Student Example  




Read the student sample below and consider whether it provides an informed opinion:  

Topic: Should teens under fifteen be employed?

Student Sample  Teacher Comments
Some say that children under fifteen are not mature enough to be employed, but I beg to differ, and these are my reasons why. First of all, of course some teenagers are not very intelligent and are prone to doing stupid things, but some are mature.

Some people may say. "Teens are just too irresponsible! It's in their nature to act reckless." Well honestly, they have a point, but working is a rite of passage.

Secondly, teens now should be able to do all the things that their parents did when they were young. Like I said before, being able to be employed before the age of fifteen is a rite of passage.
This paragraph is unconvincing because it does not provide enough facts and evidence to give credence to the ideas.

Ask yourself why after each argument you provide. If you have not answered why, you must provide support for your argument.

Why should teens take on the same responsibilities at the same age as their parents did?

Why is working a rite of passage?
Errors in reasoning that distract from the main argument are...

Ad hominem:  not very intelligent, stupid, irresponsible, reckless, Well, honestly, they have a point.                          
Bandwagon: The majority of parents worked before they were 15, so their children should be employed before they are 15.

What an Argument is: Effective Methods of Reasoning 



Hypothetical prompt:

Should we be concerned about the lack of recycling that occurs in urban centres?