In WP Three, you’re making an argument, not analyzing one. Your paper should have a clear thesis statement. Sometimes, students are intimidated by this requirement, but it’s not difficult. A “thesis statement” is simply a sentence that briefly describes the purpose of your paper. Since WP Three requires you to make a recommendation, a sentence that announces your recommendation will serve you well.
“For people considering a first trip to Europe, I recommend visiting Paris.”
“Recent college graduates looking for a big city should move to Portland, Oregon.”
“A good car for a college graduate is a Honda Civic.”
These sentences would all work as thesis statements for WP Three. You all have good topics; creating the thesis statement should be easy.
Once you’ve created the thesis, you should think about the organization of your paper: what supporting points will you use for your argument? If someone reads your thesis and asks “why?” supporting points will answer those questions. They should also be the topic (or first) sentences of your paper’s body paragraphs. Clear supporting reasons accomplish two important tasks in a written argument. First, they provide your argument with a clear structure; they guide a reader through your argument. Second, they focus your writing on the argument, acting as a consistent reminder that you’re providing the reader with information for a specific purpose. Think of them as secondary thesis statements—ask yourself “why” to discover the best supporting reasons.
“Paris is a great European destination because it’s home to many world-famous landmarks.”
“Portland offers recent college graduates a variety of career options.”
“The Honda Civic is an inexpensive, yet reliable, car.”
Supporting reasons should look something like this. The paragraphs that would follow each of these sentences would then offer the evidence for those reasons. For example, the Paris paragraph would discuss various Parisian landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, The Arc de Triomphe, and Notre Dame Cathedral.
Along with providing your argument with structure, give careful thought to how you will appeal to your reader. We discussed the three appeals—pathos, logos, and ethos—as a way of analyzing arguments. How will your paper make these appeals to your reader? A good argument should make use of each of the appeals. You can’t have a paragraph that starts with “Now, I’m going to appeal to your emotions.” Instead, think of evidence that may connect with your reader on an emotional level. How does your recommendation meet your readers’ desires? If you’re suggesting college advice, you might discuss how your choice helps better prepare readers for their future. Specific details like costs, available options, fuel mileage, etc can all be effective appeals to reason, or logos. Identifying and properly citing your sources, editing and formatting your paper, and acknowledging the weaknesses of your recommendation all help make you credible, establish your ethos.
How much of each appeal is present in each of your reasons will vary. What’s important is that your paper overall is using each of the appeals. Along with all of the other important decisions you will make when drafting the paper, you will also have to think about how your argument connects with your audience. As you’re planning and/or drafting, feel free to email me with any questions. We don’t meet face to face, but you should think of me as a resource. I’m here to help you.
