英文議論文寫作：立場、論證與反駁

考試制度提醒： 台灣現行分科測驗沒有英文考科。本篇是通用的進階英文議論文教學，可用於英文寫作訓練、校內考試、TOEFL、IELTS 或 GRE；不是現行「分科英文」教材。

議論文不是把很多難字塞進五個段落，而是把一個可以爭論的主張，按照讀者能檢查的順序說清楚。好的文章至少完成四件事：

1. 明確回答題目。
2. 提出可以支持立場的理由。
3. 用具體例子解釋理由。
4. 回應可能的反對意見。

一、先把題目改寫成一個可回答的問題

題目：

Should university education be free for all students?

不要立刻開始寫。先把它拆成三個決策：

• 我的立場是完全贊成、部分贊成，還是反對？
• 我最強的兩個理由是什麼？
• 對方最合理的反駁是什麼？

一個可操作的立場可以是：

Governments should make university education substantially more affordable, but a completely free system is not always financially sustainable.

這個 thesis 有兩個優點：它回答了題目，也預告後文會同時討論「受教機會」與「財政可行性」。

二、四段式解剖：claim、evidence、counterargument、rebuttal

如果只想記住一句話，記住這四個詞。議論文的所有寫法，最後都會收斂到這個結構：

這四個元件可以散落在不同段落。短文可以兩段收完，長文可以分別成段。重點是讀者讀完時，能從中找回這四塊。

三、為什麼台灣學生常跳過 counterargument

寫作課上最常見的失分原因，不是文法，不是單字，而是 counterargument 缺席。原因通常有三：

第一，直覺反應是「捍衛自己」。很多學生把反駁當成吵架，於是把對方寫得很可笑，例如「有些人根本不在乎窮學生」。這種描述既不公平也不真實，閱卷老師一眼就看得出來。

第二，訓練材料給的範例太乾淨。課本裡的 model essay 常常已經修飾過，把反方簡化成一句，學生以為反駁就是寫一句 "However, I disagree." 然後回頭繼續講自己。

第三，時間壓力下被犧牲。考場最後五分鐘，多數人選擇把結尾寫漂亮一點，而不是回頭補一段沒寫完的反駁。於是閱卷者看到的是一個立場清楚、但沒有經過壓力測試的論證。

學測英文作文的評分規準裡，「組織與發展」一項會檢查論點發展是否完整，包括能否回應不同觀點。跳過這一段，等於直接放掉一個分數區間。

四、學生會關心的題目：108 課綱與社群媒體

練習議論文最怕選太遠的題目。學生寫「Should governments regulate AI?」通常會流於空泛，因為生活經驗不夠。換成自己有感覺的題目，evidence 自然就會具體。

兩個適合高中生練習的方向：

• 108 課綱相關： 學習歷程檔案是否真的反映學習？多元選修是否讓學生選到「甜課」而非「想學的課」？申請入書審制度是否對弱勢學生不利？
• 社群媒體相關： 高中生是否應該公開經營個人帳號？平台演算法是否影響學生的時間分配？

以「108 課綱的學習歷程檔案是否反映真實學習」為例，thesis 可以寫成：

Although the 108 curriculum's portfolio system aims to document real learning, it often rewards students with stronger family support rather than those who learn the most, so schools should treat portfolios as one of several signals, not the main one.

這個 thesis 同時回答題目、預告兩個理由（家庭資源差距、單一指標風險），並承認制度背後的善意，因此比「學習歷程檔案不好」更有論述空間。

五、Body Paragraph：用 PEEL 建立論證

PEEL 是一個方便檢查的段落結構：

• P — Point: 本段主張
• E — Evidence or Example: 證據或具體情境
• E — Explanation: 為什麼這個例子支持主張
• L — Link: 連回全文立場

範例：

Affordable tuition improves social mobility. A capable student from a low-income family may earn excellent grades but still avoid university because of tuition and living costs. When financial barriers determine who can continue studying, admission is no longer based mainly on ability. Reducing tuition and expanding need-based aid therefore allow universities to select from a wider pool of talent, which benefits both individuals and society.

