Your professor just handed you an argumentative essay prompt, and you have no idea how to write an argumentative essay. But don’t worry! Our step-by-step guide is designed for both high schoolers and university students to build a convincing and professional paper.
Quick answer: Writing an argumentative essay involves three steps: investigating a topic, evaluating evidence, and establishing a firm position. Your topic must be highly debatable, and the claims should be based on factual, logical arguments, not on feelings or faith.
Many students often find this academic task very difficult, as collecting evidence and refuting opposing claims requires deep thinking. Reading this article will help you grasp the entire writing process- from research to properly drafting!
Key Takeaways on Argumentative Essay Writing
- The argumentative essay must be well-researched, and the thesis statement must be clear and concise.
- A well-structured argumentative essay has 5 parts: an introduction, a thesis statement, body paragraphs with evidence, a counterargument with rebuttal, and a conclusion.
- A good topic must have at least 2 opposing viewpoints.
- You can present the argument using 3 models: Toulmin, Aristotelian, and Rogerian.
- Expert writing help is available for an argumentative essay, and the best providers offer free templates.
What Is an Argumentative Essay and When Do You Write One?
According to the Purdue Online Writing Lab, an argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires you to investigate a topic, collect evidence, and establish a clear position. For help stating your position, see our guide on how to write a thesis statement. This type of essay involves extensive research and the evaluation of evidence to support a concise claim.
Students typically receive this assignment in high school or college composition courses. You write it when a prompt asks you to argue for one of two sides or when a question is open-ended.
Instructors assign this task to evaluate your ability to think critically and support claims with logic and facts.
Now, if you don’t know how to get started, in the following section, we have shared useful argumentative essay writing tips for beginners in two parts: the pre-writing research and step-by-step writing guide. Let’s start!
Part 1: How Do You Start an Argumentative Essay Research
Getting started with an argumentative essay involves understanding the right structure, choosing a topic, and selecting the right approach for how to outline an essay claim. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: What Is the Structure of an Argumentative Essay? A Quick Preview
The logical argumentative essay structure is very important to arrange the evidence and persuade the reader. If you are wondering, what is the best structure for an argumentative essay? Here are the 5 main elements that ensure clarity and flow within the structure:
- Introduction: Presents the topic, provides background context, and creates a hook.
- Thesis Statement: Stands out as a clear expression of your main opinion.
- Body Paragraphs: Give evidence and logical supporting facts.
- Counterargument: Acknowledges opposing views and provides a rebuttal to disprove them.
- Conclusion: Restates the thesis and summarizes the main points.
Knowing how to format an essay can help you keep your tone professional and help the reader follow your logic. Later, we will discuss how to write each of these in detail.
Step 2: What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay Topic and How to Choose One?
A good argumentative topic must be debatable and have at least two conflicting viewpoints. It needs enough evidence and data to back a logical claim. Do not use topics that rely on personal opinion or faith since these are hard to substantiate with facts.
To select a good topic, take the following steps:
- Select a subject you are passionate about to maintain interest.
- Confirm that sufficient valid sources are available for in-depth research.
- Define the general topic into a specific question.
Prompt Examples to Find a Good Topic
Brainstorming questions will enable you to find specific controversies in a general field. The process involves narrowing down a general topic, such as “technology,” to a specific argument regarding “digital privacy”.
Here are five prompt examples of strong argumentative topics:
- Should the minimum wage be raised to $15 an hour in the USA?
- Does online learning work as well as in-class learning?
- Should facial recognition technology be outlawed in public areas?
- Does the 4-day working week improve staff performance?
- Should all consumer products be banned from being packaged in plastic?
When you find it difficult to focus your choices, you can always find expert solution for assignment for help.
Step 3: Select the Approach – Toulmin vs. Rogerian vs. Aristotelian Methods to Establish a Claim
What is a claim in an argumentative essay? A claim is the main idea or th