You are on page 1of 8

How to write an argumentative essay: The step-by-step analysis

Some essay topics can be dealt with in terms of a “pros and cons” composition . Others,
however, will require a step-by-step analysis of an idea. The development of this text has
to be coherent, logically structured. The arguments have to be factually grounded without
any fantastic inventions or obviously untrue statements. For each new set of ideas there
has to be a separate paragraph. Needless to say, some phrases and hints you are given for
your “pros and cons compositions” can also be used in essays of this type.
When you are asked to write an essay you will normally be given some guiding
questions, each of which has to be touched at least briefly in your text. It may be
appropriate to think of each of these questions in terms of one paragraph. However, it is
your task to do more than just answer questions in isolation. You will have to link the
paragraphs and to add relevant ideas that are not covered by the guiding questions.
Your first step will be collecting your ideas in a mind map. Start writing after
that.

The introduction:
The introduction shows the reader what the essay will be about. Here are some ideas as
to how you can do this:
- You can tell the reader what you are going to do in a direct way:
In this composition/essay I would like to discuss.../I shall concern myself with....
After this introductory statement your can go on by stating the key ideas your are
going to deal with very briefly, or you might also comment on the general
relevance of the subject in your life or in society in general.
- Another, more original way of starting and essay is a mini dialogue. Start with
direct
speech presenting a situation that leads up to the question you are treating in your
essay.
I overheard this conversation between two students on the train home from school
the other day. And when I ask myself now..........my answer is...... Let me explain
why I think so.
- You may want to refer to a recent event/ a personal experience (it is perfectly
okay to invent one) a topical newspaper article, statistics, some historical
background.

Ideally it might be possible to establish some kind of frame and compose an ending
that refers back to a dialogue / the experience at the beginning. If you can do this, it
produces a strong sense of unity.

The conclusion:
- If the essay deals with a controversial issue the ending might be the result of your
discussion: a declaration of your opinion.
All things considered, I believe that it is correct to say that...
Considering the advantages and the disadvantages, we may arrive at the
conclusion that....
- One way of finishing an essay is to sum up the main points of your text briefly.
A mere summary is, however, less appropriate if you have also introduced
the
essay in this way.
- Sometimes an outlook into the future is a good idea for an ending:
Looking ahead into the future we may expect that....
In conclusion, let me express my sincere hope that.....
Perhaps the future will show that...

A tip:
If you have difficulties finding a logical link between paragraphs because they don’t hang
together closely, the following phrases might help:
As far as...... is concerned,.......
Anyway,......
Let us now turn to...

A Brief Guide to Writing Argumentative Essays

Features

1. So, what do you write about? Pick a well-defined, controversial issue.


2. A clear position taken by the writer. In your thesis sentence, state what your position
is. You do not need to say: "I believe that we should financially support the space
station." Using the first person weakens your argument. Say "Funding for the space
station is imperative to maintain America's competitive edge in the global economy." The
thesis can be modified elsewhere in the essay if you need to qualify your position, but
avoid hedging in your thesis.
3. A convincing argument. An argumentative essay does not merely assert an opinion; it
presents an argument, and that argument must be backed up by data that persuades
readers that the opinion is valid. This data consists of facts, statistics, the testimony of
others through personal interviews and questionnaires or through articles and books, and
examples. The writer of an argumentative essay should seek to use educated sources
that are nonbiased, and to use them fairly.
4. A reasonable tone. Assume that your reader will disagree with you or be skeptical. It
is important, therefore, that your tone be reasonable, professional, and trustworthy.
By anticipating objections and making concessions, you inspire confidence and show
your good will.

Steps of a Research Paper

1. Decide on a topic. Make sure it is one you are interested in and that it is not too
broad or too narrow to analyze adequately.
2. Begin your library and/or web research.
3. Write the outline, rough draft, and the final paper. Then rewrite it to make it sound as
professional as possible.
To analyze something, divide it into parts. Since you are writing about a problem, the
body of your paper might look something like this:

Paragraph 1: General introduction of the problem. Thesis statement


which states your opinion.

