A step-to-step Guide to Writing an Argumentative essay.
An argumentative essay is a type of essay in which a student is required to conduct an investigation on a subject, gather, generate and examine evidence on the subject. The student should then outline a point of view or take a position on the subject matter, forming a thesis statement in a very concise manner. In other words, a student should take a clearly defined standpoint on the subject matter and defend it with relevant evidence.
Argumentative essays are very common types of college assignments that students come across time to time. You will more often get an assignment requiring you to write an argumentative essay in college or even in high school. These types of essays will commonly have a prompt asking you to argue for or against the given positions. The question will have terms such as Argue or Argument.
Students should note that confusion may occur between this type of essay and an expository essay, which is almost similar to an argumentative essay. The difference occurs in that an argumentative essay requires more detailed research and is lengthy than an expository essay. On the other hand, expository essays are shorter and mostly given as an in-class writing exercise.
The structure of an argumentative essay
- A well define and concise thesis statement
Similar to other academic writing assignments, an argumentative essay should begin with an introduction. In the introduction, you should set the context of the essay by giving a general overview of the topic. It is important to give the reason why the reader’s attention is required on the topic at this point. Next, you should write a thesis statement. This is a sentence that puts the central point of your essay in a nutshell. Do not forget to narrow down your thesis statement to the requirements in the essay instructions.
- A good transition between the introduction, the body and conclusion
The way you connect one idea to the other really matters in your argumentative essay. It is very important that you provide a clear and logical transition from one thought to the next. That is because, without such a transition, it becomes very hard for the reader to follow your essay and grasp your argument. A good transition is one that sums up the previous idea and introduces a new one.
- The body paragraphs
The body of your argumentative essay forms your argument and explains why you support your thesis statement. You should cover a single idea in each paragraph and provide evidence supporting that idea. This arrangement of paragraphs makes it easy for the reader to follow the direction of your argument. Do not forget to create a logical connection of the ideas in each paragraph to the thesis statement, precisely at the opening of the sentence.
- How to provide evidence supporting your argument
All argumentative essays will require you to provide well-researched evidence. The evidence should also be up to date. As result, it is important that students take some time gathering logical, anecdotal factual or statistical evidence. While collecting the evidence, it is important to pay attention to some evidence against your argument. If you are short of time and resources to gather your data, feel free to request for graduate assignments help online.
A good essay should also provide a one or two paragraphs discussing some evidence opposing the argument in the essay. However, this will depend on the length of your essay. You should, however, continue to defend your thesis statement by showing how the conflicting opinions might be misinformed or out of date.
- A thoughtful conclusion
Concluding an argumentative essay is one of the areas that students start to struggle. The conclusion contributes greatly to the last impression you leave your reader with. As a result, t is very crucial to make it logical and effective. Some of the students go ahead and restate the thesis statement. Instead, the conclusion should be a paragraph summing up the content written in the essay, providing a logical connection between the thesis statement and the evidence presented. Restate the importance of the thesis and review the main points. You may also discuss why more research needs to be done on the topic.
Final Thoughts
Writing an impressive argumentative essay is requires a keen attention to the above requirements. It is also important to assume that you are having an argument with someone else while writing your argumentative essay. Also, make sure that your essay is complete. That will help you to avoid questions from your reader or your professor. That way, you are good to go!
If you need help in your argumentative essay, GET HELP HERE!