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If you are reading this article, you are probably assigned the task of writing an argumentative essay. This type of essay has very specific requirements, and is nothing like the other papers you have written so far.
'The biggest gap of knowledge students have is that they do not acknowledge how different essays can be. An argumentative essay only shares the same format as the other essays, i.e. it has an introduction, essay body, and conclusion. As a matter of fact, the entire IDEA of the paper is different than those of other essay types.' – says Nolan Reed, content writer at SuperiorPapers.
Knowing this, how can you write an effective argumentative essay and get a high grade from your instructor? Here is a step-by-step guide that will help you achieve this:
Step 1: Understand the Idea
An argumentative essay should introduce a topic and evidence related to it, and support that evidence with strong arguments. However, the most important idea of this type of essay is to actually convince the reader of the discussed stance or idea.
Once you understand the purpose and goals of this essay, you can work on writing the paper based on these requirements:
Find and discuss relevant information and evidence to the topic
Summarize the discussed issue and present your own point of view
Demonstrate and argue why your idea is better than the opposing ideas
Step 2: Choose a Great Topic
Now that you understand what an argumentative essay should look like and what it should capture, it is time to select the best topic for your essay. Basically, there are two things to look into when choosing a topic:
Find an arguable topic for which there is plenty of information available for use
Choose a topic you find to be interesting to boost your productivity and motivation
Step 3: Pick the Right Methodology
What is the right methodology for writing an argumentative essay? To help you out, we have selected three tips that will get you on the right track:
Consider more than one points of view to argue your own idea
Write the essay in a way that it leads the reader toward their own conclusion. They should choose your idea or point of view by evaluating the data logically
Include information about all the relevant arguments and counterarguments to your specific point of view
Step 4: Keep the Audience in Mind
Before you even start the writing process, think about the audience. These are the questions you should ask yourself:
Who is your audience?
What style and language is appropriate for your target audience?
What does your audience already know? Is there something you should introduce before you discuss the topic? Do you need to provide a detailed background?
Step 5: Start Writing
As mentioned above, the structure of the argumentative essay is same as that of any other essay. Once you have the topic and methodology for your paper, and you already have a clear idea of what it should do for your audience, it is time to actually write the essay.
Here is the best way to do the writing part:
Create a catchy title
You already have an idea for the title, so it is time to present it in the most inviting way. The reader should have a desire to read the essay only by looking at these few words.
Choose a thesis statement
The thesis statement is the paper's idea. You should include this statement in your introduction.
Make the introduction enticing
Right after the title, you should continue with an engaging introduction. Introduce the reader to your topic and make sure they have the background information, but also entice them into reading the rest of the essay.
Write the body paragraphs
The minimum is three body paragraphs. If you cannot support the arguments, introduce the opposing arguments and convince the reader in three paragraphs, feel free to write more. But, make sure to consider the word count your professor set.
End with a conclusion
A conclusion should only consist of few sentences. The goal of a conclusion is to summarize your idea and findings, reassert your argument, and once again make sure that the reader believes your point of view is the right one.
Step 6: Make Sure the Paper is Perfect
Students often make the mistake of submitting a paper without making sure it is perfect. If your professor gets a paper full of mistakes and incomprehensible content, it will not really matter how hard you researched or how long it took you to find a great topic.
Therefore, make sure to polish the paper prior to submitting it. If it helps, ask others to proofread your text and point out to the things that need improvement or changing.
Step 7: Format the Essay
Finally, check your formatting. You should always use the format your instructor requested. If there is not such a requirement in your professor's guidelines, make sure that your paper looks professional.
Once you are done with these steps, you will have a brilliant paper to show. As you can see, it is not that hard. All you have to do is use our guide and your argumentative skills, and you will get a high grade in no time!
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