Whether it’s writing for university admissions or an exam, essay writing is a tricky business. It requires good command over the topic and the right knowledge of the pattern. If you have been given a task to write one and it seems hard, then read till the end to become a pro. How to write an argumentative essay? It is a question many students ask to write an argumentative essay.
In this article, we will take you through the process of writing an argumentative essay step by step, so that you can write it perfectly every time. For the sake of explanation, we will take Online Steam as an example.
What is an Argumentative Essay?
An argumentative essay as the word suggests is based on an argument. A person writing such an essay will express an opinion and will try to convince the reader to agree to it. This type of essay will require:
Researching the topic
- Collecting data and accumulating evidence
- Convey various established views by various people
- Add his/her point of view and convince the reader
For background research, the student must review previous research papers, experiments, interviews, and any other material available to establish a good understanding of the topic. For example, if you are writing an argumentative essay on the topic of “Online Steam”, then you must consider including the following research into argumentative essay:
- The goals of the platform
- The variety and type of activities available
- If it can be used to generate money or not
- Credibility of the arguments regarding the platform in essay
The research step is crucial as, without it, it would be hard for the student to justify his position. Research is also a great way to gain familiarity with different points of view of different people to judge why a certain opinion is more favored than others. Arguments are the core of a good argumentative essay.
Types of Arguments
- The factual argument that argues facts or whether something is so or not so.
- The Rogerian Argument in which the goal is to gain mutual understanding and learning.
- The evaluation argument provides judgement based on the performance of a particular item.
Planning the Argumentative Essay
Once you are done researching the topic, you should plan how you will display your ideas, and then you should begin with the actual writing.
For planning you can use:
- A flow chart
- A spider diagram
- A positive and negative table
It is important for students to plan before writing an argumentative essay. It will not only save time but also they will get the answer “How to write an argumentative essay. Similarly planning provides a clear picture of the essay. If you still believe that you cannot write an argumentative essay, you can ask someone to write my essay for me.
Writing the body paragraphs first
After completing the research phase you can start writing the body paragraphs. You can write the introduction later and the conclusion at the end. It’s completely fine to reorganize your work at the end. This will make it easy for you to write as thoughts come to your mind. Do not forget to link your body prographgs with the the main argument of the essay. An argumentative essay is nothing without arguments.
Structure of the Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay has the following major sections:
- Introduction
- Evidence in favor of the topic (followed by body paragraphs)
- Evidence against the topic (followed by body paragraphs)
- Conclusion
You can write two paragraphs in favor of your opinion and one against it. These are your body paragraphs. You will have 5 paragraphs in the essay in total. You can have 6 paragraphs in the essay as well if you desire. From the planning exercise pick two ideas that support your motive. A good argumentative essay consists of at least five paragraphs.
You should add an additional point linking the two strong points you selected in your favor. The two strong points will make the two body paragraphs that support your idea. Now add an additional point that links the two strong points along with an example. Write more on the point you have the most knowledge of. Give counter arguments from the negative points you had written during brainstorming. Moreover, plagiarism is a crime and do not try to plagiarize others work. Read this blog to avoid plagiarism.
Adding References
You must keep a track of your references and add a bibliography at the end. It adds reliability to your work and will make your claim stronger. While you are doing your research go through authentic websites, journals, and books to ensure the statements you add are actually right.
Adding references and citations also helps in protection against plagiarism. Always add proof that backs up your point and don’t make a claim that you cannot justify. References and citations are an important part of every argumentative essay.
Useful tips to write a good Argumentative Essay!
With the basic foundation of the essay understood, we will now share useful tips with you to further help you write impressively.
- Select a topic that will keep the reader hooked
- Choose a topic you like and the one that you have good knowledge of
- Do in-depth research as much as possible
- Avoid getting too emotional
- Cite trusted sources
- Provide evidence keeping in mind both positive and negative sides of the topic
- Follow a plan and write in a way that it’s easy for the reader to catch up
- Narrow down the argument to make it specific and not too vague
An argumentative essay allows the writer to use his/her knowledge to convince the reader in an educated manner. The flow and the style of writing are designed in such a way that the reader may change his previous views based on strong facts and the convincing power of the writer.
It offers great opportunities for well-structured and fruitful arguments which are meant to spread knowledge. The aim of the writer is to win the argument without sounding mean or rude to the reader. You can also read An ultimate way to buy an essay writing service.
Conclusion
In this article, we explained the definition, importance, and structure of an argumentative essay with useful tips to help you get comfortable with the idea. Importantly, we explained “How to write an argumentative essay”?
Make sure you understand the topic first, don’t rush, and brainstorm before you start writing. If you start writing without a plan then you will end up wasting precious time. Another important thing to notice is to write the body paragraphs first and to add genuine references.
We encourage that you practice, research well and consider your teacher’s advice before you start to write. There are tons of material and samples online to help you but most importantly it’s the knowledge and convincing power that matters, so give it your best and with time, you will make even the most stubborn crowd your fan!!