The argument paper requires at least four sources, two in support for your side and two in support of the opposition’s side. Some of you may be wondering why you have to research the other side, too. The reason one must research the opposing view is because one wishes to be fair to the other side. If you can confront and refute the opposition’s views with logical/rational arguments and credible evidence and support, then there is no need for unfairness. As academic writers of argument, we ought to be fair, understanding, unbiased, and unemotional. Unemotional? What does he mean by that?

What I mean by unemotional is that a writer of argument should appeal to the audience’s mind, not their heart? When one is using persuasion, one appeals to the heart, but in argument, one appeals to the mind. In other words, since I am the audience, do not try to make me feel bad, stupid, dumb, guilty, ashamed, threatened, and/or inferior because I do not agree with your views. Many times, and we have all probably seen it, some people try to win arguments by being bigger, louder, stronger, and meaner than the other person; however, this does not work in proper arguments, and it does not work for this course because it is online, so you can’t try to beat me up. The main point is that one ought not to try to insult the audience into taking their side. Therefore, if you choose to do a paper on abortion, and especially if you are seriously, completely against it, do not refer to pro-choice people as baby killers or murderers. Remember, you are trying to convince your audience to change, adopt, and/or take up your view that abortion is wrong. You cannot do this by bullying or insulting them. They simply will not read your paper if they feel bullied or insulted. Also, remember not to put a positive or negative twist on language to guilt someone into taking your side. For instance, again with the abortion issue, if you are against it, and you refer to the fetus as a little, cute, innocent child, you are still trying to guilt your audience into taking your side, not with insults, but with positive wording for your side and negative wording for their side. Let your support, examples, logic, explanation, and evidence be your strength, not manipulative, emotional word choice. Furthermore, your audience probably does not believe that it is a child or viable human when an abortion is allowed to be performed. In fact, both sides would agree that terminating a child or human is wrong, so the actual argument might be: When does a human start? At conception? At birth? Three months after conception? Seven months after conception? This goes to show that arguments go deeper than they first appear and that they are very complex; there are no easy arguments or solutions.

Here are some common issues when writing argument papers to consider:

-Do not use personal assumptions, feelings, beliefs, speculations, preferences, or opinions in arguments.

-Do not argue or explain just your own side. Argumentation papers address both sides of a position equally.

-Do not argue for the obvious.

-Do not argue using extremist arguments or points.

-Do not use one-off stories in the news, online, or that you personally have heard or been through as examples or arguments.

-Do not make irrelevant arguments or points.

-Do not just use numbers or statistics to make points.

Do not use personal assumptions, feelings, beliefs, speculations, preferences, or opinions in arguments. When writing an argument, leave out all personal assumptions, feelings, beliefs, speculations, preferences, and opinions. Use logic, objective facts, rationality, and critical explanation to make an argument, refute an argument, and to support and/or refute points. For example, using abortion, do not just say abortion is unethical or bad. This is just a personal belief. Moreover, you cannot just say that killing a fetus is murder because you personally believe that it is a person. Also, you cannot assume that a fetus is a human, person, or child. You have to critically argue that a fetus is a human, and since it is human, it is protected by the legal system, so aborting it would be a form of murder. In short, show and explain the logic behind why a fetus should be considered a human and connect all of the points that lead to it being murder if it is aborted. If you are writing about animal experimentation or testing, do not use personal feelings or language to emotionally manipulate an audience or create an emotional ploy. For instance, poor, little, cute, mice, monkeys, and rabbits should not be tortured by evil scientists for research. For a vegetarian or vegan argument, poor, little, cute, innocent pigs, cows, rabbits, and ducks should not be violently assassinated for food, and if you eat meat, you are a murderer. Take out all personal beliefs and emotional ploys.

Do not argue or explain just your own side. Argumentation papers address both sides of a position equally. An argument is not explaining how you feel or just talking about your own side. Talking or writing about one side or position is exemplification, not argument. Use two of your quotes to support your arguments. After that, use the other two quotes to quote the strongest arguments of the opposing side. Finally, refute the opposing arguments. Do not just list or state arguments. You cannot be for and against animal experimentation, abortion, or the death penalty. In argument, you cannot be neutral. You must pick a side, state it in the thesis, and have three points of support for your side, and then you have to confront, quote, and refute opposing arguments. In short, you cannot be on both sides of the same argument and you cannot just list or explain two sides of an argument.

