How to write an
argumentative essay
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What's an Argumentative Essay
The purpose of an argumentative essay is to establish a
stance or position on an issue by providing reasons and
supporting evidence. A well written argumentative essay will:
- Introduce a compelling topic and engage the reader;
- Explain and consider all sides of an issue fairly;
- Address any potential counterarguments to the writer’s
perspective;
- Persuade the reader to adopt or consider a new perspective.
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What should a good argumentative essay have?
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A clear thesis statement in the introduction.
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Logical reasoning and points which support the thesis
statement.
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Relevant examples or evidence which support the
points.
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Three steps to writing an argumentative essay
Step 1: Pick a topic and write a thesis statement
A thesis statement is a one or two sentence summary of the central message or main claim
of your essay. A strong thesis statement is vital as it tells the reader what the essay is about
so they can decide if they want to read it or not.
A strong thesis statement will usually state a claim, your stance on the claim, and the main
points that will support your stance within your selected topic. It will also serve as a
guideline for you when you are writing the body points of the essay.
If you’re given the freedom to choose your topic for an argumentative essay, it’s best to
follow your interests or passion. A good place to start would be to start thinking about
things that affect you every day or a subject that you have a strong opinion on. But be
careful, for most people’s opinions are not backed up by solid evidence. So once you think
you’ve narrowed down on a topic or area of interest, begin your research and clarify the
stance you will be taking. You'll also find your writing improves if you plan well ahead
and follow the tips in this article during the writing process.
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Three steps to writing an argumentative essay
Step 2: Research your ideas and organize your findings
If you’ve ever experienced writer’s block it is most probably caused by one of two
reasons. First, it’s because you’re staring at a blank screen and unsure how to start. The
Essay Jack app can help you past that with prompts, tips, and sentence starters. Second, it’s
because you’re unsure of your thesis statement and supporting points because you’ve most
probably not done enough research. Sometimes, writer's block can be similar to a mental
block when you're trying to study so you can try using some tips outlined here to clear your
head and get back into the writing mood.
Planning for any essay is key, especially an argumentative essay because you’re
presenting an argument that you need to defend with solid evidence. Your research should
include all forms of reference sources and materials (books, journals, articles, blogs,
documentaries) by credible sources and industry experts. Keep the following in mind when
researching:
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Three steps to writing an argumentative essay
Read broadly to ensure you have a good overview of the topic including the
main debates that have occurred or are occurring, arguments and counter-arguments, and
the main experts in the area. Try using an e-reader for university or college to help you
stay focused when you're reading your research.
Keep an open mind and attempt to view the issues from the perspective of
different individuals and stakeholders. Acknowledging these views and addressing them
in your essay will ensure that you have a well-balanced essay.
Keep an eye out for any unique angles that may not have been thoroughly
explored yet.
Remember that with Google at your fingertips research might be easy to do
but also that you can’t ever completely research a topic due to the sheer number of
resources at your disposal online. We’d recommend moving on to the next step once you
feel have enough material because you can always do further research if you need it later
on.
Three steps to writing an argumentative essay
Step 3: Draft a structure and write your essay
This step involves outlining the content of your essay in a structure that creates a
seamless flow for your argument but also for your reader.
1.It’s important to dedicate two or three minutes to carefully planning what you are going to
say. Make a list of the points for and against. Remember that the key to writing a good
balanced essay is to include as many arguments you disagree with as those you agree with.
They should be noted impartially although in your conclusion you can say why you find one
side more convincing than the other.
2. Producing and organizing ideas is one thing. Shaping ideas and the organization of your
writing is another. But often the most difficult part is starting a first draft.
Once you have your first draft pay attention to how you have organized the information into
paragraphs and grouped ideas.
Once this is done you can focus on expression. This means looking at sentence
structure, tense usage and vocabulary. It’s important to write clearly and economically. This
can mean either rephrasing ideas in two sentences instead of one, or rewriting two longer
sentences as one shorter sentence. So, go over your first draft, looking for ways of improving
sentence structure, tense usage and vocabulary.
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Approaches to an argumentative essay
An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments
should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.
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There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there is one
common approach in academic writing which is very popular.
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Approaches to an argumentative essay
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The model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as
necessary for the argument:
1. Make a claim
2. Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
3. Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
4. Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument
and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives
It is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these
specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection
between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an
argumentative essay.
Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace antidiscrimination measures. You might:
Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and
resources would be better spent on other approaches
Cite data to support your claim
Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether 9
these objections are valid, and if not, why not.
Structure of an argumentative essay
Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using
an introduction, a body, and a conclusion.
Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction. The
introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information,
present your thesis statement, and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the
body.
Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.
Introduction
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of
education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in
learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its
effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is
misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for
students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source;
a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible
learning environment.
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Structure of an argumentative essay
The body: Developing your argument
The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present
evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.
In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs.
In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.
Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence. Each of these topics must
contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.
This example will show you how a body paragraph is constructed.
Body
A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence
among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used
Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use:
“a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing”
(Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their
students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further
investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly
encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic
publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research
make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the
references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia: Researching with
Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of
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citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper
consideration than it often receives.
Structure of an argumentative essay
Concluding your argument
An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the
arguments made in the body.
No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the
strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all
conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.
Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.
Significance
This sentence highlights the importance of the topic by linking it with a contemporary
trend in education. The conclusion is a good place to emphasize the relevance of the
argument you have made.
Conclusion
The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls
aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the
possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the
popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility
offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The
internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but
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the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.
Useful Linking Words and Expressions
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To list points: Firstly, First of all, In the first place, To
begin/start with, Secondly,
Thirdly, Finally
To list advantages: One/Another/A further/An additional
(major) advantage of… is …
The main/greatest/first advantage of… is …
To list disadvantages: One/Another/ A further/An additional
(major)
disadvantage/drawback of.
The main/greatest/most serious disadvantage /drawback of…
Another negative aspect of…
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Useful Linking Words and Expressions
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To introduce points/arguments for or against:
One (very convincing) point/argument in favour of/ against …
A further common criticism of…
It could be argued/It is often claimed/It is suggested that …
It is widely argued/ believed that …
Some/many/most people/experts/scientist/critics
….claim/suggest/argue/ feel/maintain/believe/point out/agree/support
the view that… oppose the view that… are in favour of/against… are
of the opinion that/convinced that… are opposed to…
To add more points to the same topic:
in addition (to this), furthermore, moreover
besides, apart from, what is more, as well as, not to mention (the
fact) that, also, /as
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well, both … and
Useful Linking Words and Expressions
To make contrasting points:
 on the other hand, however, still, yet, but, nevertheless,
even so, although, though, even though, while, whereas, despite/in
spite of
To introduce examples:
 for example, for instance, such as, like, in particular,
particularly, especially, This is (clearly) illustrated/shown by the fact
that… One/A clear/striking/ typical example of (this)…
To emphasise a point:
 clearly, obviously, naturally, needless to say
To make general statements:
 as a (general) rule, generally, in general, in most cases
To make partially correct statements:
 to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, in a way/sense,
this is partly true… (but)
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Argumentative Essay Topics
1.There is no other life in the universe
2. Are men and women equally emotional?
3. Is a degree from an online college as legitimate as a degree from a brick-andmortar school?
4. Distance learning benefits.
5. Helping People Despite Not Being Well Off Yourself.
6. How important is fashion?
7. Was life easier a century ago?
8. Will there be a time when electronic currency become the main source of
payment?
9. Is the election system in your country fair?
10.Marriage is becoming old-fashioned.
11. Money is the key to happiness.
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