Ever heard of the term argumentative essay? In fact, argumentative essays are made to emphasize the position of the essayist on an issue. To write a quality argumentative essay, you need to first determine your position on the issue at hand. After that, do some research to understand the topic in more depth, outline the essay, and start drafting the introduction and thesis essay. Then, fill in the body of the essay with various cohesive or coherent arguments, and close the essay with a solid conclusion that is able to glue all the information contained throughout the essay.
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Part 1 of 4: Essay Design
Step 1. Understand the questions given well
After receiving questions from your teacher, make sure you read them as best you can and look for information about words and phrases that you don't understand. Then, try to conclude the issue that is being raised.
- For example, you might receive a question that reads, “Immigration has been a hot topic of conversation on a national scale for years, especially after the passage of the so-called DREAM Act and after President Trump stated his position on the policy. Explain your position on immigration-related policies and the arguments for using an authoritative source, and explain whether you think the policy should be relaxed and why."
- Through the sentence “Explain your position on immigration-related policies”, it can be concluded that the main topic of the essay is immigration-related policy.
- If you have trouble understanding a question, don't be afraid to ask the teacher to understand his expectations better.
Step 2. Do some research to understand the issues raised
If you feel you don't understand the topic of the essay, try doing research on the internet or various readings provided by the teacher. If you find information from the internet, both in line with or against your argument, make sure the source is legitimate and credible.
- If the essay will be based on material discussed in class, ask the teacher for permission to use a personal notebook as the main reference for the essay.
- If you want to quote information from the news, make sure you look for credible media. Also, take information from websites that end with the “.edu” and “.gov” extensions.
- Find information about the DREAM Act bill and President Trump's policies to understand the matter better. At this stage, you only need to expand your knowledge of the topic, so you don't need to take extensive notes.
Step 3. Determine your position on the issue before framing the essay
After carefully reading both sides of the opposing argument, choose your position. After that, write down your chosen position at the very top on a piece of paper or a document on your laptop to start the outline of the essay.
If your teacher provides reading material to base your essay on, make sure it has sufficient evidence to support your position
Step 4. Add the main arguments that you want to include in the essay into the outline
After choosing a position, step back to the material you were reading. What arguments can convince you to take this position? Once you find it, use it as the main argument in your essay.
Use Roman numbering to mark your main argument. Preferably, include 3 to 4 main arguments in a relatively short essay (only 3 to 5 pages)
Step 5. Do some research to support your argument
Now is the time to head to the library or access the online library base for more in-depth research. Make sure you seek only credible sources to base the argument on.
For example, your primary sources should be books or eBooks (electronic books), scientific journal articles, and credible websites. In addition, you can also source quality news as long as the content is in line with your topic
Step 6. Make notes accompanied by citations or descriptions of sources
While reading a source, you can note down the necessary information along with a detailed description of the source. For example, write the title of the book or article information at the top of the outline, then include the page number of each information or quote you noted, if possible.
- If the information is taken from a book, make sure you note the name of the author, the name of the editor (if applicable), the title of the book, the year of publication, the city of publication, the edition of the book, and the title of the chapter if the book is an anthology.
- If the information is taken from a journal, make sure you note the author's name, journal title, article title, digital object identifier (DOI), international standard serial number (ISSN), publication date, journal edition (if any), journal issue (if any), and the page number of the journal article.
- If the information is retrieved from an online database, generally the information you want can be stored directly by the system. However, keep the digital object identifier in your notebook.
Step 7. Fill in the outline to complete the essay design
After taking notes, add 3-4 bullet points under each main argument. Then, fill in each bullet point with supporting arguments drawn from your notes.
- If your main argument is “Immigration increases diversity”, some supporting arguments you can include are “Increase culinary wealth” and “Increase artistic wealth.”
- Look for examples from your research, and complete each bullet point with a relevant example.
Part 2 of 4: Compiling the Introduction to the Essay
Step 1. Begin the essay with a quote or anecdote to capture the reader's interest
Remember, you must be able to make the reader curious to read the essay to the end! In an argumentative essay, you can include quotes that align with your point of view.
In addition, you can also include anecdotes or short stories that are relevant to the topic of the essay. If the topic of your essay is immigration, try opening your essay by writing, “When I was four years old, my parents invited me to travel to a very faraway place. After traveling by bus, we spent the whole night walking, of course most of the time I spent on Dad's shoulders. One day, we crossed a river, and without me knowing it, it was our first day in a new land."
Step 2. Introduce the topic using transitional sentences
In the next few sentences, move from an opening sentence that is very general in meaning, to a thesis or statement that confirms your argument that has more specific meaning. In other words, slowly introduce the reader to the main topic of your essay and the direction of your argument. Make sure you present the two opposing sides of the issue in a neutral manner before entering the thesis.