Do not argue for the obvious. For example, do not argue that there should be less police brutality. No one is arguing that there should be more police brutality. Also, do not argue that climate change or global warming should be reduced. Again, no one is arguing that climate change or global warming should be increased. Using the death penalty, there is no need to bring up how much it costs. Court is obviously expensive, and the cost is not the main argument. The possibility of executing an innocent person is a main argument, sentencing more poor people to death is an issue, sentencing certain races to death more than others is a main issue, and/or killing someone for killing someone is a major logical issue. Address the main arguments and leave out statements about the obvious. Lastly, do not argue that racism, sexism, ageism, discrimination, prejudice, persecution, injustice, and violence need to be stopped. Again, no one is arguing that we need more of these or that these need to be increased. To avoid this issue from happening, be as specific as possible with your argumentative position, points of support, explanations, and refutations. Lastly, for legalization of marijuana arguments, saying it is natural is obvious and not an argument. It is also obvious that salt, cyanide, cocaine, cholesterol, radiation, and chlorine gas also occur naturally, but this would not mean that marijuana is obviously good for people because it grows naturally.

– Do not argue using extremist arguments or points. For instance, in an abortion argument, leave rape and molestation out. Many on both sides would agree that there should be exceptions in extreme cases. Extreme positions are usually conceded in arguments and/or are just left out because they are extreme, rare, irrelevant, or just not the main argument or issue at hand. The main arguments about abortion are about if the fetus is a human or not, if abortion should be a form of birth control, and if a woman should have control over her own body and reproductive choices. In short, confront an address the strongest, most relevant arguments, not the extreme or rare arguments. Also, do not make arguments that a whole country or the whole world should do, like making meat illegal, everyone becoming vegetarian or vegan, stopping abortion around the world, eliminating racism from the planet, stopping all animal testing, or taking away all guns. These are ideals and extreme positions, not critical, academic arguments that could actually happen in the near future.

Do not use one-off stories in the news, online, or that you personally have heard or been through as examples or arguments. Just because your mother or father is a nurse that has seen many gunshot wounds does not mean that guns should be banned. Just because you heard a story or saw one in the news or online about a pig being killed for food does not mean that people should become vegetarians or vegans. Many try to say that guns should be banned because they saw ten school shooting stories online or in the news. Okay, but how many stories are there about every school that did not have a school shooting? Yes, one can see a story in the news or online about police brutality, but this would not mean or imply that most or all police are brutal. One can see a story in the news or online about racism, but this does not mean that most or everyone is racist. One can see a story about a death penalty execution gone wrong, but this does not mean that most or all death penalty executions are painful or go wrong. One can see a story online or in the news about a wrongful conviction, botched abortion where someone dies, an animal tortured in a slaughterhouse or by an unethical scientist, or one can hear about a story where a child is abducted and never found, or a story about where one became pregnant through rape or molestation, but these stories are events, not arguments or explanations, and they may not be representative of an argumentative position. In short, there are many stories online, in the news, and many people have personal stories and experiences, and for every story that is told, true or not, there is a counter-story. For example, if you tell or quote a story about being pulled over by the police and abused by them, some other person will just counter your argument or explanation with another story about being pulled over, not being abused, and having a very pleasant interaction, not even getting a ticket. Stories just cancel each other out. In short, leave one-off stories and events out of papers because they are not reasons, explanations, arguments, or refutations; they are just stories.

Do not make irrelevant arguments or points. For example, bringing up adoption is irrelevant in an abortion argument. Adoption is always legal and a choice, whether abortion is legal or not. No one is forcing anyone to abort. The person always has the choice to abort or to put the fetus up for adoption. The argument is about abortion and its legality, not adoption. The argument should be about whether or not abortion should be legal, a choice, or an option. Adoption is always an option. Should abortion always be an option, too? No one is trying to take away or stop adoption. There are arguments trying to take away or stop abortion. Personal religious views can also be irrelevant. If your religion says abortion is wrong and you follow your personally chosen religion, then you can choose not to abort, but if another person has a different religion, view on religion, no religion, or a different interpretation of the same religion and chooses to abort, then why should that person be prevented from aborting? In short, leave out personal religious, political, and ethical feelings. You can use religious texts to show that many religions do not support abortion, but these sources are only relevant to people who believe in those sources. It is best in argument to use sources that most people believe in and that can be verified to be objectively factual or true, such as the chances of infertility or death from abortion. Irrelevant arguments also creep up into legalization of marijuana arguments. Some say that cigarettes and alcohol are legal, so marijuana should also be legal. This is a false analogy fallacy and off topic. Whether or not alcohol or cigarettes should be legal are two separate and different arguments. Porkchops, eggs, butter, salt, lighters, guns, and matches are also legal and possibly dangerous to health, but their legality does not necessitate the legality of marijuana. In short, focus on your topic, arguments, explanations, and refutations specifically about it. Do not bring up irrelevant arguments, explanations, refutations, or points that are not specific to your topic.

