argument essay planner

A Step-by-Step Plan for Teaching Argumentative Writing

February 7, 2016

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For seven years, I was a writing teacher.  Yes, I was certified to teach the full spectrum of English language arts—literature, grammar and usage, speech, drama, and so on—but my absolute favorite, the thing I loved doing the most, was teaching students how to write.

Most of the material on this site is directed at all teachers. I look for and put together resources that would appeal to any teacher who teaches any subject. That practice will continue for as long as I keep this up. But over the next year or so, I plan to also share more of what I know about teaching students to write. Although I know many of the people who visit here are not strictly English language arts teachers, my hope is that these posts will provide tons of value to those who are, and to those who teach all subjects, including writing.

So let’s begin with argumentative writing, or persuasive writing, as many of us used to call it. This overview will be most helpful to those who are new to teaching writing, or teachers who have not gotten good results with the approach you have taken up to now. I don’t claim to have the definitive answer on how to do this, but the method I share here worked pretty well for me, and it might do the same for you. If you are an experienced English language arts teacher, you probably already have a system for teaching this skill that you like. Then again, I’m always interested in how other people do the things I can already do; maybe you’re curious like that, too.

Before I start, I should note that what I describe in this post is a fairly formulaic style of essay writing. It’s not exactly the 5-paragraph essay, but it definitely builds on that model. I strongly believe students should be shown how to move past those kinds of structures into a style of writing that’s more natural and fitting to the task and audience, but I also think they should start with something that’s pretty clearly organized.

So here’s how I teach argumentative essay writing.

Step 1: Watch How It’s Done

One of the most effective ways to improve student writing is to show them mentor texts, examples of excellent writing within the genre students are about to attempt themselves. Ideally, this writing would come from real publications and not be fabricated by me in order to embody the form I’m looking for. Although most experts on writing instruction employ some kind of mentor text study, the person I learned it from best was Katie Wood Ray in her book Study Driven (links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon ).

Since I want the writing to be high quality and the subject matter to be high interest, I might choose pieces like Jessica Lahey’s Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need it Most  and David Bulley’s School Suspensions Don’t Work .

I would have students read these texts, compare them, and find places where the authors used evidence to back up their assertions. I would ask students which author they feel did the best job of influencing the reader, and what suggestions they would make to improve the writing. I would also ask them to notice things like stories, facts and statistics, and other things the authors use to develop their ideas. Later, as students work on their own pieces, I would likely return to these pieces to show students how to execute certain writing moves.

Step 2: Informal Argument, Freestyle

Although many students might need more practice in writing an effective argument, many of them are excellent at arguing in person. To help them make this connection, I would have them do some informal debate on easy, high-interest topics. An activity like This or That (one of the classroom icebreakers I talked about last year) would be perfect here: I read a statement like “Women have the same opportunities in life as men.” Students who agree with the statement move to one side of the room, and those who disagree move to the other side. Then they take turns explaining why they are standing in that position. This ultimately looks a little bit like a debate, as students from either side tend to defend their position to those on the other side.

Every class of students I have ever had, from middle school to college, has loved loved LOVED this activity. It’s so simple, it gets them out of their seats, and for a unit on argument, it’s an easy way to get them thinking about how the art of argument is something they practice all the time.

Step 3: Informal Argument, Not so Freestyle

Once students have argued without the support of any kind of research or text, I would set up a second debate; this time with more structure and more time to research ahead of time. I would pose a different question, supply students with a few articles that would provide ammunition for either side, then give them time to read the articles and find the evidence they need.

Next, we’d have a Philosophical Chairs debate (learn about this in my  discussion strategies post), which is very similar to “This or That,” except students use textual evidence to back up their points, and there are a few more rules. Here they are still doing verbal argument, but the experience should make them more likely to appreciate the value of evidence when trying to persuade.

Before leaving this step, I would have students transfer their thoughts from the discussion they just had into something that looks like the opening paragraph of a written argument: A statement of their point of view, plus three reasons to support that point of view. This lays the groundwork for what’s to come.

Step 4: Introduction of the Performance Assessment

Next I would show students their major assignment, the performance assessment that they will work on for the next few weeks. What does this look like? It’s generally a written prompt that describes the task, plus the rubric I will use to score their final product.

Anytime I give students a major writing assignment, I let them see these documents very early on. In my experience, I’ve found that students appreciate having a clear picture of what’s expected of them when beginning a writing assignment. At this time, I also show them a model of a piece of writing that meets the requirements of the assignment. Unlike the mentor texts we read on day 1, this sample would be something teacher-created (or an excellent student model from a previous year) to fit the parameters of the assignment.

Step 5: Building the Base

Before letting students loose to start working on their essays, I make sure they have a solid plan for writing. I would devote at least one more class period to having students consider their topic for the essay, drafting a thesis statement, and planning the main points of their essay in a graphic organizer.

I would also begin writing my own essay on a different topic. This has been my number one strategy for teaching students how to become better writers. Using a document camera or overhead projector, I start from scratch, thinking out loud and scribbling down my thoughts as they come. When students see how messy the process can be, it becomes less intimidating for them. They begin to understand how to take the thoughts that are stirring around in your head and turn them into something that makes sense in writing.

For some students, this early stage might take a few more days, and that’s fine: I would rather spend more time getting it right at the pre-writing stage than have a student go off willy-nilly, draft a full essay, then realize they need to start over. Meanwhile, students who have their plans in order will be allowed to move on to the next step.

Step 6: Writer’s Workshop

The next seven to ten days would be spent in writer’s workshop, where I would start class with a mini-lesson about a particular aspect of craft. I would show them how to choose credible, relevant evidence, how to skillfully weave evidence into an argument, how to consider the needs of an audience, and how to correctly cite sources. Once each mini-lesson was done, I would then give students the rest of the period to work independently on their writing. During this time, I would move around the room, helping students solve problems and offering feedback on whatever part of the piece they are working on. I would encourage students to share their work with peers and give feedback at all stages of the writing process.

If I wanted to make the unit even more student-centered, I would provide the mini-lessons in written or video format and let students work through them at their own pace, without me teaching them. (To learn more about this approach, read this post on self-paced learning ).

As students begin to complete their essays, the mini-lessons would focus more on matters of style and usage. I almost never bother talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or usage until students have a draft that’s pretty close to done. Only then do we start fixing the smaller mistakes.

Step 7: Final Assessment

Finally, the finished essays are handed in for a grade. At this point, I’m pretty familiar with each student’s writing and have given them verbal (and sometimes written) feedback throughout the unit; that’s why I make the writer’s workshop phase last so long. I don’t really want students handing in work until they are pretty sure they’ve met the requirements to the best of their ability. I also don’t necessarily see “final copies” as final; if a student hands in an essay that’s still really lacking in some key areas, I will arrange to have that student revise it and resubmit for a higher grade.

So that’s it. If you haven’t had a lot of success teaching students to write persuasively, and if the approach outlined here is different from what you’ve been doing, give it a try. And let’s keep talking: Use the comments section below to share your techniques or ask questions about the most effective ways to teach argumentative writing.

Want this unit ready-made?

If you’re a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you’d like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you’ll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of what’s included.

What to Read Next

Categories: Instruction , Podcast

Tags: English language arts , Grades 6-8 , Grades 9-12 , teaching strategies

58 Comments

This is useful information. In teaching persuasive speaking/writing I have found Monroe’s Motivated sequence very useful and productive. It is a classic model that immediately gives a solid structure for students.

Thanks for the recommendation, Bill. I will have to look into that! Here’s a link to more information on Monroe’s Motivated sequence, for anyone who wants to learn more: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/MonroeMotivatedSequence.htm

What other sites do you recommend for teacher use on providing effective organizational structure in argumentative writing? As a K-12 Curriculum Director, I find that when teachers connect with and understand the organizational structure, they are more effective in their teaching/delivery.

Hey Jessica, in addition to the steps outlined here, you might want to check out Jenn’s post on graphic organizers . Graphic organizers are a great tool that you can use in any phase of a lesson. Using them as a prewrite can help students visualize the argument and organize their thoughts. There’s a link in that post to the Graphic Organizer Multi-Pack that Jenn has for sale on her Teachers Pay Teachers site, which includes two versions of a graphic organizer you can use specifically for argument organization. Otherwise, if there’s something else you had in mind, let us know and we can help you out. Thanks!

Dear Jennifer Gonzalez,

You are generous with your gift of lighting the path… I hardly ever write (never before) , but I must today… THANK YOU… THANK YOU….THANK YOU… mostly for reading your great teachings… So your valuable teachings will even be easy to benefit all the smart people facing challenge of having to deal with adhd…

I am not a teacher… but forever a student…someone who studied English as 2nd language, with a science degree & adhd…

You truly are making a difference in our World…

Thanks so much, Rita! I know Jenn will appreciate this — I’ll be sure to share with her!

