Lesson Lesson Title

#
1 Argumentative Essay
2 Literary Criticism using Literary
Approaches:
- Formalism
- Structuralism
- Moralism
- Feminism
- Marxism
- Historical
- Reader-response
3 Composing a Literary Critique
4 Techniques in Writing:
Informative, Persuasive, and
Argumentative Essay

Grade 10 English – Quarter 3 Notes

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY
In an argumentative essay, your task is to make the reader agree with your opinion about a
certain or controversial topic. You must (1) state your opinion, (2) give reasons to support your
opinion, and (3) argue against the opposite opinion. Overall, you must convince the audience that
your side of the argument is correct.
To convince the audience, your essay must be balanced—it must include your viewpoint and
the opposing viewpoint, or counterargument. Even though you are arguing only one side of an issue,
you must think about what the other side would say about your opinion. After you give the
counterargument, you must refute it by showing that it is wrong. If your essay is balanced, a reader is
more likely to agree with you.
Organization of an Argument Essay
The most common type of argumentative essay has six paragraphs. Like all essays, it begins
with an introduction and ends with a conclusion. In between are the body paragraphs where you must
do three things: support your opinion, present the opposing point of view, and tell why that viewpoint
is wrong. Opposing views or opinions can be ideas or points for (pro) which support the issue being
discussed, or ideas or points against (con/contra) which disagree with the issue.

INTRO Paragraph 1 Hook (Attention

Getting Sentence)
Connecting /
Background
Information
Main Idea
Statement/Thesis
Statement
BODY Paragraph 2 Support 1 (first
reason)
• Explanation,
detail, example
 • Explanation,
detail, example
Paragraph 3 Support 2 (second
reason)
• Explanation,
detail, example
• Explanation,
detail, example
Paragraph 4 Support 3 (third
reason)
• Explanation,
detail, example
• Explanation,
detail, example
Paragraph 5 Opposite Side
•Counterargument
1
• Refutation
(ATTACK)
• Counterargument
2
• Refutation
(ATTACK)
CONCLUSIO Paragraph 6 Repeat your thesis
N statement in
different words.
Suggestion /
Opinion /
Prediction for the
future

Expressions of Expressions of Negation

Affirmation
Absolutely Contradictorily Invalidly
Affirmatively
Never
All right
No
Assertedly
Not Rarely
Avowedly
I’m sorry, but…
Certainly
Pardon me, but…
Surely
I respect you for that,
Truly but…
Undoubtedly I have nothing against
your point; however, …
Definitely
Maybe you’re right, but…
That’s right.
You have a great point.
No doubt about it
However, …
Yes, you’re right. I understand that.
However, …
I have nothing
against it
That is indeed great.
That is absolutely
correct

LITERARY CRITICISM
Literary criticism the evaluation, analysis, description, or interpretation of literary works.
FORMALISM
– an approach that studies text as a text. In formalism approach, a literary work can be understood
only by reference to its intrinsic features, which are the elements:
1. Characters – refers to the person or animal who faces conflict in the story.
a. Static – a character who does not change over time.
b. Dynamic – a character who changes over time.
c. Protagonist – the main character of the story.
d. Antagonist – the character who goes against the main character.
2. Setting – refers to the place and time the story happens. This includes weather or social
conditions.
3. Plot – narrates the sequence or order of the story. It shows the beginning of the conflict, how
the character faces the conflict, and the effect of the character’s action toward the conflict or
how the conflict is solved. Conflict is the struggle that the protagonist needs to face.
4. Point of View – this is the angle of the story; it answers who speaks the story? It can be in
first, second, or third point of view.
5. Theme – refers to the central idea of the story; it answers what is the story all about?
6. Symbolism – refers to any object, person or situation, event or action that has deeper
meaning.
 STRUCTURALISM
– is a method of interpreting and analyzing a literary piece that focuses on contrasting ideas and
shows how they relate to the whole structure. This approach treats the text as linguistic construct. In
Structuralism, a piece is open to interpretation. It depends on how the reader views the meaning on
the text base on his / her understanding, which may involve personal belief, environment, behavior, or
moral perception.
MORALISM
Elements of the Story
● Characters - the people, animals, or creatures in the story.
● Setting - the time and the place when and where the story happened.
● Plot - the important events in the story.
● Theme - the main/central idea of the story.
● Conflict - the problem in the story.
● Mood - the emotion created by the reader.
● Tone - the way the author expressed his literary work.
Figure of Speech
● Simile – comparison of one thing with another using as or like.
● Metaphor – comparison of one thing with another without using as or like.
● Personification – attributing human characteristics to something non-human.
● Hyperbole – exaggerated statements that aren’t meant to be taken literally.
● Onomatopoeia – the naming of a thing or action by imitation of natural sounds.
Moralism – an approach that judges the value of literature based on its moral lessons or ethical
teachings. Analyzing if the story aligns with right or wrong behavior.
FEMINISM
– is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political,
economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women including gender roles.