Do not just use or quote numbers or statistics to make points. For instance, 700000 abortions happen in the U.S. each year; therefore, abortion should be illegal. This is not an argument. It is just a number or statistic. Yes, 700000 happen. So? Is this a lot? Is it not enough? Does this number explain why abortion is unethical? 700000 is just a number. You have to quote and refute arguments and explanations. For example, abortion should be illegal because 10000 women become infertile after their abortion, which causes them to regret their choice and commit suicide because of depression. This could be fleshed out to be a complete argument and/or explanation because it shows a line of logic. Just stating a big or small number does not show a line of logic, argument, explanation, or refutation. Twenty-two school shootings happened in 2019. Okay, and? Just stating a number does not argue or explain what to do about the shootings or how to reduce them. Climate change will cause the planet to warm by three degrees by 2100. Yes, so, okay, and? So what if the temperature goes up three degrees in eighty years? In short, you have to make a critical argument with critical explanations and research.

Lastly, for papers, I will be what some call a hostile or skeptically neutral audience. This does not mean that I will come and beat you up if you do not do well on the paper, but it does mean that I will take the opposite side of whatever you are arguing for. For example, if you say that cloning is wrong, I will believe it is right; if cloning is right, then I will believe it is wrong; if you believe that dogs have feelings, I will believe that they have none; if you believe that dogs have no feelings, I will believe that they do; if you believe that teachers are overpaid, I will believe that they are not; if you believe that teachers are underpaid, then, and only then, will I agree. Therefore, I will take the opposite side of whatever you are arguing for. Just to let you know, the position you take in an argument does not have an effect on the grade, but the argument must be an actual argument.

The same rules apply as for our previous papers/assignments. Remember, since you need four sources, a Works Cited page is needed (and it is not counted as a page). All sources must be academic, critical sources. Four sources are required. Use the college databases for research. Paraphrasing will not be allowed in this course. Only direct quotation of up to two sentences will be allowed. In other words, I do not want to see entire paragraphs or pages quoted since our papers are very short. Quotation should be used for support, but it should not be used to write a paper. Seventy-five percent of a paper should be written in your own words. Lastly, do not begin or end a paragraph with quotation. Paragraphs should begin and end with your words. One final note on quoting. Do not quote short one-line statements. For instance, Dr. Susan Smith, author of
Marijuana is Good, said, “marijuana should be legalized” (42). This has no argument or explanation about why marijuana should be legalized. This might just be a personal opinion. Also, anyone could say this, so it is not a critical or academic quote. A critical, academic quote should look like: Dr. Susan Smith, author of
Marijuana is Good, said, “marijuana should be legalized because it helps stage four cancer patients develop an appetite, which increases their rate of remission and survival by ten percent” (42). This type of quote and information shows its logic, makes an argument, and provides critical information and data. All quotes must be academic and critical.

Please email me if you have any questions. Make sure to email me your topic and thesis for approval and suggestions.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF QUOTE ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROPER MLA QUOTE #2 OF PARAGRAPH – Supports or provides evidence of the point being made (

OPTIONAL
) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF QUOTE #2 OF PARAGRAPH (

OPTIONAL
) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY – Summarize main point ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REBUTTAL BODY PARAGRAPHS

TOPIC SENTENCE – BEST COUNTER-ARGUMENT OF A POINT IN THE THESIS ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

DEVELOPMENT – The main idea / Counter-argument more detailed ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROPER MLA QUOTE – Supports or provides evidence of Counter-argument

Critical introduction, “quotation marks” (in-text citation).

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF QUOTE ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

REBUTTAL OF COUNTER-ARGUMENT ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

PROPER MLA QUOTE SUPPORTING REBUTTAL (
OPTIONAL)

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF QUOTE SUPPORTING REBUTTAL (
OPTIONAL)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

SUMMARY – Summarize why rebuttal defeats the counterargument ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH

SUMMARIZE THE MAIN POINTS MADE/ RESTATEMENT OF THESIS IN A DFFERENT WAY ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MORE SPECIFIC SENTENCE ABOUT 1ST POINT OF THESIS ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MORE SPECIFIC SENTENCE ABOUT 2ND POINT OF THESIS ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

MORE SPECIFIC SENTENCE ABOUT 3RD POINT OF THESIS ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

RECOMMENDATION AND/OR REAFFIRMATION OF THE POSITION OF THE THESIS STATEMENT (
Do not repeat the thesis word for word)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Paper had major and significant citation issues in the body and on the Works Cited page. I could not tell which were and which were not your words and/or what was quoted and what was not because of improper and/or lack of citation.

The topic and argument seem to be made up and/or were just announcements of personal and/or idealized opinion. The topic and argument were simply not applicable to the ability of the U.S. government.

-Paper was too short, incomplete, did not meet minimum requirements, was not formatted correctly, and/or did not follow instructions and/or guidelines for papers stated in the instructions and/or syllabus. Consult page 341 in the Simon and Schuster book for the proper format. The paper should not have been accepted or graded. Future papers with any of these issues will not be accepted or graded.

