LSH 2203 Critical Thinking

Breaking the Rules

College and high school students often look for short cuts to make their work easier.
To achieve a good grade, students are sometimes tempted to cheat. One of the most
frequent ways of cheating is to buy essays off the internet. This may result in a good
grade. However, plagiarism is irresponsible from a social and an academic standpoint.
First, plagiarism is socially unacceptable. Students are expected by teachers and their
classmates to do their own work. If a student plagiarizes, he or she violates that trust.
That may damage the relationship between the student and the teacher, as well as
the relationship with classmates. I remember once when a student was discovered to
have plagiarized her essay. We were mad that our classmate had lied to us. It was an
embarrassment for everyone the institution, the instructor and the student to
discover that she had been cheating all along.
Plagiarism is also wrong because it is against academic policy. Even though buying
essays and presenting them as your own may save time initially, this practice is
against university rules. In fact, universities have ways to prove if students have
plagiarized. Instructors can use software that compares a students essay and material
on the Internet. This way, instructors can detect if a particular essay was copied. The
consequences are very serious. I remember when one of my class mates started
buying essays to prove that she was an excellent student. After the final exam, the
instructor found her essay on a website and the student was expelled.
It is true that many students at college have busy schedules and may have trouble
completing their assignments on time. Some students may argue that because of their
situation, they sometimes have no choice but to buy essays off the Internet. However,
buying essays off the Internet should never be the solution. Instead, students might
try to negotiate the deadline with their instructor. Furthermore, while writing may be
a struggle for some students who feel that their writing is not good enough to receive
an A, it is crucial that they do their own work. They may go to a writing center for
help. Otherwise, if they plagiarize, they will not develop their own writing and
critical thinking skills. As a result, they may not be prepared to pass their final exams.
In the end, plagiarizing is harmful to a students own academic success.
I believe that university authorities should discourage plagiarism by making students
more aware of the problems it causes. Plagiarism damages classroom relationships. It
also violates college policies and prevents students from realizing their own potential.
If we do not stop plagiarism, many students will lose out on their education.

Maureen Szulczewski
Adapted from Effective Academic Writing 3

LSH 2203-2016

LSH 2203 Critical Thinking

Analyzing the student essay. Match the parts of the essay on the left to their function on
the right. Write the letter in the middle column.
Essay part

Function

Introduction
1. The hook

a. Gives one clear reason for the writers point

of view

2. Background information

b. A prediction, a warning, suggestion,

recommendation or other comment

3. Thesis statement

c. Presents an opposing opinion

4. Topic sentence

d. Introduces the issue

5. Supporting details

e. Shows evidence that writers argument is

stronger

6. Counter-argument

f. Clearly states the writers point of view

about the issue

7. Concession

g. Repeats the main argument found in the

thesis

8. Refutation

h. Must support the topic details ( eg. facts,

figures, statistics, examples, definitions,
causes and effects, quotations)

9. Restates

i.

10. Ends with

j. Expresses some agreement with the

opposing view

Body Paragraphs

Conclusion
Gives a broad picture of the issue and why
its important

Read the essay carefully and answer the questions below.

1. What rules does the title of the essay refer to?
____ Plagiarism rules ____

2. In an argumentative essay, the writer must take a position and persuade the reader to
agree with him or her by using string, logical reasons to support his/her point of view.
In this essay, what is the writers position?
____ plagiarism is irresponsible from a social and an academic standpoint ____

Maureen Szulczewski
Adapted from Effective Academic Writing 3

LSH 2203-2016

LSH 2203 Critical Thinking

3. Identify the hook in this essay.

__ College and high school students often look for short cuts to make their work
easier. To achieve a good grade, students are sometimes tempted to cheat __

4. Identify two pieces of background information in the introduction.

_________ sometimes tempted to cheat _____________
_________ buy essays off the internet. _____________

5. What is the thesis statement in this essay?

__________ However, plagiarism is irresponsible from a social and an academic
standpoint. ___________
6. What is the topic sentence in Body Paragraph 1?
_________ plagiarism is socially unacceptable. __________
7. What kind of supporting details are used in Body Paragraph 2?
a. Facts
b. Causes and effects
c. Statistics
d. Anecdotes (personal stories)

8. In Body Paragraph 3, the writers presents an opposing opinion. What is it?

____ Some students may argue that because of their situation, they sometimes have no
choice but to buy essays off the Internet ____
9. How many reasons does the writer restate in the conclusion?
____ 3 reasons ____
10. Do you agree or disagree with the writer? Give your opinion and reason (s).
____ agree ____
____ it will not help me in future, ____
_________________________________________________________________________________
____

Maureen Szulczewski
Adapted from Effective Academic Writing 3

LSH 2203-2016

LSH 2203 Critical Thinking

Write an argument essay.

Choose a topic from the list given to you by your teacher. Write an essay of
400-500 words. Make sure your writing includes all the essay parts mentioned in
the table above.

Maureen Szulczewski
Adapted from Effective Academic Writing 3

LSH 2203-2016