As the name goes, an argumentative essay entails a process of raising arguments and defending them with relevant sources and references. It is an essay that is largely based on persuading the reader that your arguments are valid. In order to achieve a commanding argumentative essay, you must raise facts to support your arguments, failure to which the points raised may be regarded as invalid. Therefore, an articulate approach of writing an argumentative essay is mandatory. A lot of reinforcement with valid evidence is what makes arguments to be positively proven. So, if you are struggling with writing your argumentative essay, here is a comprehensive guide for you:
Understand The Topic Develop A Draft
The primary step is to first ensure that you comprehend the topic presented. It is at this juncture that you will be able to develop points that you would want to present in your argumentative essay. Having understood the topic, you can gather the relevant evidence from secondary sources/publications. This should be followed by a light draft of what you intend to discuss in an arranged manner.
Introduction Paragraph
This is the point where you will be required to outline your topic in a manner that the reader will understand. A background of the topic is equally important at this juncture. You will have to expound on why the topic is important. The information provided as background should be centered on helping the reader to understand your point of view. The last sentence of your introduction paragraph should be the thesis statement, which defines the landscape of your arguments.
Develop A Thesis Statement
This a cardinal element in an argumentative essay since it states the direction that your argument will take and why. You must be absolutely articulate in structuring your thesis statement. Ideally, it is recommended that your thesis statement should be a single sentence that gives a summary of your subsequent arguments, with a clear claim.
Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs are essentially based on the thesis statement you developed in the introduction section. Each paragraph must discuss one argument, whereby you must validate why you think that way. It is important to begin with a topic sentence in each of the body paragraphs. The topic sentence should state what you intend to discuss in the paragraph and should resonate with the thesis statement. You should go ahead and back your topic sentence with the necessary facts from secondary sources.
Apply the necessary citations attributing the stated facts to the author. Finally, you should explain why the reader should resonate and agree with your argument. The same process should be followed in the subsequent paragraphs. You might consider stating some opposing arguments within the paragraphs and explain why you do not agree with them.
The Conclusion
Having stated all the arguments pursuant with the thesis statement, you now have to develop a commanding conclusion. Here, you should restate your thesis statement and summarize all your arguments. Note that the conclusion does not require introduction of new facts. Rather, it is a summary of the stated arguments in the previous paragraphs. In some cases, a personal anecdote may be required, whereby the writer can explain how the topic personally affect him/her.
The List of References
Now that you have adequately cited all the sources used in backing your arguments, you will be required to generate a list of references that aligns with the chosen style. The list of reference should feature all the sources used and should be in a separate last page of your argumentative essay.