How to Write an Argumentative Essay

Whether you’re a high school or college student, learning how to write an argumentative essay will help you learn to express yourself more effectively. It’s a great way to improve your writing skills and impress your professors, too.

Body paragraphs

Creating a great argumentative essay requires a mixture of substance and analysis. You can’t just throw facts and statistics at your reader and then expect them to understand the issue. You must also provide logical reasoning and support your claim with evidence.

One of the most important elements of an argumentative essay is the thesis statement. A thesis statement states the main point of the essay and may include opposing views. The thesis statement should be precise and arguable. If you want some help writing a good thesis statement, consult TopEssayWriting. This service is a great find for students — it offers both paper writing and free essay samples.

The body paragraphs in an argumentative essay must support the thesis statement with evidence. You can do this by using statistics, examples, and text citations. This helps the reader understand the evidence and decide on their own.

You can also include a rebuttal paragraph, which discusses the opposing side of an issue. Often, a rebuttal paragraph will include a transitional sentence to show how the opposing side relates to the thesis.

Transitions

Using transitions in an argumentative essay helps to make writing more coherent and to convey information in a logical and effective manner. Transitions in an argumentative essay are words, phrases, or sentences that show a logical relationship between two paragraphs, sections, or ideas. They can also introduce a new idea or summarize a previous idea. Transitions help to establish a logical connection between the ideas and paragraphs of the essay and can be used in a variety of writing styles.

Transitions in an argumentative essay also show the relationship between a previous idea and the next one. Transition words and phrases can be used to demonstrate cause and effect, contrast, or agreement.

Thesis statement

A good thesis statement should make a claim, preferably a debatable one. It also needs to be supported by credible evidence. For example, a good thesis statement might be: “Alcohol consumption negatively affects university students’ GPA.” Most people agree that alcohol is bad for health, but they also disagree on the scope of the problem. A good thesis statement might be: “Gun-related homicides have increased over the past three years.” Although most people agree that gun-related homicides are bad, many are confused about what constitutes a crime.

Toulmin method

Using the Toulmin method to write an argumentative essay is a very effective way of providing the reader with a solid amount of evidence to support a writer’s perspective. The essay follows a formula with six components: the claim, backing, warrant, grounds, support, and rebuttal.

The claim is the main idea or thesis statement of the essay. The writer must then defend that claim using data or presumptions. The writer may state the claim directly or simply suggest it.

The writer must then provide grounds for the claim, which are the reasons for the writer’s stance on an issue. These reasons can appear in facts, explanations, or expert opinions.

The writer must then provide a rebuttal, which will address the opposing points. The rebuttal will also include evidence to counter opposing claims.

Rogerian approach

Using the Rogerian approach to writing argumentative essays can be a more effective way of persuading an audience than using the traditional format. However, it requires a fair-minded and neutral perspective on the opposing viewpoint. This means that you have to put your pride aside and study the opposing position.

A Rogerian approach relies on a collaborative effort, as opposed to a conventional arguing structure. Rogers’ method involves delineating the reader’s perspective and presenting it accurately. The goal is to persuade the reader to agree with your opinion rather than merely convincing them of your position.

Rogers’ method also stresses the importance of sharing your worldview, as this leads to better understanding. However, this does not mean that your opinion is the right one.

The body of your Rogerian article will contain evidence and reasons to support your point of view. The concluding section will show how meeting in the middle has benefitted both sides.