How to write a controversial essay

This is going to ensure that the results you get are going to be ideal for your needs.

Some people try to do a controversial essay by simply giving details on the way that opposing sides think and this is not the main purpose.

The need to get other people to read and critique your essay before you turn it in is something that we consider extremely important.

There is no question that controversy has always been a part of our lives.

Your contribution needs to come from facts

You need to be able to bring facts into the essay and create valid points that support those facts in a way that convinces the reader to consider adopting your way of thinking too.

You should be able to form a new opinion or at least bring something strong to the table in terms of why you consider one way of thinking to have more validity than the other.

The good thing is that the internet can easily provide a good portion of that research and in some cases all of it, so those trips to the library are becoming less and less frequent as time goes.

Never forget that there is a very high level of mental fatigue that always takes place when you are writing a document and this can make it hard for you to see flaws and issues that might be easy for other people to spot because their minds are not saturated with the essay they are reading.

By doing this, you waste precious word count on not-so-important aspects of the paper which could have been used to justify your arguments/claims with supporting evidence and examples.

An argumentative essay involves investigating a topic, doing comprehensive research, collating evidence and presenting your argument. The first step is writing the introduction.

• Historical
• Cultural
• Economic
• Political
• Social
• Physical or Geographical
• Philosophical

Instructors read several essays in a day. Don’t make it difficult for them by writing a tepid and uninteresting introduction that just makes them yawn.

3. Weak thesis statement

However, if your essay is 1,000 words, don’t spend more than four or five paragraphs on the introduction.

Remember - a thesis statement is meant to be succinct so don’t go beyond two sentences.

Writing the thesis statement can be time-consuming so a good hack to not waste time would be to start with a working thesis statement and write the rest of the essay. You can then come back to the statement and refine it for submission.

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.

The world without problems and difficulties would be probably too boring for us. Keep in mind that the solution suggested by you cannot be perceived as the final one. People change and society changes together with them. That means that the attitude of those people will be pretty different under other circumstances. Thus, be open and know that every solution is only a provisional one.

The structure of the essay dedicated to a controversial issue proves to be similar to that of other essays. You need to introduce the topic, formulate a thesis, bring arguments in its favor, and show another point of view (i.e. your opponent). However, one thing deserves more attention from you: the diversity of standpoints is essential. You need to quote a lot from the representatives of these other points of view in order to show respect for them, and also to be honest as to the development of the debate.

While writing a controversial issue essay, a gifted young writer should follow several principles which would allow for an objective interpretation of the issue. Since controversial issues provoke a lot of emotions, thus forcing their disputants to vehemently defend their own point of view, you need to be not only familiar with the issue well, but also be able to separate emotional arguments from logical ones. Regrettably, today a lot of internet bloggers prefer to put stress exclusively on their own standpoint, without trying to listen to their opponents. Such a tendency goes very far from the standards of writing an essay focused on a vital problem since vital problems are solved through rational means, and not emotionally.

Formulate your thesis in a concise and clear way. Avoid any terms you are not familiar with. Your controversial essay thesis should affirm your point of view and not repudiate your opponent’s view. In this sense, the thesis should be positively exposed. The arguments in its favor must be derived from proved facts, and not from emotions or feelings. You must demonstrate that your solution to the problem is the most adequate one.

3. There is no final solution

You should follow the ethical norms as every other journalist does it. Adhere only to facts, and not to opinions. If needed, refer to opinions, but define them as such. Be critical not only to your opponent’s mistakes and flaws, but also to your own. When you know that an argument is not strong or convincing, you should confess it to your reader. Thus, the latter will have an opportunity to assess the quality of the arguments presented in the paper.

Facts are what guide us through the darkness of our endless universe. Opinions and unreasonable beliefs do not work in practice. Therefore, always give credit to the facts. It is pretty clear that when one defends a position vehemently, he/she is able to dismiss important facts. This is widespread in media, for example, particularly when they are dependent on given economic or political powers.