Love it! Its simple and very fruitful . I can feel how dedicated you are! Thanks alot Jen

Great examples of resources that students would find interesting. I enjoyed reading your article. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. Thanks!

You’re welcome, Sheryl!

Students need to be writing all the time about a broad range of topics, but I love the focus here on argumentative writing because if you choose the model writing texts correctly, you can really get the kids engaged in the process and in how they can use this writing in real-world situations!

I agree, Laura. I think an occasional tight focus on one genre can help them grow leaps and bounds in the skills specific to that type of writing. Later, in less structured situations, they can then call on those skills when that kind of thinking is required.

This is really helpful! I used it today and put the recess article in a Google Doc and had the kids identify anecdotal, statistic, and ‘other’ types of evidence by highlighting them in three different colors. It worked well! Tomorrow we’ll discuss which of the different types of evidence are most convincing and why.

Love that, Shanna! Thanks for sharing that extra layer.

Greetings Ms. Gonzales. I was wondering if you had any ideas to help students develop the cons/against side of their argument within their writing? Please advise. Thanks.

Hi Michael,

Considering audience and counterarguments are an important part of the argumentative writing process. In the Argumentative Writing unit Jenn includes specific mini-lessons that teach kids how, when and where to include opposing views in their writing. In the meantime, here’s a video that might also be helpful.

Hi, Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. I want to share also the ideas in the article ‘Already Experts: Showing Students How Much They Know about Writing and Reading Arguments’ by Angela Petit and Edna Soto…they explain a really nice activity to introduce argumentative writing. I have applied it many times and my students not only love it but also display a very clear pattern as the results in the activity are quite similar every time. I hope you like it.

Lorena Perez

I’d like to thank you you for this excellence resource. It’s a wonderful addition to the informative content that Jennifer has shared.

What do you use for a prize?

I looked at the unit, and it looks and sounds great. The description says there are 4 topics. Can you tell me the topics before I purchase? We start argument in 5th grade, and I want to make sure the topics are different from those they’ve done the last 5 years before purchasing. Thanks!

Hi Carrie! If you go to the product page on TPT and open up the preview, you’ll see the four topics on the 4th page in more detail, but here they are: Social Networking in School (should social media sites be blocked in school?), Cell Phones in Class, Junk Food in School, and Single-Sex Education (i.e., genders separated). Does that help?

I teach 6th grade English in a single gendered (all-girls) class. We just finished an argument piece but I will definitely cycle back your ideas when we revisit argumentation. Thanks for the fabulous resources!

Glad to hear it, Madelyn!

I’m not a writing teacher and honestly haven’t been taught on how to teach writing. I’m a history teacher. I read this and found it helpful but have questions. First I noticed that amount of time dedicated to the task in terms of days. My questions are how long is a class period? I have my students for about 45 minutes. I also saw you mentioned in the part about self-paced learning that mini-lessons could be written or video format. I love these ideas. Any thoughts on how to do this with almost no technology in the room and low readers to non-readers? I’m trying to figure out how to balance teaching a content class while also teaching the common core skills. Thank you for any consideration to my questions.

Hey Jones, To me, a class period is anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour; definitely varies from school to school. As for the question about doing self-paced with very little tech? I think binders with written mini-lessons could work well, as well as a single computer station or tablet hooked up to a class set of videos. Obviously you’d need to be more diligent about rotating students in and out of these stations, but it’s an option at least. You might also give students access to the videos through computers in other locations at school (like the library) and give them passes to watch. The thing about self-paced learning, as you may have seen in the self-paced post , is that if students need extra teacher support (as you might find with low readers or non-readers), they would spend more one-on-one time with the teacher, while the higher-level students would be permitted to move more quickly on their own. Does that help?

My primary goal for next semester is to increase academic discussion and make connections from discussion to writing, so I love how you launch this unit with lessons like Philosophical Chairs. I am curious, however, what is the benefit of the informal argument before the not-so-informal argument? My students often struggle to listen to one another, so I’m wondering if I should start with the more formal, structured version. Or, am I overthinking the management? Thanks so much for input.

Yikes! So sorry your question slipped through, and we’re just now getting to this, Sarah. The main advantage of having kids first engage in informal debate is that it helps them get into an argumentative mindset and begin to appreciate the value of using research to support their claims. If you’ve purchased the unit, you can read more about this in the Overview.

My 6th graders are progressing through their argumentative essay. I’m providing mini lessons along the way that target where most students are in their essay. Your suggestions will be used. I’ve chosen to keep most writing in class and was happy to read that you scheduled a lot of class time for the writing. Students need to feel comfortable knowing that writing is a craft and needs to evolve over time. I think more will get done in class and it is especially important for the struggling writers to have peers and the teacher around while they write. Something that I had students do that they liked was to have them sit in like-topic groups to create a shared document where they curated information that MIGHT be helpful along the way. By the end of the essay, all will use a fantastic add-on called GradeProof which helps to eliminate most of the basic and silly errors that 6th graders make.

Debbi! I LOVE the idea of a shared, curated collection of resources! That is absolutely fantastic! Are you using a Google Doc for this? Other curation tools you might consider are Padlet and Elink .

thanks v much for all this information

Love this! What do you take as grades in the meantime? Throughout this 2 week stretch?

Ideally, you wouldn’t need to take grades at all, waiting until the final paper is done to give one grade. If your school requires more frequent grades, you could assign small point values for getting the incremental steps done: So in Step 3 (when students have to write a paragraph stating their point of view) you could take points for that. During the writer’s workshop phase, you might give points for completion of a rough draft and participation points for peer review (ideally, they’d get some kind of feedback on the quality of feedback they give to one another). Another option would be to just give a small, holistic grade for each week based on the overall integrity of their work–are they staying on task? Making small improvements to their writing each day? Taking advantage of the resources? If students are working diligently through the process, that should be enough. But again, the assessment (grades) should really come from that final written product, and if everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing during the workshop phase, most students should have pretty good scores on that final product. Does that help?

Awesome Step 2! Teaching mostly teenagers in Northern Australia I find students’ verbal arguments are much more finely honed than their written work.

To assist with “building the base” I’ve always found sentence starters an essential entry point for struggling students. We have started using the ‘PEARL’ method for analytical and persuasive writing.

If it helps here a free scaffold for the method:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Paragraph-Scaffold-PEEL-to-PEARL-3370676

Thanks again,

Thank you for sharing this additional resource! It’s excellent!

I’ve been scouring the interwebs looking for some real advice on how I can help my struggling 9th grader write better. I can write. Since it comes naturally for me, I have a hard time breaking it down into such tiny steps that he can begin to feel less overwhelmed. I LOVE the pre-writing ideas here. My son is a fabulous arguer. I need to help him use those powers for the good of his writing skills. Do you have a suggestion on what I else I can be using for my homeschooled son? Or what you may have that could work well for home use?

Hi Melinda,

You might be interested in taking a look at Jenn’s Argumentative Writing unit which she mentions at the end of the post . Hope this helps!

Mam it would be good if you could post some steps of different writing and some samples as well so it can be useful for the students.

Hi Aalia! My name is Holly, and I work as a Customer Experience Manager for Cult of Pedagogy. It just so happens that in the near future, Jenn is going to release a narrative writing unit, so keep an eye out for that! As far as samples, the argumentative writing unit has example essays included, and I’m sure the narrative unit will as well. But, to find the examples, you have to purchase the unit from Teachers Pay Teachers.

I just want to say that this helped me tremendously in teaching argument to 8th Graders this past school year, which is a huge concept on their state testing in April. I felt like they were very prepared, and they really enjoyed the verbal part of it, too! I have already implemented these methods into my unit plan for argument for my 11th grade class this year. Thank you so much for posting all of these things! : )

-Josee` Vaughn

I’m so glad to hear it, Josee!!

Love your blog! It is one of the best ones.

I am petrified of writing. I am teaching grade 8 in September and would love some suggestions as I start planning for the year. Thanks!

This is genius! I can’t wait to get started tomorrow teaching argument. It’s always something that I have struggled with, and I’ve been teaching for 18 years. I have a class of 31 students, mostly boys, several with IEPs. The self-paced mini-lessons will help tremendously.

So glad you liked it, Britney!

My students will begin the journey into persuasion and argument next week and your post cemented much of my thinking around how to facilitate the journey towards effective, enthusiastic argumentative writing.

I use your rubrics often to outline task expectations for my students and the feedback from them is how useful breaking every task into steps can be as they are learning new concepts.

