How to Write Argumentative Essay: Top-Notch Writing Tips

The argumentative essay describes your position on the issue and provides a few reasons which need to be supported by evidence. Topics for the essay are pretty easy to find: there can be newspapers headlines, casual conversations or research subjects. The only thing you should do is to convince other people in your opinion and make them believe your arguments. So let’s identify the main goals and points that will lead you to a perfect argumentative essay.

Types of Questions

There are five basic questions which need to be answered when it comes to argumentative essay writing:

Is this true or false? (states a fact)
What does it mean? (gives a definition)
What is the reason? (shows cause)
How important is it? (provides value)
What should be done about it?

When it comes to organization, you need to make the reader interested in the topic and think about finding out more – this is one of the most important points. You should explain the problem clearly, give its strengths and weaknesses and state your position. You need arguments to convince the readers to take your side so there should be left no objections while reading. Try to urge people to stick to your point of view and believe in it.

Essay Structure

Like typical academic paper, argumentative essay consists of the three key elements: introduction, main body and conclusion. In the introduction part, you should explain the topic, provide the reader with two sides, point out yours and end up with a thesis that states your position. You can use the title (which also can be a question) to explain your viewpoint and describe the aspects that would be interesting to the audience. The main body explains three or more reasons your readers should agree with and each of them needs to be supported with examples, statistics or arguments. Make the final point drawing up conclusions and tell the reader what to do.

How to Get Started

In order to come up with an effective argumentative essay, you need to follow a certain plan:

Find a nice topic – consider a few issues and choose the one that has conflicting points of view. Be passionate about it: make a list of statements for both sides, then explain your point briefly and clearly and make sure you have enough evidence to prove it;
Present controversy – the main body should consist of the argument proving your point of view. Give more details, describe both sides and then discredit the other side with the info you researched. Present the strongest proof and use the mix of arguments and lots of statistics to convince the readers;
Make the summary – a strong conclusion is a key to success. Summarize all the points and leave no chance for doubts. Use the final paragraph to shock and surprise the audience, as it will make the biggest effect.

Do not play with evidence and avoid unreliable sources – this is the guarantee of your perfect argumentative essay.