注意：例子之後一定要有 explanation。只寫一個故事，卻不說明它和 thesis 的關係，仍然不是完整論證。

六、五段式只是骨架，不是目的

篇幅較短時，可以把反駁放進第二個 body paragraph，不必為了湊五段而重複內容。

七、Thesis Statement：文章的控制中心

弱 thesis

University education is an important topic.

問題：只有介紹主題，沒有立場，也沒有可預測的論證方向。

較好的 thesis

University tuition should be reduced because affordable higher education expands opportunity and strengthens the skilled workforce.

它包含：

• 明確立場：tuition should be reduced
• 理由一：expands opportunity
• 理由二：strengthens the skilled workforce

更成熟的 thesis

Although completely free university education may be difficult to fund, governments should substantially reduce tuition and expand need-based aid because access to higher education should depend on ability, not family income.

這個版本先承認限制，再提出可執行的主張，因此比絕對化口號更有說服力。

八、Counterargument：先公平描述，再精準反駁

低品質反駁常把對方寫得很愚蠢：

Some people do not care about poor students.

這不是有效的 counterargument。合理的反方可能擔心：

• 政府預算有限；
• 全額補助可能讓高收入家庭也得到不必要的補貼；
• 學校品質可能因資源不足而下降。

較成熟的寫法：

Critics may argue that fully subsidizing every student would place an excessive burden on taxpayers. This concern is reasonable, especially when public budgets must also support health care and basic education. However, the solution does not have to be an all-or-nothing policy. Governments can combine moderate tuition, income-based grants, and repayment plans so that assistance is concentrated on students who need it most.

反駁的流程是：

1. 承認合理疑慮；
2. 限定疑慮成立的範圍；
3. 提出更精確的替代方案。

九、會真的讓段落變順的轉折詞

轉折詞不是越多越好。一個段落裡塞太多 "however"、"moreover"、"therefore"，讀起來像機器人。幾個使用頻率低但效果好的組合：

• However 適合放在反駁句首：「However, this assumes that...」它把讀者的注意力從你剛才說的話拉回你的回應。
• On the other hand 適合引出對方立場：「On the other hand, students who live far from school may need a phone to coordinate with family.」
• Admittedly 適合主動讓步：「Admittedly, longer reading lists can discourage students who already struggle with reading.」這個詞比 "I admit that" 更自然。
• That said 適合在承認之後立刻修正：「The rule is reasonable in theory. That said, enforcement can be uneven.」
• Even so 適合連接兩個看似矛盾的句子：「The data are imperfect. Even so, the trend is consistent across years.」

原則只有一個：讓讀者知道你現在是在「讓步」還是在「反擊」。混著用反而會讓語意模糊。

十、15 分鐘速寫練習：Should phones be banned in class?

題目：Should mobile phones be banned in classrooms?

Thesis： Mobile phones should be restricted but not completely banned, because blanket bans ignore the genuine academic uses of phones while failing to address the real problem of distracted learning.

Body paragraph（claim + evidence + counter + rebuttal）：

Many teachers support a full ban because phones are a visible source of distraction. In a typical class, a student may check social media after a notification appears, lose the thread of the explanation, and then spend the rest of the period catching up. A clear classroom rule removes the temptation and protects attention.

Admittedly, however, phones are also practical tools. Students use them to photograph whiteboard notes, scan QR codes for worksheets, look up unfamiliar vocabulary during a reading exercise, and coordinate group projects outside class. A rule that treats every phone as a problem ignores these everyday uses.

Schools therefore need a more precise rule. Phones can stay in bags during lectures and silent reading, but teachers can explicitly allow them during tasks that genuinely need them. The point is not to remove phones from school; it is to keep attention where it belongs.

練習重點：

• claim 出現在第一句；
• evidence 是「學生看通知而分心」這個具體情境；
• counterargument 用 Admittedly 帶出；
• rebuttal 沒有全盤否定，而是提出更精確的替代方案。

十一、學測英文作文評分規準：閱卷者真正看什麼

學測英文作文的閱卷者不是文學獎評審，他們要在短時間內對成千上萬份答案打分。常見的評分規準大致分四個面向：

1. 內容與組織（Content & Organization）：thesis 是否清楚？段落是否各自完成不同任務？有沒有回應反方？
2. 論點發展（Argument Development）：理由之間是否彼此獨立？每個理由有沒有具體支撐，而不是換句話重複？
3. 文法與用字（Language Use）：錯誤是否影響理解？句型是否變化太少？
4. 字數與完整度（Length & Completeness）：是否完成所有段落？有沒有中途斷掉？