Additionally, we made the leap into blogging as a grade at https://mrsdsroadrunners.edublogs.org/2019/01/04/your-future/ It feels much like trying to learn to change a tire while the car is speeding down the highway. Reading your posts over the past years was a factor in embracing the authentic audience. Thank You! Trish

I love reading and listening to your always helpful tips, tricks, and advice! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on creative and engaging ways to have students share their persuasive writing? My 6th students are just finishing up our persuasive writing where we read the book “Oh, Rats” by Albert Marrin and used the information gathered to craft a persuasive piece to either eliminate or protect rats and other than just reading their pieces to one another, I have been trying to think of more creative ways to share. I thought about having a debate but (un)fortunately all my kids are so sweet and are on the same side of the argument – Protect the Rats! Any ideas?

Hi Kiley! Thanks for the positive feedback! So glad to hear that you are finding value in Cult of Pedagogy! Here are a few suggestions that you may be interested in trying with your students:

-A gallery walk: Students could do this virtually if their writing is stored online or hard copies of their writing. Here are some different ways that you could use gallery walks: Enliven Class Discussions With Gallery Walks

-Students could give each other feedback using a tech tool like Flipgrid . You could assign students to small groups or give them accountability partners. In Flipgrid, you could have students sharing back and forth about their writing and their opinions.

I hope this helps!

I love the idea of mentor texts for all of these reading and writing concepts. I saw a great one on Twitter with one text and it demonstrated 5-6 reasons to start a paragraph, all in two pages of a book! Is there a location that would have suggestions/lists of mentor texts for these areas? Paragraphs, sentences, voice, persuasive writing, expository writing, etc. It seems like we could share this info, save each other some work, and curate a great collection of mentor text for English Language Arts teachers. Maybe it already exists?

Hi Maureen,

Here are some great resources that you may find helpful:

Craft Lessons Second Edition: Teaching Writing K-8 Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts and Mentor Texts, 2nd edition: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6

Thanks so much! I’ll definitely look into these.

I love the steps for planning an argumentative essay writing. When we return from Christmas break, we will begin starting a unit on argumentative writing. I will definitely use the steps. I especially love Step #2. As a 6th grade teacher, my students love to argue. This would set the stage of what argumentative essay involves. Thanks for sharing.

So glad to hear this, Gwen. Thanks for letting us know!

Great orientation, dear Jennifer. The step-by-step carefully planned pedagogical perspectives have surely added in the information repository of many.

Hi Jennifer,

I hope you are well. I apologise for the incorrect spelling in the previous post.

Thank you very much for introducing this effective instruction for teaching argumentative writing. I am the first year PhD student at Newcastle University, UK. My PhD research project aims to investigate teaching argumentative writing to Chinese university students. I am interested in the Argumentative Writing unit you have designed and would like to buy it. I would like to see the preview of this book before deciding to purchase it. I clicked on the image BUT the font of the preview is so small and cannot see the content clearly. I am wondering whether it could be possible for you to email me a detailed preview of what’s included. I would highly appreciate if you could help me with this.

Thank you very much in advance. Looking forward to your reply.

Take care and all the very best, Chang

Hi Chang! Jenn’s Argumentative Writing Unit is actually a teaching unit geared toward grades 7-12 with lessons, activities, etc. If you click here click here to view the actual product, you can click on the green ‘View Preview’ button to see a pretty detailed preview of what’s offered. Once you open the preview, there is the option to zoom in so you can see what the actual pages of the unit are like. I hope this helps!

Great Content!

Another teacher showed me one of your posts, and now I’ve read a dozen of them. With teaching students to argue, have you ever used the “What’s going on in this picture?” https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-whats-going-on-in-this-picture?module=inline I used it last year and thought it was a non-threatening way to introduce learners to using evidence to be persuasive since there was no text.

I used to do something like this to help kids learn how to make inferences. Hadn’t thought of it from a persuasive standpoint. Interesting.

this is a very interesting topic, thanks!

Hi! I’m a teacher too! I was looking for inspiration and I found your article and thought you might find this online free tool interesting that helps make all students participate meaningfully and engage in a topic. https://www.kialo-edu.com/

This tool is great for student collaboration and to teach argumentative writing in an innovative way. I hope this helps!

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Organizing Your Argument

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This page summarizes three historical methods for argumentation, providing structural templates for each.

How can I effectively present my argument?

In order for your argument to be persuasive, it must use an organizational structure that the audience perceives as both logical and easy to parse. Three argumentative methods —the  Toulmin Method , Classical Method , and Rogerian Method — give guidance for how to organize the points in an argument.

Note that these are only three of the most popular models for organizing an argument. Alternatives exist. Be sure to consult your instructor and/or defer to your assignment’s directions if you’re unsure which to use (if any).

Toulmin Method

The  Toulmin Method  is a formula that allows writers to build a sturdy logical foundation for their arguments. First proposed by author Stephen Toulmin in  The Uses of Argument (1958), the Toulmin Method emphasizes building a thorough support structure for each of an argument's key claims.

The basic format for the Toulmin Method  is as follows:

Claim:  In this section, you explain your overall thesis on the subject. In other words, you make your main argument.

Data (Grounds):  You should use evidence to support the claim. In other words, provide the reader with facts that prove your argument is strong.

Warrant (Bridge):  In this section, you explain why or how your data supports the claim. As a result, the underlying assumption that you build your argument on is grounded in reason.

Backing (Foundation):  Here, you provide any additional logic or reasoning that may be necessary to support the warrant.

Counterclaim:  You should anticipate a counterclaim that negates the main points in your argument. Don't avoid arguments that oppose your own. Instead, become familiar with the opposing perspective.   If you respond to counterclaims, you appear unbiased (and, therefore, you earn the respect of your readers). You may even want to include several counterclaims to show that you have thoroughly researched the topic.

Rebuttal:  In this section, you incorporate your own evidence that disagrees with the counterclaim. It is essential to include a thorough warrant or bridge to strengthen your essay’s argument. If you present data to your audience without explaining how it supports your thesis, your readers may not make a connection between the two, or they may draw different conclusions.

Example of the Toulmin Method:

Claim:  Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution.

Data1:  Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air-polluting activity.

Warrant 1:  Due to the fact that cars are the largest source of private (as opposed to industrial) air pollution, switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution.

Data 2:  Each vehicle produced is going to stay on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years.

Warrant 2:  Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that the decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels.

Data 3:  Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor.

Warrant 3:  The combination of these technologies produces less pollution.

Counterclaim:  Instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages an inefficient culture of driving even as it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and encouraging the use of mass transit systems.

Rebuttal:  While mass transit is an idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible in many rural and suburban areas, or for people who must commute to work. Thus, hybrid cars are a better solution for much of the nation's population.

Rogerian Method

The Rogerian Method  (named for, but not developed by, influential American psychotherapist Carl R. Rogers) is a popular method for controversial issues. This strategy seeks to find a common ground between parties by making the audience understand perspectives that stretch beyond (or even run counter to) the writer’s position. Moreso than other methods, it places an emphasis on reiterating an opponent's argument to his or her satisfaction. The persuasive power of the Rogerian Method lies in its ability to define the terms of the argument in such a way that:

• your position seems like a reasonable compromise.
• you seem compassionate and empathetic.

The basic format of the Rogerian Method  is as follows:

Introduction:  Introduce the issue to the audience, striving to remain as objective as possible.

Opposing View : Explain the other side’s position in an unbiased way. When you discuss the counterargument without judgement, the opposing side can see how you do not directly dismiss perspectives which conflict with your stance.

Statement of Validity (Understanding):  This section discusses how you acknowledge how the other side’s points can be valid under certain circumstances. You identify how and why their perspective makes sense in a specific context, but still present your own argument.

Statement of Your Position:  By this point, you have demonstrated that you understand the other side’s viewpoint. In this section, you explain your own stance.

Statement of Contexts : Explore scenarios in which your position has merit. When you explain how your argument is most appropriate for certain contexts, the reader can recognize that you acknowledge the multiple ways to view the complex issue.

Statement of Benefits:  You should conclude by explaining to the opposing side why they would benefit from accepting your position. By explaining the advantages of your argument, you close on a positive note without completely dismissing the other side’s perspective.

Example of the Rogerian Method:

Introduction:  The issue of whether children should wear school uniforms is subject to some debate.

Opposing View:  Some parents think that requiring children to wear uniforms is best.

Statement of Validity (Understanding):  Those parents who support uniforms argue that, when all students wear the same uniform, the students can develop a unified sense of school pride and inclusiveness.

Statement of Your Position : Students should not be required to wear school uniforms. Mandatory uniforms would forbid choices that allow students to be creative and express themselves through clothing.

Statement of Contexts:  However, even if uniforms might hypothetically promote inclusivity, in most real-life contexts, administrators can use uniform policies to enforce conformity. Students should have the option to explore their identity through clothing without the fear of being ostracized.

Statement of Benefits:  Though both sides seek to promote students' best interests, students should not be required to wear school uniforms. By giving students freedom over their choice, students can explore their self-identity by choosing how to present themselves to their peers.

