Argumentative essay Ms Armeet Argumentative Essay Argumentative Essay An argumentative essay is a text where you try to win readers over to your point of view and make the reader take a particular action. You need to compare both sides of the argument from logical standpoints paired with ample numbers of pieces of evidence to convince the reader Example: In class, you have been discussing whether sending criminals to prison is an effective way of reducing crime. Write an article for your school magazine. In your writing, discuss the advantages and disadvantages of sending criminals to prison. Write between 600 and 900 words. Essay Structure Introduction Body 1 (One side of the argument) Body 2 (The other side of the argument) Your position (Optional) Conclusion Introduce the topic Thesis statement Topic sentence(s) Supporting idea(s) Example(s) Topic sentence(s) Supporting idea(s) Example(s) You could state your position in the 3rd paragraph (Body 2). If you don’t have a separate paragraph for your opinion then make sure you include it in the other paragraphs of the essay. Conclusion signal (‘In conclusion,...’) Summarise your main points from both sides Restate thesis (your opinion) Give a comment on the topic such as a suggestion or warning (optional) • Argumentative Essays – Tips & Tricks • Read the topic carefully. Underline the main point of the topic (such as Politics). • Decide ‘for’ or ‘against’ (i.e. are you in favour or against?). • Jot down all the RELEVANT & LOGICAL points related to your opinion. Spend 5-10 minutes doing this in the form of notes. No emotional reasons should be included. • Starting – No quotes are needed; some books/resources will tell you to state your opinion at the start or by the end. In the paper, state it at the BEGINNING of your essay, most preferably in the opening paragraph. • Manners in which you can start the essay: • Ease into the topic then generally give your opinion. For example: “The trend of social media has greatly increased over the last four years. Nowadays, it has become a necessity for teenagers. I personally believe ……..” • Start directly by exclaiming a valid point and giving your opinion. “Social Media, recently, has had a great negative/positive impact on teenagers. My personal opinion is that ……..” • Remember this 3-point structure for the MAIN BODY of your essay: • General “For” Argument – Include all valid points that are logical and EMPHASIZE on them – All points must be in favour of your opinion and they should be your STRONGEST points. • Counter Argument – Pick out you’re strongest counter arguments and state them. Be completely logical and honest when pointing the counter arguments. The reason for this is that if you’re writing in favour, someone else will write against. You have to give both sides of the argument and prove yourself right. • Disputing Counter Arguments – After writing the counter arguments, you must dispute them and prove them to be either wrong or not STRONG enough to win the argument. Here’s an example: • A counter argument could be “Social media is required for teenagers, it forms a platform for conversations, discussions and sharing valued information“. • Disputing this counter argument “Although it does provide a medium for communication, teenagers waste most of their precious time in procrastinating since they needlessly read comics/have useless discussions. Social media is one of main reasons why teenagers procrastinate.“ • Ending your essay, now, you don’t simply conclude an argument because it is a waste of words and time since you’re only repeating what you’ve said. Two ways to end an Argumentative Essay are: Conclude your essay by restating your opinion in a different perspective, i.e. you could say, “Other resources of communication should be adopted such as messaging and teenagers should be encouraged to have outdoor activities rather than sit home and stick their heads to the computers.” • After disputing you’re counter arguments – finish on a high by adding a strong ending sentence to conclude your essay. For example “Hence all these points show that Social media is indeed an unnecessary part of life which has been forcibly indulged into the life of teenagers.” • Things to remember: You're not listing points or stating your opinion. You’re trying to CONVINCE the examiner that you’re opinion is correct using LOGICAL points. • Don’t get emotional and carried away over the course of your writing. Don’t be prejudiced. • DO NOT EMPHASIZE TOO MUCH ON VOCABULARY. Sentence structures, punctuation, tenses are all equally as important as vocabulary. Don’t forcibly use strong words if you don’t know their correct usage. • You’re not making a list of your points. Don’t use “firstly, secondly, thirdly and finally”. Remember, you’re language is being tested. Use good expressions and connectives such as “Furthermore, In addition to this”. • Be clear about the difference between an argumentative and a discursive essay. When asked directly to give your own opinion you should commit yourself to a line of argument. When asked to give a range of possible views then you are being discursive and may or may not choose to say what you personally believe. • Mention counter arguments – and dispute them. A strong argument includes refutation of the other point of view. This way you can show that you are not being purely ignorant or prejudiced in your response. It is important to show balance in presenting the argument. • If you are having difficulty finding enough points to support your stance you should consider arguing the opposite view – it might be easier! • Aim for an effective introduction which captures attention and makes the topic and context clear • You should end on the side you are arguing for structure your essay so that you deal with the other side first and end strongly to clinch your argument with a final convincing point . Do not repeat yourself – ‘To sum up’ and ‘In conclusion’ are not strong endings as you won’t be saying anything new to convince your reader. • It is generally advisable to argue your own personal viewpoint as it is likely to sound more convincing. It is however, possible, to argue effectively for or against an argument which you have never considered before, provided that you can marshal some evidence from the media, facts, statistics and experience. These are the areas from which you draw your supporting detail and illustration. • Do not get too passionate about the topic as this will make your essay sound too emotional and subjective, and therefore less persuasive. • Sometimes there is a single word in the question which alters the emphasis of the argument, for instance the word ‘compulsory’. Make sure you pay attention to the key words in questions when you are planning and answering – it is worth underlining key words to remind you. • Try using personal pronouns – ‘I’, ‘you’ and ‘we’ can make your argument seem more authentic and inclusive. • Do not start each paragraph with a numbered point- firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on- as this can get tedious for the reader and sound quite artificial if the ideas are not in fact sequential. Use other paragraph linking words, the ones which show whether your argument is continuing in the same direction (e.g. ‘furthermore’, ‘in addition’) or changing direction (e.g. ‘nevertheless’, ‘on the other hand’). The key is to make