Journal

Teaching Basic Argument Writing Components

Essay

Additional research may be needed to support the claim of the thesis. Explore the format further and read tips on how to write an argumentative essay. Below are resources where you can find good examples of argumentative essays on different topics. 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.

what is argument writing

When revising, you should ensure your language is clear, optimize word choice, and strengthen any weak argument. This step will help you retain your essay’s credibility and intellectual integrity. When outlining, you should decide whether to follow the five-paragraph outline or the longer essay outline, depending on the complexity of your topic. Although the writing process is unique to each person, following some steps can help you be more productive. Your passion for the subject will be reflected in your writing.

Punctuation Tips: Parenthesis

Argument helps us learn to clarify our thoughts and articulate them accurately. Arguments also consider the ideas of others in a respectful and critical manner. what is argument writing 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.

Before you write an Evaluation argument, you have to establish a set of criteria that relates to your paper’s topic. Evaluation arguments prove how a particular topic is good or bad. If you started your quest for a higher education institution, this article will help you clarify the main differences between for-profit and non-profit colleges. Following the rough draft is the revision part, in which you polish it and transform it into the perfect version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Therefore, exclude any references older than 5-10 years whenever possible. 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. A mistake would be to assume that your reader knows everything about your topic, or that the subject is too simple to go into more detail. Yes, whoever is reading your argumentative paper can be familiar with the topic or the ideas you write about.

what is argument writing

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Arguments against your viewpoint

Be careful not to give too much weight to these opposing views since the objective is to show that you have looked at both sides and believe your argument is correct and the counterargument is not. In other words, to form an argument, you must consider whether the argument is reasonable. Opinions, on the other hand, have no rules, and anyone asserting an opinion need not think it through for it to count as one; however, it will not count as an argument. At the same resource site you will find a teacher’s checklist and rubricfor giving feedback to students about their argument writing that include items related to the text structure of an argument writing piece. Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay. Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side.

  • A thesis is a statement based on belief and research that is presented to a reader and meant to be proven or disproven through the use of logic and factual evidence.
  • We want to be able to customise our lives and be able to move in and out of anywhere as the thing we most value is having control over where our attention is focused.
  • You want to show that you have considered the many sides of the issue.
  • Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already.

There are four major steps to outlining an argumentative essay. Of course, to be truly effective, Myrtle will want to include the source of her evidence. After all, if she just made it up, it’s not really evidence.

Writing Arguments

A handy trick is to proofread your essay after taking a break, as it will help you find tiny mistakes you might otherwise have overlooked. We’ve all dreaded writing an intimidating essay at some point or other. Argumentative essays are extra intimidating as you’ll have to do justice to the topic and make a strong argument in its favor. This area of the Excelsior OWL will prepare you for the kinds of argumentative pieces you will be required to write for your college classes, whether these texts are formal essays, presentations, or policy proposals. If you make a claim and then stop, as if the claim itself were enough to demonstrate its truthfulness, you have asserted an opinion only.

  • When most people think of arguments, they picture two people fighting over different viewpoints.
  • This position is the belief of the author and is defensible using logic and evidence.
  • On the other hand, shorter essays may require you to shorten or completely do away with any analysis of refuting viewpoints.
  • An argumentative essay must use ethical, logical, or moral reasoning to support its position and help prove its thesis.

Knowing this informs all other aspects of writing your essay, including the best structure and format, not to mention which evidence to collect. One way to strengthen your argument and show that you have a deep understanding of the issue you are discussing is to anticipate and address counterarguments or objections. To make the most effective argument possible, you should consider not only what students would say about seating but also what alumni who have paid a lot to get good seats might say. Writing can be a challenging process, especially when you have to prove your point clearly and concisely. However, by sticking to a bulletproof structure and utilizing our tips for writing a stellar argumentative essay, we’re sure you can take on any topic without any difficulty. Lastly, in the conclusion paragraph, you restate the thesis statement, but in the light of the evidence you provided.

Argumentative writing

Referred to as an essay outline, it usually includes three major parts, but it’s not limited to that number. A standard argumentative essay is made up of three to five body paragraphs that explain your stance on the topic.

  • They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are.
  • If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports.
  • You are not just expressing your opinion in an argument (“It’s true because I said so”), and in most cases your audience will know something about the subject at hand—so you will need sturdy proof.

Make sure your language is clear and appropriate for the reader, and double-check that you effectively made all your points and rebuttals. First, there should be a clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay. Argumentative writing is very commonly assigned as capstone work in doctorate research programs.

What is an argumentative essay?

Avoiding ideas that conflict with your own gives the reader the impression that you may be uncertain, fearful, or unaware of opposing ideas. Thus it is essential that you not only address counterarguments but also do so respectfully. The idea of an argument often conjures up images of two people yelling and screaming in anger. An argument is a reasoned opinion supported and explained by evidence. To argue in writing is to advance knowledge and ideas in a positive way.

For example, she’ll mention that staying out late is an issue that is important to many people. She’ll state that she believes that her curfew should be later. An argumentative essay must use ethical, logical, or moral reasoning to support its position and help prove its thesis. A reason, or reasoning, must logically develop the argument of an argumentative essay. The intent of reason is to inform, refute, or convince a reader of the thesis. The best argumentative essays include ethical, logical, and moral reasoning. Argumentative writing is designed to prove a particular point with the use of supporting evidence, effective rhetoric, and persuasive debate.

Steps in the Writing Process

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That how long should a 5 paragraph essay be doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

This handout will define what an argument is and explain why you need one in most of your academic essays. Firstly, you should avoid snide or derogatory comments, because that would automatically make your classmate distrust your motives. Additionally, you should make a strong statement and take time to study the other side before adding your own opinions.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

When we see the benefits of things like MRI devices, CT scanners, arterial stents and pacemakers, we are able to appreciate immediately how science can affect our quality of life. It is very important that you gather your facts and data prior to writing. You should always ensure that you use credible sources to make sure that facts are real and up to date. Intended audience(i.e., those the author imagines will be reading the text). I used it to write a paragraph essay on “Elements of Argument”. Joan Sedita is the founder of Keys to Literacy and author of the Keys to Literacy professional development programs.

what is argument writing

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