Classical Method

The Classical Method of structuring an argument is another common way to organize your points. Originally devised by the Greek philosopher Aristotle (and then later developed by Roman thinkers like Cicero and Quintilian), classical arguments tend to focus on issues of definition and the careful application of evidence. Thus, the underlying assumption of classical argumentation is that, when all parties understand the issue perfectly, the correct course of action will be clear.

The basic format of the Classical Method  is as follows:

Introduction (Exordium): Introduce the issue and explain its significance. You should also establish your credibility and the topic’s legitimacy.

Statement of Background (Narratio): Present vital contextual or historical information to the audience to further their understanding of the issue. By doing so, you provide the reader with a working knowledge about the topic independent of your own stance.

Proposition (Propositio): After you provide the reader with contextual knowledge, you are ready to state your claims which relate to the information you have provided previously. This section outlines your major points for the reader.

Proof (Confirmatio): You should explain your reasons and evidence to the reader. Be sure to thoroughly justify your reasons. In this section, if necessary, you can provide supplementary evidence and subpoints.

Refutation (Refuatio): In this section, you address anticipated counterarguments that disagree with your thesis. Though you acknowledge the other side’s perspective, it is important to prove why your stance is more logical.  

Conclusion (Peroratio): You should summarize your main points. The conclusion also caters to the reader’s emotions and values. The use of pathos here makes the reader more inclined to consider your argument.  

Example of the Classical Method:  

Introduction (Exordium): Millions of workers are paid a set hourly wage nationwide. The federal minimum wage is standardized to protect workers from being paid too little. Research points to many viewpoints on how much to pay these workers. Some families cannot afford to support their households on the current wages provided for performing a minimum wage job .

Statement of Background (Narratio): Currently, millions of American workers struggle to make ends meet on a minimum wage. This puts a strain on workers’ personal and professional lives. Some work multiple jobs to provide for their families.

Proposition (Propositio): The current federal minimum wage should be increased to better accommodate millions of overworked Americans. By raising the minimum wage, workers can spend more time cultivating their livelihoods.

Proof (Confirmatio): According to the United States Department of Labor, 80.4 million Americans work for an hourly wage, but nearly 1.3 million receive wages less than the federal minimum. The pay raise will alleviate the stress of these workers. Their lives would benefit from this raise because it affects multiple areas of their lives.

Refutation (Refuatio): There is some evidence that raising the federal wage might increase the cost of living. However, other evidence contradicts this or suggests that the increase would not be great. Additionally,   worries about a cost of living increase must be balanced with the benefits of providing necessary funds to millions of hardworking Americans.

Conclusion (Peroratio): If the federal minimum wage was raised, many workers could alleviate some of their financial burdens. As a result, their emotional wellbeing would improve overall. Though some argue that the cost of living could increase, the benefits outweigh the potential drawbacks.

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• How to structure an essay: Templates and tips

How to Structure an Essay | Tips & Templates

Published on September 18, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The basic structure of an essay always consists of an introduction , a body , and a conclusion . But for many students, the most difficult part of structuring an essay is deciding how to organize information within the body.

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Table of contents

The basics of essay structure, chronological structure, compare-and-contrast structure, problems-methods-solutions structure, signposting to clarify your structure, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about essay structure.

There are two main things to keep in mind when working on your essay structure: making sure to include the right information in each part, and deciding how you’ll organize the information within the body.

Parts of an essay

The three parts that make up all essays are described in the table below.

Order of information

You’ll also have to consider how to present information within the body. There are a few general principles that can guide you here.

The first is that your argument should move from the simplest claim to the most complex . The body of a good argumentative essay often begins with simple and widely accepted claims, and then moves towards more complex and contentious ones.

For example, you might begin by describing a generally accepted philosophical concept, and then apply it to a new topic. The grounding in the general concept will allow the reader to understand your unique application of it.

The second principle is that background information should appear towards the beginning of your essay . General background is presented in the introduction. If you have additional background to present, this information will usually come at the start of the body.

The third principle is that everything in your essay should be relevant to the thesis . Ask yourself whether each piece of information advances your argument or provides necessary background. And make sure that the text clearly expresses each piece of information’s relevance.

The sections below present several organizational templates for essays: the chronological approach, the compare-and-contrast approach, and the problems-methods-solutions approach.

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The chronological approach (sometimes called the cause-and-effect approach) is probably the simplest way to structure an essay. It just means discussing events in the order in which they occurred, discussing how they are related (i.e. the cause and effect involved) as you go.

A chronological approach can be useful when your essay is about a series of events. Don’t rule out other approaches, though—even when the chronological approach is the obvious one, you might be able to bring out more with a different structure.

Explore the tabs below to see a general template and a specific example outline from an essay on the invention of the printing press.

• Thesis statement
• Discussion of event/period
• Consequences
• Importance of topic
• Strong closing statement
• Claim that the printing press marks the end of the Middle Ages
• Background on the low levels of literacy before the printing press
• Thesis statement: The invention of the printing press increased circulation of information in Europe, paving the way for the Reformation
• High levels of illiteracy in medieval Europe
• Literacy and thus knowledge and education were mainly the domain of religious and political elites
• Consequence: this discouraged political and religious change
• Invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg
• Implications of the new technology for book production
• Consequence: Rapid spread of the technology and the printing of the Gutenberg Bible
• Trend for translating the Bible into vernacular languages during the years following the printing press’s invention
• Luther’s own translation of the Bible during the Reformation
• Consequence: The large-scale effects the Reformation would have on religion and politics
• Summarize the history described
• Stress the significance of the printing press to the events of this period

Essays with two or more main subjects are often structured around comparing and contrasting . For example, a literary analysis essay might compare two different texts, and an argumentative essay might compare the strengths of different arguments.

There are two main ways of structuring a compare-and-contrast essay: the alternating method, and the block method.

Alternating

In the alternating method, each paragraph compares your subjects in terms of a specific point of comparison. These points of comparison are therefore what defines each paragraph.

The tabs below show a general template for this structure, and a specific example for an essay comparing and contrasting distance learning with traditional classroom learning.

• Synthesis of arguments
• Topical relevance of distance learning in lockdown
• Increasing prevalence of distance learning over the last decade
• Thesis statement: While distance learning has certain advantages, it introduces multiple new accessibility issues that must be addressed for it to be as effective as classroom learning
• Classroom learning: Ease of identifying difficulties and privately discussing them
• Distance learning: Difficulty of noticing and unobtrusively helping
• Classroom learning: Difficulties accessing the classroom (disability, distance travelled from home)
• Distance learning: Difficulties with online work (lack of tech literacy, unreliable connection, distractions)
• Classroom learning: Tends to encourage personal engagement among students and with teacher, more relaxed social environment
• Distance learning: Greater ability to reach out to teacher privately
• Sum up, emphasize that distance learning introduces more difficulties than it solves
• Stress the importance of addressing issues with distance learning as it becomes increasingly common
• Distance learning may prove to be the future, but it still has a long way to go

In the block method, each subject is covered all in one go, potentially across multiple paragraphs. For example, you might write two paragraphs about your first subject and then two about your second subject, making comparisons back to the first.

The tabs again show a general template, followed by another essay on distance learning, this time with the body structured in blocks.

• Point 1 (compare)
• Point 2 (compare)
• Point 3 (compare)
• Point 4 (compare)
• Advantages: Flexibility, accessibility
• Disadvantages: Discomfort, challenges for those with poor internet or tech literacy
• Advantages: Potential for teacher to discuss issues with a student in a separate private call
• Disadvantages: Difficulty of identifying struggling students and aiding them unobtrusively, lack of personal interaction among students
• Advantages: More accessible to those with low tech literacy, equality of all sharing one learning environment
• Disadvantages: Students must live close enough to attend, commutes may vary, classrooms not always accessible for disabled students
• Advantages: Ease of picking up on signs a student is struggling, more personal interaction among students
• Disadvantages: May be harder for students to approach teacher privately in person to raise issues

An essay that concerns a specific problem (practical or theoretical) may be structured according to the problems-methods-solutions approach.

This is just what it sounds like: You define the problem, characterize a method or theory that may solve it, and finally analyze the problem, using this method or theory to arrive at a solution. If the problem is theoretical, the solution might be the analysis you present in the essay itself; otherwise, you might just present a proposed solution.

The tabs below show a template for this structure and an example outline for an essay about the problem of fake news.