Gender role means the set of social and behavioral norms that are socially correct for individuals of a
specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time.
Gender is important in Feminism. Gender identity is the gender(s) based on person self-identifies.
Gender-based Differentiation is an issue in Feminism. It is the situation when one job, attitude or skill
is only known for one gender. For example, it was normal idea to see jobs like doctor, lawyer and
engineer for male than female. This concept of gender-based differentiation is represented by the
image:
Feminism in literature – is a school of theory views how our culture is inherently patriarchal (male
dominated) and aims to expose misogyny (prejudice against women) in literature explicitly and
implicitly. Although there are various views in feminist criticism, the following shows what is common
among these varying concepts in feminism:
1. Women are oppressed by patriarchy (society governed or led by males) economically,
politically, socially, and psychologically.
2. While biology determines our sex (male or female), culture sets the standards of what is to be
masculine and feminine.
3. Feminism has as its ultimate goal to change the world by promoting gender equality.
Gender issues play a part in every aspect of human production and experience, including the
production and experience of literature.
MARXISM
– is a cultural theory that embodies a set of social, economic, and political ideas that its followers
believe will enable them to interpret and change their world. Marxist critics are also interested in how
the lower or working classes are oppressed - in everyday life and in literature. Karl Marx, the proponent
of this theory, lived in London at the time of industrialization and travelled extensively through Europe.
He saw a highly developed continent where the tensions ran high because of social inequality.
According to Marx, social inequality was a consequence of the arrival of the division of labor and,
moreover, was what had led to the class society. Since literature reflects economics, politics, the kind
of people and their society where they live in, one literary piece can be subject to analysis not in its
feature elements and devices but in its contents, style of the writer in developing the plot and to the
extent of his background as a compelling contributing factor to the over-all effect of the whole story.
In doing a Marxist literary criticism, one must look for the following details:

HISTORICAL
– an approach that sees literature as both a reflection and product of the times and circumstances in
which it is written. It doesn’t mean describing everything the characters see, or giving a complete
history of where the scene occurs. It gives enough information to help readers understand a text better
using its history as background. History and literature come hand in hand because together, they
interpret human experiences and allow us to know the things that shape our present time.
READER-RESPONSE
– an approach suggests that the role of the reader is essential to the meaning of a text, for only in the
reading experience does the literary work come alive. Its purpose is to examine, explain, and defend
your personal reaction to a text. There is no right or wrong answer to a reading response. Nonetheless,
it is important that you demonstrate an understanding of the reading and clearly explain and support
your reaction. Just look with the illustration:

LITERARY DEVICES AND TECHNIQUES

How to critique a story: Critiquing a short story usually takes the form of an essay. It is an in-depth
evaluation of the story for the purpose of giving the reading public insight to the story. Writing a
critique requires you to reassemble the elements in such a way that your intended audience has a
better understanding of the story’s strengths, weaknesses, and highlights.
Literary Techniques: Literary techniques are structures in literary texts that writers employ to achieve
not merely artistic ends but also to give readers a greater understanding and appreciation of their
literary works.
1. Anticlimactic – It is a technique to convey a tragic or ridiculous situation that is a result of
human action. It is an event or outcome that is much less exciting or dramatic than it was
expected to be. It can also refer to a disappointing ending.
2. Flashback – A technique which split up present-day scenes in a story. It usually to build
suspense toward a big reveal.
3. Foreshadowing – It is when the author hints at events yet to come in a story. This technique is
also used to create tension or suspense – giving readers just enough to keep them interested.
4. Plot Twist – It is an unsuspected occurrence or turn of events in the story that completely
changes the direction or outcome of the plot from the direction it was likely to go. The author
achieves this “twisting” of the plot by providing a huge shock or surprise, one that is either
completely unexpected, or was perhaps foreshadowed through earlier details or events.