All papers have titles

-paper heading of name, instructor, class, and date should only be on the left-hand side of the first page (consult page 341 in the Simon and Schuster book), not on every page.

The same page number is on every page

-Improper Works Cited page…consult MLA Guide or the Simon and Schuster handbook chapter 26 for proper citation rules and formats…see page 346 for the example of the proper format and page 300 for the list of proper citation formats for individual sources.

-Works Cited should be centered and written at the top. Do not use bibliography, references, sources, works cited page, or works consulted…only Works Cited. Also, do not bold, underline, italicize, use quotation marks around, or change the font size of Works Cited.

Use et al when there are three or more authors…see citation 32 in chapter 26 of the Handbook for Writers

Unknown formats on the WC page. How were these citations created?

Why are dates in parentheses?

Example: vol. 21, no. 3, not 21.3…also, no big V

-no. for the issue number, not issue and number or volume. issue number

Example: vol. 21, no. 3, not 21.3…also, no big N

-use pp. for a page range, not p. Do not include the number of pages. Only include the page range.

-Italics for titles of books, anthologies, journal titles, web page publishers/owners, and names of databases…no underlines, quotation marks, or some combination of italics, quotation marks, or underlining. If one uses italics, one cannot also use quotation marks. Use italics or quotation marks, but never both.

-quotation marks for specific titles, chapters, and article names…no underlines, italics, or some combination of italics, quotation marks, or underlining. If one uses quotation marks, one cannot use italics. Use quotation marks or italics, but never both.

-DOI number or web address missing from the database citations.

-No extra wide spaces between paragraphs. Open the paragraph tab and place a check in the box where it asks if you want an extra space between paragraphs of the same style

Papers should not have headings for each section

Do not make false claims. Governments and states do not regulate the process of individual goods and services, unless there is a national emergency.

Government and regulatory bodies are keen in ensuring the products and services circulated in the economy are priced appropriately.

There is no such thing or policy in the U.S. This can only happen in a national emergency. Social services have rent controls, but the private owners who are renting agree to be in social programs. It is not forced on people, business owners, or companies.

This is attained through the use of price ceiling which involves setting a maximum price at which products should be charged.

Unclear topic and unclear points and examples. The topic does not look like a real; topic or argument. The class was asked to send me their topics and thesis statements for approval and suggestions exactly to stop something like this from happening.

Short introduction. Paragraphs should be 5-6 sentences long.

This is a sentence and announcement, not an argument or argument position. This was not an approved topic or thesis statement. Stay in past tense. The topic and argument do not exist. There is no prices ceiling. The U.S. government does not set prices for products or services unless there is a national emergency, and even then, it rarely does it.

In this discussion, the viability of price ceiling is explored by determining the benefits and drawbacks and possible strategies of enforcing price ceiling without harming the economy.

-A solid thesis is needed, with an essay map. The thesis should be the last sentence in the introductory paragraph, not the first, should only be one sentence, and it should never be a question or a quote. Lastly, thesis statements never have characters in them.

A thesis statement is not a separate sentence from the introduction

Missing words

What does crucial mean?

Unclear wording and meaning

Thesis statements have at least three points

Do not write about people

Who is arguing for or against this? Is there a bill in Congress about this? What product or service is the news reporting on about the government taking over a business, product, or service? Simply, this is not a real topic or argument.

Even though some disagree, price ceiling is crucial in the economy as it controls inflation and limit on cost for the consumers.

Who says? Doe the government even have the power to do this? Are you making this up or guessing? Tightened in? awkward wording and meaning. What monetary authority? Cap what prices, on what product, at what level? What does this mean?

Inflation can be tightened in with the use of a price ceiling since it allows monetary authorities to legally cap price increases at a certain level.

What theory? Quote it.

Getting out of hand is cliché

No first person…no us

The government does have the power to raise interest rates, but it does not have the power to cap prices with a price ceiling. Why not just raise interest rates? They have been too low, almost zero, for years.

In theory, this will prevent inflation from getting out of hand and allow us to avoid raising interest rates.

Monopolies are illegal in the U.S. Who cares if prices increase? Who cares if high profits are made? Natural supply and demand do this. What exactly are you arguing for or against? You cannot make up an imaginary solution to a problem, especially one that cannot be implemented. This is like saying that since populations are growing, the U.S. government should force people move to Mars with its spaceships. A growing population may be an issue, but the government has no power to force people onto spaceships, which the government does not have and has no ability to build. Why is the government not doing this? It is not done because the government has no power to do this and has no ability tool to get people to Mars, just like the government has no power to set price ceilings and has no ability to create a price ceiling unless there is a major national emergency, and even then, it would be almost impossible and/or fought over in court for years, possibly even igniting another revolutionary or civil war in an extreme case.

If enterprises have monopoly power and price increases are being driven by higher profit margins, a price ceiling can prevent further price increases without generating a shortage of the commodity.