實務上，「論點發展」與「內容與組織」加起來往往佔總分一半以上。這也是為什麼即使單字普通，只要段落邏輯清楚、明確處理反方，分數仍然會落在中前段。反過來，單字華麗但跳過反駁的答案，常被評為「看起來很厲害，但論證不完整」。

寫給閱卷者一句話：把反方寫進去，比把形容詞寫漂亮更划算。

十二、完整示範文章

Prompt

Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. Others disagree. What is your opinion?

Model Essay

University education can change a person's career opportunities, but its rising cost prevents many capable students from applying. Although making every university completely free may not be financially realistic, governments should substantially reduce tuition and provide stronger need-based support.

First, affordable higher education improves equality of opportunity. Academic ability is not limited to students from wealthy families. When tuition is too high, a qualified student may choose a lower-skilled job simply because the family cannot pay the initial cost. Grants and lower tuition allow admission decisions to reflect preparation and potential rather than household income.

Second, society benefits when more people can receive advanced training. Modern economies need teachers, engineers, nurses, researchers, and other skilled professionals. Public support for education is therefore not merely a private gift to individual students; it is also an investment in the workforce and in services that the wider community uses.

Critics correctly point out that a universal free system could be expensive and might subsidize families that can already afford tuition. A better policy is targeted support. Governments can combine reasonable tuition with income-based grants, scholarships, and repayment plans. This approach protects access without pretending that educational resources are unlimited.

In conclusion, the strongest policy is not necessarily free university for everyone. It is a system in which qualified students are not excluded because of family income. Lower tuition and carefully targeted financial aid can achieve that goal while remaining more financially responsible.

十三、句型工具箱

提出立場

• I strongly believe that...
• A more practical approach is to...
• Although X has advantages, Y is ultimately more important because...

加入證據或例子

• For example,...
• A clear illustration of this problem is...
• This can be seen when...

解釋因果

• This matters because...
• As a result,...
• Therefore, the example demonstrates that...

承認反方

• Critics may argue that...
• It is reasonable to worry that...
• While this concern is valid,...
• Admittedly,...

回應反方

• However, this argument overlooks...
• The problem can be reduced by...
• This does not mean that...
• Even so,...

十四、常見失分原因

1. 立場在文章中途改變

開頭支持，結尾突然反對。寫作前先用一句話固定 thesis。

2. 每段都只是換句話說

「教育很重要」「教育真的很重要」「教育對社會很重要」不是三個理由。每個 body paragraph 必須有不同的因果鏈。

3. 例子太空泛

Education helps everyone.

改成具體情境：誰受到什麼限制？政策改變後會發生什麼？

4. 使用無法驗證的數字

除非題目提供資料或你能正確引用來源，否則不要隨意捏造百分比。考場中可以使用合理、具體但不冒充統計資料的例子。

5. 反駁只用一句 "I disagree"

先準確描述對方的疑慮，再說明你的主張如何處理那個疑慮。

十五、15 分鐘練習流程

1. 2 分鐘： 圈出題目中的爭議詞。
2. 3 分鐘： 寫 thesis、兩個理由與一個反方疑慮。
3. 7 分鐘： 完成一個 PEEL body paragraph。
4. 3 分鐘： 檢查主詞動詞一致、時態、單複數與連接詞。

練習題：

• Should high school students be required to complete community service?
• Should artificial intelligence tools be allowed in classrooms?
• Is working from home better than working in an office?
• Should public transportation be free in large cities?

十六、交稿前檢查表

• 第一段最後有明確 thesis。
• 每個 body paragraph 只有一個主要論點。
• 例子之後有 explanation。
• 至少公平處理一個反方疑慮。
• 結論沒有加入全新的理由。
• 沒有捏造資料、研究或名人引言。
• 文法錯誤不會妨礙理解。

制度資料來源

現行分科測驗科目請以大考中心最新簡章為準。115 學年度分科測驗包含數學甲、數學乙、歷史、地理、公民與社會、物理、化學、生物，沒有英文考科。