Argumentative Essays

Argumentative
Essays
Argumentative Essays
What is an argumentative essay?
The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires

the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and
evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a
concise manner.
Argumentative essay assignments generally call for
extensive research of literature or previously published
material. Argumentative assignments may also require
empirical research where the student collects data through
interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments.
Detailed research allows the student to learn about the
topic and to understand different points of view regarding
the topic so that she/he may choose a position and
support it with the evidence collected during research.
Regardless of the amount or type of research involved,
argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and
follow sound reasoning.
Remember: The argumentative essay must be complete,

and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or
argument.
Structure of argumentative essay:
•A clear, concise, and defined thesis

statement that occurs in the first paragraph of
the essay.
In the first paragraph of an argument essay,
students should set the context by reviewing the
topic in a general way. Next the author should
explain why the topic is important (exigence) or
why readers should care about the issue.
If the student does not master this portion of the

essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an
effective or persuasive essay.
•Clear and logical transitions between the
introduction, body, and conclusion.
Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the
essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the
reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the
structure will collapse. Transitions should wrap up the idea
from the previous section and introduce the idea that is to
follow in the next section.
•Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one
general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction
throughout the essay. In addition, such conciseness
creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is
important to note that each paragraph in the body of the
essay must have some logical connection to the thesis
statement in the opening paragraph. Some paragraphs
will directly support the thesis statement with evidence
collected during research. It is also important to explain
how and why the evidence supports the thesis (warrant).
•Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or
anecdotal).
The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate,
detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement.
Some factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal evidence should be
written to support the thesis.
•A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis but

readdresses it considering the evidence provided.
It is at this point of the essay that students may begin to struggle.
This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate
impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective
and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion;
rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay.
Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and
review your thesis. You may also want to include a short discussion of
more research that should be completed in light of your work.
The five-paragraph essay
A common method for writing an argumentative essay

is the five-paragraph approach. This is, however, by no
means the only formula for writing such essays. If it
sounds straightforward, that is because it is; in fact,
the method consists of (a) an introductory paragraph
(b) three evidentiary body paragraphs (c) a conclusion.
Sample Topic:
Public libraries should be shut down.
Proponents (For)
*As online learning becomes more common and more

and more resources are converted to digital form.
* It’s a simple solution, encourages people to become
tech-savvy.
*It will save local cities and towns money because
libraries are expensive to maintain.
*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.
*One could access more materials because libraries
won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can
simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.
* The library building can be used for other
institutions- banks, schools, colleges –wider reach
Opponents (Against)
*It would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with

tablets. A study done on tablet vs book reading found
that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20%
less information, and understand 10% less of what they
read compared to people who read the same
information in print.
*Staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause
numerous health problems, including blurred vision,
dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much
higher instances than reading print does.
*Higher incidence of more serious health issues such
as shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome,
and muscle strain.
*Libraries provide quiet study space and keeping the
community connected.
*

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Argumentative

What is an argumentative essay?

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires

Remember: The argumentative essay must be complete,

•A clear, concise, and defined thesis

If the student does not master this portion of the

•Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

•A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis but

A common method for writing an argumentative essay

Public libraries should be shut down.

*As online learning becomes more common and more

*It would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with

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