Cambridge International AS Level General Paper
KEY SKIllS
KEY SKIllS
Lenses are broader categories or themes (e.g. politics, environment) that global issues fall into. See Chapter 2.1 A Generating ideas for your essay to review lenses and how they can help you organise ideas when writing.
A discursive essay should explore both sides of an issue, so you should avoid listing reasons in the thesis. Chapter 3.2 will help you develop a discursive thesis.
tone is more aggressive The sale of bottled water should be banned because it has serious ethical and environmental consequences. uses lenses to introduce idea as opposed to specific reasons
Read the sample argumentative thesis statement. Based on the criteria we have discussed, evaluate its effectiveness: If you send foreign aid to developing countries, those who receive it are more likely to suffer from inflation, fluctuations in currency, corruption and civil disorder; so it is doing more harm than good and should therefore be stopped. 132
What advice might you offer for revising this statement? The writer suggests that the provision of care does not help struggling countries, so we know which side they will be arguing. When addressing the reasons (sub-claims) why, however, the thesis starts to lose its focus by listing so many individual reasons. One strategy to improve this is to use broader ideas (lenses) to group these reasons. For instance, inflation and currency fall under the broader category of ‘money’ while corruption and civil disorder are ‘social issues’. The term ‘socio-economic’ could therefore cover all of the reasons listed: Sending foreign aid to developing countries is doing more harm than good because of the negative socio-economic impact on those who receive it, so it should be stopped. If you want to keep your argument clear and focused, a broader approach is effective. Although you know from the start which side you plan to argue for, your evidence may lead you to feel more, or less, certain. It is acceptable to preview your main reasons in your thesis statement, but just make sure they are the same at the end!
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ActIvItY 4
Read the thesis statements. Determine to what extent each statement follows the guidelines for writing an argumentative thesis/claim: 1 Fast food is bad for you so fast food restaurants should be banned. 2 Urban farming is a new way of providing access to healthy food. 3 Access to clean drinking water should be a human right because of the economic and cultural complexities that come with selling it as a commercial asset. 4 Water should be commodified* because it is too expensive to control and manage it otherwise; this would allow for more equal distribution and would reduce international tensions over water. (*A commodity is a raw material that can be bought or sold. To commodify water means to put a price on it.) 5 In countries where access to healthy food is scarce, alternatives such as cricket farming should be pursued because this can improve the quality of life for people living there. 6 Being an ethical consumer has lots of benefits.
Counterargumentation To appear reasonable, your argument should give consideration to viewpoints other than your own. Clearly not everyone thinks the same way, so it is important to recognise that other views exist. Sensitivity to different viewpoints can build trust and credibility with a potentially sceptical audience (i.e. an audience who may not believe you). They are more likely to accept your ideas if you have taken time to consider alternative ways of looking at the issue. If you mention an opposing viewpoint, and follow this up with reasons to support or challenge it, then you are using a counterargument (also called rebuttal) strategy. However, it can be difficult to talk about the opposing side of an argument without sounding as if you agree with it, especially when a strong point is raised.
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