What does this mean? Supplies and prices constantly change with market fluctuations. Who said supply was not elastic? It is obvious that supply, demand, and prices are elastic. Unclear logic and meaning.

If supply is inelastic and prices are rising, then supply should not be affected by price regulations.

Yes, there are rent controls for certain building projects and social services has set prices that landlords can agree to or not agree to. However, with building projects, the government either owns the land, has set conditions for the sale and development of it, or gives tax incentives and/or or funding for development if the new owner agrees to terms and conditions, and if not, then the land sits vacant. Nothing is forced on anyone. Setting price ceilings would have to be forced on people, businesses, and companies, and the government simply has no power or ability to do this. This simply is not a real issue or argument. China does this, but the U.S. is not China.

For instance, if there is a constant demand for housing but a limited supply, rent control could lead to lower rents without affecting the housing market in any other way.

Food is not scarce. It is everywhere and cheap. America is the fattest country. Who cares what people can buy? Their financial situation is their problem. I want a Lamborghini, but I cannot afford to spend 250000 or more on a car. What power or ability does the U.S. government have to set a price ceiling on a private company and their product? The government does not have to make sure that I can afford my dream car.

Otherwise, the price of scarce products, such as food, would increase, leaving many consumers unable to purchase them, which is why price restrictions are used during war and rationing.

The argument is not a real argument or topic. There is nothing to argue about or over because the U.S. is not based on socialistic or communistic principles, has no power to create or enforce price ceilings, and has no tool or ability, unless a natural disaster or emergency is declared, and even then, mandating price ceilings prices is rarely done. No one is even arguing in Congress about a bill or law to give the government this tool, power, or ability. Only if the U.S. suddenly turned socialistic or communistic, would price ceilings be an argument or topic. The government simply does not have the ability or power to set prices or set price ceilings, so what you are writing about is not a real argument or topic. Inflation is also not a national disaster or emergency, at least not yet, but even if it were, the government would have a difficult time, if not impossible time, regulating setting, or creating ceilings for prices due to the capitalistic nature and foundation that the country was built on. If the topic and thesis statement were sent to me as requested in the paper instructions, this issue could have been avoided.

Inflation is not a tool, it is a consequence. It is also not attached to a specific product or service. Historically, raising or lowering interest rates keep inflation, on average, at two percent growth.

Inflation has been utilized historically as a tool for monetary policy regulation, as demonstrated by historical data.

All quoted?

Missing critical introduction and quotation marks

Inflation can be tightened in with the use of a price ceiling since it allows monetary authorities to legally cap price increases at a certain level. In theory, this will prevent inflation from getting out of hand and allow us to avoid raising interest rates. If enterprises have monopoly power and price increases are being driven by higher profit margins, a price ceiling can prevent further price increases without generating a shortage of the commodity. If supply is inelastic and prices are rising, then supply should not be affected by price regulations. For instance, if there is a constant demand for housing but a limited supply, rent control could lead to lower rents without affecting the housing market in any other way. Otherwise, the price of scarce products, such as food, would increase, leaving many consumers unable to purchase them, which is why price restrictions are used during war and rationing. Inflation has been utilized historically as a tool for monetary policy regulation, as demonstrated by historical data. It was the job of the United States’ Office of Price Administration (OPA) to limit prices and thereby manage inflation from 1941 and 1947. Inflation was lowered during this time period compared to the First World War, thanks in part to price restrictions. Additionally, the Nixon administration and the Korean War both instituted price controls (Cochoy et al, 135).

Below is some information about proper MLA Citation:

-For MLA citations, you have to create a Works Cited page at the end of the paper that has the complete citation list. In the body of the paper, you have to critically introduce a quote, put quotation marks around it, and use an in-text citation, which is placed at the end of the sentence and looks like this (Smith 42) or (American Cancer 42). Smith would be the author’s name, and 42 would be the page number. American Cancer, being The American Cancer Society, would be the online source’s name, and again, 42 would be the page number the quote or information was taken from. If I see (Smith 42) in the body of the paper, then that will refer me to the Works Cited page, at the end of the paper, where the full citation is written out. Here is an example of a proper quote and an in-text citation in the body of a paper: According to Douglass Adams, author of
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “the answer to the ultimate question is 42” (166). You could also write: “The answer to the ultimate question is 42,” according to Douglass Adams, author of
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (166). Both are acceptable and correct. However, if you do not introduce your source, you must place the author’s last name and the page number or paragraph number in the in-text citation. For instance: According to the author of
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, “The answer to the ultimate question is 42” (Adams 166). I would prefer the former to the latter. One must always preface a quote or tell where it came from, put quotation marks around what is quoted, and then place the author’s last name and page number in brackets with a period at the end. The only difference when paraphrasing is that you do not use the quotation marks, but you must still introduce the quote and use an in-text citation. Do not do this (Smith, 42). Do not place a comma in the in-text citation. Lastly, if there is no author, use the first word or two of the citation on the Works Cited page to create an in-text citation. Look at the left-hand side of the screen or page when looking at your Works Cited page. The author’s last name or the title of the source should be there. Use the author’s last name and page or paragraph number: example (Smith 42) or (Smith p.4). For a source with no author that begins with a title, say the American Heart Association, use the first word or two of the title (
American 42) or (“American” p.4). If the title is in quotation marks or italics on the Works Cited page, carry them over to the in-text citation. One should be able to see an in-text citation and easily scan the left side of a Works Cited page to see which source is being quoted. All quotes in the body should have a corresponding full citation on the Works Cited page. All full citations on a Works Cited page should have a corresponding critical introduction, quote in quotation marks, and in-text citation in the body of a paper. (Remember, there is no paraphrasing or summary allowed in the course…only direct quotation is accepted)