Paragraph 2-3: History of the problem (including, perhaps, past


attempts at a solution). Sources needed

Paragraph 4-6: Extent of the problem (who is affected; how bad is it,
etc.). Sources needed

Paragraphs 7-8: Repercussion of the problem if not solved. Sources


needed.

Paragraphs 9-10: You should have led up to a conclusion that your


argument is sound. Pull it all together by connecting your argument
with the facts. Anticipate objections and make concessions.

Paragraph 11: Conclusion: Restatement of thesis and summary of


main ideas.

5. Once your paper has been written, check every quotation in it for accuracy. Your
instructor may require that every quotation should be photocopied and included with
what you turn in. All quoted matter should be clearly marked on the photocopy.

WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?

A paragraph is a collection of related sentences dealing with a single topic. To be as


effective as possible, a paragraph should contain each of the following: Unity,
Coherence, A Topic Sentence, and Adequate Development

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPHS

The most important paragraphs in an essay introduce your topic to your reader. Your
introduction may be one paragraph in a fairly short essay or several paragraphs in a
longer essay.

A proper introduction should:


Some approaches to writing an introduction:

NOTE: Regardless if one uses a single paragraph or three paragraphs, the introduction
should be proportionately no more than one-fifth of the overall essay.

Introductions

Thesis Statement Opening- This is the traditional style of opening a paper. This is a
"mini-summary" of your paper.
Opening with a Story (Anecdote)- A good way of catching your reader's attention is by
sharing a story that sets up your paper. Sharing a story gives a paper a more personal feel
and helps make your reader comfortable.
Specific Detail Opening- Giving specific details about your subject appeals to your
reader's curiosity and helps establish a visual picture of what your paper is about.
Open with a Quotation- Another method of writing an introduction is to open with a
quotation. This method makes your introduction more interactive and more appealing to
your reader.
Open with an Interesting Statistic- Statistics that grab the reader help to make an
effective introduction.
Question Openings- Possibly the easiest opening is one that presents one or more
questions to be answered in the paper. This is effective because questions are usually
what the reader has in mind when he or she sees your topic.
Beginning with a question- When you begin your essay with a question, you ask your
reader to consider with you the problem that inspired you to write. What question are you
trying to answer in your essay? Why is this question important to you and to your
readers?
Beginning by Stating a Position- When you are writing an argumentative essay, you
may decide to begin by stating your position in the first paragraph. When you state your
position, however, you need to be sure to help your reader understand the context for
your argument. Your thinking about this topic did not spring from nowhere: why is this
topic important to you? Why should it interest your readers?
Beginning by Offering Background- If your readers may be unfamiliar with the topic
about which you are writing, your introductory paragraph may serve to give them
necessary background. Sometimes that background can summarize the results of other
people's writing about the topic. Sometimes background information can place your topic
in a larger context.

Beginning by Defining- Whenever you present an essay to readers, you want to be sure
that you and your readers are defining terms in the same way. Starting out by defining
key terms may be useful when those terms are confusing or able to be misread.
Beginning by Illustrating- An illustration, example, or anecdote can be an effective way
of generating your readers' interest in your essay. Vivid details, suspenseful narrative, or
interesting descriptions can make your reader want to continue reading. Illustrations,
however, should relate to the focus of your essay.

BODY PARAGRAPHS

A typical body paragraph should concern itself with a single focus.


The number of body paragraphs to which a writer should dedicate her essay development
is often debated; three body paragraphs are the least development expected of you
because your thesis should bear enough complexity to warrant at least three points of
further discussion.

THE TOPIC SENTENCE

A topic sentence is a sentence that indicates in a general way what idea or thesis the
paragraph is going to deal with. Although not all paragraphs have clear-cut topic
sentences, and despite the fact that topic sentences can occur anywhere in the paragraph
(as the first sentence, the last sentence, or somewhere in the middle), an easy way to
make sure your reader understands the topic of the paragraph is to put your topic sentence
near the beginning of the paragraph.

Typically, body paragraphs organize themselves around the following pattern of


development.

