Argumentative Essays

CHAPTER - 7

ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAYS

WHAT IS AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY?

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic, collect, generate, and evaluate evidence and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Argumentative essays should not be confused with expository essays. Argumentative research involves pre-reading and research. The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a final project in first year writing.

Expository essays involve less research and are shorter in length. Expository essays are often used for in-class writing exercises or tests, such as GRE.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research.

The structure of the argumentative essay:

A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement should occur in the first paragraph of the essay.

Argumentative essay should contain introduction, body, and conclusion.

Body paragraphs should include evidential support.

Evidential support may be factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal.

A conclusion should restate the thesis statement but it can re-address it in light of the evidence provided.

There are three main ways to structure an argumentative essay. Choose one of the following or combine them to write your persuasive paper:

1. Classical or Aristotlean: Present the main argument, state your opinion, and do your best to convince the reader why your stance is the right one.

2. Rogerian. Present the problem, acknowledge the opposing side of the argument, state your point of view, and explain why yours is the most beneficial to the reader.

3. Toulmin. Present your claim, present grounds to back up that claim, and then justify that the grounds are linked to the claim.