WRITING A LITERARY CRITIQUE

One academic writing that you must learn is writing a critique, it is also called a Critical
Analysis. A critique is a genre of academic writing that briefly summarizes and critically evaluates a
work or concept. It is a detailed analysis and assessment of something, especially a literary,
philosophical, or political theory. A simpler definition is a review of something. Critiques can be used
to carefully analyze a variety of works such as:
● Creative works – novels, exhibits, film, images, poetry
● Research – monographs, journal articles, systematic reviews, theories
● Media – news reports, feature articles
The purpose for writing a critique is to evaluate somebody's work (a book, an essay, a movie, a
painting...) to increase the reader's understanding of it. A critical analysis is subjective writing
because it expresses the writer's opinion or evaluation of a text. It assists a reader in understanding a
particular writing. An example of a critique is a professor writing notes about a student's artwork. We
learn to analyze from our study or reading and come out with what is important. A literary critique has
a creative writing style.
Like an essay, a critique uses a formal, academic writing style and has a clear structure, that is, an
introduction, body, and conclusion. However, the body of a critique includes a summary of the work
and a detailed evaluation. The purpose of an evaluation is to gauge the usefulness or impact of a
work in a particular field. An understanding of the work’s purpose intended audience, development of
argument, structure of evidence or creative style and a recognition of the strengths and weaknesses
of the work.
In writing a critique, it is important to have a thorough understanding of the work that will be
critiqued by studying the work under discussion, making notes on the key parts, and developing an
understanding of the main argument or purpose being expressed in the work. You also must consider
 how the work relates to a broader issue or context.
Here are the parts of a Critique:
1. Introduction - Typically, the introduction is short (less than 10% of the word length). This
part gives the important details of the work:
- Name of the work being reviewed as well as the date it was created and the name of the
author/creator.
- The main argument or purpose of the work
- The context in which the work was created. This could include the social or political context,
the place of the work in a creative or academic tradition, or the relationship between the
work and the creator’s life experience.
- A concluding sentence that signposts what your evaluation of the work will be. For instance, it
may indicate whether it is a positive, negative, or mixed evaluation.
2. Body
- Summary – This part summarizes the main points of the evaluation of a work. Briefly
summarize the main points and objectively describe how the creator portrays these by
using techniques, styles, media, characters, or symbols. This summary should not be
the focus of the critique and is usually shorter than the critical evaluation.
- Critical Evaluation (Body) - This section should give a systematic and detailed assessment of
the different elements of the work, evaluating how well the creator was able to achieve
the purpose through these. A critical evaluation does not simply highlight negative
impressions. It should deconstruct the work and identify both strengths and
weaknesses. It should examine the work and evaluate its success, in light of its purpose.
This evaluation is written in formal academic style and logically presented. Group and
order your ideas into paragraphs. Start with the broad impressions first and then move
into the details of the technical elements. For shorter critiques, you may discuss the
strengths of the works, and then the weaknesses. In longer critiques, you may wish to
discuss the positive and negative of each key critical question in individual paragraphs.
To support the evaluation, provide evidence from the work itself, such as a quote or
example, and you should also cite evidence from related sources. Explain how this
evidence supports your evaluation of the work.
3. Conclusion – This part points out the main objective of a work. This is usually a very brief
paragraph, which includes:
- A statement indicating the overall evaluation of the work.
- A summary of the key reasons identified during the critical evaluation and why this evaluation
was formed.
- In some circumstances, recommendations for improvement on the work may be appropriate.
To summarize, writing a critique of a piece of writing or art is to:
1. Describe: give the reader a sense of the writer’s overall purpose and intent.
2. Analyze: examine how the structure and language of the text or art convey its meaning.
3. Interpret: state the significance or importance of each part of the text or art and,
4. Assess: make a judgment of the work’s worth or value.
INFORMATIVE, PERSUASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING
Writing is an important form of communication. It allows the students to put their feelings and
ideas on paper, to organize their knowledge and beliefs into convincing arguments and to convey
meaning through well- constructed text. It is process of using symbols to communicate thoughts and
ideas in a readable form. Good writers use different writing techniques to fit their purpose for writing.
1. Informative writing provides information and explanations in a straightforward manner to the
readers. Informative essays are a type of writing that explains a certain issue or a topic. The
writer of an informative essay is kind of like a reporter at a newspaper: only there to state the
facts, not to offer any sort of opinion. In this type of an essay, the writer should refrain from
pointing out his personal ideas and beliefs. The purpose of an informative writing is to educate
others on a certain topic.