• Introduce the problem
• Provide background
• Describe your approach to solving it
• Define the problem precisely
• Describe why it’s important
• Indicate previous approaches to the problem
• Present your new approach, and why it’s better
• Apply the new method or theory to the problem
• Indicate the solution you arrive at by doing so
• Assess (potential or actual) effectiveness of solution
• Describe the implications
• Problem: The growth of “fake news” online
• Prevalence of polarized/conspiracy-focused news sources online
• Thesis statement: Rather than attempting to stamp out online fake news through social media moderation, an effective approach to combating it must work with educational institutions to improve media literacy
• Definition: Deliberate disinformation designed to spread virally online
• Popularization of the term, growth of the phenomenon
• Previous approaches: Labeling and moderation on social media platforms
• Critique: This approach feeds conspiracies; the real solution is to improve media literacy so users can better identify fake news
• Greater emphasis should be placed on media literacy education in schools
• This allows people to assess news sources independently, rather than just being told which ones to trust
• This is a long-term solution but could be highly effective
• It would require significant organization and investment, but would equip people to judge news sources more effectively
• Rather than trying to contain the spread of fake news, we must teach the next generation not to fall for it

Signposting means guiding the reader through your essay with language that describes or hints at the structure of what follows.  It can help you clarify your structure for yourself as well as helping your reader follow your ideas.

The essay overview

In longer essays whose body is split into multiple named sections, the introduction often ends with an overview of the rest of the essay. This gives a brief description of the main idea or argument of each section.

The overview allows the reader to immediately understand what will be covered in the essay and in what order. Though it describes what  comes later in the text, it is generally written in the present tense . The following example is from a literary analysis essay on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

Transitions

Transition words and phrases are used throughout all good essays to link together different ideas. They help guide the reader through your text, and an essay that uses them effectively will be much easier to follow.

Various different relationships can be expressed by transition words, as shown in this example.

Because Hitler failed to respond to the British ultimatum, France and the UK declared war on Germany. Although it was an outcome the Allies had hoped to avoid, they were prepared to back up their ultimatum in order to combat the existential threat posed by the Third Reich.

Transition sentences may be included to transition between different paragraphs or sections of an essay. A good transition sentence moves the reader on to the next topic while indicating how it relates to the previous one.

… Distance learning, then, seems to improve accessibility in some ways while representing a step backwards in others.

However , considering the issue of personal interaction among students presents a different picture.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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• College Essay Format & Structure
• Comparing and Contrasting in an Essay

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The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

An essay isn’t just a loose collection of facts and ideas. Instead, it should be centered on an overarching argument (summarized in your thesis statement ) that every part of the essay relates to.

The way you structure your essay is crucial to presenting your argument coherently. A well-structured essay helps your reader follow the logic of your ideas and understand your overall point.

Comparisons in essays are generally structured in one of two ways:

• The alternating method, where you compare your subjects side by side according to one specific aspect at a time.
• The block method, where you cover each subject separately in its entirety.

It’s also possible to combine both methods, for example by writing a full paragraph on each of your topics and then a final paragraph contrasting the two according to a specific metric.

You should try to follow your outline as you write your essay . However, if your ideas change or it becomes clear that your structure could be better, it’s okay to depart from your essay outline . Just make sure you know why you’re doing so.

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Planning an Argument

An argument mediates among many concerns: the knowledge, interest, opinions and position of the author--as well as that of the audience--and the language, style and organizational expectations of the discipline in which it is based. Each of these concerns is an individual element contributing to the overall context.

Before beginning to construct an argument, it's a good idea to answer a few self-directed questions about these contextual elements. For instance, questions about:

Your Audience

Your issue or topic, your presentation.

What, about the issue or topic, intrigues you the most? Why do you care? Do you already have a position? Are you convinced it is correct? Are you leaning one way or the other or are you undecided? What, about the issue, do you already know? What do you need to find out? What kind of research is involved? What kind of evidence will you need? What makes you credible? What makes you an authority?

Who are they? What side of the issue are they likely to be on? Are you preaching to the choir or is the audience divided? What will convince them to hear you out? Are they sympathetic and trusting or skeptical and full of questions? What does the audience already know about the issue? Are they experts in the field or new to the topic? How much information will they need? What kind of evidence does your audience trust? Do you want to leave them with food for thought or a call to action? In the end, of what do you want to convince them?

What, about your issue or topic, has the discipline already argued to death? What has been left unresolved, open for discussion or further examination? What lines of inquiry are most important or urgent? What information will be considered common knowledge? How far has current research carried the conversation? What kind of evidence has already been presented? Are you adding something brand new to the body of knowledge? A new Perspective? An Answer? A Solution?

How does your academic discipline expect you to state your position? Must you begin with it or can it wait till the end? Must it answer a research question or can you simply take and explore a stance? What kind of introduction is expected? Must you be completely objective? How should you present evidence? What documentation style should you use? What about organization? Are there disciplinary conventions to follow? What are they? Is personal experience acceptable? Are emotional appeals credible? Must you provide a literature review?

As you can see, there's a lot that goes into writing an argument, all of which fit somewhere under the general heading--CONTEXT--meaning the elemental concerns that define an argument's appropriateness and play a part in its construction, contribute to the shaping of its message and affect its meaning.

The importance of examining these elements stems from the fact that individual academic disciplines, having different methods for interpreting and examining the world around them, have different expectations and conventions regarding how research is to be conducted, the findings reported, the arguments written and the sources documented.

What constitutes a viable research question or acceptable evidence in one discipline may be inappropriate in another. In an English class, a question about the human condition might be answered by interpreting the works of Shakespeare. In a psychology class, a case study or a controlled experiment would be more likely.

The tone and style of presentation and its organization are also affected. Consider the following two introductions below for arguments addressing the treatment of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Lower-division courses are a bit more relaxed when it comes to writing for specific disciplinary audiences but, if you are writing for possible publication, or for an upper-division, capstone or graduate course (including theses and dissertations) your audience will expect you to be informed about their conventions.

At eight-thirty it is time for breakfast and Jane is wheeled down to the cafeteria, whereupon she is spoon-fed by yet another unfamiliar face. The meal has been pureed and does not appear very appetizing. Jane begins to cry. Eventually she no longer responds to food and is wheeled back to the nurse's station. While there, she sits next to other residents even though she is completely oblivious of their existence. Once again Jane begins to cry as she mumbles words that do not make any sense.

When the audience is non-academic or in a humanities field, like English or Sociology, which accepts personal experience as a field of knowledge, this is an appropriate introduction, however, it would be a poor one in a scientific field.

Approximately 10% of U.S. Citizens over the age of 65 are affected by Alzheimer Disease (AD). Furthermore, potentially 50% of individuals over the age of 85 may be at risk (Greene, et al. 461). AD is a disease that results in progressive deterioration of mental and, eventually, physical functions. Scaled according to the Global Deterioration Scale, this progressive decline ranges from 1 to 7 with 1 corresponding to normal traits, 4 to moderate, such as inability to perform complex tasks, and 7 to severe deterioration characterized by loss of verbal abilities, psychomotor skills such as walking or sitting, bowel and bladder continence, and the ability to smile and feed oneself (Bennett 95; Greene, et al. 464).

This is a good introduction when the audience is part of an academic field that values objectivity, criteria-based definitions and analytical diagnosis. It would be a poor introduction in a humanities field.

Analyzing Context

The best way to analyze the context of an argument is by subdividing the task and examining it from different contextual perspectives: writer, audience, issue or topic, and language style. At the end of your examination you will be better informed and better able to pick and argue a position within the conventions of the discipline to which you belong.

That's you. What do you want to say? What can you say? How much of a role do you want your opinion to play in the argument you are writing? How much is allowed? What position are you taking? What's your point? These are all serious questions. To help define the context of the writer, consider the following:

Your Personal Interest

Your personal interest in the issue at hand is a key factor in building a successful argument. It's hard enough to invest time and energy in this type of thing, but try it when you're not interested. Pick something about which you have strong feelings or in which you believe deeply: something that you care about.

Your audience will notice and it will make all the difference. Their perception of your personal commitment will reflect directly on how well they receive your argument. If you're not invested, it will be apparent in your writing and the audience will pick up on it right away.

Your Authority to Speak

Your authority to speak is always a concern. Besides your level of interest, the level of your authority must be evident. Lacking a strong persona, or voice, seriously undermines the power of any argument. As a student, you will naturally lack the authority bestowed by simple name recognition, such as that of Stephen King to speak about writing in the horror genre, for instance; however, there are ways to establish your credibility and right to speak.

Doing your homework is number one. Show that your argument is well researched. Draw on respected texts within your disciplines existing conversation and present viable, verifiable evidence to back up your claim. Take into account opposing points of view, comparing and contrasting them with your own. And finally, respect the conventions of your discipline.

Your Ethical Obligations

Your ethical obligations may seem most relevant when writing in an opinionated, first person, voice, yet they apply just as much-if not more so-when the author's voice is not so apparent.

In the absence of a strong authorial "I" voice, an objectively written argument can easily lead an audience to conclude that the statements made are true and generalizable when, in fact, they may be anything but: they may merely be the opinion of one person. And that's the problem: One person's opinion does not an argument make.

