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The Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay, as the name suggests, puts forward an argument, often controversial, that you then promote by reasoned argument supported by evidence. It is important that, whilst stating your central argument strongly, you display awareness of other views in an argumentative essay as this strengthens the validity of your view.
Structuring an Argumentative Essay
The argumentative essay uses the standard essay structure but relies more heavily on putting forward a central, perhaps idiosyncratic or controversial view supported by balanced argument. The entire structure is aimed at convincing the reader that the central argument is right and is building towards that conclusion from the first.
Instead of opening with a thesis statement, therefore, as with an ordinary academic essay, the argumentative essay would make a strong opening statement of a much more personal and subjective nature, often engaging in an ongoing debate.
You would then move on to expand your idea, supplementing it with evidence both challenging and supportive and build to a conclusion which is convincing.
Writing an Argumentative Essay
An argumentative essay aims to convince the reader that although other ideas exist, the one proposed here is correct. In order to do this, you must write persuasively, using reasoned argument putting points ‘for and against’ in equal measure.
Your argument must be put forward as an undeniable fact, usually formed from opinion. Therefore, the evidence is selected in order to allow the writer of an argumentative essay to reinforce the central thesis as you need a balanced view.
This can be achieved either by choosing evidence which is supportive, providing you with the basis for verification and to help establish validity, or it can be achieved by presenting challenging evidence which you can contradict, again giving you further opportunity to restate the strength of your argument.
Concluding an Argumentative Essay
Throughout an argumentative essay the writer seeks to be convincing, using methodology as stated above. The conclusion needs to show that the thesis proposed has been proven. Unlike other essays, there is not so much room for manoeuvre in this type of essay as you are aiming to leave no room for doubt in your final conclusion.
If you are contributing to an ongoing debate, however, you will need to take this into account in your conclusion, stressing that you are offering a different perspective. Leading on from this, current thinking on the topic needs to be comprehensively and critically evaluated to show the superiority of the thesis proposed in your argumentative essay and give an indication of the way this conclusion was reached.
Finally, you need to appraise your own thesis critically, using the same methodology which was applied to the other ideas you have put forward in support of or against your own. You should finish by thinking about possible future challenges to your ideas and attempting to anticipate them by pre-emptive responses which meet and address them without weakening your conclusion.
