Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.
Add a citation whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
Argumentative essays are by far the most common type of essay to write at university.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago.
The body: Developing your argument
No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.
An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.
The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay. Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.
This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.
Take a first pass over the entire essay and try your best to ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes—you're just looking at the big picture right now. Does it make sense as a whole? Did the essay succeed in making an argument and backing that argument up logically? (Do you feel persuaded?)
The argument supporting the thesis of an argumentative essay should be one that can be supported by facts and evidence, rather than personal opinion or cultural or religious mores.
Do an open internet search just to see what the general chatter is on the topic and what the research trends are.
- "Should farmers be allowed to shoot wolves if those wolves injure or kill farm animals?"
- "Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?"
- "Are alternatives to democracy effective and/or feasible to implement?"
#6: Edit
An analytical essay seeks to delve into the deeper meaning of a text or work of art, or unpack a complicated idea. These kinds of essays closely interpret a source and look into its meaning by analyzing it at both a macro and micro level.
Here we have the acknowledgement of a potential counter-argument and the evidence as to why it isn't true.
But even when conflicting loyalties can lead to potentially physical, rather than just mental, consequences, people will always make a choice to fall on one side or other of a dividing line. Take, for instance, Nicolaus Copernicus, a man born and raised in Catholic Poland (and educated in Catholic Italy). Though the Catholic church dictated specific scientific teachings, Copernicus' loyalty to his own observations and scientific evidence won out over his loyalty to his country's government and belief system. When he published his heliocentric model of the solar system--in opposition to the geocentric model that had been widely accepted for hundreds of years (Hannam, 2011)-- Copernicus was making a choice between his loyalties. In an attempt to maintain his fealty both to the established system and to what he believed, he sat on his findings for a number of years (Fantoli, 1994). But, ultimately, Copernicus made the choice to side with his beliefs and observations above all and published his work for the world to see (even though, in doing so, he risked both his reputation and personal freedoms).
The standard argumentative essay is often 3-5 pages, which will usually mean a lot more than five paragraphs, but your overall structure will look the same as a much shorter essay.
Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.
Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.
A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.
How this essay could be improved:
- The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
- The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.
3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay
However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.
People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.
Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.
Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.
Introduction and conclusion paragraphs are not meant to be more than 10% of the essay. So, if you’re writing a five-page argumentative essay, you can devote half a page to the introduction.
In spite of this, if you are feeling stuck or are unable to begin your argumentative essay, you can reach out to us at Writers Per Hour. Our essay writing experts will help you put together an impactful introduction that will set a strong foundation for the argumentative essay.
Regardless of how confident you are, when you create a plan and establish the structure of the introduction, you’re likely to do a better job.
For example, if you’re writing an argumentative essay on whether smoking needs to be banned in public places - here’s where you need to introduce it first to set the foundation for everything that’s coming next.
3. Weak thesis statement
The argumentative essay’s thesis statement should be a crisp and clear explanation of the main argument of your essay.
Remember - a thesis statement is meant to be succinct so don’t go beyond two sentences.
There have been several instances when college students have written to us asking us to help them start their argumentative essay.
So you’ve introduced them to the topic and stated its importance. Now, before you proceed to take a stand and make your arguments, it’s important to establish context and give background information.
You can’t claim to know how to write counter argument if you don’t know what should go into every paragraph of your essay. Composing this essay entails more than just identifying and refuting the opposing position. You have to respond to the opposing view or position objectively and with supporting evidence.
When presenting your argument, be as objective as possible. Also, be fair and thorough when explaining why the opposing argument is weak, illogical, and incomplete. Prove that you have considered all options and sides. If you must use satire and sarcasm, master the rhetoric art carefully.
Once you’ve started counter argument essay with the above phrases, you can now use your counter argument words.
The inclusion of the opposing viewpoints in an academic paper indicates that you understand the existing positions. It shows that you considered the opposing opinions when writing your paper and you have what it takes to respond to any of them. That way, you strengthen your argument while making your paper more credible.
Use Counter Argument Transitions
You probably want to know how you can come up with an argument that opposes the stated position fast. Well, the first step is to know counter argument starters. These are the signs that a writer uses to start a rebuttal. They let the readers know that the writer is expressing a different or opposite view of the thesis. Without the proper use of counter argument sentence starters, the paper appears incoherent and contradictory.
The first and perhaps, the most important thing is to know how to introduce a counter argument. This should be easy. Start by expressing the opinion that you are refuting. State that it’s a view to subtly hint to your readers that it’s neither a truth nor a fact. Let the readers know that you are stating the views of another person.
In the academic world, you should know how to write a counter argument if you wish to express a point that goes against a previously stated point about a topic or question. Essentially, you should express your opposition fairly, thoroughly, and objectively. You should not compose quick sentences and then rebut your opponent immediately. Instead, you should provide reasons for holding an opposing view.
A widely used counter argument synonym is a rebuttal. However, it’s also called a protestation or disinclination. All these words hint at the counter argument meaning because they describe what it’s all about.
The purpose of making a claim is to define the essay’s goal, its scope, direction, and support your request and the basic argument.
An introduction of an argumentative essay includes a hook, background information, and thesis statement.
It is the last sentence of your introduction that is the focal point of your essay. It introduces the readers to the topic’s main argument. It states the writer’s position and stands in the essay.
If you have any trouble making an outline, never hesitate to take a professional’s help. At CollegeEssay.org, we provide expert opinions and guidance to solve all academic-related problems of the students by providing them with the work and quality they want.
Argumentative Essay Body Paragraphs
An argumentative essay is comprised of several equally important parts. These sections individually state the topic, arguments, evidence and supporting statements, etc.
Making a claim in the argumentative essay is not enough. Making people believe your stance is what the objective of the writer is. For this purpose, you need to support your argument with evidence and supporting facts.
Your whole argumentative essay depends on the outline you make for it. So the outline for your essay should be detailed, covering everything and direct to make your essay persuasive and readable.