we should present an opinion and explain why it's right or wrong. So what would be the better version of this thesis?

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Here it is: "Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement causes quick weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and body mass, it might be dangerous to customers." This thesis shows a point (opinion) that can be proven. Does Banana Herb Tea Supplement have more benefits than drawbacks? What are the benefits and the drawbacks? This is exactly what we need to explain in the essay.

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Objectivity

When we are writing an argumentative essay, our arguments need to be objective. In other words, we need to have evidence for our arguments to be true; they can't be based just on your opinion. Evidence - свідчення; докази. Use facts and other objective information for evidence.

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General structure

The general structure of an argumentative essay is: Paragraph 1: Introduction. Include the hook and the thesis (sometimes one sentence can be both the hook and the thesis). Paragraphs 2-3: Main text. Present your arguments/counterarguments and evidence. Paragraph 3: Conclusion. Summarize your arguments in relation to your thesis.

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That's all for now. Good job! You are all done!

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Hook ("гачок")

A hook is the first sentence of an essay, and its goal is to grab the reader’s attention so that they want to continue reading. Example: ""Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen” said Michael Jordan, one of the best players to ever play in the NBA." That sounded interesting, right? I'm sure you want to read the next sentence of the essay when it begins like this. That's exactly what hooks should do.

Your hook can be: a quote, a question, an impressive fact, a joke, or any other statement that sounds impressive as soon as you read it. Be creative!

Thesis (or thesis statement)

A thesis statement should show exactly what your essay will be about. It's the main idea of an essay expressed in one sentence. Good example: "Climate change is caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, deforestation and farming." Bad example: There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement.