Business Writing Exercise

This week we finish our series on document structure, so I’d like us to take a moment to remember what that structure looks like.

For your writing exercise this week, I want you to outline an argument. This argument can be the thesis of an essay or a defense of your position vis a vis your roommate’s dirty dishes. It can be the message of a document you’re working on right now, or a proposal you’ve been wanting to make to your boss.

Whatever the point you’re trying to make, you can make it stronger with a little structural design. So make an outline! Big Roman numeral I is “Introduction,” so use your A, B, and C to describe how you’re going to introduce your topic. Then give another numeral for each of your body points — supporting evidence — and draw your argument’s conclusion within your document’s conclusion.

As you build your argument, pay careful attention to the order and relationship among your body points, and see how it compares to last week’s discussion of organization methods.

When you’re finished, share your argument with us on the discussion board. I’ll let you know if I’m convinced.