Argumentative Essay: Ultimate Writing Guide + Examples

Have you ever dreamt of crafting compelling points and convincing your audience in your argument essay? Then you need to brush up on your persuasive skills! With our in-depth guide, you will learn exactly how to write an argumentative essay and what critical components to include in your written assignment. On top of that, we will provide you with good argument essay examples to elevate your writing skills. So let’s dive deep into details!

An argumentative essay is a style of academic writing which involves a writer researching a particular topic and forming a specific opinion. It then requires arguing for opinion by providing evidence. Unlike other fact-loaded types of writing, an argument paper tries to convince readers to accept only one side of any problem. Strong argumentative writing is characterized by a clear and concise opinion on any topic, supported by logical and well-structured arguments based on extensive research. It is crucial to choose one of argumentative essay topics you are really interested in.

Before you begin writing an argumentative essay, you need to decide on a particular type you will be writing. There are four different types of argumentative essays, they include:

There are two main models that writers use to construct an argument essay, Toulmin and Rogerian. In Toulmin model, writers introduce their topic, form a thesis statement and then present arguments in favor of that thesis statement. While under Rogerian model, writers analyze a range of different points with differing conclusions. Next, they make a conclusion after determining which of them are the strongest.

The Toulmin approach is most widely used in academic writing. It follows these steps:  

While the Rogerian approach is not as frequently used in academic circles, it still is an effective way to produce an argument in an essay. The Rogerian model follows these steps:

In case you need college essay help of any sort, feel free to ask StudyCrumb reps for hands-on solutions. Rest assured, we've got plenty!

An argumentative essay structure generally stays the same and includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Let's consider an argumentative essay template in detail. 

Your introduction has to captivate the audience’s attention within the first few lines as well as convince them to continue reading. This paragraph, then, should finish with author’s views and arguments summed up in 1 or 2 sentences.

Following your introduction are 3 body paragraphs. A good body paragraph expands on the summary of all reader’s opinions by delving deeper into a chosen topic, crafting key points and supporting them with clear evidence. In any standard 5-paragraph essay, each body paragraph should be focused on a unique element.

Our final stage is writing a conclusion. A good conclusion restates your thesis statement and sums up all claims presented throughout body paragraphs. When writing their conclusion, students should consider any impact they are trying to have on a reader. Next, writers should create an interesting summary of their work that leaves a reader with a new perspective on that topic.  

An argumentative essay always begins with an introduction. An argumentative essay introduction has three goals: provide a little background information about the topic, explain to your reader why they should care about this subject, and finish with the writer’s opinion, also known as a thesis statement.

Let’s look at some examples of these three intro elements.  

In the above example, at the beginning, our reader is given a brief background on this topic, namely the digital trends of learning and that libraries are potentially an outdated model. Then, our reader is presented with an interesting proposal that is sure to evoke a strong response. Some people are going to be thrilled about receiving a free tablet, while others will be horrified at the thought of closing public libraries. Finally, the writer presents their opinion on why public libraries should remain open.

A good body paragraph introduces strong arguments that are logical and backed up by evidence. An argumentative essay body is a vital part of your essay as it plays major role in convincing the reader that your position is correct. It is like in a position paper, if you can’t make strong arguments, your point will be quickly dismissed.

Here is an example of a good body paragraph.  

In this body paragraph, the writer claims that libraries have numerous benefits that tablets can’t offer and then provides reasons by listing different advantages. Then, evidence of these benefits being positive is presented through results of their survey. Finally, this argument is summarized.

The last step is to write an argumentative essay conclusion. A conclusion should reiterate and expand on your thesis statement while summarizing all of your key arguments. A conclusion should tie everything together and leave a reader feeling like they understand your point and recognize your claims.

Here is an example of a strong conclusion. 
 

In this conclusion, the topic of closing libraries and replacing them with tablets is concisely summarised. Then the two key arguments are restated, and finally, the thesis statement is reiterated.

In the above sections, you can see essay samples which depict strong introductions, bodies and conclusions. In this section, we are going to look at an in-depth argumentative essay example:

These samples should help you elevate your writing to the next level and produce fantastic argumentative essays which can completely change any way your audience thinks about a particular topic.

Hopefully, this guide was of great help. Make sure you follow our writing tips and you will surely compose a great argument paper. Add this tutorial to your bookmarks so you don't loose it. If you need more guidelines on the writing process, make sure to check our comprehensive guide on how to write an essay.