The argument essay: complete overview - Regents ELA Part 2 source-based argument

Part 2 of the Regents Examination in English Language Arts is the Source-Based Argument: an essay worth 6 raw points in which you read four texts on one issue and write an argument that takes a position. This site breaks the task into six skills that together produce a top-band argument. This overview maps the six skills, the 6-point rubric they serve, and how to study them.

The six argument skills

Each skill is a move you make in building the source-based argument.

• Understanding the source-based argument. What the task asks, line by line, and how it differs from a personal-opinion essay. See understanding the source-based argument.
• Establishing a precise claim. Taking one clear, defensible position and stating it as a full sentence. See establishing a precise claim.
• Addressing counterclaims. Acknowledging the strongest opposing view and rebutting it. See addressing counterclaims.
• Integrating evidence from multiple sources. Weaving evidence from at least three texts into reasons, not summarizing each in turn. See integrating evidence from multiple sources.
• Organizing the argument essay. A coherent structure, transitions, and a formal style. See organizing the argument essay.
• The argument rubric and scoring. What the four criteria reward and what lifts a 4 to a 6. See the argument rubric and scoring.

How they serve the rubric

The six skills map directly onto the 6-point holistic rubric's four criteria.

• The claim and counterclaim skills serve Content and Analysis (a precise claim, in-depth analysis, distinguishing the claim from opposing ones).
• The evidence-integration skill serves Command of Evidence (specific, relevant evidence from several texts, marshalled toward the claim).
• The organization skill serves Coherence, Organization, and Style (logical structure, transitions, formal register).
• All of them rest on Control of Conventions, the grammar and mechanics that a short proofread protects.

The thread through every skill: argue, do not summarize

The single habit that runs through Part 2 is building an argument from the sources rather than retelling them. A precise claim gives the essay a position; reason-based organization gives the evidence a job; analysis explains why each piece of evidence matters; the counterclaim shows the position survives objection. The signature mid-band essay summarizes the four texts in turn; the top-band essay uses them to prove a point.

How to study the argument essay

1. Read the task as a contract. Each direction (claim, counterclaim, three texts, formal style) maps to a rubric criterion.
2. Practice precise claims. Turn issues into single, defensible, reason-previewing sentences.
3. Organize by reason. Plan paragraphs around reasons and pull evidence across texts into each.
4. Always explain evidence. After every quotation, add the clause that links it to the claim.
5. Time full essays against released prompts so you can plan, draft, and proofread within the exam's pace.

For the official exam materials

NYSED publishes past Regents ELA exams, scoring keys, rating guides, and the rubrics on the NYSED Regents Examinations site and the NYSED high school ELA assessment page. Always practice from released argument tasks and study the official rubric, because the task wording and scoring are board-specific.