Thesis Statements

A thesis statement is a very important aspect of any piece of writing. According to Purdue Owl the thesis statement should: “…be specific—it should cover only what you will discuss in your paper and should be supported with specific evidence.” It should also be noted that: “The thesis statement usually appears at the end of the first paragraph of a paper.” Without a thesis statement, the reader may be confused about what the author is attempting to convey to the audience, or which side of the argument that the author wants the audience to agree with. A strong thesis statement for an argumentative paper should include which topic is going to be covered, as well as which side the author is on.

            I decided to expand on the plastic bag ban, by connecting it to worldwide pollution. My stance was that if local communities acted to reduce their waste, that those actions would cause a positive worldwide reaction. My previous paper included data from numerous sources that attempted to convey the level of devastation that plastic waste has on the natural environment. For my thesis statement, I want to attempt to show what the paper is about, as well as show the audience that I am for a plastic bag ban because I believe that it will contribute positively to the plastic pollution problem.

            My first thesis statement could look something like this: The local plastic bag bans that are being enacted across the U.S. are a positive step towards reducing waste and preventing further plastic pollution. My second thesis statement could look like this: Oceanic wildlife are being severely impacted by plastic waste, therefore policies such as the plastic bag ban are imperative to reduce pollution on a local and worldwide scale. Both of these thesis statements capture what the paper will include, as well as convey to the reader what my stance is on the plastic bag bans.

The Toulmin Method/ Schema for Arguments

The Toulmin Method is another method to conduct a proposal argument. Toulmin rejected previous methods of argument that had been placed, and started his own method that was based upon the courtroom model. The model that he based his method upon was somewhat different from the logical order that a courtroom. 

The model itself follows six steps that help the author be more convincing to the audience. The first step is the claim, which is a statement that you are asking the audience to accept. An example of the claim would be; “You should vote”. 

The second step is having grounds, or the facts supporting your claim. An example of grounds would be; “Young people make up a majority of the voting population.” 

The third step in the Toulmin method is having a warrant, or something that links data to the claim and making it legitimate. It is important to show its relevancy, whether it be explicit or implicit. The question you ask with the method is; why do the grounds make my claim true? An example of the warrant would be; “If young people make up a majority of the voting population, then we must all vote so we have a ‘voice’ in the Government, and make the changes we want to see.” 

The fourth step in the Toulmin method is to present backing, or support for the argument, which answers different questions. An example would be; “Voting booths are located at numerous locations throughout your town or city, and open during most of the day to accommodate your busy schedule.”               The fifth step is to have a qualifier, which includes words like ‘most’, ‘usually’, ‘always’ or ‘sometimes’. An example of a qualifier is; “Most young people don’t see the importance of voting because they view their votes as insignificant, but every vote always counts in an election.” 

The final step is to always be aware of your audiences’ potential rebuttals. A rebuttal to the ‘voting’ claim would be; “An individual vote doesn’t really matter because the overall choice is determined upon that State’s majority vote, and the State’s vote is only worth so many points when compared to the whole sum of points available in an election.” The Toulmin method is very helpful, in that it lays out the structure that the author should use when executing a proposal argument to be most effective.