For example, you might write, "Immigration is an issue that continues to be debated. In particular, it is considered controversial because some people are concerned about how it affects the quality of resources in their country. Meanwhile, there are others who believe it is legal because it improves the quality of life. immigrants is the most important thing."
Step 3. Define a thesis or statement that confirms your argument
Once you've included transitional sentences, start touching on a more narrow thesis or argument. It's a good idea to include a few key phrases that will help the reader better understand your main argument.
For example, your thesis might read, "Immigration is a positive action because it increases the diversity and enrichment of talent in a country, as well as broadens the perspective of its people and should be supported, provided it is accompanied by appropriate basic safeguards."
Part 3 of 4: Composing the Body of the Essay
Step 1. Make sure each paragraph contains only one main idea
To make your essay more focused, use the essay outline to guide you in structuring each paragraph. For short essays, you can describe only one main idea in one paragraph. However, for longer essays, try to create one paragraph for each supporting argument.
- If you are writing an essay or a short research report, try to outline the main argument along with all the supporting arguments in one paragraph. For example, describe the main argument that “Immigration increases diversity”, along with all the supporting arguments listed in the essay outline in one whole paragraph.
- However, if the essay needs to be structured in more depth, try creating a special chapter on diversity and then outlining each supporting argument in a separate paragraph. For example, the first paragraph contains an explanation of “adding culinary riches”, while the second paragraph contains an explanation of “increasing artistic wealth, and so on.
Step 2. Acknowledge the existence of the other side of the issue raised
The best way to present an argument is to bring up conflicting ideas and then point out how they differ from your position. Outline the perspective that contradicts the counterclaim technique, then explain why your position is better than the other party's. In fact, you have complete freedom to determine how much time and effort should be devoted to discussing these conflicting perspectives (such as in just one sentence or in a whole paragraph).
Try not to fall into the “straw man” logic in your argument. In other words, do not distort or mislead the opponent's argument! A good researcher must be able to support his position without intentionally weakening the opposing party's position
Step 3. Make sure you keep all the arguments in mind when compiling the body of the essay
Remember, all arguments must be well connected so that readers can more easily understand the main line of thought and arguments in the essay. Also add transitional sentences between chapters to improve the readability of the essay and make it easier for readers to understand the big picture.
For example, if you want to move from a chapter on "increasing diversity" to a chapter on "enriching talent," try writing a sentence like, "Actually, diversity is not only related to the addition of new arts and cuisines, but also to the addition of new human resources capable of bringing perspective. fresh in addressing classic problems in the workplace."
Step 4. Support your argument by citing previously noted sources
Of course you don't need to quote every sentence. Instead, simply quote sentences that are relevant to your main argument.
- In general, you can include direct and indirect quotes (paraphrases). Use direct quotations if the source language has its own uniqueness that must be fully shared with readers. Otherwise, simply paraphrase the source language in your own words.
- Try starting the body of the essay with a quote from a relevant source. After that, provide your comments regarding the relevance of the quote to your position and argument.
- If you wish, you can also include statistical data to complement and support the argument. For example, if one of your arguments is "immigration doesn't increase crime," support that argument with statistics from a trusted source.
Part 4 of 4: Compiling the Essay Conclusion
Step 1. Combine all the information contained in the essay
In the conclusion section, you should be able to summarize and harmonize all the information contained in the essay, as well as reaffirm your main argument to the reader. In other words, help the reader understand the relevance of each piece of information to your position as a researcher, and how that information can prove your thesis.
For example, you might write, "A country can be said to be great if it is able to celebrate differences and accept new ideas and perspectives. Although the immigration process has some negative impacts on the survival of a country, in general, people with different citizenship statuses can contribute new ideas. which has the potential to make the country a better and attractive place to live in. Instead of being a thorn in society, immigrants are encouraged to work harder, and society will benefit from listening to their perspectives."
Step 2. Don't simply restate the introduction to the essay in the conclusion
Many people take the shortcut by rewriting the premises listed in the introduction to the conclusion of the essay. But actually, the conclusion of the essay is not that simple! In particular, the conclusion of the essay should contain your summary of the significance of the issue under study along with arguments that confirm your position as a researcher.
Step 3. Edit the essay to perfect it
After completing the draft essay, try to read it carefully. Make sure the flow of the essay is neat, logical, and easy to understand. Does each argument feel cohesive and coherent? If not, take the time to add transitional sentences to connect each argument. Make sure you also fix the parts that are considered unclear or difficult to understand.
