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Year 8 · English · Writing to argue · Lesson 1

Building an argument

How to build a written argument: thesis statements, PEEL paragraphs, types of evidence and avoiding generalisations.

Whiteboard video lesson: Building an argument

19-minute video lesson

Teaching, worked examples and 20 practice questions solved step by step.

Watch free for a month

What your child will learn

  • Tell arguing from persuading
  • Write a thesis statement
  • Write PEEL paragraphs
  • Choose strong, specific evidence
  • Avoid generalisations

The method

  1. Make a clear, specific point.
  2. Add evidence.
  3. Explain it.
  4. Link back to your argument.

Key words: argument, thesis, PEEL, evidence, anecdote, statistic, generalisation.

Worked examples

The first three practice questions from the lesson, with every step.

Question 1

What does the P in PEEL stand for?

  1. Step 1: Point

Answer: Point

Question 2

What does the L in PEEL stand for?

  1. Step 1: Link back to the question

Answer: Link

Question 3

Why do you need to explain your evidence?

  1. Step 1: Show how it proves your point

Answer: To show how the evidence supports the point