Argumentative essays intimidate lots of students because of the structure an instructor expects. Instructors will expect well-written, tightly-argued essays, but that doesn't mean the paper needs to be twenty pages long or should refer to a dozen or more sources. What it does mean, however, is that a student takes a stand on an issue, presents his side of the argument while refuting his opposition, and also integrates outside sources that help support his point of view.
That might seem like a lot to do in one paper. It is, but it's really not much more than students accomplish in other essays. However, by breaking down the steps in putting together an argumentative essay, the paper will likely seem a little easier to write. Here are the various steps to follow to put together a decent argumentative essay.
The Introduction – Grab and Keep the Reader
While the writer might not ever be able to completely sway her reader, she needs to at least get the reader's attention right from the start. With an argumentative essay, one of the best ways to do that is to introduce a surprising statistic or summarize an interesting story dealing with the topic at hand. For example, if a student is writing about why people should not shop at Walmart, she might begin her paper with this sentence:
- Did you know that Walmart is the world's largest company (Dube, Lester, and Eidlin)? Would it surprise you to know that the company is also one of the biggest employers in the world? How does that knowledge impact consumers? How would you feel if I told you that you should stop shopping at Walmart?
Not only does this introduction get the reader's attention, it also leads into the writer's claim.
Find Reasons to Support the Claim
Once the writer has laid out his claim for the reader, he needs to support his claim. Through his planning and research, he has likely found several reasons to support his ideas. For a strong argumentative essay, he will want to give at least three. Using the example topic above, three such reasons might be these:
- Walmart stores drive out locally owned businesses, thus disrupting local economies.
- Walmart stores put Americans out of jobs, because the company buys many of its products from overseas.
- Walmart pays its workers low wages.
Now that the writer has chosen three reasons to support his claim, he will need to find sources to back his claim; in other words, he needs to conduct some research. Each one of these reasons can be one or more paragraphs long. Not only does the writer want to give his reasons, he then needs to introduce sources to back his reasons, and he needs to explain what he means in detail.
Address the Opposition
In her research, the writer is likely to find plenty of arguments contrary to her own. She needs to spend some time examining these ideas and choose one to refute within her paper. If she does not, she is not writing an argumentative paper; furthermore, many readers will dismiss her ideas.
So, again looking at the above topic, one argument against the writer's position that readers should not shop at Walmart is that Walmart typically offers lower prices than its competitors. Because Walmart offers lower prices, many consumers feel that they should shop there. So how can the writer refute this point of view? Not only should she argue against this idea, but she should try to find a way to turn it around. If she can do that, she is presenting a strong argument. She might choose to do it this way:
- Many people refuse to shop elsewhere because Walmart offers lower prices than many of its competitors. Shoppers say they can't afford to shop elsewhere. But what if I told you that Walmart's products are of inferior quality?
Of course, she again needs to present evidence from sources to back up what she's said, but by arguing against the opposition - and actually turning the argument around – she has strengthened her argument.
The Conclusion Offers the Writer a Chance to Reaffirm His Claim
The conclusion is the point where the writer must pull all of his ideas back together and reaffirm his position. Like his introduction, the writer might choose to ask provoking questions or cite one last statistic. Whatever the case, he needs to end on a strong note. He might end it this way:
- When our forefathers founded this great country, they envisioned a land of freedom and prosperity, where a man could pursue whatever he wanted and find a way to survive. I, for one, don't think the idea of a huge chain like Walmart fits into the vision of our forefathers. Walmart has driven out all the "mom and pop" stores around it and has decimated the American way of life. How many Walmart products have you purchased in the last five years that were actually made in America? How do you think that affects our great nation?
He reminds his readers of his claim as well as some of his reasons as he closes his paper.
Writing an Argumentative Essay Step by Step
In a nutshell, here are the basic components to an argumentative essay:
- Introduction that establishes the writer's claim.
- At least three paragraphs citing three reasons to back the writer's claim. Each paragraph should include an in-depth explanation as well as "proof" or evidence of what the writer says.
- At least one paragraph anywhere in the essay where the writer introduces an idea from the opposition and finds a way to "disprove" it.
- A conclusion that reaffirms the writer's claim and reasons for it.
An argumentative essay really isn't more difficult than other essays. It may require more research and planning, but when a writer looks at the basic elements and strategizes her paper, she'll realize that it's not so difficult after all.
Cynthia Jones-Shoeman - Cynthia (“Cindy”) Jones-Shoeman earned her MA in English from Colorado State University in 2007; her thesis was "Toni ...
