One of the many types of essays you will encounter is the argumentative essay. In this type of academic paper, you present logical arguments based on facts as you try to persuade your readers to agree with you. Right now, you may feel lost in how to write an argumentative essay, how to start the introduction, how to structure it, and so on. Read on to learn everything you need for writing an argumentative essay. And if, after finishing the article, you still think you’d rather delegate it, use a professional paper writing service to help you out. Order essay from DoMyEssay and be sure you will get the highest grade.
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What Is an Argumentative Essay?
An argumentative essay, sometimes called an argument essay, is a type of academic essay that establishes the author’s stand or position on an issue and then presents logical reasons and supporting evidence to support their stand. While doing this, the writer also attempts to convince the audience that their stand on the issue is the right one to support.
What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay?
Now that you know the basic definition of the argumentative essay, it’s time to discuss what is a good argument paper. A good argument essay is founded on three things:
- Strength of arguments
- Logical flow
- Supporting evidence
What Steps Do You Need to Take to Write an Argumentative Essay?
1. Choosing A Topic
If your professor did not provide a topic for your paper, you have the responsibility to look for an interesting topic. You need to research a current issue that you find interesting and for which you can argue and easily find evidence—in other words, one that is manageable. There are a plethora of issues nowadays—find one that is controversial or one that has at least two sides.
2. Establishing Your Stand On A Topic
Once you have found the topic, you need to delve deeper. Read about how the issue started and the different sides of the arguments. As you learn more about the topic, you will start to see which side of the argument you agree with more. If you’re familiar with the issue, you may already have a stand on the topic. If not, your stand will definitely develop as you read more about your chosen issue.
3. Writing The Thesis Statement
An argumentative essay’s introduction should always present the thesis. The thesis statement tells your readers your position on the topic. A strong thesis statement accomplishes the following:
- states your focus
- states your stance
- briefly states your main points or how you will argue
Here are some tips for writing a strong thesis statement:
- to establish your focus, set a question and then work toward answering that question in one or two sentences
- one thesis statement structure that guarantees clarity implies stating a claim that is the opposite of your stand, then explaining why you disagree with the said claim
- end your thesis statement with a brief outline of your main arguments
Crafting a strong thesis statement helps both you and the reader. For the writer, the thesis statement helps keep your thoughts in the right direction as you write. Meanwhile, for the reader, the thesis statement serves as a blueprint for the paper, so they know what to expect from your paper.
4. Writing The Outline
The outline is an important step in writing an argumentative essay. The argumentative essay outline will help you organize your ideas and supporting evidence. This is the time to decide what you will write for the introduction, main body, and conclusion, as well as how you will present your arguments and which evidence and sources match. The outline will help you craft a coherent argument paper.
5. Writing The Argumentative Paper
After you have created your outline, you can start writing. To write quickly and effectively, here are tips on how to write an argumentative essay.
- Your introduction should introduce the main topic, as well as provide background information. Present your thesis statement in the introduction.
- Divide your main body into sections or paragraphs for each argument. Discuss your main argument, followed by your supporting evidence.
- Dedicate a section for the counter-arguments. Make sure to discuss the most credible counter-arguments and use your main arguments to rebut them.
- Support your arguments with specific facts. Focus on reasons instead of opinions.
- Cite your sources not just to avoid plagiarism but also to make your arguments more credible.
6. Revising The First Draft
If you want to impress your professor, never submit the first draft. That is not your best work yet, as that version is surely filled with awkward sentences, unorganized paragraphs or sentences, and, possibly, loopholes in your argument. You need to rest for a while and then return to your work to revise it. Look for the issues mentioned earlier and refine your paper as much as possible.
7. Finalizing Your Paper: Editing And Proofreading
After revising the paper, you should go through your paper one more time to weed through grammatical and typographical errors. This is the final step that is necessary to polish your paper.
You may choose to edit and proofread your paper or ask a friend or a professional editor to do it for you. A fresh pair of eyes could help you make your paper more readable for others.
What Is the Structure of an Argumentative Essay?
The argumentative essay format follows the standard format for essays—there is an introduction, main body, and conclusion.
Introduction
Background on the topic
Thesis statement
Main Body
Paragraph 1
- Topic sentence
- Supporting evidence
- Concluding sentence
Paragraph 2
- Topic sentence
- Supporting evidence
- Concluding sentence
Paragraph 3
- Topic sentence
- Supporting evidence
- Concluding sentence
Paragraph 4
- Topic sentence for counter-argument
- Rebuttal
- Concluding sentence
Conclusion
- Restatement of the thesis statement
- Summary of the evidence provided
- Closing statement
This format applies to shorter argumentative papers. However, if you are writing a longer paper, you may simply substitute the paragraphs to sections and then use separate paragraphs for the discussion of the arguments and the presentation of supporting evidence.
How Can You Get a Good Grade on Your Argumentative Paper?
There is no one way to write a good argumentative paper, but all the best ones exhibit similar characteristics. These are the same characteristics that professors across the world value in papers. Check out how professional writers from CustomEssayMeister executed these tips with these argument essay examples:
- The Case Against Banning Books
- Reexamining Sex Education in Schools
- Advertising: Manipulative or Informative
- Is Parental Involvement in Abortion a Must?
Study these examples so that you understand how to structure your argumentative essay as well as get inspiration on how they present their arguments.
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