2. What is Argumentative Writing?
Written to persuade the reader to adopt
your position, beliefs, or behavior
Purpose is to convince the reader that
your opinion is correct
Author assumes the reader already has
prior knowledge of the topic
Therefore, do not devote large sections of
the essay to simply summarizing the topic,
texts, or material.
3. Writing an Argumentative Essay
Choose a topic that is:
1. Narrow and focused
2. Contains an argument
3. Can be adequately supported with
evidence (outside sources, statistics,
studies, news articles, etc.)
4. Narrow and Focused
Make sure your thesis statement isn’t too
broad and unfocused.
Zero in on a particular aspect of the media or text to
discuss in-depth
Better to focus on one aspect in-depth than to try to
cover a wide range of issues superficially
Example:
“Language is important to humanity.”
○ Too general.
“Written communication was essential in allowing humans
to evolve into a technologically advanced species.”
○ Focused on a particular aspect of language and how it
has impacted human life.
5. Contains an Argument
Make sure your thesis statement takes a
clear stand
Avoid indecisiveness
Example:
“We should learn Chinese or English.”
○ Vague and indecisive. What is the position?
Which side is supported?
“Although English is currently the international
language, Chinese is actually a more useful
language to learn.”
○ A clear position is stated (in favor of learning
Chinese).
6. Contains an Argument
Make sure your thesis statement takes a
clear stand
Avoid expository writing
Example:
“Steven Pinker says that language is a way of
understanding human nature.”
Merely expository/factual writing that gives the reader
information about Pinker’s speech
Facts cannot be arguments
“Contrary to Pinker’s assertions, language is less a
way of understanding human nature, and more a
way of shaping human nature.”
Takes a clear position of disagreement with Pinker’s
claim
7. Evidence
Make sure your thesis statement can be
adequately supported with evidence (outside
sources, statistics, studies, news articles, etc.)
Avoid stating personal feelings
Example:
“I feel that Chinese is easier for me to learn than English.”
○ Personal feelings cannot be supported with empirical
evidence
“Although English is currently the international language,
Chinese is actually a more useful language to learn.”
○ Can be substantiated using news and data, such as the
high population of Chinese speakers and the rise of
China as a superpower
8. Court Room
Argue like a lawyer presenting a case in a
court room
A lawyer would:
○ Take a clear position
Ex. Either guilty or not guilty
○ Present concrete evidence
Ex. DNA samples, studies, witnesses, interviews, etc.
A lawyer would NOT:
○ Make an indecisive claim
“Maybe he’s guilty, maybe he’s not… I’m not sure… There’s
no point in arguing…”
○ Build a case entirely on hypothetical scenarios or use
examples from his/her personal life as evidence
“The dog must not have bitten the plaintiff, because when I
was a child, I had a dog who was so friendly…”
9. Writing an Argumentative Essay
Overall steps
1. Choose a topic
2. Consider both sides of the topic and take a
position
3. Find evidence to support your position
4. Plan your essay
○ Consider making an outline to gain a clear
picture of how you will structure your essay
and how you will incorporate the evidence
5. Write your essay
10. Template
Introduction
Thesis statement (clearly stated in 1-3 sentences at the end of the
introductory paragraph)
Body
My thesis statement is correct because of [cited quotation/paraphrase
from Example #1]. Example #1 supports my thesis statement in the
following ways: x, y, z…
My thesis statement is correct because of [cited quotation/paraphrase
from Example #2]. Example #2 supports my thesis statement in the
following ways: x, y, z…
Counterarguments: Some people do not agree with my thesis
statement. For example, [opponent] claims that [cited
quotation/paraphrase from opponent]. However, [cited
quotation/paraphrase from opponent] is incorrect in the following ways:
x, y, z…
Conclusion
Re-establishes the main points of your argument
Brings essay to a feeling of closure