sure that your argument is “building” as you go. Use your connectives to help you take your reader with you so that they can follow your train of thought all the way through. • Three-point structures (sometimes called tricolons) can sound authoritative, e.g. ‘involving the learners, the teachers and the parent’. More than three of anything becomes a list; fewer lacks persuasive impact and overuse of tricolons is rarely effective. Indent for a new paragraph Personal and public health are tightly related to food choices. While some people believe that the government should regulate nutrition to improve public wellness, others argue that it should be people’s decision whether to pursue a healthy diet or not. This essay will discuss both points of view and explain why the authorities should not control the types of food people can buy. On the one hand, legislators could impose laws concerning nutritious food in an effort to have a healthier population, therefore, decreasing public health costs. Even if this could be considered a good idea, it would be quite difficult to implement. To achieve this target, the rulers could impose a levy on unhealthy food options, or reduce their availability on the grocery stores shelves. In Italy, for example, products such as carbonated sugary drinks and chips are heavily taxed. As a result, the sales of these items have decreased. However, if the authorities start to take control of what their citizens can or cannot eat, it may be seen as limitation of freedom. On the other hand, since personal freedom is an extremely important human right, many people think that they should be responsible for their choices regarding the food and drinks they decide to consume. I agree with this opinion because limiting nutritional options, even if it is done with the best outcome in mind, could consequently create dissatisfaction among the population, which would possibly lead to other public issues such as protests and demonstrations. A better approach could be educating the public about a healthy diet, which would help people make better-informed decisions about the food they consume. Many developed countries around the world employed this strategy and saw public health gains. Sample Essay In conclusion, even though the government is able to control the dietary habits of its population through taxation and restrictions, healthier citizens and reduced public health expenses isn’t the only possible outcome. Limiting personal freedom could result in social unrest and for that reason diet decisions are better to be left up to well-informed individuals. (349 words) Useful Language? Expressing opinions Listing arguments • In my opinion, … • Firstly…/Secondly…/Lastly… • I am of the opinion that… • Furthermore, …/Moreover, … • I am convinced that… • In conclusion, … • I am strongly opposed to… • It seems to me that… Dismissing counter arguments • There is no doubt that… • I totally disagree with/that… • It is questionable whether… • I would dispute the claim that… What are TRANSITIONAL PHRASES?? Transition words and phrases help make clear connections between ideas and see that sentences and paragraphs flow together smoothly, making them easier to read. Transitional Phrase Nowadays / Recently / These days Transitional Phrase Firstly / Secondly / Thirdly / Finally Purpose Recently, there has been various issues concerning the lack of job opportunities due to COVID-19. Purpose Firstly, university students should try to gain more experiences before deciding on a lifetime profession. Transitional Phrase Purpose Moreover / Furthermore / In addition / Besides that Using social media is beneficial as people can be acquainted to others globally. Moreover, they can also get familiar with other people’s culture. Also Employees who are retrenched may also suffer from financial issues. Similarly / Likewise Computers can be used to communicate easily. Similarly, mobile phone is also a convenient tool for communication. Transitional Phrase On the other hand / However / But On the contrary / In contrast Although / Even though Purpose There are a lot of advantages of winter vacation. However, there are also some disadvantages of it. Using social media like Facebook can be seen as a waste of time. On the contrary, you can get a lot of friends from other countries. Although there are more drawbacks to having lockdown, it does strengthen the relationship between families. Transitional Phrase Purpose For example / For instance There are many ways to get information. For instance, they can read books or search for it online. Like / Such as Many people use social media such as Facebook and Instagram to connect with people. Transitional Phrase Purpose (reason) Because Due to Due to COVID-19, a lot of people are having trouble dealing with financial issues. (effect) So As a result As a consequence Thus Hence Therefore She has lived in France for quite some time; hence, she can speak French fluently. Transitional Phrase Purpose In conclusion To summarise To conclude To sum up In short Overall All in all Overall, there are a lot of benefits and drawbacks of young learners bringing mobile phones to school. Indent for a new paragraph Personal and public health are tightly related to food choices. While some people believe that the government should regulate nutrition to improve public wellness, others argue that it should be people’s decision whether to pursue a healthy diet or not. This essay will discuss both points of view and explain why the authorities should not control the types of food people can buy. On the one hand, legislators could impose laws concerning nutritious food in an effort to have a healthier population, therefore, decreasing public health costs. Even if this could be considered a good idea, it would be quite difficult to implement. To achieve this target, the rulers could impose a levy on unhealthy food options, or reduce their availability on the grocery stores shelves. In Italy, for example, products such as carbonated sugary drinks and chips are heavily taxed. As a result, the sales of these items have decreased. However, if the authorities start to take control of what their citizens can or cannot eat, it may be seen as limitation of freedom. On the other hand, since personal freedom is an extremely important human right, many people think that they should be responsible for their choices regarding the food and drinks they decide to consume. I totally agree with this opinion because limiting nutritional options, even if it is done with the best outcome in mind, could consequently create dissatisfaction among the population, which would possibly lead to other public issues such as protests and demonstrations. In my opinion, a better approach could be more efficient in educating the public about a healthy diet, which would help people make better-informed decisions about the food they consume. Many developed countries around the world employed this strategy and saw public health gains. Sample Essay To sum up, even though the government is able to control the dietary habits of its population through taxation and restrictions, healthier citizens and reduced public health expenses isn’t the only possible outcome. Limiting personal freedom could result in social unrest and for that reason diet decisions are better to be left up to well-informed individuals. Any Question? If not, let’s try it!