A deliberately skewed portrayal of a sitting president's actions, for instance, may not break any ethical rules on the Rush Limbaugh Show or the O'Reilly Factor, but it's a different story when delivered, or portrayed, as true on the NBC Nightly News. A talk show is not a news show and different ethical obligations apply.

In all situations, the onus, or obligation, to be forthright and clear lies squarely on the author's shoulders: The audience requires it, deserves it and will expect nothing less.

Key Ethical Expectations

Key ethical expectations of all academic writers include:

• A respect for previous research: if you disagree, don't dismiss it out of hand; take it seriously and analyze it carefully.
• A respect for your opposition: the type of name calling prevalent in political rhetoric, radio and TV talk shows is unethical and rude.
• A respect for research methodologies and a thorough job adhering to procedures: No sins of omission, if it's relevant, it gets included.
• A respect for the intellectual property of others: the presumption that all ideas offered up as original are the author's own.
• A respect for discipline-appropriate styles: generally a reasonable and logical delivery rather than an emotional or angry one.
• A respect for accurate reporting: no tweaking the numbers or leaving out mistakes or errors when methodologies were applied.

The Audience

Who are they? What do you know about them and what do you need to find out? What do they already know about the issue, topic or point? Of what do you need to inform them? These are all serious considerations.

How Much Does Your Audience Know?

How much does your audience know? Good question. It depends on who they are and the relationship they have to the material out of which your argument is going to be built. It also depends on whether they are professionals or novices. As a student, you can safely assume that your instructor, a professional who knows more than you, is your primary audience.

You may also find that your instructor has assigned another audience-one that you must create in your own mind-ranging anywhere from the specific to the general. If so, you will have to find out how much latitude you are permitted in creating that audience and the amount of credit you are permitted to extend regarding what and how much they know.

Depending on the goal of the assignment, you will likely be expected to prove 1) that you understand the in-class, course material, and 2) that you have the ability to move beyond and build an argument incorporating outside material.

Unless otherwise indicated, neither your instructor nor your created audience will need detailed explanations of information revealed in the course material, however, both will require a careful explanation of anything brought to your argument through outside materials.

When in doubt of your audience, query your instructor. Some will make a designation (e.g., imagine writing an architectural design critique for the Sunday Supplement to the Denver Post), others will not. And finally, analyze the actual assignment for clues, as in the examples below.

Can You Emotionally Position the Audience?

Another good question: It's a difficult concept involving the projection of feelings and thoughts into an argument that you want the audience to hold and share. Although you have some control over how they react by the way in which you write, you may not go so far as to break disciplinary norms.

Certain academic fields consider emotionally positioning the audience to be poor writing; others consider it very strong and persuasive. Here are a few ways in which to do it when it the circumstances are acceptable:

• In your introduction, frame the issue in such a way that the readers are incited to be emotionally involved, sympathetic to the plight or issue you're discussing.
• Demonstrate the consequences of the issue in such a way that your readers are convinced of its significance for the profession, for society, etc.
• Discuss your personal investment in the issue so that your readers see a real person behind the writing.

What Kind of Evidence Will Your Audience Accept?

This is a question of authority and credibility and the answer hinges directly on the identity of your audience. Who are they? What do they expect? The power of your argument will be severely undercut if you misdiagnose and provide personal experience as evidence to an audience expecting findings from a carefully controlled research experiment. Here are a few general guidelines to follow:

• Unless your assignment specifically asks for all original research, previously published work is always acceptable.
• Unless asked to write specifically for a public audience, popular journals and magazines are rarely acceptable.
• Unless you acknowledge political or disciplinary bias, etc., extremely one-sided sources are unacceptable. Once bias is pointed out, your reasons for inclusion should be obvious.

Why Should Your Audience Listen to You?

What's in it for them? This goes to the heart of the matter: Your goal. What purpose does your argument serve? More often than not, your assignment will make this clear: a call to action, for instance, or validating a solution.

• In English you might argue for the audience to accept a specific textual interpretation as only one among many.
• In psychology, you might argue for an audience to conclude that a specific solution is better than all other solutions.
• In philosophy, you might simply argue the need for an audience to further explore or discuss a disciplinary question.
• In political science, you might argue for the audience to take a particular action on a policy issue.

If your assignment is not clear, turn to other published works to see what goals and purposes previous arguments in your discipline have historically served and how the authors went about constructing them.

All semester we have looked at various theories of how adolescents develop. In this paper, position yourself among them by creating your own theory of adolescent development. You may either agree with one theory or combine different aspects of all or some of the others. Make sure your theory is well supported by the course texts.

From this assignment several things can be assumed.

• Your audience is familiar with the available theories of adolescent development.
• Despite familiarity, your audience expects you to summarize relevant aspects of the theories upon which you draw.
• Your audience doesn't expect you to argue for why a theory of adolescent development is needed; the assignment assumes that as a shared premise.

What environmental policies has your state implemented? Investigate and decide whether or not you think the actions taken were sufficient. Write an argument defending your point of view using the criteria for evaluating policy we've discussed in class. (Taken, in part, from Writing in the Disciplines . Third Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1995: 33)

• Your professor is probably familiar with state environmental policy; however, the audience you created is probably not.
• Your audience is familiar with policy evaluation criteria; as a result, you do not need to define or justify the criteria, just apply them.

Since the publication of Henry James' Turn of the Screw over 100 years ago, critics have argued about whether the ghosts in the story are real or psychological manifestations of the governess' psyche. Take a position on either side of this issue and defend it with specific references to the story.

• Since the text was taught in the course, your audience is familiar with the issue and needs little characterization of why this is a debate.
• Your created audience is familiar with the text in terms of the plot but, since the assignment asks for textual support, it can't be assumed they know or remember specific scenes or passages.

The Issue or Topic

What is it? What makes it so important? What disagreements are there in its regard? How many sides are there? What makes an issue or topic acceptable? What grounds do you have for building an argument? Can you argue about anything, so long as it is in some way related to the coursework? All good questions: to help define the context of the issue or topic, consider the following.

Notes & Class Discussions

Notes & class discussions will reveal a great deal about what's important in your discipline or field of inquiry. What are the burning questions? What has your instructor explored in lectures and class discussions? What have you been asked to think about most often? Chances are these are the current questions in which the professionals in your field are most interested.

Library Research

Library research will turn up specialized professional articles not meant for the general public. Ask your professor for journal recommendations and look closely at the introductions, searching for position statements. What issues do the writers take on? What are their positions? Although you probably aren't expected to be quite so extensive, these articles can give you a good idea about what matters and what some of the acceptable questions are regarding your issue or topic.

Asking Your Instructor

Asking your instructor will unearth examples of the issues and topics former students have explored and argued about in previous years. Ask to see their papers--particularly "A" grade papers--and look for what turned them into convincing arguments. Take advantage of regularly posted office hours to visit and discuss the ideas about which you are most interested. If you can, talk to fellow students who have already taken the class and ask to see their papers; pay attention to the margin comments for what impacted or impressed the instructor most.

Note: Be especially aware that-just as much as books and journal articles-another student's work is considered an outside source and, if referenced or quoted in any way, must be documented according to the conventions of your discipline. Avoiding plagiarism is of the utmost importance.

Issue or Topic Examples

Issue or topic examples in which to build an argument for a Vietnam War-Era Literature class follow, along with explanations about what makes them acceptable or not.

Issue Example: Whether the United States should have been involved in Vietnam.

Unacceptable: In a literature class, issues have to be focused on literary texts. If a relevant question arose in the text itself, then the context of this issue fits and an argument can be made, otherwise, it's more appropriate for political science or history.

Topic Example: How the music of the 1960's represents the same issues as three Vietnam War-era novels.

Acceptable: Yes, though not perfect. Although there is a focus on literary texts, it seems contextually weighted on the music side. A better topic would be how music reflected the literature of the Vietnam War era.

Issue Example: Why previous critics' interpretation of a given Vietnam War-era novel is wrong, and what the correct interpretation is.

Acceptable: Arguing about matters of interpretation is one of the central issues in literary studies.

Issue Example: A certain Vietnam War-era novel is great literature because it made the best-seller list back then and everyone you've talked to from that time loved it.

Unacceptable: Although issues of popularity may work their way into literary analyses, an argument based on that alone lacks credible evidence. It is both insubstantial and unsustainable.

Language Style

How formal should you be? Is speaking in the first person acceptable? What are the textual conventions of your discipline? Are there any field-specific language expectations? More good questions and tough to answer: Despite how pervasively they affect everything in a given text, language-also known as text conventions-are difficult to generalize about since they involve matters of tone, style, organization and even, sometimes, sentence structure.

