Write a full draft of an argumentative essay that critiques and argues against the ideas in an article or essay. Using research and a fair approach to the ideas you're critiquing, you'll attempt to sway readers to your point of view. This writing assignment will focus on the following skills:
-Critiquing arguments and backing up counterclaim
-Conducting research and evaluating sources
-Summarizing objectively
-Using effective transitions
-Citing sources correctly

Write a short answer to each question.

1. What article have you chosen to write about for your argumentative essay? You can also use this space to jot down any notes about the article, especially ideas you disagree with and why.
I have chosen the article “You Are Not Special” by David Cullough Jr.

2. Brainstorm two or three different ways you might critique your chosen article using the following criteria: rhetoric, logical fallacies, and support. Remember, these different criteria might overlap in the points you're critiquing.
I am going to critique my chosen article by using logical fallacies or support. Find out what the weakest spot is in the author's article and explain why my idea is better.

3. Look back at the brainstorming you completed for question 2. Choose one or two of the details you listed and explain exactly how this aspect of the article weakened the writer's argument. Then, if necessary, briefly describe the evidence you might use to support your critique.
I am going to use the evidence from the article to support and start explaining why it isn’t supportive.

4. Brainstorm two or three different aspects of your chosen article or essay that you disagree with. Explain why you disagree with them and what you believe instead.
I disagree with the author when they say “You are not special, you are not exceptional” because even though he has an explanation, the explanation isn’t the reason for it.

5. Compose a draft of your claim. For this assignment, the claim may be more than one sentence long. It should introduce the focus of your critique, indicate the point or points you disagree with, and offer a counterclaim or a statement that summarizes the counterclaims you plan to make.
From what I’ve read, I would agree with almost all of the authors writing in his article. The only part I would disagree with in his article is when the author says “You are not special, you are not exceptional.” He doesn’t have much proof of why he is telling someone that they aren’t special. Although, he does have an explanation of how children were taken care of by their parents, but to me it doesn’t really lead to the real reason.

6. List three to five possible sources that support your claim (either the critique portion or your counterclaim). Remember, you're looking for trustworthy and balanced support for your ideas. In addition, try to find a wide range of sources discussing the issue.

7. Write a two- to four-sentence objective summary of your chosen article. Remember to start with the title and author, remain objective, and stick to the main supporting ideas.

8. Write a hook for your persuasive essay. Remember, your goal is to grab the reader's interest, introduce the subject, and show why the topic is important.

9. Build your introduction by combining your hook from question 8, your objective summary from question 7, and your claim from question 5 into a single paragraph. You may have to play with the language a bit to get the different sections to flow together smoothly.

10. Write your body paragraphs. The body of your essay will most likely be two or three paragraphs.

11. Draft the conclusion paragraph for your argumentative essay.

12. Build your works-cited page. Remember to alphabetize the list and indent under the first line in each entry.

13. Write your persuasive essay in full by combining your introduction, body paragraphs, conclusion, and works-cited list. Remember to cite your sources whenever necessary and use transitions to connect ideas and sections of your essay.