How to Write an Argumentative Essay

What best way to start a good argumentative essay? How is the essay structured? This article will show you what it takes to create a high-quality paper.

An argumentative essay is a genre of writing requiring students to provide evidence for or against a topic. This form of writing is research-intensive, factual, and well-structured. The primary goal of an argumentative essay structure is convincing your reader to accept or take your stance on an issue.

One thing distinguishes it is the amount of research that goes into it. To get facts and evidence for this essay, research has to be done meticulously. Most of the research is done empirically, ensuring that the student can justify their point of view and back up their stance with evidence.

It is important to note that argumentative essays are not always aggressive, despite their name. The presentation of your arguments is more important. After all, you are trying to prove a point, not to win a fight. Your essay must be based on solid evidence and reasoning, not just your opinion.

An argumentative essay shows the writer’s ability to present their case backed by research in a well-structured and organized manner. It clarifies that the writer knows what they are talking about.

It should be able to engage the reader from the beginning till the end. The introduction of an argumentative essay must clearly state the prompt or topic. The rest of the essay will provide evidence and reasoning to support the position taken by the writer. 

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that requires the student to argue a proposition. Writing an argumentative essay involves researching a topic, collecting, generating, evaluating, and presenting a proposition that helps the reader take a particular stance or think differently about an issue. Simply put, an argumentative essay is an essay whose purpose is to argue a point of view or proposition.

It is necessary to know how to format an essay. An excellent argumentative essay has to be properly structured. This structure presents a logical argument that can be adequately understood. The structure of an argumentative essay comprises three major elements: an introductory paragraph, the body containing three paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph, adding up to five paragraphs. 

This structure or pattern does not have to be strictly followed. However, following this pattern can make your writing easier and properly structured, getting you the desired grades.

The Introductory paragraph includes the topic and the thesis. The writer should also provide the position and context of the argument alongside the thesis of the argument.  

Thesis statement states the writer's main point to the reader. It helps the reader understand the background of the argument with the accepted and understood positions. This helps them make informed decisions about the topic. 

The body of your argumentative essay contains the details of your argument. Every paragraph should have a point that backs up the thesis. The body must contain evidence from a reliable source that backs up the argumentative point. Each body should also include a paragraph that discusses a single argumentative point. This goal ensures that the writer can explain each point without confusing the reader. 

Argumentative Essay Structure

In academic essays, it is important to recognize and note that structures are fundamental. Aside from the content of an essay, structure is another critical factor to consider. Therefore, the writer must pay attention to structure in an argumentative essay.

When writing this genre of essay, your argument must be presented in a very organized and accurate manner. To help achieve this order and organization, there are three vital structural elements of an argumentative essay. 

Knowing how to start an argumentative essay begins with learning how to start the essay paragraph.

The first paragraph, the introductory paragraph, is usually one essential part of your essay. This paragraph helps you to make an excellent first impression. From this paragraph, your examiner can already tell whether or not the essay is going to be great, so you need to make it exceptional. This paragraph aims to introduce your readers to the idea of your argument, give background details and explain the context to them. 

The first paragraph should also importantly contain your thesis. From your thesis, your readers should be able to grasp and understand the subject of your argument. Your thesis should be a simple and easy-to-understand statement from which your readers can make inferences.

The second important structural element of an argumentative essay is the body. The body of your essay should ideally contain three paragraphs, each addressing one argumentative point. Essentially, the body of an argumentative essay should contain evidential support for the argument. The body should not just be mere statements but provide substantial facts to back up what has been stated. 

Each paragraph in the body must link to the initial thesis in the first paragraph. The body should logically connect to the introductory paragraph, and each argumentative point should relate to the thesis. 

The third structural element in an argumentative essay is the conclusion. The concluding paragraph is important because it helps tie points together in an argumentative essay. It also allows the writer to drive home their point and connect all of their thoughts.

One important thing to note about argumentative essays is that new points should not be introduced in your concluding paragraph. It is also important to note that your conclusion should not simply restate the thesis but reemphasize it in the light of the evidence given.

How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay Thesis

The thesis statement is the most crucial part of your argumentative essay. It is where you state your position on the topic and give the reader a sense of direction for the rest of the paper. 

An excellent argumentative essay is one whose thesis is clear, logical, and backed by evidence. If you want to write an essay that would get your desired grades, you need to ensure that your essay is all of the above.

By being clear, you want to ensure that your reader is at no point confused about the argument you are making. They should be able to point out and determine what you stand for or oppose at all times. You must use precise words to ensure you do not confuse your readers. Using vague terms will go a long way in confusing your reader.

You also have to ensure that your argument is logical and reasonable. To be logical would mean to argue with reason. The argument in your essay should be understandable, not erroneous or weird.

Your argument also has to be backed and substantiated with evidence. To argue without facts, research or evidence is to argue blindly. To write a good essay, you must ensure that you verify your claim with evidence. 

Excellent argumentative writing results from excellent research. You need to show that you have a good wealth of knowledge in the argument. You ensure that you effectively communicate your argument backed up by evidence.

Argumentative Essay Writing Tips.

The first argumentative essay writing tip is to pick a topic. You should choose a topic that you are comfortable with. You also want to present your topic as a question and provide answers. This helps develop a good thesis for your introductory paragraph. 

Always research your ideas and organize your findings. More than any other form of academic essay, the argumentative essay is very resource intensive. You must research extensively to ensure that your argumentative essay is well-written. Failure to research and find substantial evidence to back up your claims will make your arguments mere statements.

An argumentative essay aims to convince the reader or examiner of your position rather than the opposition. Failure to do this would mean that your essay is a flop and should not be taken seriously.

It is also important that you have a draft. In this draft, outline your main points and how they logically link. You should also ensure that the draft contains the results of your research, quotes, and references. Drafting your argumentative essay before you begin writing helps ensure your thoughts are clear. A draft also helps you test your ideas and decide early on what will work and what will not.

Your essay must contain three things: a good thesis that is clearly stated; a well-written, logical, and substantially backed statement that supports the thesis; and evidence to back these statements. You can write a good essay with these three essential argumentative essay tips. 

Examples of Argumentative Essays

Here is an example of argumentative writing.

Legalization of Weapons

Gun control is an emotional and controversial issue in many countries, with conversations usually focused on whether laws restricting an individual's right to arms are an unfair restriction on liberty and whether guns contribute to crime.

Gun control, politics, legislation, and enforcement of measures intended to restrict access to the possession or use of arms, particularly firearms. Gun-control advocates claim that strict enforcement of gun-control laws saves lives and reduces crime. It is highly expedient to state that weapons have done more harm than good.

In the US, many people have lost their lives due to shootings. Many people who are shooters and killers have access to guns because of the not-so-strict weapon policies in the country. According to the gun violence archives, there are over 50 cases of mass shootings in the country. This leaves us with whether or not anybody should even permit guns.

In conclusion, gun violence does more damage to the state of a country’s security than good. A great way to curb it would be to stop the legalization of weapons.

This essay is an outstanding argumentative essay example.

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