For and Against (an essay):

(texto argumentativo de a favor y en contra)

· Texto argumentativo

Los textos argumentativos pretenden persuadir al lector, pues se exponen las razones a favor o en contra de determinada "posición" o "tesis".

Para lograr esto, suele iniciarse el texto con una exposición que ayude a entender los argumentos que se proponen. Es decir, es necesario poner al lector en contexto antes de pasar a exponer los beneficios o las características del tema que se trata.

Un ejemplo de texto argumentativo son los artículos de opinión, los ensayos literarios y los ensayos académicos. 

Characteristics of this text:

· it is a formal text (do not use contractions (it's, I'd like, I've seen, ...), use formal vocabulary and expressions).

· use the 1st person plural in all paragraphs ("we") and the 1st person singular only in the last paragraph when you say your conclusion.

4 paragraphs:

• • • 1. Introduction to the topic:

      • • Use one of these possible introductions (you can also rephrase the sentence given in the activity to use:

          • • This essay discusses the advantages and disadvantages of ... (ex. having a healthy life, practicing sports, cycling to work in urban environment, etc.). It considers ... (ex. traffic congestion, the danger to cyclists and savings that can be made by using two wheels instead of four.) 

            • There are a number of advantages and disadvantages about …  This essay discusses both and considers … 

    • 2. Advantages:

      • • • Firstly, I would like to stand out that ... As a result ...

          • First of all, ...

          • The first thing that has to be said in favour of ... is ...

          • Nowadays ...

    • 3. Disadvantages:

      • • • Secondly, ..... it is also an important point to consider because ... . Therefore, ...

          • On the other hand, ...

          • However, ...

          • The downside (desventaja) ...

          • A negative effect of ...

    • 4. Your own opinion and reasons:

      • • • In conclusion, / From my perspective, ...

          • To sum up we can say ...

          • To sum up, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages ...

Typical grammatical stuctures:

• • • Present Simple Tense

    • Modal Verbs

    • Passive forms: to be solved / to be considered / to be described

Connectors of addition:

• • • In addition

    • Moreover

    • Besides

    • Additionally

    • Not only ... but also

    • Then

    • Again

    • Firstly,  /  Secondly,  / Thirdly,  / ...  / Finally,  / Last

    • Further

    • Furthermore

    • As well as

    • What's more

    • (etc.)

Connectors of contrast:

• • • However

    • Despite

    • Even so

    • Although

    • On the contrary

    • Nevertheless

    • In spite of

    • Because of

    • In contrast to

    • Instead

    • By contrast

    • On the other hand

    • Despite this

    • Apart from

    • Otherwise

    • Unlike

    • (etc.)

Example for an essay:

 "Should Students Wear School Uniforms?"

For:

1. Everyone looks similar, so there's no feeling of being different. 

2. Wearing uniforms can help students focus better in class. 

3. It helps teachers know who is part of the school. 

4. Dressing the same gets students ready for jobs with specific clothes rules. 

Against:

1. Students can't wear their favorite styles and show creativity. 

2. Uniforms cost money for families to buy. 

3. Some clothes are important for religious or cultural reasons, and uniforms might not understand that. 

4. Just wearing the same clothes doesn't solve bigger problems like bullying or bad grades. 

This topic lets students talk about if uniforms are good for schools or not, considering different sides of the argument.