Question

How to write an argumentative essay

Answer 1

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.

The structure of the argumentative essay is held together by the following.

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. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. 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).

However, argumentative essays should also consider and explain differing points of view regarding the topic. Depending on the length of the assignment, students should dedicate one or two paragraphs of an argumentative essay to discussing conflicting opinions on the topic. Rather than explaining how these differing opinions are wrong outright, students should note how opinions that do not align with their thesis might not be well informed or how they might be out of date.

Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).
The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate, detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement and consider other points of view. Some factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal evidence should support the thesis. However, students must consider multiple points of view when collecting evidence. As noted in the paragraph above, a successful and well-rounded argumentative essay will also discuss opinions not aligning with the thesis. It is unethical to exclude evidence that may not support the thesis. It is not the student’s job to point out how other positions are wrong outright, but rather to explain how other positions may not be well informed or up to date on the topic.

A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of 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.

Answer 2

The argumentative essay has as its main features the presentation of reasoning, the defense of a point of view or the questioning of a certain reality. The author uses arguments, facts, data, which will help to justify the ideas he will develop. The three basic characteristics of a dissertation essay are:

• Point of view presentation

• Discussion of the arguments

• Critical analysis of the text

To elaborate an argumentative essay it is necessary to follow a structure, see below each of its points that link with the beginning, middle and end of the text:

1. Introduction: In the introduction, you should present in a themed paragraph creating a thesis according to your point of view on the subject and what will be the arguments that support this thesis, as in the example: “The habit of taking photos of everything that happens in our lives has become increasingly constant (thesis). On the one hand, it is interesting that we can share everything we experience with others, and we can keep it as records to access our memories (argument 1). On the other hand, many end up detaching themselves from the moment of the facts due to the concern to show others what we should appreciate at the moment (argument 2) ”.

2) Body: In the body of the essay you must present the data and facts that support your thesis through the arguments presented. The ideal is to elaborate between one and two paragraphs, each reserved for one of the arguments presented. So here you will delve deeper into the arguments using the proposal texts as a basis.

3) Conclusion: In the conclusion you should take up the thesis presented succinctly, usually by using conjunctions as therefore, however. At this point, you should draw up an end to your text, so you need to create a proposal for intervention on the topic.

Also, here are other rules you should follow when writing your essay:

• write your essay-argumentative text impersonally, that is, in 3rd person, because despite being a text that demonstrates point of view, the 'I' must be distanced to give more credibility to the text, being forbidden the use of expressions such as “In my opinion”, “I think”, “for me”;
• Be clear and objective, it is not necessary to create a lyrical text with difficult words, as this will hinder trying to convince your reader of your point of view;
• be aware of grammar and spelling rules so as not to miss and lose points in writing;
• Always make a draft so that you can read and proofread your text so that it does not scratch the official sheet.