Argumentative essays are common types of academic papers. In context, there are no other form of academic writing that holds as much weight and significance in academics as argumentative essays. Their design is beyond a mere expression of one’s opinions.
Instead they are aimed at persuading the reader through a strategic and substantive use application of logic, evidence, and rhetorical devices. As such, mastering the art and skill of writing argumentative essays is essential, as it equips them with the means to effectively enhance their abilities to think critically, while communicating and influencing others on a subject matter.
The Importance of Argumentative Essays
You have probably heard of the saying that “life is not a straight line.” Yes. The real world is significantly different from the theoretical world and the world of academia.
Argumentative essays are essential links, acting as bridges through which students bridge between the two worlds. Through skillfully mastery of writing academic papers especially argumentative essays, students are forced to think beyond a limited scope of their comfort and instead critically and logically analyze complex and real-world issues from multiple perspectives. The skill of applying critical thinking, logical analysis, and persuasion is invaluable. Through it, students can navigate through the complex ‘curves’ of life logically and effectively.
Moreover, employers today are not seeking for employees that need to be handed solutions to every challenge that comes their way. Instead, employees seek for critical and logic thinkers, who can identify complex issues, analyze the issues logically and come up with viable solutions, communicate their thoughts effectively, defend their positions and persuade others to adopt their thoughts. Be it in developing potential business proposal, presenting, and arguing cases in the courtroom, or social advocacy, individuals that can demonstrate these skills are highly sought after within the professional realm.
Argumentative essays also aid you to discover themselves and grow personally. As you write an argumentative essay, you gain an opportunity to explore multiple perspectives on challenging issues, including ones that confront your personal judgements and prejudices, and aid in developing a practical understanding of the real world. The resulting intellectual and emotional growth from this exercise could shape your problem solving and decision-making approaches lifelong.
How to Write an Argumentative Essay
Developing an effective argumentative essay is a simple, yet often confusing process. However, with a strategic step-to-step guide, you can write an effective argumentative essay like a pro:
- Develop a compelling argumentative essay topic: The basis of an effective argumentative essay begins with crafting an interesting and relevant topic. At this point, you should avoid argumentative essay topics that are general or overly simple. Instead, focus on argumentative essay topics that focus on dynamic and explorable issues, while allowing for multiple perspectives.
- Conduct intensive research: Argumentative essays depend on intensive research. After developing an argumentative essay topic, you should now research credible and reliable academic sources including peer-reviewed journals, news reports, expert opinions, among other credible materials to support your arguments.
- Brainstorm a clear and concise thesis statement: A thesis statement is a brief but concise summary of the central theme of your argumentative essay, research paper, or any other type of academic writing.
- Organize and structure your arguments: A well written argumentative essay should demonstrate facts that are logically and effectively presented. The essay should begin with an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention, provides background context of the academic paper, and ends with a clear and concise thesis statement. The body paragraphs should then be presented systematically, begin with analysis of the argumentative essay topic and followed by counterarguments. The conclusion should be strong, persuasive and have a call to action aiming at reinforcing the central argument.
- Project and analyze the counterarguments: An argumentative essay is so because it considers opposing viewpoints and effectively refutes them. This is an essential consideration as it demonstrates your understanding and strength of your argumentative essay topic.
- Be persuasive: Argumentative essays must employ a persuasive tone and language, using multiple rhetorical devices, rhetorical questions, and appeal to the reader’s emotions to reinforce the persuasive power of the argumentative essay.
- Revise and edit your argumentative essay: A good essay must be free of errors, be it grammatical or syntax errors.
Parts of an Argumentative Essay
The Introduction
- The hook
This is the first sentence in an academic paper. It is also called an introductory sentence and is intended to grab the reader's attention. It could be a surprising fact, a statistic, an anecdote, or a question.
Example: In the U.S., Black adult women are six times more likely to be killed than their white counterpart...
- Supporting sentences
The section provides information related to the background details and creates the basis for the thesis statement. It provides more details and builds on the hook. While the hook grabs the reader’s attention, the supporting sentences explain further, creating a resembling sign of relief as compared to the hook.
- Thesis statement
The thesis is the most essential part of the introduction of an academic paper. It is comparable to the backbone of the human body, as it presents the main argument clearly and concisely. The thesis of an academic paper is the main message or theme.
The thesis statement should contain:
· Topic: The subject matter or issue being discussed.
· Position: The writer's stance or opinion on the topic.
· Assertion: The main point or central argument that the writer intends to prove or support.
· Blueprint of Arguments: An overview of the main points or arguments that will be presented in the argumentative essay to support the thesis.
Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs of an argumentative essay follow the pattern as follows:
- Topic sentence:
This is the first sentence of an argumentative essay paragraph that introduces the main argument to be discussed in that paragraph. It should relate to the thesis statement of the argumentative essay, as it is the backbone of the entire academic paper.
- Supporting evidence:
The supporting evidence follows the topic sentence and contains the facts, proofs, and evidence that back up the topic sentence and the paragraph's main argument. At this point, include all the researched, credible, and relevant academic sources reinforcing your argument.
- Analysis/Explanation:
This part of your argumentative essay paragraph analyses your given evidence and explains how that evidence backs up your argument.
- Counterargument:
While including a counterargument in an argumentative essay paragraph may be optional, this part of your paragraph acknowledges the opposing viewpoints and addresses how your position counters them.
However, you may write the counterarguments on their own as independent paragraphs. Having the counterarguments in your argumentative essay indicates your understanding of your topic and strengthens your argument.
- Transition:
Typically indicated as the last sentence in an argumentative essay paragraph, it is focused on creating a smooth transition from one paragraph to another. Transitions are essential for creating a seamless and logical flow of the paragraphs. The last sentence also serves as a summary of the key arguments addressed in the section.
Conclusion
The conclusion of an argumentative essay restates the thesis, summarizes the main arguments and counterarguments, and provides a closing statement that includes a call for action and emphasizes the central theme of the academic paper.
Examples of Argumentative Essay Topics
You could write an argumentative essay about anything if the topic is debatable from multiple perspectives. This could include social, political, economic, or any other realm. Examples of possible argumentative essay topics could include:
- An argumentative essay on the legality of abortion
- An argumentative essay on whether AI should be allowed to be used in Academia
- An argumentative essay debating whether college athletes should be paid or not
- An argumentative essay debating the morality of assisted suicide
- An argumentative essay on the criminalization of marijuana
- An argumentative essay on the effectiveness of renewable energy sources in the fight against climate change
- An argumentative topic essay on the implementation of universal basic income a viable solution to address income inequality
- An argumentative topic essay on the government imposing stricter regulations on the tech industry to protect consumer privacy
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