600 words.

Defend or Refute essay.

Writing the introduction, Start with a background statement. This will set the stage.

Body Paragraph #1:

You have a set of facts. In this case, . So, start with a simple topic sentence that reflects the category you’ve given to the bucket. And then you write down your facts. Note how all the facts you have support that topic sentence; and the topic sentence serves to prove your thesis statement.

Body Paragraph #2:

You are showing how nuanced your understanding of the issue is, so start your second paragraph

with a topic sentence that contradicts or elaborates on Body Paragraph #1.

Writing the Conclusion

Your conclusion need not be elaborate. In this case, however, I would go back to the original prompt

, and emphasize the ambiguity of your answer. The initial statement is neither absolutely true nor absolutely false, and your essay explains why.

Final Thought:

Every essay you will ever write, no matter what the prompt, can be reduced to a “defend or refute

the following statement” format. Sometimes, you have to come up with the statement to defend or

refute; but you are always arguing a position when you write an essay. The very best essays are the

ones that argue a clear position by demonstrating not only why that position is correct, but why

alternative perspectives are incorrect.