Now you know a little bit more about how to write a controversial issue essay. Try to observe the principles exhibited above and this will make your essay more convincing and objective at once.

1. Should we have nutrition classes in schools?
2. Can a vegan diet help the environment?
3. Is it healthier to be vegetarian?
4. Is an all-meat diet healthy?
5. Is dieting ever effective?
6. Does fasting help or harm the body?
7. Are gluten-free diets overhyped?
8. Should we ban trans fat?
9. Is sugar addictive?
10. Are artificial sweeteners unhealthy?

Controversial topics have two features that almost instantly grab people’s attention. On one side, they are both simple and familiar, and so are understandable without any effort. On the other side, they touch on sensitive matters that society as a whole has not yet come to terms with. This makes them tickle our inherent desire for closure. We want to make up our minds once and for all!

1. Is psychology a real science?
2. Is depression a real disease?
3. Are antidepressants effective?
4. Is ADHD a real mental disorder?
5. Is drug abuse a mental health issue?
6. Is mental illness equivalent to physical illness?
7. Should psychologists be allowed to prescribe drugs?
8. Is prejudice against different people inherent?
9. Is it ethical to “treat” homosexuality?
10. Are social media sites addictive?
11. Is social media connecting us or making us more isolated?
12. Is pornography harmful to the psyche?
13. Do video games cause violence?
14. Is intelligence inherited?

Is justice being served? Few things get under people’s skin as much as perceived injustices. We are more or less programmed to seek fairness both for ourselves and for others. That’s why, similar to political topics, criminal justice issues are naturally engaging.

Controversial Topics in Psychology

1. Is evolution up for debate?
2. Did life emerge out of inorganic matter?
3. Is there a viable alternative to the theory of evolution?
4. How significant are the physiological differences between men and women?
5. Is behavior determined by our genes or by our upbringing?
6. Are there more than two genders?

1. Should we lower the voting age to 16?
2. Should we lower the drinking age to 18?
3. At what age should teens be allowed to date?
4. At what age is it appropriate for teens to have sex?
5. Should sex education be mandatory in school?
6. Should teenage pregnancies be terminated?
7. Should teens have access to birth control?
8. Is cyberbullying as bad as real-life bullying?
9. Is peer pressure good or bad?
10. Does social media cause an increase in teenage suicide?
11. Are beauty pageants harmful to teenagers’ self-esteem?
12. Should teens be allowed to keep secrets from parents?
13. Should energy drinks be banned for teenagers?
14. Should mobile devices be banned at school?
15. Is the school grading system effective?
16. Should school uniforms be mandatory?
17. Should teens be allowed to get tattoos?
18. Should vaping be prohibited for teens?

Do you think Banksy will go down in history as one of the great artists, or do you see his works as cheap stunts? Either way, you’ll probably agree that art has changed almost beyond recognition since the time of Rembrandt. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is just one topic worth exploring.

If nurses are essential workers, why do they get paid so little? To get to the bottom of this, we need to go beyond the nursing profession and take a hard look at society as a whole. Besides, just like doctors, nurses face ethical dilemmas in their work every day, which creates a lot of room for debate.