-improper citation…I do not know which are your words and which are not due to improper and/or lack of citation. There is no paraphrasing or summary allowed in this course. Only direct quotation is acceptable.

Okay, but this was over 70 years ago during WW2 and after the Great Depression. The U.S. is not in a major world war and there is no great depression today.

It was the job of the United States’ Office of Price Administration (OPA) to limit prices and thereby manage inflation from 1941 and 1947. Inflation was lowered during this time period compared to the First World War, thanks in part to price restrictions. Additionally, the Nixon administration and the Korean War both instituted price controls (Cochoy et al, 135).

There is no war. A prolonged war can be a state of emergency. Inflation and high prices are not wars, natural disasters, or national emergencies. They are just economic problems that will run their course.

Stop announcing. Conclusions are not appropriate or inappropriate. The logic of an argument will lead to a conclusion.

It is thus appropriate to conclude that price ceiling is an effective tool in controlling inflation in the economy.

The paper seems to be based in a false analogy fallacy, somehow trying to equate or compare a war and/or powers only used in major emergences, which are only used temporarily and used in limited ways, to inflation, which is just an economic problem that people do not like. The U.S. government does not have the power or tool to do what you are saying. It simply cannot do it. If it did have the power and ability to set price ceilings, then one could have the argument you are trying to make, but, as is, there is no topic or argument here.

Unclear run-on

Missing words

Unclear meaning and wording

Possible capitalization error

Fragmented sentences…something is missing

If consumers cannot afford things, they do not buy them. Once demand decreases and supplies increase, prices come down. Companies would not charge high prices if the customers did not pay them, and the government has no tool or ability to interfere with this, unless, again, there is a national emergency, but since there is not, again, there is no topic or argument here.

(A)Price ceiling is important(comma) as it prevents consumer exploitation by ensuring the client pays for a price that is equivalent As a result, prices remain reasonable and producers and suppliers are unable to take undue advantage of consumers.

Help people cope? Who cares about people and what they can cope with? People and their personal financial issues and situations are not the government’s problem. The other side could say this. This is why we do not write about people.

If a scarcity is only temporary, price caps can help people cope with the effects of inflation while they wait for supplies to return to normal.

Maybe, but the government has no ability to do this, so, again, this is a non-issue. What does the government care about if people can buy things or if companies make money?

Demand and spending can be boosted by setting a ceiling on prices.

-Do not begin sentences with ‘that,’ ‘which,’ or ‘because.’ These words tend to create fragments.

Help with what?

No contractions

Awkward and unclear meaning and wording

That’s why price caps can help in the near run.

Why would the government want to help anyone, people or businesses? The paper seems to think that the government is something that it is not. Governments, especially the U.S. government, only steps in when there is a crisis, like covid or a war, or when most of the people demand something of it through voting or revolt. In fact, right now, the government is not doing much about inflation because, except for using its only tool, raising interest rates, the government wants higher unemployment, reduced demand, and wants all of the excess money created through the CV19 pandemic out the monetary system. Technically, the government does not even have the power or ability to raise interest rates, let alone set prices or create price ceilings. The Federal Reserve loans money to banks, which loan money to people and businesses. When the Fed raises interest rates, it only raises the interest it will charge banks to take out loans, and then banks increase their interest rates to compensate, which makes it harder for people and businesses to get loans, which causes companies to lay off people and/or not give raises,

reducing demand, increaing supplies, and this keeps inflation down and gets excess money out of the economic system because it goes back to the government. The government has very little ability or power, other than raising and lowering interest rates, to do much, if anything, about prices, inflation, deflation, or the economy in general. Again, this is why what you are writing about is not an argument or topic. It would only be an argument or topic of the government actually had the ability to set prices or price ceilings. The paper seems to be based on a false assumption that the U.S. government actually has this tool, power, or ability, but it does not, and inflation is not a war, natural disaster, or national emergency, so the government is, quite literally, powerless when it comes to setting process or creating price ceilings.

