Activity 2.5 • Apply the Checklist of Essential Elements in an Argument Apply the Checklist of Essential Elements in an Argument (discussed on p. 50) to “The Web Means the End of Forgetting” or another text that your instructor speci- fies. In your group or individually, check off the following elements and be prepared to explain your selections. z A debatable issue z A clearly stated position, claim statement or thesis z An audience z Evidence from reliable sources z Acknowledgment of the opposing argument z A conclusion and/or call to action

Instructions: the following argument argues for advertising to children. read the argument and answer the question that follows: topic and question advertising: should companies be allowed to advertise to children? ineffective argument i think that advertising to children is necessary. how else will we know what we can buy? i think that children are not aware of the products that are available. most children don’t own cars and can’t drive to stores to look around. the only way we know what we can buy is by seeing advertisements on tv. my friend really likes advertisements, too. he said, "how will we know what to buy if we don’t see advertisements? " seriously, children are consumers, too. we know what we like and we ask our parents to buy these products for us. i know that i like certain cereals, but how would i know that if i did not see advertisements? i love those commercials! kids are people, too. why is the argument ineffective? in a paragraph of 7–10 complete sentences, explain why the following parts of the argument are ineffective, and how they can be improved: claim support conclusion clincher point of view transitions