Description: This handout contains information concerning the short paper that is due on the date indicated in the syllabus. The purpose of this assignment is to help you to develop your critical thinking skills and to improve the quality of your argumentative writing. This is not a research paper but an argumentative essay like those we have been studying in class. Your task is not merely to offer an opinion but to give a reasoned defense of your view with reasons that you come up with through your own reflection on the topic.
In this paper, you are to pick one of the following conclusions and compose an argument that supports your position:
A university education should not be free for all students who complete high school.
Your paper should include an introductory paragraph and a conclusion. The body of your paper will consist of arguments in which you come up with reasons that support the conclusion that you have chosen. You must provide at least three premises that support your conclusion. You should strive to create the strongest arguments that you can to support your main conclusion. You should also address at least one possible criticism of your argument, summarize its main points, and respond to them.