What or who are they? Prices? Governments? Price ceilings? Inflation?

Parentheses cannot replace commas. Also, price caps are a problem in a capitalistic country based in democracy. Once governments can control prices and economies, people have limited choices and power to control governments. China has the ability to set prices, create price ceilings, and shut down private companies and businesses, but many Americans would not want to live in China or under Chinese rule. The argument you are trying to make might be applicable to the Chinese economy, but it is not applicable to the American economy, but even in China, the government rarely steps in and sets prices or price ceilings.

They are not a problem in and of themselves, but they can become one if they last too long or are set too low relative to the price at which the market finds equilibrium (when the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied).

-Do not use quotation marks, bolding, parentheses, all-caps, or italics for effect. Quotation marks should be used for quoting. Parentheses cannot be used to replace commas.

Unclear wording and meaning

When this happens, supply may be in low supply due to the high demand.

All quoted?

Missing critical introduction and quotation marks

Price ceiling is important as it prevents consumer exploitation by ensuring the client pays for a price that is equivalent As a result, prices remain reasonable and producers and suppliers are unable to take undue advantage of consumers. If a scarcity is only temporary, price caps can help people cope with the effects of inflation while they wait for supplies to return to normal. Demand and spending can be boosted by setting a ceiling on prices. That’s why price caps can help in the near run. They are not a problem in and of themselves, but they can become one if they last too long or are set too low relative to the price at which the market finds equilibrium (when the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied). When this happens, supply may be in low supply due to the high demand. Something will also have to go if the prices producers are allowed to charge are too far from their production costs and operating expenses. As a result, they could have to skimp elsewhere, lower standards, or raise prices (Bar-Nahum et al, 2200).

-Do not use the word ‘thing’ or any words that use ‘thing’ in them for academic papers

Who are they?

Missing words

What does pull products mean?

It is possible they will have to pull products or reduce output (causing more shortages).

-Too emphatic. By this, I mean that we might say this, but would not write this. Being emphatic also makes the paper too conversational, like the author is talking with friends or buddies. Remember, papers are professional and scholarly. If the language, sentence structure, or word choice is too simple or too ‘as a matter of fact’, then the audience may not take the ideas in the paper seriously. For example, “How y’all do’in” is too emphatic. We might say this, but we would write, “How is everyone”. Also, words like awesome, amazing, wonderful, humongous, spectacular, etc…these words only tell, but they do not show or explain in detail. Moreover, they are too emotional, vague, general, and they suggest personal feeling, opinion, and emotion.

-Academic tone and style needed. This can happen when sentences are too simple, the paper lacks grammar, slang is used, contractions are used, when personal opinion is used, when explanation of the obvious is used, when sentences are too emphatic, when critical explanation and argument are missing, when ideas are repeated, and/or there are empty sentences. Also, this can happen when a paper is too conversational, meaning that sentences are written in a tone or style that one might text, write in Facebook, or when one writes a personal letter to a friend. Also, explaining the obvious or giving unnecessary history or information to pad or fluff up word count or to artificially lengthen a paper takes away from an academic tone and style of writing. Lastly, if clichés are used throughout the paper, they can cause a non-academic tone and/or style. Academic writing is semi-formal to formal in sentence structure, language, style, tone, wording, vocabulary, perspective, and it is objective.

-Do not begin sentences with people, some people, many people, other people, and do not announce what groups believe or say. Focus on the type of assignment, the topics, arguments, explanations, and the subjects, not on people, their feelings, and their personal beliefs. Also, do not guess or assume what people may or may not think or feel.

So? Businesses go bankrupt everyday. Other businesses replace them. Unclear argument and point.

If they are unable to make a decent profit from their wares, some may be forced to close shop.

Unclear wording and meaning…looks like missing words

This is resulted by price ceiling(comma) which limits the ability of business to push prices higher based on the incurred cost of production in compensating for profits.

On what? Worthwhile? Unclear meaning

There is not enough of a price ceiling to make it worthwhile(comma) as it discourages production and supply in the market.

-One cannot use vague words to describe. Feeling excited, something being amazing, Dave looked happy, and Susan was sad are not descriptions. They do not let the audience see, hear, small, taste, or feel, as in touch. Show the audience. Do not just tell the audience what is happening. Feel excited should be: After winning the lottery, the family was jumping, crying, and laughing like a child who received an Optimus Prime Transformer on Christmas morning. Something looking amazing should be: At 5:37 am, on Sunday morning in the middle of July, the sun broke over Mount Herman like wild Mustang horses racing over the plains of Kansas. Dave looked happy should be: Dave smiled and laughed like King Leonidas of Sparta when he received a promotion to full partner at the law firm of Smith, Jones, and Thomas. For Susan being sad: Susan, after failing here college algebra test with a grade of 48, knew she would have to give up on her career choice of Ocean Biologist because math is necessary for cataloging the migrating patterns of vampire squid, great white sharks, and blue whales. Show the audience…do not just tell the audience. No vague words. If one cannot see it, hear it, smell it, taste it, or touch and feel it, it is not description.

