Getting started
Before you write a single sentence of your comment, you need ideas. Many students start writing straight away and run out of arguments after the first paragraph. Good writers spend about a quarter of their time planning. In this lesson you learn how to collect arguments, choose the strongest ones and put them in a sensible order.
Auf Deutsch: In der Klassenarbeit lohnt sich die Planung: Etwa ein Viertel der Zeit für Stoffsammlung und Gliederung, dann schreiben, am Ende überarbeiten.
Explanation
Step 1: Understand the task
Read the question carefully and underline the key words. Should questions ask for an opinion. Check whether the task asks you to discuss both sides or to take one side from the start.
Step 2: Collect ideas
Use a quick method to collect as many ideas as possible in five minutes:
- a pro and con table with two columns,
- a mind map with the question in the middle,
- the W-questions: Who is affected? What changes? Why is it important? What are the consequences?
Think about different groups (students, parents, teachers, society) and different areas (health, money, environment, learning, freedom).
Step 3: Turn ideas into arguments
An idea is not yet an argument. A full argument has three parts:
- Claim (Behauptung): School uniforms reduce pressure on students.
- Reason (Begründung): because nobody can show off expensive brands.
- Example or evidence (Beispiel, Beleg): For example, a student whose family cannot afford designer clothes does not stand out in a uniform.
Auf Deutsch: Behauptung, Begründung, Beispiel. Dieses Muster kennst du aus der Erörterung im Deutschunterricht. Es funktioniert im Englischen genauso.
Step 4: Choose and order
You don't need every idea. Choose two or three strong arguments for your side and the strongest argument of the other side. A common order is:
- weaker argument first, strongest argument last (it stays in the reader's mind),
- the counter-argument either before your last argument or just before the conclusion.
Step 5: Make an outline
Write a short plan with keywords, not full sentences:
| paragraph | keywords |
|---|---|
| intro | uniforms in UK, debate in DE, thesis: for uniforms |
| argument 1 | less pressure, no brands, feel equal |
| argument 2 | saves time in the morning, saves money in the long run |
| counter-argument | less individuality; answer: accessories, free time |
| argument 3 | team spirit, school identity, trips |
| conclusion | uniforms help, suggestion: students help to choose design |
Examples
Example 1: From table to arguments
Question: Should children under 14 be allowed to have a smartphone?
| pro | con |
|---|---|
| stay in contact with parents | cyberbullying |
| learning apps, information | less sleep, too much screen time |
| part of the group chat | expensive |
Turned into a full argument:
Many children under 14 need a phone to stay in contact with their parents (claim), because they travel to school, sports clubs and friends on their own (reason). For example, a child whose bus is cancelled can call home and ask to be picked up (example).
Example 2: A weak and a strong argument
- Weak: Smartphones are bad because everyone knows they are bad. There is no reason and no example. The argument goes in a circle.
- Strong: Smartphones can harm children's sleep because many children use them late at night. Many sleep experts recommend no screens for an hour before bed, but this is hard to control when the phone is in the bedroom.
Rule
Plan before you write: understand the task, collect ideas, turn ideas into arguments (claim, reason, example), choose the strongest and put the best argument last. Write a keyword outline.
Exercises
Grundlagen
- Make a pro and con table with at least three ideas on each side: Should school uniforms be introduced in Germany?
- Which part is missing in these arguments: claim, reason or example? a) Cycling to school is good for the environment. b) Fast food should be taxed more because it causes health problems.
Weiter
- Turn two ideas from your table (exercise 1) into full arguments with claim, reason and example.
- Put these arguments for a four-day school week in a good order and explain your choice. a) Teachers would have more time to prepare lessons. b) Students would be less tired and could learn better. c) Schools would save money on energy.
Knobeln
- Write a keyword outline for a comment on the question Should voting be allowed from the age of 16? Include an introduction, three arguments, one counter-argument and a conclusion.
Lösungen
- For example: pro: less pressure to wear brands, sense of belonging, no decision in the morning. Con: less individuality, cost of buying the uniform, uncomfortable clothes.
- a) Reason and example are missing. A better version: … because it produces no exhaust fumes. If ten students in a class cycle instead of being driven, that means ten fewer car journeys every day. b) The example is missing, for example a country that already has a sugar tax.
- For example: A uniform can save families money (claim) because they need fewer expensive clothes for school (reason). For example, two or three sets of uniform can last a whole school year, while fashionable clothes are often replaced after a few months (example).
- For example: c, a, b. Saving energy is a minor point and goes first. The argument about students learning better is the strongest for a school, so it goes last.
- For example: Intro: in most German states 16-year-olds can already vote in local elections (in Lower Saxony since 1996), in some also in state elections, and in 2024 they voted in the European election for the first time; thesis: yes. Argument 1: young people are affected by political decisions (climate, education). Argument 2: they can work, pay taxes and take responsibility at 16. Counter-argument: not mature enough; answer: maturity varies at every age, schools teach politics. Argument 3 (strongest): early voting leads to lifelong participation. Conclusion: support voting at 16, more political education in schools.