In German schools, pupils learn the Erörterung, a written argument with a set structure. In the dialectical form, the arguments for and against are arranged in one of two ways. In the hourglass, the essay is split into two halves. In the zipper, pro and contra arguments alternate. The arguments for one’s own thesis go from the weakest to the strongest. Each argument follows the order claim, reason, example. The essay ends with a summary and the writer’s own reasoned judgment.