Argument and Persuasion

In the essays below, writers attempt to present evidence in such a convincing fashion that readers recognize the validity of the argument. You can learn to use this pattern from these sites:

All writers in this collection speak for themselves—and themselves alone.

A visual representation of this collection exists on Pinterest.


Journalist TaNehisi Coates traces the history of systematic economic racism, from slavery through segregation up to contemporary housing policies, to support his argument in favor of reparations for African-Americans.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern ChallengesThird PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Naturalist Sy Montgomery gets in the mind of an octopus and is amazed not only at what she finds but also at the existing research on these intelligent creatures.

Argument & Persuasion • Humans & Their AnimalsFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


David Pargman, professor emeritus at Florida State University, gives his reasons why athletes should study sports, their real focus in college.

Argument & Persuasion • SportFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Author Lipika Pelham argues that low-income workers in Bangladesh deserve better conditions.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern ChallengesMixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Amitai Etzioni, writing for the Washington Post, examines the hidden dangers of high school students having jobs.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern ChallengesMixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Writer James Baldwin argues for human rights, using history to compare blacks/whites, southerners/northerners, and the haves/have-nots.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern ChallengesFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Students often wonder whether they are getting their money's worth by going to college. The Economist examines the cost and return-on-investment of a college degree.

Argument & Persuasion • School LifeThird PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Steve Almond, writing for the New York Times, believes that fans must admit that they are complicit in the brain-damaged players that football produces.

Argument & Persuasion • SportFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Farhad Manjoo, a technology columnist, argues that people deserve some dog-free zones.

Argument & Persuasion • Humans & Their AnimalsFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Abraham Cowley, a seventeenth-century poet, explores the vanity of human wishes and makes some proposals about how we should live.

Argument & Persuasion • IdentityFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Writer Roz Warren recounts the family's decision to have expensive gall bladder surgery on a beloved 13-year-old dog.

Argument & Persuasion • Humans & Their AnimalsMixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


In this nineteeth century essay, writer William Hazlitt argues that hatred of others is at bottom hatred of self.

Argument & Persuasion • Love & RelationshipsFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Same Love [Video]

In the video for the song "Same Love," hip hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis argue for marriage equality.

Argument & Persuasion • Love & RelationshipsFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Authors


What can an animal do if its owner neglects and/or abuses it? Charles Siebert, a contributing writer for the New York Times Sunday Magazine, addresses that question as animal rights continue to evolve.

Argument & Persuasion • Humans & Their AnimalsThird PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


In a world where anyone can search Google for information on anyone else, do people have the right to be forgotten? Jeffrey Toobin, New Yorker staff writer and CNN legal analyst, considers this question in light of a 2014 decision from the European Court of Justice.

Argument & Persuasion • Modern ChallengesMixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Essayist Michel de Montaigne argues that contemplating death has several benefits.

Argument & Persuasion • IdentityMixed PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing Prompts


Reporting for Rolling Stone, Molly Knefel explores a Los Angeles high school's response to increasing police presence.

Argument & Persuasion • School LifeThird PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author


Noah Michelson, Executive Editor of the Huffington Post's Gay Voices, argues that homosexuals, especially homosexual celebrities, have a responsibility to come out publicly.

Argument & Persuasion • IdentityFirst PersonDiscussion Questions & Writing PromptsConnect with Author