• Pick a Topic: You will never be at a loss for argumentative essay writing ideas. They are all around you – just turn on TV and watch one show on MSNBC and one on FOX cable. These pundits scream and yell about issues all the time – politics, climate change, evolution, gay rights, abortion, religion, etc. Choose one that interests you or “hits close to home.”
• Craft a Thesis Statement: You already have an opinion and that is your thesis statement – couldn’t be much simpler. But you may not know exactly why you have that opinion or how you can convince somebody else to agree with you. That’s for the next step.
• Do the Research: You won’t have any problem finding information on your topic. The challenge will be to use reliable sources that actually give factual information you can use. It is fine to read an editorial in a newspaper that has been written by someone who believes as you do, but then you will need to find one written by someone who disagrees, so that you can know that facts that the other side is presenting too.
• Make a List: Actually, make two lists, one for the evidence that supports your opinion and one for the evidence that supports the opposing opinion. Try to line them up.
• Choose 3 Strong Arguments: Pick the 3 strongest arguments that support your opinion and make sure you have the facts to back them up. Then, look at your opponent’s list and find those arguments that relate to yours. Look at the evidence for those arguments and see how your evidence can outweigh it.
• Structuring the Essay: It is usually acceptable to use a full paragraph on each of your 3 points, and then to provide one paragraph with the opposing side’s points. This gives your argument more weight, of course, but, in that paragraph, you can refer back to points you made in your argument to refute these.
• Your Introduction: This should be easy. You introduce your topic and make your thesis statement. We’ll talk about it in the “tips” so you can make it brilliant.
• Your Conclusion: Re-state your points and the belief that you have definitely “won” this argument.

In the early days of television, there was a show called “Dragnet.” It was a cop show featuring two detectives in the 50’s out to solve crime and keep the community safe. Today, it would be a bit laughable, but one phrase always sticks in my mind about this show. Whenever Detective Jack Webb was interviewing witnesses and they began to insert their opinions and emotions, he would always say, “The facts, ma’am, just the facts.” And this really could be the mantra for an argumentative essay – you have to deal only with facts.

These should make writing you essay a bit easier and also a bit “crafty like a fox.”

1. It is a piece of writing where you get to give your opinion on an issue
2. It is not a piece of writing where you get to go into an emotional tirade. We have plenty of that from crazy politicians.
3. It is a piece of writing where you get to present facts that support your opinion
4. It is not a piece of writing where you just spout your opinions and expect others to simply accept them
5. It is a piece of writing where you do have to give the opposing side’s arguments too
6. It is not a piece of writing where you can just dismiss the opposing side with personal insults and attacks – again, we get plenty of that from politicians.

The Step-by-Step Process

Suppose you are opposed to the continued cuts that are being made to the Food Stamp program – a program that is less than 1/10 of 1% of the total federal budget (that’s a pretty surprising statement in itself). You may want to start with a short anecdote about a family of 4, in which both parents are working minimum-wage jobs and yet don’t make enough to meet all of their expenses. They rely on food stamps to supplement their budget so they can feed their kids. Here’s another fact: 86% of the people on food stamps today are disabled veterans and civilians, unemployed veterans, enlisted servicemen with families to feed, and senior citizens. Another 12% are single working moms or working parents who don’t make enough. Any of these beginnings would be great to use.

By now, you should have figured out that an argumentative essay is easily defined. You take a stand on a controversial issue, you get the research done so that you have real facts in front of you, on both sides, and you write an essay that proves your opinion is the stronger one. If you don’t do this right, you are going to defeat your arguments, and other side “wins.” You don’t want to lose, do you?

1. Only choose a topic you are passionate about – you’ll have more fun finding the facts and smashing the other side.
2. No emotions on your part. Now, this does not mean that you can’t stir some emotions in your readers, but you have to do it subtly, by presenting facts that will make them respond emotionally. So, be sure you have some facts that will do that.
3. Don’t slam the other side with dis-respectful terms such as “stupid,” “uninformed,” “evil,” or “crazy.” You may be able to show this with your evidence, but don’t call it out. Let the reader come to those conclusions.
4. Try presenting the opposing side first. This will be really different and may impress you instructor – those “brownie points” never hurt.
5. Don’t ever make up evidence – it’s too easy to check these days. If you can’t find strong enough evidence for one of your points, choose another point to use.
6. Get a stunner of an opening. You are going for shock value here, or to get a strong emotional response. Here’s an example:

Yes, you are waiting for your 10 killer tips, and they are coming. But first, let’s just take a quick look at the process for crafting an argumentative essay.