College Writing

College Writing Study Guide

The caption for the photo on top describes the young man “looting,” and the caption for the people on the bottom describes them as “�inding bread and soda.” The difference in the descriptions reveals a problematic understanding of race – something we can conclude based on the authors’ word choices in the descriptions. Next, you can use the Toulmin Method of organization. Developed by the philosopher Stephen Toul- min, this method works best with a complex, controversial issue that doesn’t have a clear solution. The legality of abortion, the proper response to the injustices of factory farming, or the positions of minorities in American society can all lend themselves to Toulmin’s method of organization. The Toulmin Method breaks down as follows: • Claim – the claim is another term for the thesis statement. • Grounds – the grounds are the facts or reasons that support your claim. • Warrant – the warrant links the reasons to the claim. This paragraph functions through in- ductive reasoning , which contends that a special case leads to a general conclusion. • Backing – any additional support for the claim goes in this paragraph. This paragraph could include your second-strongest points or more emotionally charged reasons for your thesis. • Quali�ier – in this paragraph, you suggest that your thesis isn’t true in every case. • Rebuttal – include the refutation, as previously discussed.

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