Although we all have our own personal style, we can't always write like we speak or in the way we feel most comfortable or in emulation of another. William Faulkner's style, for example, although admired by many, would sound absurd in a scientific article.

"Faulkner does Science" : As the wisteria blooms over the Southern mansion where his father was born and from where his grandfather left to fight in the Civil War, I sit and write of chaos theory, an apt metaphor for much of what occurs in Yaknopitopwa County--the butterfly effect describing almost perfectly the confluence of history on the lives of everyday citizens in the present.

The best way to get a sense of what is expected is to read and analyze the writings of one or more professionals already publishing in the field of your study.

Note: One thing that can be generalized--addressing the audience in a casual, familiar manner, such as "you may think" or "as you may already know" is considered bad form in almost every academic argument. If you are unsure about this, ask your instructor.

Analyzing Assignments

Although most academic writing is argumentative-particularly published writing-it may not be your professor's intention. Many times, the goal of an assignment is to prove that you understand a concept or material discussed either in class or through your own research.

Analyzing an assignment is your first priority; it will help you determine whether an argument is being called for or not and, if so, what type.

Is It an Argument?

Answers to some basic questions regarding an assignment will help you determine whether an argument is being called for not. Look for the following:

• Are you being asked to take a position or state an opinion, support it with evidence and convince others of its viability or correctness?
• Is the topic debatable? Are there multiple answers, interpretations, solutions, or stances that could be taken?
• Are you being asked to include a call to action: recommend a change in policy or methodology, plead for further research or request that an end be put to a specific debate?

If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, your professor expects you to construct an argument. With that in mind, here's a list of keyword phrases to look for that will also help you make this determination.

• Take a position
• State and explain your opinion
• Argue for or against
• Defend your interpretation
• Defend your solution
• Provide a solution
• Convince others
• Propose an action for others to take
• Do you agree? Why or why not?

If it's An Argument, What Type is it?

There are three basic types of arguments- Persuasive, Defensive, and Offensive-out of which extended versions can be constructed by combining various elements from each. Although they have different goals, each type has two common requirements: a clearly stated position, or claim, and authoritative evidence that an audience will find acceptable.

Knowing which type of argument to write depends a great deal on how you assess your audience and what your instructor asks for in the assignment. Here is a brief overview of each type and some hints about what to look for in the assignment.

Persuasive arguments are geared toward uninformed and under-informed audiences who have either vague ideas, or none at all, on an issue. With a strong enough argument they may be persuaded to your way of thinking.

To identify this type of argument, look for keywords in the assignment that asks you to define an issue and persuade or convince others that your stated position is valid.

Defensive arguments are geared toward informed audiences that are familiar with an issue and comprehend that you are taking a position in its regard. They do not need an argument that raises the issue; rather, they need one that clearly supports your position.

To identify this type of argument, look for keyword phrases in the assignment that ask you to "state an opinion," "take or defend a position," or "support a claim."

Offensive arguments are geared toward informed audiences who are fence-sitting on an issue or opposed to your point of view entirely and need a heavy-hitting offense to convince them otherwise. They will expect to hear strong refutations, or rebuttal, of other arguments.

To identify this type of argument, look for two-sided, keyword phrases in the assignment that invite you to "agree or disagree," phrases that set up clear options or stances on an issue or ask you to investigate or explore opposing viewpoints.

Note: Offensive and persuasive arguments are often combined and the distinction is not often made in the actual assignment.

Practice Analyzing Assignments

Assignment one.

In discussing hypothetical dilemmas, how effective are case studies in preparing you for the pressures of an actual dilemma in the workplace? Develop your answer into an argument synthesis that draws on three or more cases in this chapter. If possible, refer to actual ethical dilemmas with which you've struggled in your own work. (Behrens and Rosen, 815)

Is this assignment asking for an argument?

You answered no.

Oops! Try again.

You answered yes.

You are correct. The assignment asks you to take a position on an issue-the effectiveness of case study learning-and defend it with evidence from personal experience and course work.

Assignment Two

Write a narrative of your past experiences reading and writing in school. Use these stories to analyze what function literacy education serves. Be sure to consider the explanations we've discussed in class of literacy's functions: to prepare you for the workplace, to teach you not to question the status quo, to prepare you to take part in a democracy, etc.

You are correct. Although you are asked to take a position on literacy education, this position is simply the conclusion to an analysis. You are not asked to argue for why this position is valid or to justify your conclusion.

Assignment Three

What policies has your state implemented to address an environmental issue about which you are particularly concerned? Investigate this and decide whether or not the actions taken are sufficient. Defend your point of view and offer up an alternative solution. (Taken in part from Writing in the Disciplines . Third Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1995: 33)

You are correct. Although much of this assignment suggests a research paper without a position, the key word "defend" makes clear that a supported argument for your answer is expected.

Assignment Four

All semester we have looked at various theories of how adolescents develop. In this paper, position yourself among these theories, either agreeing with one or combining different aspects of others, and creating a theory of your own. Make sure your theory of adolescent development is well supported by the course texts.

You are correct. Although you are not asked to take a for/against stance, the words "position yourself" and "well supported" suggest an argument in which you clarify, illustrate, and justify your theory to others.

Practice Identifying Argument Types

Argument type one.

During World War II, press photographers were censored and not allowed to show the full horror of dismembered bodies and other such battle results. During the Korean and Vietnam conflicts such censorship was not in place. After investigating the issue, argue for the policy you favor. (Taken from Writing in the Disciplines . Third Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1995: 32)

What type of argument is this?

• Position Statement
• Persuading the reader to take action or find opinion valid
• Arguing a clear side of a debatable issue

Correct! Although the assignment asks for an "investigation" of the issue which might suggest persuading the reader to take action or find opinion valid, it clearly sets up a context in which only two sides of the debate are possible: to censor or not to censor. Further, it suggests an audience that is aware of the two sides since they are summarized in the assignment.

• Some combination of position statement and persuading the reader to take action or find opinion valid
• Some combination of persuading the reader to take action or find opinion valid and arguing a clear side of a debatable issue

Argument Type Two

Correct! This assignment clearly uses words like "position" as well as implying that your audience expects a theory of adolescent development. It doesn't need you to justify such theories as a viable issue to take on a position.

Argument Type Three

Consider three important decisions Lincoln made during the Civil War and present an argument explaining why you think those decisions did or did not unnecessarily prolong the war. (Taken from Writing in the Disciplines . Third Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1995: 32)

Correct! Although the assignment asks you to take a clear position on a debatable issue ("arguing a clear side of a debatable issue")--why the decisions did or did not prolong the war--it also gives you options for deciding which decisions are at issue, a persuasive task more like "Persuading the reader to take action or find opinion valid".

Argument Type Four

Recent court cases show that patients and their families are increasingly seeking the right to make their own decisions regarding life-support systems to sustain hopelessly terminal cases. Who should make the decision: patients or their families, a judge, a doctor? After investigating this issue, write an argument explaining your opinion. (Taken from Writing in the Disciplines . Third Edition. Orlando: Harcourt, Brace, and Co., 1995: 33)

Correct! This assignment assumes that the right to die issue has already been decided but that what remains to be argued is who should decide. As such, you have many options and will need to persuade your audience on your opinion rather than argue for or against a stance as in arguing a clear side of a debatable issue

Argument Type Five

Correct! Although the main part of this assignment focuses on defining your own position and explaining it to others, as in "position statement," it also asks that you persuade others to accept an alternative recommendation, a call to action as in "persuading the reader to take action or find opinion valid"

Analyzing the Audience

Whether comprised of one individual or many, an argument is always written to an audience, so it makes little sense to begin without first figuring who the audience is and what they want or expect. This can be done with a little analysis.

As a concept, it sounds pretty simple: Think about who is going to read your argument and why, and then write in a manner that will most help them comprehend the position you are taking. Easier said then done. It turns out that writing-and revising-for a particular audience is much harder than you think. It requires audience awareness and analysis.

The first thing you will need to find out is why the instructor is having you write the paper, and to whom. Sometimes you will be asked to write as if to a larger audience, but for most assignments you will be writing to your professor, an audience of one.

Look at the Assignment

Some are designed to help students learn new information or expand their thinking on an issue. For these, academic conventions are often less important than showing what you've learned or thought about. Other assignments are designed to help students learn what it's like to write within the context of a specific discipline. For these, academic conventions are extremely important.

Does the assignment specify using outside sources? If so, can interviews and field research be included or just library sources? Does the assignment indicate whether you can use personal experience or critical analysis? Most professors who expect to see personal experience or thinking on an issue say so pretty clearly in the assignment sheet.

Do you have to follow a specific format? If so, what are the section headings? These can be used to help identify the kind of material you will need to generate. Does the assignment note specifically the level of formality? Does it, for instance, note that you should write for possible publication in a journal?

