One my principal goals in this class is to teach you how to make a persuasive argument. A persuasive argument always has three features: 1) a clear statement of the issue at hand; 2) a clear and concise statement of where you stand; and 2) an explanation of your reasons for taking this position rather than its rival. As every good epidemiologist, climate scientist, and field hockey coach knows, a successful argument or strategy must anticipate the counterargument or counterstrategy that someone will raise against it. This means that you should clearly state both your argument and the counterargument that will likely be raised against you. If you fail to address the counterargument, you will go down in defeat.
One way to begin developing this skill is to develop the knack for writing strong introductory paragraphs to hypothetical essays. There are different ways of thinking about what should go into such a paragraph. But the most rudimentary approach in the social sciences typically takes the following form: 1) it advises the reader of your topic; 2) it states different approaches that readers can make about the topic; 3) it states where you stand; and 4) it provides the reader with a sense for how you will proceed. As you can see, these guidelines correspond directly to what I have said above in my first paragraph.