Guideline on how to write an argumentative essay very fast
In argumentative writing, you investigate an issue by collecting, generating, and evaluating evidence, and taking a concise position on the topic. In this genre, you have to engage in extensive research by consulting credible literature sources. In some cases, your argumentative essay assignment may demand that you employ empirical research to gather relevant data, through methods like interviews, questionnaires, observations, and discussion groups. Detailed research is necessary to understand different viewpoints on the issue and collect enough evidence to help you develop a concrete case to convince your readers. Read on to find more ideas on how to write an argumentative essay.
In this guide, you will find the following:
- Elements of a good argumentative essay
- Drafting a good argumentative essay
- Examples of excellent argumentative essays
Since you will find different argumentative essay assignments with varying instructions, we have designed this document with a flexible mind to meet all your needs at all times. Take time to digest this content and you will surely find reliable help.
Easy steps of how to write an argumentative essay in college
You have an excellent argumentative essay if you are able to convince your audience to agree to approve of your opinion. To persuade your readers, your essay must contain specific elements. Thus, you need time to plan and prepare before you embark on drafting your essay.
The following steps will guarantee you a great argumentative essay. Take a look…
STEP 1: Choose a good topic – The outcome of your argument depends on the issue at hand. A good argumentative essay topic should have the following attributes.
- A good topic should be simple and understandable – Choose a topic that is easy to comprehend and analyze. A complex topic will make your task too hard to handle. A simple topic is also easy to research and argue out your opinion with clarity.
- A good topic is narrow – As you think of how to write an argumentative essay, go for a topic you can handle within the time you have. A broad topic may have so much to address within a limited time and length of your essay.
- A good topic should be interesting to you – When you have a chance to choose a topic, pick an issue of your interest. Discussing something at your heart is easier than navigating through an area that does not interest you.
- A good topic should be easy to research – Choose topics that have research materials. Since argumentative writing is about taking a stance, select an issue that has enough evidence to solidify into undeniable claims.
Always follow these ideas when selecting your topics. However, in cases where your tutor assigns you a topic, you have no option but to work on it. Here, ensure you understand the issue and consult before you embark on your assignment.
The following examples give you sample argumentative essays with good topics. Examine them and see how the writer develops the argument with a lot of ease.
Example #1: Sample Argumentative Essays
- Should Government Invest More Money In Building Shelter House?
- Is Recycling Worth It
These topics present issues that are close to humanity. For example, everyone needs shelter. However, should the government play a role in providing this basic need? The second argumentative essay topic talks about our environment and waste management. Should we invest in recycling waste? With this knowledge of choosing a topic, let us look at the second step of how to write an argumentative essay.
STEP 2: How to write an argumentative essay that is balanced
Though argumentative writing allows you to present a case and provide enough evidence to back it, you must be fair as you develop your case. In particular, avoid subjective arguments. Here two things to keep in mind at this stage:
- Consider both sides – Once you have a topic or an issue you want to discuss, go ahead and list the points for both sides. Choose the side, which represents your position. The side you choose must have strong points to make a convincing case.
- Anticipate rebuttals – Listing evidence for both sides is necessary because it helps you to anticipate the counterargument. As you are about to see, always give weight to your opinion, acknowledge the counterargument before shooting it down with evidence.
After exploring both sides of the argument, go ahead and gather evidence that will persuade your readers and believe in your thoughts.
Step 3: Gathering evidence when writing an argumentative essay
This stage will determine the success or failure of your argumentative essay. It requires you to do your homework as you explore different angles of the issue you are discussing.
As you think of how to write an argumentative essay, and prove your opinion, adhere to the following:
Avoid unnecessary drama – argumentative writing is not about drama. Your readers want to see your effort in proving the case at hand. Give them a reason not just to read your essay but also to agree with you on the issue.
Not all emotions make an argument – While most face-to-face debates involve charged emotions by both parties, you do not have to be emotional to make your case strong. Stick to the facts and present them with confidence and clarity of your mind to clear any doubt.
Let us look at another example before the move to the next section.
Example #2: Sample argumentative essays
In this essay, Should Handguns be banned?, the writer dissects an issue that is at the heart of many Americans, with almost monthly shootings in the country. Here is an excerpt of the introduction:
“A handgun is any equipment that one uses for either self-defense or protecting resources and valuable properties. Thus, according to the Department of Justice Bureau of Firearms in California, the handgun is not a weapon that aids shoot innocent Americans. Criminals, law-abiding citizens, and lobby groups have different views regarding the party with the moral authority to decide on whether the government should ban handguns or not.”
Brief Analysis
In this example, the writer begins by laying a foundation for the issue of handguns. To have all the readers on the same page, the introduction defines a handgun, giving the writer and the audience a shared meaning of the issue. In the last sentence, the writer articulates the issue at hand, in which different parties are pushing for a say in banning handguns. In the argument, the reader expects the writer to develop the argument by expounding reasons why every party wants to have a say in the ban. You can read the rest of the essay here. With this, let us discuss more tricks of how to write an argumentative essay.
Suggestions on how to write an argumentative essay
Now that you have solid planning and preparation for the writing process, you can start drafting your argument. The challenges you encounter here will depend on how well or poorly you handled previous sections.
Ideally, your argument should contain three major points, which form the basic outline of an argumentative essay. The three elements are:
- Your introduction
- Your body paragraphs
- Your conclusions
Below we shall discuss each of these elements in detail. The length of these parts will largely depend on the overall word count of your essay. However, a standard introduction or conclusion should not exceed 10% of your total paper. This discussion will give you more insights into how to write an argumentative essay.
How to spice your introduction when writing an argumentative essay
Your introduction is the face of your argument. Readers will want to go through the rest of your paper because of your first paragraph.
This is how you should do your intro:
- Begin with a hook – your first sentence should be eye-catching to grab the reader’s attention and whet their appetite.
- Give background information – This is relevant information that will help your audience to understand your argument better.
- End with your thesis – Your last introduction sentence should be a summary of your argument.
After this, develop your body paragraphs.
Piecing your body paragraphs – The body is the meat of your argument. Give details of the two sides with emphasis on your side. Remember to refute the counterargument using evidence from your research.
Finally, conclude your argument – End your argument with a strong conclusion. Restate your argument, say how your evidence supports your thesis, and challenge your audience to act.
Example #3: Sample Argumentative essays
- Cigarette Smoking
- Financial Education and Management Curriculum
- Changes in Gender Impact
This handout contains the basics of how to write an argumentative essay. Let us know how it goes. Fingers crossed!
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Online sources:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/05/
http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/a/argument.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Argumentative-Essay
http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm
http://web.calstatela.edu/faculty/cendy/writing_tips.pdf
https://depts.washington.edu/owrc/Handouts/Argumentative%20Paper%20Format.pdf