Characteristics of an Informative Writing

o Explain its importance.
o Present the latest research on a topic.
o Compare viewpoints on a controversial subject.
o Analyze a cause-effect relationship.

Parts of an Informative Writing

I. Introduction - The beginning, or introduction, needs to present the topic and grab your
reader’s attention. It needs to include the focus sentence for the entire essay. The
first paragraph starts with a general idea and gradually and more specific. Give some
background information about the key words and terminology.
II. Body - The body of your informative essay should provide all the necessary
information and materials to your reader. It must piece out fully the lack of
information on this issue. Use various sources, facts, and expert judgments. Make
sure all your facts are accurate. Create an outline that will organize your facts in a
logical way. If a simple persuasive essay contains one statement for one paragraph
and relevant evidence, then, in our case, each paragraph must contain a certain
informative facts line.
III. Conclusion - You should restate about the seriousness of issue and summarize the
facts for and against the main topic. You should never introduce some new
information or ideas in the conclusion. Its main purpose is to round off your
informative essay by summing up.

2. Persuasive writing attempts to convince the reader that the point of view of the writer is valid
or best. Usually, it is an opinion supported by evidence and research. Persuasive writing intends
to convince readers to believe in an idea or opinion and to do an action. Many writings such as
criticisms, reviews, reaction papers, editorials, proposals, advertisements, and brochures use
different ways of persuasion to influence readers.

Characteristics of Persuasive Writing

o State the facts of the case.
o Prove the topic with your arguments.
o Disprove your opponent's arguments.
o End the essay.

Example of Persuasive Writing

Many students really do not like the lunch their school has to offer. Parents pay for it because
they feel their child will get healthy food and it is convenient for them to provide it. Yet, many
students throw much of it out because they do not like their choices. The school lunch menu
needs to be changed in order to give students more choices, save money being wasted, and
provide healthier, nutritional benefits.

Parts of a Persuasive Writing

 I. Introduction - The topic sentence cannot be a fact because facts can be debated. Topic
sentence is a statement of position. That position must be clear and direct.
II. Body - The writer uses specific evidence, examples, and statistics and no generalizations
or personal opinions to persuade the reader that the stated position is a valid one.
III. Conclusion - When closing the essay, it is important to clearly redefine the topic and
restate the most compelling evidence cited the same way it was stated in the essay is a
valid one.

3. Argumentative writing tries to convince his audience that his opinion is valid. An
argumentative essay contains a combination of facts and writer’s personal ideas. A writer
preparing to start an argumentative essay must do a lot of research and gather evidence to
prove and defend his point. An argumentative essay is biased and subjective, although the
writer must be aware of the opposing views on the subject.

Characteristics of an Argumentative Writing

o Presents or explains the issue or case.
o Gives reasons and supports these reasons to prove its point.
o Refutes opposing argument.

Example of Argumentative Writing

Have you ever wanted to give someone the perfect birthday present, but didn’t know what to
do? There is a yummy, sweet, solution that will show that special someone how much you care
–make a delicious cake! It is easier than you may realize. Regardless of if you’re a natural chef
in the kitchen or do not know a teaspoon from a tablespoon, baking a cake is an easy task that
can make anyone look like a “Cake Boss.” All you need is a little time, love, and the necessary
ingredients from the grocery store.

Parts of an Argumentative Writing

I. Introduction - First is the introductory paragraph. It introduces the problem and gives the
background information needed for the argument and the thesis statement.
II. Body - Each supporting paragraph must have a distinct (clear) controlling topic and all
other sentences must factually relate to it. Transition words and phrases are important
in helping the reader follow along and reinforce your point.
III. Conclusion - The concluding paragraph should restate the thesis and main supporting
ideas. Never introduce new information in the conclusion. Finish with a strong
statement that reinforces your position in a meaningful and memorable way.
LITERARY APPROACH: READER-RESPONSE
Reader-response – an approach suggests that the role of the reader is essential to the meaning of a
text, for only in the reading experience does the literary work come alive. Its purpose is to examine,
explain, and defend your personal reaction to a text. There is no right or wrong answer to a reading
response. Nonetheless, it is important that you demonstrate an understanding of the reading and
clearly explain and support your reaction. Just look with the illustration: