How To Write An Argumentative Essay: The Complete Tutorial

Argumentative essays can be a lot of fun because they allow students to take a side on topic or issue and present a case trying to convince others to agree with their side. The skills needed are all the same ones required in other types of assignments (good structure, logical presentation ideas, and clear and concise writing). However, students who aren’t familiar with this kind of assignment can still struggle, so we’ve put together this tutorial to help you learn all of the fundamentals:

Brainstorming Ideas

If you aren’t assigned a list of topics to choose from then you have the freedom to write on any topic are passionate about and find interesting. Consider hot topics that have recently learned about on the news. Read some news stories online and think about where you stand on each subject.

Developing Your Thesis

This next part requires you to ask several questions and briefly answering them to narrow your focus to just one topic. Is your subject pets? Then what is it about pets you would like to argue for or against? Do you believe they are great to have around for therapy? Asking yourself these questions should give you several specific ideas.

Gathering Evidence

In order to present a great argumentative essay you are going to have to provide great evidence in support of your thesis. It’s a good idea to gather some evidence against your own argument so that you can provide rebuttal statements in your text.

Developing an Outline

The easiest way to structure your argumentative essay is to follow the 5-paragraph format. But this all depends on what your specific assignment requirements tell you to do. Your outline should help keep your arguments and evidence on track, so be sure to use this throughout the writing process.

Writing Your First Draft

When you write your first draft you should do so as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Don’t stop to make corrections to small errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation. You'll have time to address mistakes in the later stages. Be sure to get all of your ideas down so you aren’t missing anything you absolutely need to discuss.

Revising Your Essay

This next stage is very important but is rarely addressed thoroughly. To revise your argumentative paper you must look at your first draft in its entirety and cut out parts that are superfluous or don’t make your paper strong. Look for opportunities to improve on your work by rearranging content, and don’t forget to add content if you are sure it will help.

Editing and Proofreading

The final stage of writing a great argumentative essay involves thoroughly editing and proofreading. Remember all this mistakes we recommended you leave till a later stage? Well now is the time to make corrections.

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