How to Write an Argumentative Essay with Examples

Persuasive writing that focuses on convincing readers to see your perspective and agree with it is an argumentative essay. Here are some tips that one can follow when writing such papers discussed in this article.

Writing assignments can be challenging for the majority of scholars. That’s because at times it can be difficult than dealing with a statistics or laboratory assignment. There are diverse styles of essays; however, this paper focuses on argumentative essays and how to write them. Included is an example.

Argumentative Essays

A composition that seeks to convince readers to agree to the author’s ideas or opinions is an argumentative essay. The idea is to try convincing readers accept their stance by using facts and other evidence as a backing to the main argument. Like the various essay types, argumentative papers also have a distinct structure that includes:

An introduction
Body
Conclusion

The introductory section requires the student to introduce the document. Let your audience know precisely what you’ll be discussing. The thesis statement concludes the paragraph. The thesis is the main point of argument that is seen and supported throughout the composition. A great introduction is one which arouses the curiosity of readers and keeps them hooked to the article. The body is the section where students are expected to present their points and the counter-argument(s) — which will come last. One point equals one paragraph and ought to be supported by relevant and sufficient data. Therefore, this section will be separated into 3 or a maximum of 5 paragraphs. Keep it short; since the goal is to maintain the audience’s interest and not bore them.

The conclusion marks the end of the paper, the final section. Other than wrapping up the article, it also concludes your arguments. You’ll be presenting your closing argument to appeal to the audience to accept and agree to your side of thinking. You’ll do so using information already in the article. Don’t introduce new ideas.

Your paper can take any format. It’s however, it is crucial that students stick to the provided guidelines. Your lecturer will want the writing done in a specific manner so stick to that.

Argumentative Essay Writing Tips

Having understood the structure and what such essay types are, the tips provided below will guide you create your best essays yet. Consider the following:

Conduct Research Before writing any piece doing some research is critical. Research enables the student to gather sufficient evidence and data backing the main idea of the essay. When writing argumentative essays students often experience challenges when trying to providing evidence supporting their assertions. Getting the argument to hold any water requires looking facts which the research can help with. Therefore, scholars are expected to use fairly new and relevant information, which from certified sources to back their arguments. Note that any sources used must be referenced using either the MLA or APA formats. Avoid referencing materials that don’t state facts but opinions such as ask websites, forums or Wikipedia.
Create an Outline Creating an outline is a critical part of essay writing. As you conduct research, you will be taking short notes that will inform the outline of your paper. The first step before you commence writing your article is to develop an outline. It is a framework or plan that lists the main arguments and points to be addressed in the paper. It is easy to forget your key points when writing if you don’t jot them down. Without an outline, chances are you will reach halfway and get stuck for lack of ideas. Plus, if you’re fearful of starting the paper, an overview can help provide a good starting point.
State Your Argument As expected, this is an argumentative essay and as such your topic should be debatable. It’s not then we can’t call it an argumentative paper. Choose issues that you can argue out — check the Examples of Argumentative Essay Topics section for suggestions. However, there are so many topics that one can debate on, and therefore, students cannot limit themselves to only subjects in the list. Identify an issue which you are comfortable arguing out, one with sufficient info and evidence to back your standing. Students can get suggestions on topics from the media, news outlets, debates online and our TV screens will prove invaluable. Note, always do some fact checking before using any of the ideas from such sources.
What is Your Position? Your argumentative essay will make sense for the reader once they have established your stance. It will be confusing for your audience if they don’t know what your position is. Other than the topic, your stance is another essential aspect of the essay. Throughout the paper, your main point should be seen. Stay on point as it shows readers that you’re confident in your argument. Employ the use of factual data to back your arguments as it strengthens your case.
Present a Counterstatement Persuading the audience to agree to your line of thinking takes more than arguing out your essential points, there’s a need to present a counter statement or a reply crucial in disproving the suggestions or ideas by the opponent, like it’s been done in the sample essay provided. The idea is to show your readers the validity or credibility of your points. Therefore, after identifying your arguments come up with a refuting argument that shows your audience why your opinion is justified. Of course, you’ll require sufficient and accurate evidence that will support the claims you make. To win your readers over you’ll have to show them that the information you provide is credible.

Essay Topics for Argumentative Papers

The list provides some topic suggestions that students can explore. However, they shouldn’t limit themselves to this list as there is an infinite number of issues they can debate in today’s society.

