Tips for Writing Solid Argumentative Essays

Argumentative essays can be challenging. It is easy to express an opinion and even to know intuitively why you support that opinion. But providing clear, logical arguments (and evidence to support those arguments) can become difficult and tedious. Furthermore, anticipating other arguments that oppose your own and showing why they are inaccurate or wrong adds a further level of work that needs to be done to write a strong argumentative essay. However, it is not impossible to do and there are some basic guidelines to help you make sure that you write a solid argumentative essay.

Define your thesis: this is an essential starting point for your argumentative essay. You need to know exactly what it is you are arguing and you need to be able to clearly and concisely explain that argument to your reader. Your thesis comes early on in your essay and lets the reader know exactly what it is they are about to read.

  • Make smooth transitions: In order for your arguments to feel more fluid and your logical reasoning to seem more coherent, it is important to include strong transition statements between the different paragraphs and the different arguments you are including in your essay. You don’t want to just jump from point to point without clearly showing how they are all interconnected.
  • Provide strong evidence: a solid argumentative essay includes more than just your arguments. It also includes strong evidence that supports those arguments. Each paragraph should be focused on discussing one specific argument which relates to your larger thesis. In each paragraph, you should provide multiple examples of evidence that support the argument being discussed. Make sure to stay on point and stay relevant.
  • Address your opponents: a strong argumentative essay is keenly aware of opposing arguments and potential dissent relating to its own arguments. Make sure that your essay addresses these opposing arguments and provides clear evidence as to why their reasoning is flawed or inaccurate.
  • Write a strong conclusion: in many essays, the purpose of a conclusion is simply to restate your thesis. However, with an argumentative essay, you should be doing much more than this. You need to readdress your original thesis with reference to the evidence you have since explained. You need to summarize your different arguments and the evidence you provided for them and clearly show how they link up directly with your original thesis statement.