Argumentative Essay Examples
When you hear the word ‘argument,’ it is usually an image of a nasty quarrel that comes to mind first. However, an argument in essay writing is a much wider concept that means opinions and facts exchange between two or more people. It is a debate, a process of challenging each other’s beliefs where one party manages to convince another party. It is not an easy task, for sure. But when you manage to persuade someone on some important topic, it is great to know that it is due to your efforts that a bit of misinformation or false beliefs were destroyed. Hence the presence of this kind of academic writing in any respectable curriculum – you need to learn how to plan and write an argumentative essay on topics of your major, and we are here to help you in that.
What is Argumentative Essay
If you need a specific argumentative essay definition, we have practically put it together. As follows from the things above, an argumentation essay is an essay that contains a set of arguments that support a specific view or point that you selected. And this essay does not just list them – it persuades, impresses and crushes all possible counterarguments. This is a feature your instructor wants to see: your passionate belief in what you say and diverse written steps aiming to make others share this belief as well.
We can already point out what such an essay should have: a standpoint. Then you should have arguments at your hand that you will write down in the desired order. Is that all, then? Nope, for better and for worse.
To find a standpoint, you need to know for yourself what’s wrong and what’s right. Only then you can pick a side to defend. Otherwise, your potential opponents will level to the ground your line of reasoning right from the start. An argument is a game for two – you attack and defend, and they attack and defend in return. So you have to fortify your castle and feed the dragons before you set to challenge the Night King, so to say.
So where does one start building a true argument essay example, after all? One starts with research, of course.
To find a standpoint and pick enough arguments, you need to research the topic you plan to write on. Only when you have read the basics and got deeper into details can you decide on what side to take and what arguments and evidence to use.
Hence this is your path to building a good argumentative paper:
- get a topic (select or receive from your instructor);
- research it for the first time;
- decide what stance you take;
- research with more focus as you seek support for your specific idea;
- if little info is available, you may want to reconsider your standpoint, or else, you can try and push through with the help of emotions, not facts;
- organize your evidence so that you had it ready;
- hit into a writing block (it is a joke, hehe).
Lots of evidence is not an essay yet. To know how to write a well-organized paper and not to get lost along the way you need to read a couple of good ones first. Get your hands on some argumentative essay examples, follow how they organize argumentation, how they use rhetoric and emotions, how they crush the opponents’ beliefs and remind the audience of their own. You may find lots of useful clues and tricks to use in your own paper.
Where to get such samples? From us at cosmoessay, for sure. At the end of this guide, you will find hand-picked examples of different kinds that you can use for analysis, use as a pattern or as a roadmap to follow.
To facilitate your work, remember that each essay, not only this particular type, but a book review example or exploratory paper as well, contains three main sections, and an argumentative essay is no exception. They are an introduction, body of the paper (argument as such) and conclusion.
Now let us talk in details about every section.
Argumentative Essay – Introduction
Introduction (like conclusion) takes up a rather small part of the argumentative essay, but it is a necessary part. Introduction hosts a thesis – the idea and standpoint you plan to promote. It also catches the reader’s attention from the start. So there are two main points you should pay attention to. First, develop at least a rough thesis and write it down at the end of an introductory paragraph. Think of a hook – a fact or claim or saying that you will put at the beginning to catch readers. Write it down, too. The space in between will be filled by some background info – you will narrow down its scope from very general to your specific claim.
Just for example: People have always believed that some food is good for health and some is not. Today scholars have defined what food should be avoided at all costs and why. Fast food is the most dangerous for our health because it is rich in harmful fats and carbs, low in vitamins and can cause obesity and many other health troubles. That’s a whole intro of an argumentative essay in a nutshell.
Argumentative Essay – Body
The body is the paper itself. Here you place your arguments – limit them to 3 or maximum 4 if the paper is not that long. Each argument makes a paragraph. An argument, i.e. a claim, needs support by evidence, scholarly and relevant. And do not forget to include an argument of opponents and its refute – a key to a good argumentative essay.
So, the structure of a typical paper may look like this:
- paragraph 1: your claim, evidence, your own reasoning, and opinion;
- paragraph 2: your claim, evidence, your own reasoning, and opinion;
- paragraph 3: the claim on the part of your opponents, evidence, your response to it, your evidence that refutes the opponents’ claim.
Or else: you may include some counterarguments and rebuttals into each argumentative essay paragraph. It is up to you what structure to choose and how to organize your arguments and evidence.
Just remember: examples of argumentative essays should include some emotions and some pathos along the way. Ask obvious questions, appeal to universal values like mercy, compassion, human rights, need to protect the environment, and so on. Every topic allows such little tricks, and they sometimes work better than those whole lots of facts and figures.
Look carefully at the argumentative essay examples you have and hand and define: What are facts? What is the emotional part? What works better for you as a reader?
Argumentative Essay – Conclusion
The conclusion summarizes everything you said. No, you do not need to repeat all your argumentation and thinking. You mention your thesis again – but not word for word, you have to find another wording for it. Then you remind – just remind – of one or two strongest arguments. And recap with something like an interesting saying or a question that invites further discussion.
Examples of argumentative essays
Now when you know what this kind of paper is supposed to look like and what parts it should have, use the best argumentative essay examples that we offer. While reading, pay attention to how arguments are organized, what evidence is used, and what other tricks are employed to make your essay really strong.
Conclusion
Hope that we removed at least some of the fears students usually have when they hear of academic writing. You can make use of our sample argumentative essay, and also ask our experts of Cosmoessay.com to create a unique essay on your topic. Then you will follow it as a pattern and create your paper of high quality. Getting guidance and immediate help has never been so easy!