Argumentative Essay?

Wonder what an argumentative essay is and how to come up with a solidly written one? Being a common assignment given by college professors, it causes many young people to search for ways to improve their writing proficiency. Quite a few of them end up thinking that including lots of statistical and factual data in their papers can do the trick. “The median wage for dental care specialists was $155,200 in 2018.” Just that won’t do.

However, argumentative writing isn’t just about providing statistical data. If you advance a claim that being a lawyer is the smartest career choice you can make today, and back it up by citing other people’s research findings, you have a decent chance of earning a high score.

An argumentative essay requires thorough research and analysis of all relevant sources. Unlike persuasive writing, this one shouldn’t rely on the emotional aspect when trying to convince the audience. What makes argument papers unique is that you are only to substantiate your position — no more, no less.

Must-include list for an Argumentative Paper

Here’s what good argumentative essays have in common:

• A clear and concise thesis statement at the end of the first paragraph
• A logical transition after every element of the essay
• Enough supporting evidence in every body paragraph
• A meaningful conclusion going beyond mere restatement

Getting started

Mastering argumentative writing allows you to gain some valuable insights. It also gives you a competitive edge because it lets you hone your persuasive and critical thinking skills. Getting excellent marks should not be your sole priority. It teaches students how to argue their opinions, which is one of the most helpful skills.

First, scrutinize the definition. An argumentative essay is a piece of academic writing that presents a claim its author must prove. The capacity to write an effective argumentative paper can come in handy in different real-life situations. By using the skills you’ve gained while working on it, you can, for instance, persuade potential investors that your business is worth being funded.

A challenge many students might face is choosing a topic. But, there are other factors you should take into account before you start an effective argumentative essay:

• Fact-checking
• Enough background knowledge
• Proving the topic’s relevance

Answer these questions when choosing a topic:

• Are my arguments specific enough?
• Will I be able to support my arguments with verified evidence?
• Is my topic a yes-no question? (Avoid such topics)
• Will there be people with opposing views? What are their arguments?

Topic example: let’s assume you want to write about gun control in your city or state. In a persuasive essay, you would try to persuade people that the government must implement stricter policies or make them less stringent. But, in an argument paper, you would also have to suggest a specific way of dealing with gun control in your area.

How to Write About Your Position

In real life, you’ll often want to examine carefully every perspective on the issue and balance between them — don’t do it here.

In an argumentative paper, you must choose one side and stick to it.

It’s essential to show YOUR thoughts and ideas. You must tell the reader about YOUR perspective on the matter and how YOU see things developing.

When talking about your position:

• Avoid the indicators of uncertainty, words like “probably,” “I feel,” “might,” and so on.
• Don’t pretend to be an expert if you’re don’t have enough knowledge — cite those who do.
• Don’t base your evidence on moral claims — use statistics and facts instead.
• Don’t try to paint opponents in a bad light but address their opinions and refute them.

How to address the opposing side

If you struggle to understand what’s happening in the minds of people with opposing viewpoints, try following this algorithm:

1. Try to think of several reasons you’d want to be on the other side of the discussion and list them.
2. Study that list. Ask yourself, “Who and why will agree with the points listed? What arguments will they use?”
3. Analyze your audience. That includes their background, interests, and factors shaping their personality the most.
4. Start thinking about how you can refute their arguments and look for credible evidence that can help you with that.
5. When structuring your essay, place the part where you address their views after your argumentation.

How to Use Evidence in Argumentative Writing

Just presenting evidence won’t suffice. You must explain precisely how it backs your argument and why it is important. Your goal here is to show a clear link between the proof you give and the claim.

A mistake would be to assume that your reader knows everything about your topic, or that’s the subject is too simple to go into more details. Yes, whoever is reading your argumentative paper can be familiar with the topic or the ideas you write about. Still, they won’t be able to know what we plan on doing with those ideas unless we provide enough explanations.

You can always cut out a few sentences. It’s like cutting a statue from a chunk of crude marble by removing the excess — it takes time to carve out a masterpiece from it.

Ask yourself these questions when evaluating evidence:

1. Why should anyone consider this? Why is it significant?
2. What are the implications this piece of evidence has?
3. How can I develop my train of thought if I take this position?
4. How does what I have said happen? Why is it like this?
5. How is it linked to my thesis statement?
6. Is there a relevant example I can give?

By answering those questions, you should be able to show how your evidence is connected with your argument.

Writing an Argumentative Essay

What do you do after you’ve learned the argumentative essay definition? Start by formulating essay topic ideas. The key ingredients of success are an impartial analysis of the selected subject, credible sources, and convincing arguments. To achieve that, pick a topic you like and are knowledgeable about. You might have a hard time choosing one, so try selecting a subject that would be relevant to your class.

Avoid mundane topics or unsolvable problems. If you cannot find information online, you can try local libraries or archives. The letter can be a lot of fun, allowing you to feel like the main character of “Independence Day.” An argument paper should be based on evidence from trusted and up-to-date sources. Therefore, exclude any references older than 5-10 years whenever possible.

Another critical pre-writing step is devising a plan. Referred to as an essay outline, it usually includes three major parts, but it’s not limited to that number. Below is a detailed example of how an argumentative essay can be structured.