This concise argument text presents a broad range of rhetorical theory while providing the clear explanations and examples to make it accessible to an exceptionally wide range of students. Essentials of Argument, 3e, contains ten chapters, each accompanied by class exercises and writing assignments. Students using this text will learn to identify topics of personal and social consequence, to read and form opinions of their own, to analyze a potential audience, and to write persuasive argument papers. Research methods are introduced early, instructing students how to locate, print, and evaluate online materials and avoid plagiarism. Appendices teach MLA and APA styles, and provide a synopsis of the major ideas about argument in unique Summary Charts.