ES1103 Chap.9 Stance, Premises and Rebuttal in Argumentative Essays
Stance, Premises and Rebuttal in Argumentative Essays
The second essay
The argumentative essay is worth 30% of the course grade and runs to 650 to 700 words, excluding references. You choose a country or community, identify a disputed sustainable development issue there, and examine it critically and take part in the debate through your essay.
Two core readings give background, a course note on sustainable development and the United Nations report on the sustainable development goals, but the course note is not to be cited; you consult and cite the original sources. Your own research supplies four to five sources in total.
What the essay must do
The task lists six requirements.
Contextualise the tension and the issue's significance for your chosen country or community. Present a clear and debatable thesis with your stance and its premises. Develop that thesis into a convincing argument supported by relevant, well-analysed evidence. Acknowledge alternative perspectives and give a convincing rebuttal. Conclude by summarising the key points, reaffirming the thesis and drawing out the broader insight.
Attribute every source in APA style.
The recommended outline
The course template recommends an introduction that sets out background, the country or community, the sustainability issue and its significance, then presents the debate through its two most prominent opposing positions before stating the thesis with stance and premises.
Two body paragraphs each advance one premise with a topic sentence, evidence, explanation and a closing link to the thesis. A third body paragraph presents the counter-argument and a fourth rebuts it, built in the same way.
The conclusion restates the thesis, summarises the key arguments and connects the stance to a broader context or implication.
How it is marked
The rubric's first criterion, contextualisation, thesis development and substantiation, carries 40% of the essay mark and asks for an evidence-based context, a thesis with a clear stance supported by clear premises, evidence analysed from sources that are relevant, up to date and trustworthy, and a well-substantiated rebuttal to an opposing perspective that bears directly on the thesis.
Source integration and attribution and use of academic language carry 30% each, with the same descriptors as the synthesis essay.
The developing band singles out a thesis that previews the essay structure instead of stating a position.
How the weeks are staged
An ungraded source grid and outline are due in the recess week for peer review in Week 7. An ungraded first draft is peer reviewed in Week 8, and individual consultations with your tutor run in Weeks 9 and 10 before the final submission.
What this chapter covers
- 01
The argumentative task, its theme and the four to five source requirement
- 02
Six requirements from context to APA attribution
- 03
The recommended outline with separate counter-argument and rebuttal paragraphs
- 04
One-sided and two-sided arguments: claim, premise, evidence, rebuttal
- 05
The 40% substantiation criterion and the staged drafts
Worked example · free
Turning a topic into a tension and a thesis
- 1State the first position in the tension.
- 1State the opposing position.
- 1Write the stance.
- 2Add two premises that forecast the body.
Key terms
- Stance
- The position a writer takes on a debatable issue, stated clearly in the thesis.
- Premise
- A reason supporting the stance; each premise normally becomes one body paragraph.
- Tension
- The disagreement between prominent opposing positions that makes an issue worth arguing.
- Counter-Argument
- An alternative perspective that challenges the writer's stance, presented fairly before it is answered.
- Two-Sided Argument
- An argument that adds an opposing viewpoint and an evidence-based rebuttal to claim, premise and evidence.
Stance, Premises and Rebuttal in Argumentative Essays FAQ
How many sources should the argumentative essay cite?
The task asks you to keep the total within four to five sources, found through your own research. The course note on sustainable development supplies background but must not be cited; you are told to consult and cite the original sources instead.
What makes a thesis debatable?
A reasonable reader could disagree with it. A statement everyone accepts, such as that pollution is harmful, cannot be argued; a position on what a specific community should do about it, with reasons, can be, and it gives the essay a tension to resolve.
Why does the outline separate the counter-argument and the rebuttal?
Giving each its own paragraph forces the opposing view to be stated fully and fairly before it is answered. The rubric rewards an opposing perspective that bears directly on the thesis and a rebuttal that is well substantiated, which a single sentence rarely achieves.
What are the ungraded stages before the final essay?
A source grid and outline submitted for peer review, a first draft peer reviewed in class in Week 8, and consultations with your tutor in Weeks 9 and 10. None carries marks, but each is feedback on the essay that does.
Which sustainable development topics can I choose?
The course note lists sub-themes such as climate change and sustainability, poverty and development, sustainable consumption, and technology and innovation, and it also allows your own sub-theme. It advises identifying the key debate and asking a critical question your essay will answer.
How are late or overlong argumentative essays penalised?
As with the first essay, exceeding the upper word limit costs 10%, late work loses 10% within 24 hours and scores zero afterwards without documentation. This task adds that deadline extensions may be granted case by case with legitimate supporting documents.
Assessment move
Write the counter-argument paragraph first, using your strongest opposing source. Then write the rebuttal to it, and only then the two premise paragraphs. Starting from the hardest objection tells you which premises your thesis really needs.
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