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPHS

• Your concluding paragraph should give your readers a sense of closure or


completion. Very often, your concluding paragraph will develop naturally as you
finish writing your body paragraphs.

You should avoid doing the following in concluding paragraphs. While there are those
that believe the first two, especially, are necessary in argumentation papers, these
techniques can take a fairly good paper and turn it into BAD writing. Be sure that your
concluding paragraph exemplifies the same kind of careful consideration during
development that your body paragraphs do.

• AVOID restating the thesis statement from the introductory paragraph in


exactly the same words
• AVOID listing the main points of each of the body paragraph
• AVOID introducing an entirely new topic.

Once you have written your concluding paragraph, reread your thesis statement. Has your
paper strayed from the original thesis? Do you need to rewrite the thesis statement, the
concluding paragraph, or both? A common freshman writing error is letting the paper
develop naturally to its conclusion, even if it strays from the thesis, then submitting the
paper without making sure that the thesis statement and the conclusion express the same
opinion. Don't be afraid to change your thesis statement to reflect the main idea of the
paper that you have written, but do be sure that the rest of the paper supports that final
thesis statement.

Once you have written your concluding paragraph and you know what your paper is
really about, it's time to work on the introductory paragraph.

Conclusions

Summary Closing
Many times conclusions are simple re-statements of the thesis. Many times these
conclusions are much like their introductions .
Close with a Logical Conclusion
This is a good closing for argumentive or opinion papers that present two or more sides
of an issue. The conclusion drawn as a result of the research is presented here in the final
paragraphs.
Real or Rhetorical Question Closings
This method of concluding a paper is one step short of giving a logical conclusion. Rather
than handing the conclusion over, you can leave the reader with a question that causes
him or her to draw his own conclusions.
Close with a Speculation or Opinion
This is a good style for instances when the writer was unable to come up with an answer
or a clear decision about whatever it was he or she was researching.
Close with a Recommendation
A good conclusion is when the writer suggests that the reader do something in the way of
support for a cause or a plea for them to take action.

Coherence

Ensure your paragraph is coherent. Every sentence in your paragraph should connect
naturally with the surrounding sentences. Avoid lengthy or complicated paragraphs that
lose the readers’ attention even when only one idea is presented. Instead, use transitional
expressions to direct the reader along your train of thought and repeat key words to
connect each item to your main idea. For example, transitional expressions can help you
expand an idea further by using words such as: and, also, besides, and furthermore. For
more information on transitional expressions see the "Transitional Expressions" handout.
Some Useful Transitional
Expressions
If you want to: Use these transitional expressions:
also, and, and then, as well, besides, beyond that, first (second,
Add third, last, and so on), for one thing, furthermore, in addition, in
fact, moreover, next, what is more
also, as well, both (neither), in the same way, in like manner,
Compare
likewise, similarly
although, be that as it may, but, even though, however, in
Contrast contrast, instead, nevertheless, on the contrary, on the other
hand, still, yet, whereas
Concede (a point) certainly, granted that, of course, no doubt, to be sure
above all, especially, in fact, in particular, indeed, most important,
Emphasize
surely
as a case in point, as an illustration, for example, for instance, in
Illustrate
particular, one such, yet another
above, beside, below, beyond, further, here, inside, nearby, next
Place
to, on the far side, outside, to the East (North, South, and so on)
Qualify perhaps
Give a reason as, because, for, since
and so, because of this, as a consequence, as a result,
Show a result consequently, incidentally, for this reason, hence, so, therefore,
thus
all in all, finally, in any event, in brief, in conclusion, in other
Summarize
words, lastly, on the whole, to sum up
after a while, afterward, as last, at present, briefly, currently,
during, eventually, finally, first (second, and so on), gradually,
Place in time
immediately, in the future, later, meanwhile, now, recently, soon,
suddenly, then

PARAGRAPH UNITY

Every paragraph in an essay should have a topic sentence with a controlling idea. Each
sentence in the paragraph should relate to the topic and develop the controlling idea.

You might also like