- Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
- This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
- For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.
One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.
Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.
Argumentative Essay Example 1
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Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.
Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.
No matter what kind of essay you're writing, a strong plan will help you have a bigger impact. This guide to writing a college essay is a great way to get started on your essay organizing journey!
The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis.
The first argument is based entirely in feelings without any factual backup, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven. Your parents are more likely to respond positively to the second argument because it demonstrates that you have done something to earn the increased allowance. Similarly, a well-researched and reasoned argument will show readers that your point has a basis in fact, not just feelings.
A strong argument isn’t just about having a good point. If you can’t support that point well, your argument falls apart.
Key Tips
In your essay, you want to think about how the opposition would respond to your claims and respond to them. Don’t pick the weakest arguments, either—figure out what other people are saying and respond to those arguments with clearly reasoned arguments.
If you’re struggling to come up with topics on your own, read through this list of argumentative essay topics to help get you started!
Your claims are the ideas you’ll use to support your thesis. For example, if you’re writing about how your neighborhood shouldn’t use weed killer, your claim might be that it’s bad for the environment. But you can’t just say that on its own—you need evidence to support it.
The standard five-paragraph essay is common in writing argumentative essays, but it’s not the only way to write one. An argumentative essay is typically written in one of two formats, the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.
So, to make this task slightly easier, we’ve put together critical do’s and don’ts that you must keep in mind while writing an introduction for an argumentative essay.
“First impression is the last impression”, they say and rightly so which is why writing an introduction for an argumentative essay is so critical.
You have to present your arguments, justifications, evidence, and examples in the corresponding body paragraphs. Every paragraph can be devoted to a single argument or claim.
Coming to the final and most important part of the introduction - the thesis statement.
1. Hook your readers
In spite of this, if you are feeling stuck or are unable to begin your argumentative essay, you can reach out to us at Writers Per Hour. Our essay writing experts will help you put together an impactful introduction that will set a strong foundation for the argumentative essay.
Your thesis statement will give your argumentative essay structure and direction as the rest of the paper will be devoted to presenting the stand you’re taking and justifying it.
While this might be stress-inducing, with these essential do’s and don’ts in mind, we’re sure you’ll be able to write better and stronger introductions that leave a positive impression.
These should make writing you essay a bit easier and also a bit “crafty like a fox.”
- It is a piece of writing where you get to give your opinion on an issue
- It is not a piece of writing where you get to go into an emotional tirade. We have plenty of that from crazy politicians.
- It is a piece of writing where you get to present facts that support your opinion
- It is not a piece of writing where you just spout your opinions and expect others to simply accept them
- It is a piece of writing where you do have to give the opposing side’s arguments too
- It is not a piece of writing where you can just dismiss the opposing side with personal insults and attacks – again, we get plenty of that from politicians.
Yes, you are waiting for your 10 killer tips, and they are coming. But first, let’s just take a quick look at the process for crafting an argumentative essay.
Suppose you are opposed to the continued cuts that are being made to the Food Stamp program – a program that is less than 1/10 of 1% of the total federal budget (that’s a pretty surprising statement in itself). You may want to start with a short anecdote about a family of 4, in which both parents are working minimum-wage jobs and yet don’t make enough to meet all of their expenses. They rely on food stamps to supplement their budget so they can feed their kids. Here’s another fact: 86% of the people on food stamps today are disabled veterans and civilians, unemployed veterans, enlisted servicemen with families to feed, and senior citizens. Another 12% are single working moms or working parents who don’t make enough. Any of these beginnings would be great to use.
The Step-by-Step Process
- Pick a Topic: You will never be at a loss for argumentative essay writing ideas. They are all around you – just turn on TV and watch one show on MSNBC and one on FOX cable. These pundits scream and yell about issues all the time – politics, climate change, evolution, gay rights, abortion, religion, etc. Choose one that interests you or “hits close to home.”
- Craft a Thesis Statement: You already have an opinion and that is your thesis statement – couldn’t be much simpler. But you may not know exactly why you have that opinion or how you can convince somebody else to agree with you. That’s for the next step.
- Do the Research: You won’t have any problem finding information on your topic. The challenge will be to use reliable sources that actually give factual information you can use. It is fine to read an editorial in a newspaper that has been written by someone who believes as you do, but then you will need to find one written by someone who disagrees, so that you can know that facts that the other side is presenting too.
- Make a List: Actually, make two lists, one for the evidence that supports your opinion and one for the evidence that supports the opposing opinion. Try to line them up.
- Choose 3 Strong Arguments: Pick the 3 strongest arguments that support your opinion and make sure you have the facts to back them up. Then, look at your opponent’s list and find those arguments that relate to yours. Look at the evidence for those arguments and see how your evidence can outweigh it.
- Structuring the Essay: It is usually acceptable to use a full paragraph on each of your 3 points, and then to provide one paragraph with the opposing side’s points. This gives your argument more weight, of course, but, in that paragraph, you can refer back to points you made in your argument to refute these.
- Your Introduction: This should be easy. You introduce your topic and make your thesis statement. We’ll talk about it in the “tips” so you can make it brilliant.
- Your Conclusion: Re-state your points and the belief that you have definitely “won” this argument.
If you are struggling with trying to understand how to write an argumentative essay that will impress and get a good grade, you first have to understand what it is.
- Only choose a topic you are passionate about – you’ll have more fun finding the facts and smashing the other side.
- No emotions on your part. Now, this does not mean that you can’t stir some emotions in your readers, but you have to do it subtly, by presenting facts that will make them respond emotionally. So, be sure you have some facts that will do that.
- Don’t slam the other side with dis-respectful terms such as “stupid,” “uninformed,” “evil,” or “crazy.” You may be able to show this with your evidence, but don’t call it out. Let the reader come to those conclusions.
- Try presenting the opposing side first. This will be really different and may impress you instructor – those “brownie points” never hurt.
- Don’t ever make up evidence – it’s too easy to check these days. If you can’t find strong enough evidence for one of your points, choose another point to use.
- Get a stunner of an opening. You are going for shock value here, or to get a strong emotional response. Here’s an example:
By now, you should have figured out that an argumentative essay is easily defined. You take a stand on a controversial issue, you get the research done so that you have real facts in front of you, on both sides, and you write an essay that proves your opinion is the stronger one. If you don’t do this right, you are going to defeat your arguments, and other side “wins.” You don’t want to lose, do you?
For the college level, it is recommended to use simple language and avoid the use of complex words while writing an essay.
In the introductory, the writer introduces the topic and provides a glance of the collected data to support the main argument.
Write a formal conclusion for your essay and summarize all the key elements of your essay. Look at the example mentioned below to understand the concept more clearly.
The first body paragraph discusses the first and most important point related to the argument. It starts with a topic sentence and has all the factual data to make the argument convincing.
Argumentative Essay Examples for Middle School
If you are an O level student, the following examples will guide you on how to write an argumentative essay.
In this scenario, the best option is to look into some good examples. Here we have summed up two best examples of argumentative essays for high school students specifically.
Students of 6th grade are at a point where they are learning new things every day. Writing an argumentative essay is an interesting activity for them as they like to convince people for their point of view.