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Name__________________________________Period______Date___________
Argumentative Essay
What is an argumentative essay?
An argumentative essay is a thesis-based essay on a topic that can be debated. In other
words, the essay defends a thesis which can be argued for and against. The purpose of this type
of essay is twofold: to persuade the reader to take one side of an issue, while giving serious
attention to the other side. Argumentative essays can address topics ranging from the very
personal, to the historical, social/political, to the literary, but whatever the topic, there must be
at least two sides that can be intelligently defended.
STEP ONE: Create a pro/con list.
Since a good essay will thoroughly consider both sides, don't skimp on either side, no matter
what your initial position.
STEP TWO: Create the thesis.
*A thesis is a statement that answers a question or resolves some sort of tension. It provides the
overarching focus of your paper, the central argument which your paper will develop throughout
the main body paragraphs.
*A thesis statement is often more effective when written as a complex sentence rather than a
simple sentence. For example, think about having a dependent clause beginning with
"although," "while" or "whereas."
Example thesis: Although they may serve as an important motivational tool, grades,
on the whole, are detrimental to a student's education.
STEP THREE: Write your essay.
I. Introduction: introduces topic and features the thesis statement
Give the reader enough background into your subject (whether it is a story, a novel, a
poem, or an issue), so that the reader has some idea where your arguments are coming from. On
the other hand, do not give so much background that you bog the reader down with too much
information. You usually need only a sentence or two to set up your context.
II. Support
III. Concession Paragraph: When you are writing an argumentative essay, you need to
acknowledge the valid points on the other side of the table; otherwise you will come off sounding
narrow-minded and thereby less effective. Rather than weakening your paper, a good
concession paragraph will actually strengthen your essay by showing that you have thoughtfully
considered both sides before arriving at your own point of view
Phrases to introduce the concession:
It is true that...
Admittedly,...
Granted,...
Certainly,...
Of course,...
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IV. Conclusion: Restate your thesis; summarize your main points, and then consider the
broader relevance of this topic (the concluding observation, or "so what?" which
ends your paper).
Phrases to introduce the conclusion:
Thus,...
Therefore,...
As a result...
STEP FOUR: Review your essay.
Ask yourself the following questions:
Introduction:
A. Does the essay have an opening sentence which hooks you?
B. Does the introduction flow or funnel into the thesis?
C. Is the thesis strong, clear, and thoughtful? Does it express an argument, tension, or
complexity of thought?
D. Is the thesis the last sentence of the introduction?
E. Is the thesis underlined?
Support Paragraph:
A. Does it have a good, overarching topic sentence which frames the paragraph?
B. Does it offer clear evidence/examples to support the thesis?
C. Do all the sentences stay focused on proving/elaborating the thesis?
D. Is there a good flow to the paragraph? Does it read as more than a list of examples? Does the
main body paragraph actually offer some analysis of the evidence?
Concession Paragraph:
A. Does it have a good, overarching topic sentence which frames the paragraph?
B. Does it offer clear evidence/examples to support the thesis?
C. Do all the sentences stay focused on proving/elaborating the thesis?
D. Is there a good flow to the paragraph? Does it read as more than a list of examples? Does the
main body paragraph actually offer some analysis of the evidence?
Conclusion:
A. Does the conclusion offer a restatement of the thesis?
B. Does it broaden the scope of the essay by investigating the implications of the thesis, putting
the ideas in a larger context?
C. Does it stay topical?
Adapted from:
Feidelman, Nancy. The Argumentative Essay. The Argumentative Essay. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan.
2014. <http://more.headroyce.org/research/writing/argumentation/argmainpage.html>.
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Example of Support and Concession Paragraphs
Thesis: Grades, on the whole, are detrimental to a student's education.
II. Support:
Grades on specific assignments are seen as a definitive statement about a student's academic
ability, leading students to negate the importance of the accompanying teacher comments,
which are in fact much more helpful to the student's learning process. Many students ignore the
teacher's comments and focus solely on the grade they receive. In most cases, for students
achieving at any level, the teacher's comments include both praise and constructive criticism; by
ignoring these comments, students ignore the opportunities for growth reflected by the teacher's
evaluation. Students spend the most time with teacher comments when a grade has not yet
been assigned to their work; comments on work-in-progress are read carefully, whereas
comments on graded work most often skimmed.
III. Concession:
Certainly, grades do serve as a powerful motivational tool for students. The fear of failure gets
otherwise disengaged students to complete their work, and the desire to receive excellent marks
(A's) motivates good students to push themselves to do their very best work. It is also true that
grades contribute to a productive classroom environment that benefits the entire group;
students who know they will be graded down if they don't have their homework done tend to
come prepared, thus improving the quality of class discussions. On the other hand, the positive
motivational effects are overpowered by the negative impact of competition between students.
Students who don't earn those A's often feel like failures, even though they have learned a great
deal. What is gained from the B is often lost in the desired an A. Often students compare their
grades with others in an effort to see how they rank. This relative status has little to do with how
much an individual is actually learning. In short, we must find another way to motivate students
that puts the emphasis on learning rather than on the delineation of winners and losers.
Adapted from:
Feidelman, Nancy. The Argumentative Essay. The Argumentative Essay. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Jan.
2014. <http://more.headroyce.org/research/writing/argumentation/argmainpage.html>.
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Staple this paper to the FRONT of your essay.
Name____________________________Period_____Date__________
Argumentative Essay Rubric
Introduction: (10 points)
A. Does the essay have an opening sentence which hooks you?
B. Does the introduction flow or funnel into the thesis?
C. Is the thesis strong, clear, and thoughtful? Does it express an argument, tension, or
complexity of thought?
D. Is the thesis the last sentence of the introduction?
E. Is the thesis underlined?
Support Paragraph: (10 points)
A. Does it have a good, overarching topic sentence which frames the paragraph?
B. Does it offer clear evidence/examples to support the thesis?
C. Do all the sentences stay focused on proving/elaborating the thesis?
D. Is there a good flow to the paragraph? Does it read as more than a list of examples? Does the
main body paragraph actually offer some analysis of the evidence?
Concession Paragraph: (10 points)
A. Does it have a good, overarching topic sentence which frames the paragraph?
B. Does it offer clear evidence/examples to support the thesis?
C. Do all the sentences stay focused on proving/elaborating the thesis?
D. Is there a good flow to the paragraph? Does it read as more than a list of examples? Does the
main body paragraph actually offer some analysis of the evidence?
Conclusion: (10 points)
A. Does the conclusion offer a restatement of the thesis?
B. Does it broaden the scope of the essay by investigating the implications of the thesis, putting
the ideas in a larger context?
C. Does it stay topical?
Spelling/Punctuation/Grammar (10 points)
Read your paper carefully to be sure you do not have any errors!
Total ______/50 points