Will The Addiction To Electronic Devices Render Human Beings To Be ‘Device Zombies’?
Analyze Benefits And Disadvantages Of Undertaking Postgraduate Programs?
To Become A Politician, There Are Characteristics That One Must Have. What Are They?
Is It Possible To Make Education Free For All Regardless Of Their Income, Level Of Education Or Location?
How Does Technology Impact Our Lives? Discuss.
Can You Identify Which Languages Are Being Used In The World Right Now And Which Should Be Studied?
Some Scholars Find Sports To Be Boring And Difficult. Why Is It So?
Argue Out Ways That Can Be Invaluable In Controlling The Use Of Alcohol.
Where Do The Majority Of Individuals Fall? Vegetarians Out Of Necessity Or Is It A Trend?
Should Poverty Be Fought At An Individual Level Or As A Society?
Is It Realistic To Expect That Justice Will Be Expended Equally To All In Society?
Discuss Effective Techniques To Help Prevent Deforestation.
Tsunamis Are A Natural Occurring With Severe Consequences. Discuss Their Causes And Consequences.
There Is A Sudden Spike In Football Stars Globally. Discuss Why?
Individuals Differ In Opinion Regarding Same-Sex Marriage. Should They Be Allowed Or Prohibited?
Research Has Shown That Violent Videos Contribute To The Increased Anger In Kids, Why Is That?
How Would You Classify Humanity? Is It Beneficial To Us Or Not?
It Is Time That Society Accepts Abortions?
How Does Social Media Affect Our Lifestyle?
Should We Embrace Or Reject Graffiti As A Form Of Art?
Is It Justified To Claim Modern Music Lacks An Educational Background?
Would Avengers Serve Jail Time In The Real World?

Argumentative Essay Sample

The argumentative paper below is the perfect example of such types of essay. The paper argues out employing the use of electronic as opposed to using the real textbook and the benefits that come with it. Learning facilities are encouraged to make a switch by embracing current trends. Note the following aspects as presented by the author in the sample paper:-

How the author introduces and makes their argument
Presents evidence, and a counter statement
Concludes the paper

Is Switching To Electronic Textbooks A Way For Schools To Save Paper And Money?

We cannot deny the fact that almost every aspect of our lives is revolutionizing thanks to the influence of the internet and technology at large. There is significant transformation and life made simple in so many ways. Talk about employment, communication, financial access, learning and so on. Education, in particular, is among the largest beneficiaries of this revolution. There is a growing trend whereby the majority if not all the learning institutions have listed textbooks required by students online, this is mainly in the developed nations. Students from colleges have most of their textbooks listed on websites such as Amazon. Real books have been and are still a thing, but are a disadvantage. A real textbook will contain numerous pages of paper containing the necessary content.

That poses a threat to the environment and will be financially costly. So, what would schools rather use, an online textbook or a real textbook with printed pages? These are the statistics. To write a single textbook one will require several pieces of paper. One textbook will not be sufficient even for a class of ten students. The majority of the college classes will have at least fifty to a hundred students. Considering an average textbook will have about 300 to 400 pages, and in some cases more, it is obvious the number of printed books will be quite high. Note that, that’s just a single course on campus. There are numerous classes, and the number of colleges is high too. From the statistics, it is evident that the environmental and financial implications are quite significant. The environment is no doubt harmed in the process. Majority of the students have already established that buying a textbook online as opposed to buying a real textbook would cost half the price. Well, tuition fees are quite high as it is and saving on other expenses would help. You will find books listed on websites such as Amazon, Chegg, and Kindle.

Our stand is that schools switch from using physical and embrace working from the electronic textbooks. Switching is going to benefit all parties involved. Book pricing will reduce drastically, while also we will be doing some justice to the earth. That is because using the electronic option there will be little waste as the quantity of paper used also decreases. The challenge, however, is that our lecturer’s refuse to embrace this new trend and instead insist we use physical course books. It is a one-sided and unnecessary stand considering the damage real textbooks have on the natural environment and the high financial costs that scholars have to incur. Where does your support fall? Is the use of physical workbooks? Or will you embrace online/electronic textbooks?

The waste from tradition course work books is quite significant. Ideally, when you buy a book or those that are in stores, you are looking at an average of at least 600 pages of waste. Well, like regular software updates to improve the working of apps, textbooks are updated continuously, mostly annually. So, a textbook version is likely to be viable for only a year. That means the majority of the books possibly turn into waste within a short period unless they are recycled. A closer look at electronic textbooks reveals a different scenario. Other than being cost friendly there is virtually zero waste. So why not make the switch from traditional to online textbooks? You will be accessing the same information but digitally, and in fact, you can access an electronic book faster than you would the traditional one.

Regardless of the numerous benefits that we can enjoy when we use online texts, the majority of the institutions are still adamant and insist on using physical documents. Their main points of argument, textbooks are a source of income for them, a reasonable but not justified position. They still insist on selling standard textbooks, but the reality is this is a new era, and they need to catch on fast. Well, they will not be generating as much income selling online textbooks, but there is still some financial gain on their part. Expenses for storing, shipping and having books printed can all be avoided. There is no denying that the cost implications for transportation, printing and generally having the textbooks up to date are high.

It is safe to conclude that electronic textbooks are the way to go. Learning institutions need to embrace this new trend. Online books pose no threat to our environment and are eco-friendly. Other than that, they are less costly compared to the standard textbooks. Digitally you get to access the same information. In the modern world that we live in online books are the best option as opposed to purchasing real textbooks.

Conclusion

Having the above knowledge in mind writing your essay will be a walk in the park. Of course, as expected rules of language and grammar still apply and therefore your paper ought to be error free. Proofreading and editing your document is a necessary step. Do you have any questions, we are happy to help. All the best in your paper!