This is not description. This is telling, not showing. Specific details needed.

All quoted?

Missing critical introduction, quotation marks, and a page number in the intext citation. Do not use quotes with errors. How is this a counterargument?

There is not enough of a price ceiling to make it worthwhile as it discourages production and supply in the market. The incentive for businesses to boost production might be dampened by price limits. For instance, if there are shortages in the supply chain that are driving up prices. Companies will have an incentive to boost production as a result of the price increase. But if the government institutes price limits, the incentive to increase supply will be diminished. Therefore, pricing regulations can prolong the scarcity rather than alleviate it. Although there is high probability of producers and suppliers shying away from the market, this problem can be addressed by ensuring the price ceiling is adjusted regularly to reflect inflationary changes in the economy (Zhang).

75% of a paper must be written in your own words. Quotation should be used to support ideas, but it should not be used to write most of the paper.

-use your quotations to support your ideas, not to write the paper for you. For example, begin and end paragraphs with your own words, only use a quoted sentence or two in the middle of a paragraph, and then say something in your own words about your quotation. You can agree with, disagree with, add to, subtract from, or interpret the quotation. You do not want a series of linked quotes that write the paper for you. In other words, do not simply write the first and last sentences of a paragraph in your words and have the rest of the body sentences being quotation. Seventy five percent of a paper should be written in your words. Remember, it is your paper, so it should mostly be written in your own words.

Whenever you quote someone, always try to say something critical in your own words about the quote. You should always try to interpret, explain, add to, subtract from, agree with, disagree with, point out faulty logic, or show the reasoning behind a quote. Try not to link too many quotes together. Use quotation for support, but do not let it write or dominate parts of your paper. Always place a critical comment after a quote. Say something about the information in the quote. Do not just go right into another quote or idea. Do not just repeat what the quote said.

-always say something about a quotation before moving on to a different topic, subject, or other quote. Always make critical comment on a quote. Never leave a quotation hanging, and never expect the quote to speak for itself.

-when quoting, always introduce a quote, use quotation marks around the quoted words, and place an in-text citation at the end of the sentence. This must be done in order to protect yourself from accidental plagiarism due to improper citation

fragment

For instance, if there are shortages in the supply chain that are driving up prices.

Do not begin sentences with conjunctions

But if the government institutes price limits, the incentive to increase supply will be diminished.

-Do not begin sentences with conjunctions (words like for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

Unclear wording and meaning…looks like missing words

Another source of critic against price ceiling is the rise of the black market is another issue with price regulations.

All quoted?

Missing critical introduction, quotation marks, and a page number in the intext citation. Do not use sources with grammar issues or poor writing ability. This a straw man argument, meaning a minor or weak argument to make and win. Also, the opposite usually happens. Usually black markets deal with stolen goods and sell them at cheaper rates. How is this a counterargument?

Another source of critic against price ceiling is the rise of the black market is another issue with price regulations. The temptation to buy at an artificially low price and resell on the black market for a higher price to those who cannot wait in line increases when demand is artificially suppressed. This can be countered by putting in place restrictions to ensure fair competition in the market. This is attained through ensuring there is quality in products offered at the market as a way of motivating consumers into opting for the right market rather than going for the black market (Ye).

A counterargument would be an explanation about why price ceilings should not be implemented. Neither of the quotes listed as counterarguments (do not list, announce, or have headings that announce sections of papers), made arguments about not having or using price ceilings.

-Subject-verb agreement: For example, instead of “Many people was afraid,” write “Many people were afraid.” Instead of “People is nice,” write “People are nice.” Singular subjects need singular verbs. Plural subjects need plural verbs. For instance, instead of “John drive a car,” write “John drives a car.” Singular verbs usually have an ‘s’ or ‘es’ attached to them. Also, for example, not “Sue help Jim,” but “Sue helped Jim.” Do not forget ed’s either. One last example: not “Mike do his homework,” but “Mike does his homework.”

They play no role because they do not exist in America.

Price ceiling play a major role in a regulated economy as it prevents consumers from unfair business practices and exploitation.

Again, not in America because the U.S. government does not have this power, tool, or ability.

It is a strategy that can be applied in regulating inflation in the economy.

Do not exaggerate

It can also encourage the development of black market(comma) which (comma)in turn(comma) stagnates growth in the economy.

The economy is efficient. What does efficiency mean? Unclear context, meaning, and ending. Unclear topic and argument.

With effective protocols, it is possible to attain efficiency in the economy with price ceiling.