How to Write an Argumentative Essay

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

So, you need to write an argumentative essay. Have you encountered this type of assignment before? If the answer is “yes” you probably know, that the process of writing is complicated and simple at the same time. We’re going to help you overcome the obstacles at ease and even have some fun, writing your argumentative essay.

Preparation is Everything

Staring at a blank page is frustrating. However, the work on a really good argumentative essay starts not with writing, but with thinking and planning. Thus, you may not worry about the number of words quite yet. Plus, if the planning is effective and thorough, you won’t have to be nervous about it at all.

So, the first thing you are to define is the topic of your essay. In case it’s not provided by your professor, pick something that genuinely interests you. This way you’re more likely to enjoy researching for your essay and actual writing.

Once the broad topic is defined, it is necessary to narrow it down to fit your reflections into an essay, not in the full-scale dissertation. Let’s say, you want to write an essay on immigration issues. What is the particular angle you’re going to look at the subject from? Is it going to be a legal foundation of immigration processes? The notion of a culture shock? The impact of immigrants onto the society? These are just examples. Have fun with it and pick whatever works for you.

Having decided on the specific topic, one has to take a stance on it. What is your personal opinion on the issue? Why is that so? Generally, your thesis statement may sound like this: “Immigration has a positive/negative impact on the society, because of the reasons a, b and c”. Of course, that’s just a rough draft. But with a bit of creativity, care and refinements it definitely can be turned into a profound thesis statement, fitting your particular essay.

The steps described above are to give you understanding of a major direction of your writing. Now that’s time to move to nitty-gritty.

Down to Business

Now, when you know exactly what you’re going to write about, it’s time to move to actual writing. An outline will make this process a bit easier. So, an introduction to your essay should consist of several basic elements. The first one is a hook. Its main purpose is to grab your reader’s attention and engage them into reading the whole essay. Depending on the topic and mood of your essay, it might be a shocking statistics, fascinating fact or even a joke. Afterwards, you may provide certain background information to avoid getting your reader confused. Then goes the thesis statement, that you’ve already crafted with a great level of care.

The main body may be composed of as many paragraphs as you need. Generally, 3 is a minimal acceptable number. Each of the paragraphs will have a standard structure. First goes the main supportive claim. It is followed by examples, that illustrate the argument. They may be taken from the literature and documents you’ve analyzed or from your own life experience. The final touch is transition to the next argument: this way you demonstrate the coherence of your thoughts and smooth flow of the writing.

Conclusion wraps up everything you’ve said before. Rephrase the thesis statement and prove once again, that all the research and analysis you’ve devoted to the essay proves your right. You may also encourage your reader to keep learning about the topic on their own. Don’t give out any new information, though: it will look like a blurt, which you probably don’t want.

Now you understand what bricks you need to build your outstanding essay. No more excuses left. You just need to start writing. Work on one thing at a time. That’s going to help you go through the whole thing much easier. Plus, you’ll be so proud of yourself!

Final Thoughts

The essay you work on has to demonstrate not only your writing skills, but also your academic integrity. Don’t hesitate to use the quotes from credible sources. Along with that, don’t forget about the heavy consequences of plagiarism. Make sure each work you refer to in your paper is properly cited.

When you have the first draft completed, leave it aside for a couple of hours, or, even better, days. Then move to revising and editing. Check for spelling errors, unnatural grammatical constructions and, importantly, factual inaccuracies. The next variant is definitely going to be better.

Last but not least: don’t lose your motivation. Praise yourself for the writing goals you achieve from time to time and don’t swerve from the schedule you’ve set. May the essay be your next amazing accomplishment!