What exactly does Part 2 ask, and how is the source-based argument different from a personal opinion essay?
Understanding the source-based argument: the Part 2 task (four texts on one issue, take a position, use at least three sources), how it differs from a personal-opinion essay, and what each line of the task directions requires.
What Part 2 of the Regents ELA exam asks: four texts on one issue, establish a precise claim, distinguish it from opposing claims, and use specific evidence from at least three of the texts. How the source-based argument differs from a personal-opinion essay, line by line through the task directions.
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What this skill is asking
Part 2 of the Regents ELA exam is the source-based argument: you are given four texts on a single debatable issue and asked to write an essay that takes a position, supported by evidence from at least three of the texts. It is the largest writing task on the exam, scored holistically out of 6. This page covers exactly what the task asks, line by line through the directions, and the crucial difference between a source-based argument and a personal-opinion essay. The transferable skill is reading a task as a contract: every requirement maps to a rubric criterion, so doing all of them is how you score.
The task in plain terms
The Part 2 prompt always follows the same shape, whatever the issue.
Reading the directions carefully matters because each instruction is a scored expectation. "Use evidence from at least three texts" is not a suggestion; a response that leans on one text cannot reach the top of the Command of Evidence criterion. "Do not simply summarize the texts" warns against the most common failure mode. Treat the directions as the specification for a high score.
Source-based versus personal opinion
The biggest adjustment for many students is that this is not an essay about what they think.
This does not mean you have no voice. Your voice is in the claim you choose and the reasoning that connects the evidence to it. The sources supply the evidence; you supply the position and the logic. That division is what makes it an argument rather than a summary.
Reading the four texts to build a position
Try this
Q1. What four things do the Part 2 directions require beyond writing about the issue? [Recall]
- Cue. A precise claim, distinguishing it from opposing claims, specific evidence from at least three texts cited by number, and a coherent, formal organization.
Q2. How is a source-based argument different from a personal-opinion essay? [Short explanation]
- Cue. Every supporting point must come from the provided texts (cited by number), not the writer's outside knowledge; your voice is in the claim and the reasoning, not in ungrounded opinion.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of NYSED exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Regents ELA (Part 2, style)6 marksSource-based argument. Four texts debate whether public libraries should replace some printed books with digital-only collections. Write an argument in which you take a position on whether libraries should go digital-only, using evidence from at least three of the texts. (Full task; argument tariff, scored on the 6-point rubric.)Show worked answer →
Part 2 is a source-based argument scored holistically out of 6 (criteria: Content and Analysis, Command of Evidence, Coherence/Organization/Style, Control of Conventions). A strong response: establishes a precise claim (for example, "libraries should expand digital access without eliminating print, because the texts show print still serves readers digital cannot reach"); distinguishes it from the opposing claim; draws specific evidence from at least three of the four texts, each cited by text number; and avoids summarizing the sources one by one.
The single biggest difference from a personal-opinion essay: every point must be grounded in the provided texts, not in the writer's outside knowledge or feelings. The task is to build an argument from the sources, taking a clear side.
Regents ELA (Part 2, style)4 marksSource-based argument. List the four things the Part 2 directions require beyond simply writing about the issue, and explain why each matters to your score. (Knowledge of the task; rescoped to a 4-mark planning question.)Show worked answer →
The directions require, and the rubric rewards: (1) a precise claim that takes a position, because Content and Analysis scores the claim's precision; (2) distinguishing your claim from alternate or opposing claims, because addressing other views is part of in-depth analysis; (3) specific and relevant evidence from at least three texts, cited by text number, because Command of Evidence scores the use of sources; and (4) a coherent organization in a formal style, because Coherence, Organization, and Style is a scored criterion.
Each maps to a rubric criterion, so ignoring any one caps the score. Markers reward a response that does all four, not a fluent opinion that ignores the sources.
Related dot points
- Establishing a precise claim: writing a single, defensible claim that takes a clear position on the Part 2 issue, distinguishing a precise claim from a vague or two-sided one, and placing it so it controls the whole argument.
How to write a precise, defensible claim for the Regents Part 2 argument: taking a clear position on the issue, the difference between a precise claim and a vague or fence-sitting one, and placing the claim so it controls the whole essay. The Content and Analysis criterion rewards a precise and insightful claim.
- Addressing counterclaims: identifying the strongest opposing claim from the texts, acknowledging it fairly, and answering it with a rebuttal that strengthens rather than weakens your position, as the task's direction to distinguish your claim from alternate or opposing claims.
How to distinguish your claim from opposing claims on the Regents Part 2 argument: identifying the strongest counterclaim from the texts, acknowledging it fairly, and rebutting it so your position is strengthened, the move behind the task's instruction to distinguish your claim from alternate or opposing claims.
- Integrating evidence from multiple sources: selecting specific and relevant evidence from at least three of the four texts, weaving it across paragraphs organized by reason rather than by source, and explaining how each piece supports the claim, as the Command of Evidence criterion requires.
How to integrate evidence from at least three Regents Part 2 sources: selecting specific and relevant evidence, organizing paragraphs by reason rather than by text, and weaving evidence from several sources into one point. The Command of Evidence criterion rewards highly effective use of specific evidence from multiple texts.
- Organizing the argument essay: a coherent structure for the Part 2 argument (introduction with claim, reason-based body paragraphs, a counterclaim paragraph, conclusion), using transitions and a formal style, as the Coherence, Organization, and Style criterion requires.
How to structure the Regents Part 2 argument: an introduction that states the claim, body paragraphs organized by reason, a counterclaim paragraph, and a conclusion, joined by transitions and written in a formal style. The Coherence, Organization, and Style criterion rewards logical organization and a formal voice.
- The argument rubric and scoring: the four criteria of the Part 2 6-point holistic rubric (Content and Analysis, Command of Evidence, Coherence/Organization/Style, Control of Conventions), what each rewards at the top bands, and what separates a 6 from a 4 and a 4 from a 2.
How the Regents Part 2 argument is scored: the four criteria of the 6-point holistic rubric (Content and Analysis, Command of Evidence, Coherence/Organization/Style, Control of Conventions), what each rewards at the top, and what separates a 6 from a 4 and analysis from summary.
Sources & how we know this
- Regents Examinations in English Language Arts — NYSED (2025)
- New York State Next Generation English Language Arts Learning Standards — NYSED (2017)