Structuring An Argument& Paragraph Structure (PEEL)

JC1 Term 1 2014Essay Skills 3

What we have covered

• Skills Lecture #1Structure of an Essay + Question Analysis

• Skills Lecture #2Writing an Introduction

Skills Lecture #3Structuring an Argument

Overview of Lecture

• What is an argument?• What is a sound argument?• How to structure an argument in a paragraph:

The PEEL structure (SAJC’s)– Point– Evidence/Example– Evaluation– Link

The Essential Questions

• What is a claim? • What are its premises?• How do we proved a sound or reasonable

premise for our arguments?• What is the basic structure of a paragraph?• What variations can be made to paragraph

structure?

Your Enduring Understandings

• An argument comprises of a claim, a premise and examples.

• A sound argument is when the premise for the claim is sensible and support the claim with valid examples.

• In essays, the argument will be structured according to the PEEL style: the Point, Evidence, Evaluation and Link.

What is an argument?

• Sherlock: Deduction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYlVBhwfvL4

What is an argument?

An argument consists of• An idea [the claim]• Reasons for coming up with the idea [the

premises]• Proof that makes the idea ‘real’ [the evidence]An argument is thus a logical statement backed by evidence.An argument is not just the claim alone.

What is a claim?

Thus, a CLAIM is• Contentious

(somebody may disagree with it)• NOT a factBecause a claim lacks justification and

evidence.You may thus see a claim as an incomplete

argument.

Fact vs. Opinion

Which of the following statements are facts?1. In the solar system, the earth revolves around the

sun.2. Michael Keaton was a better Batman than

Christian Bale.3. Capital punishment should be abolished.4. Frozen (2013) is an Disney animated film.5. Censorship is bad.

F

O

OFO

How to identify a claim

It is not easy to tell when an argument is being presented, but all arguments have a claim. • By position

can be found at the beginning or at the end of a paragraph

• By content not a fact, but presents a view/opinion

• By signals markers or words

Position of Claim

“Sport divides more than it unites.” To what extent do you agree with this view?

Sport manages to unite people on the same team because everyone in the team has a common goal. The sportsmen, audience and supporters all want victory and this generates team spirit as all are unified around a common goal. The pride and passion displayed by all the members of this cast help to set the atmosphere and draw in even more support.

Position of Claim

“Children today are no longer able to enjoy their childhood.” Is this true of children in our society?As a result of society’s high regard for education and its emphasis on high academic achievement, parents today are keen on giving their children an early advantage in life. This creates the high and increasing demand for tuition or mental stimulation classes that is the cause of children no longer being able to enjoy their childhood. Such classes may hinder the emotional development and enjoyment of a child’s early years by placing unnecessary stress on the child. Thus, it would be reasonable to say that a growing emphasis on childhood education reduces or removes the enjoyment of childhood today.

Signals indicating Claims

• The claim is often signalled by the presence of one of the following words or phrases.

Therefore/So… Firstly…Consequently… Secondly…Hence/Thus… it follows that…justifies the belief that… which proves that…which implies that…

RECAP

An argument is…• a series of connected statements [premises] that are

intended to establish• a definite proposition [claim]

The premises are given in SUPPORT of a claim, to give others good reasons to believe that what you are asserting is true rather than false.

Thus the objective of an argument is to persuade the audience.

The Premises

• Since the statements are supposed to form a coherent whole, the following phrases can be used to connect the statements to form a chain of reasoning.

Some indicators for Reasoning– because…– for…– since…– follows from the fact that…– the reason being…– may be inferred from the fact that...

Is this an argument?

Snakes are dangerous. They slither around in

areas with tall grass. They make strange hissing

noises.

Is this an argument?

• Snakes are dangerous. [Claim]

• They slither around in areas with tall grass. [...? Does this support the claim?]

• They make strange hissing noises. […? I can hiss strangely too, so therefore I’m a dangerous snake too… Really?]

Is this an argument?

Snakes are dangerous. They sometimes attack

people. Such attacks often leave the victims very

badly injured. Moreover, they slither around in

areas with tall grass, so we cannot see them

when they are about to attack.

Is this an argument?

• Snakes are dangerous. [Claim]• They sometimes attack people. [Support #1]• Such attacks often leave the victims very badly

injured. [Support #2]• Moreover, they slither around in areas with

tall grass, so we cannot see them when they are about to attack. [Support #3]

What is a SOUND argument?

• Argument = claim + premise(s)

versus

• SOUND argument = claim + valid premise(s)

Note: validity and truth are not the same thing.

Argument

The teacher is pretty, so I will learn a lot this year.

Is the premise valid?The premise is invalid because it DOES NOT

SUPPORT the claim, not because it is inaccurate.(although you may not agree the teacher is pretty…)

claimsignaller

premise

Structuring a paragraph

P- Point E- Evidence/ Example E- EvaluationL- Link

PEEL

• The point consists of two parts. Firstly, it expresses the main idea, topic or focus of the paragraph in a sentence or a collection of sentences. This is the claim.

• Secondly, it should contain the reasons that back up the claim. This is the premise.

• A point must be clear and directly relevant to the question and your stand.

• It must be noted that the point can be found anywhere in a paragraph.

PEEL

The Point

“A topic sentence should ensure that the focus of the subsequent paragraph is clearly rooted in the demands of the question. Topic sentences often gave a clear sense of the developing argument with indicator words and phrases such as 'Furthermore', 'Moreover' and 'On the other hand...' signalling the direction of the discussion”

(2008 A level examiners’ report)]

PEEL

Cambridge Examiner’s Report

• On what do you make the claim in your topic sentence?

• Offer valid premises (reasons / elaboration) to support your point.

Claim

Premises

PEEL

The Premise

Quoting an authority Quoting a primary text, such as the

Bible /Quran or classic literature Statistics Research findings Anecdotes and stories from history and your own experience but sparingly (AQ) Avoid hypothetical examples

PEEL

Evidence / Example

Quoting an authority Quoting a primary text, such as the

Bible /Quran or classic literature Statistics Research findings Anecdotes and stories from history and your own experience but sparingly (AQ) Avoid hypothetical examples

PEEL

Evidence / Example

• What is the significance of the evidence you raised?

• How does the evidence support your claim (topic sentence)?

EvaluatePEEL

Example of an Evaluation:No airport has achieved such standards as consistently as Changi Airport. Besides, the fact that the airport is continually expanding and improving on its facilities shows that it is committed to its aim to achieve the best experience for its travelers.

LINK

• Linking of the point of this paragraph to the question demands

• It can also link the point you made in this paragraph to the next paragraph

• Adds coherence to the paragraph

PEEL

Link

Is harmony possible in a diverse world?

As our societies become increasingly infused with influences from other cultures and nations, harmony should become more easily achievable. With greater diversity and more sub-cultures co-existing in the same community, this gives more opportunities for people from vastly different cultural backgrounds to interact and mingle with one another. For example, Singapore best manifests this intercultural harmony which we observe in many diverse societies today. As the three main ethnic groups – Chinese, Malay and Indian – work, play and study together, this has made cultural literacy and inter-cultural understanding increasingly a reality. Hence as long as there are opportunities for the various groups to communicate with each other, harmony is possible even in a diverse world.

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