Does the assignment specifically note expectations about proofreading? Often, a professor who reminds students about taking care with punctuation and spelling is asking for a more, carefully edited paper.

Look at Samples and Models

Even within the same discipline, professors will have different expectations. For example, in sociology, one might ask you to write mainly about your own experience and reactions. Another might want you to do library or field research and disregard your own experience or attitudes.

Ask your professor to view a sample paper from a prior term or point you in the right direction to find journal examples and other professional publications. You can learn a lot about what is expected by what he or she has accepted in the past or views as a credible source material. Also, if you have written papers for this professor before, look at them again to remind yourself of his or her expectations.

As you look at the samples and models, take note of how various aspects such as outside sources, personal experience and critical analysis, section headings, language constructs and proofreading standards come into play.

Consider Your Academic Discipline

Is your academic discipline itself in transition? Are younger professors doing different kinds of research than those who've been established in their professions for many years? Is the style of their arguments different?

What kinds of methodologies are being used and what does your professor use in his own work? Does he or she expect you to use the same kind of techniques? Has your professor assigned topics like this one for a number of years or is he or she experimenting with a new approach, more open to exploring a wider range of responses?

What kinds of evidence do professionals in your discipline find most convincing? For instance, a philosophy professor might well be convinced by an argument that relies solely on logic without any tangible evidence. On the other hand, an engineering professor might require a mathematical or physical model.

Take the time to brainstorm about what you've learned about the professor to help you meet his or her expectations. You probably know much more than you think and asking questions will help you to remember details about how he or she expects the material to be treated.

Sample Audience Analysis: Example One

Assignment One: Business Ethics 402

(Your essay should be 7-10 pages.)

Notice that there are three key parts to the assignment:

• A question about the effectiveness of case studies.
• An instruction to synthesize information from three sample cases.
• An invitation to include personal, experience-based critical analysis.

Notice also that you have plenty of room-up to ten pages-in which to develop these three elements.

Look at Samples & Models

The assignment doesn't specify format, use of outside sources, or levels of formality and so you might want to ask about those points or look closely at samples to gather more information.

Notice that samples are included in the material that the assignment asks you to review. These can be used as models to help you write about your own experiences. You can frame your experience in much the same way as the case studies using the same kinds of detail in your supporting evidence.

Ask yourself what you know about your professor's approach to the discipline. Does he or she always expect carefully argued positions and claims? How important is it that cases be accurately summarized before referring to them? Will this professor be looking for an argument synthesis that shows how the cases all support one point or will this professor be more interested in seeing how the cases complicate one another?

Sample Audience Analysis: Example Two

Assignment Two: Psychology 100

(Your paper should be about 6 pages.)

The 1969 My Lai massacre in Vietnam was a particularly egregious case of over-obedience to military authority in wartime. Show the connection between this event and Milgram's experiments. [Milgram used his authority as a researcher to convince subjects to administer what they thought were painful, even life-threatening, shocks to uncooperative people.] Note that Milgram himself treated the My Lai massacre in the epilogue to his Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View (1974). (Behrens and Rosen, 384-5).

Notice that you are being asked to show the connection between one person's research work and an historical event. Why: to determine if you have an intellectual understanding of the "over-obedience to authority" issue.

To show the connection you will need the following:

• A definition of egregious over-obedience to authority
• A description and some background information on Milgram's work
• A description and some background information on the My Lai massacre

Notice also that you have only 6 pages with which to work. In order to provide background and describe both Milgram's work and the My Lai massacre, and show the connection between the two, you will need to be succinct and clear.

The assignment doesn't specify format, use of outside sources, or levels of formality and so you might want to ask about those points or look closely at samples to gather more information. Nor does it ask you to include personal experiences or contribute personal analysis, but as you draw the connection you will undoubtedly rely on your understanding of the event and your interpretation of sources.

Ask yourself what you know about your professor's approach to the discipline. Do you already have enough information about Milgram and My Lai? If not, you'll definitely need to do some library work. Notice that the assignment sheet suggests looking at Milgram's 1974 publication, Obedience to Authority: An Experimental View .

Throughout the semester, what other works has your professor mentioned? Has he or she shown a preference for particular kinds of evidence gathering and argument styles? Think carefully about your professor's prior assignments and use your observations to help shape your writing.

Organizing an Argument

Formal methods for organizing and presenting an argument have existed in Western culture since before the time of Aristotle. One of the oldest is still in use today. Organized along the lines of ancient classical rhetoric, it has six parts:

• An Introduction establishing the author as knowledgeable and trustworthy, and the issue as one worthy of debate.
• A Brief Narrative providing context and background.
• A Position Statement containing a thesis or claim and an outline of the reasons that support taking the position.
• The Argument Itself containing the supportive evidence backing each reason the position is being taken
• Refutations that invalidate the opposing arguments
• A Conclusion summarizing the argument and reflecting back on or reiterating key points made in the introduction

Just because it's ancient doesn't mean it's carved in stone, however; there are other ways to organize an argument. Some people begin by writing up everything they are going to include and organizing later; others work out the order for each section ahead of time. Either way, when the time comes, it's probably best to work from an outline.

Organize by Evidentiary Strength

One way to think about organization is in terms of your audience and how they will react to your evidence. List all the evidence that favors your position, and then look at it through their eyes:

• What will they find most persuasive?
• What will they find most authoritative?
• What will they find least debatable?

Rank your evidence from the most persuasive and authoritative to the least. Organize your argument according to these rankings: either begin with the least persuasive and build to the most incontrovertible, or begin with the most persuasive points, getting the audience on your side, and then present the less persuasive as you go along. Try not to end with your least persuasive, however, as it's always a good idea to exit on a strong note, a power point for the audience to remember.

Organize by 'Because' Statements

This is a simple way to outline the essential reasons for taking or defending a position. Make a list of answers that satisfy the question around which your position is focused. For instance, a list of "because" statements for the claim "Grades should be abolished in non-major courses" might look like this:

• because grades encourage students to choose easy courses
• because grades get in the way of learning
• because low grades hurt the chances of getting a good job
• because non-major students shouldn't be held to the same standards as majors

Do you see how easy it will be to turn this list into sections of an argument? Each "because" statement becomes a sub-claim, or section, that can be connected logically to each other. If properly supported, with credible evidence, each can contribute to a persuasive argument with which to convince your audience that your position is the correct one.

Organize by Pros and Cons

Since there are at least two sides to an argument, you can begin by organizing a simple list of pros and cons: all the reasons for, and all the reasons against, the position you are going to argue.

Organize this list from strongest to weakest, for and against. Shuffle them around:

• On the pro side which should go first?
• Should the strongest be at the beginning or the end?
• Where and how should you refute or rebut the cons?
• Do any of the pros counter the cons?

Choose the strongest reasons for your position, the facts which back them up, and the one or two best-known arguments against-those that you know you will need to refute-and start designing the order in which to argue.

Examples of Organizational Structure

Here are some tried and true organizational structures for organizing academic arguments in a pro/con fashion. Examine the models below to see which one best fits the style and conventions of your discipline.

Citation Information

Donna LeCourt, Kate Kiefer, and Peter Connor. (1994-2024). Planning an Argument. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State University. Available at https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/writing/guides/.

Copyright Information

Copyright © 1994-2024 Colorado State University and/or this site's authors, developers, and contributors . Some material displayed on this site is used with permission.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 3 strong argumentative essay examples, analyzed.

General Education

Need to defend your opinion on an issue? Argumentative essays are one of the most popular types of essays you’ll write in school. They combine persuasive arguments with fact-based research, and, when done well, can be powerful tools for making someone agree with your point of view. If you’re struggling to write an argumentative essay or just want to learn more about them, seeing examples can be a big help.

After giving an overview of this type of essay, we provide three argumentative essay examples. After each essay, we explain in-depth how the essay was structured, what worked, and where the essay could be improved. We end with tips for making your own argumentative essay as strong as possible.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses evidence and facts to support the claim it’s making. Its purpose is to persuade the reader to agree with the argument being made.

A good argumentative essay will use facts and evidence to support the argument, rather than just the author’s thoughts and opinions. For example, say you wanted to write an argumentative essay stating that Charleston, SC is a great destination for families. You couldn’t just say that it’s a great place because you took your family there and enjoyed it. For it to be an argumentative essay, you need to have facts and data to support your argument, such as the number of child-friendly attractions in Charleston, special deals you can get with kids, and surveys of people who visited Charleston as a family and enjoyed it. The first argument is based entirely on feelings, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven.

The standard five paragraph format is common, but not required, for argumentative essays. These essays typically follow one of two formats: the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

• The Toulmin model is the most common. It begins with an introduction, follows with a thesis/claim, and gives data and evidence to support that claim. This style of essay also includes rebuttals of counterarguments.
• The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

3 Good Argumentative Essay Examples + Analysis

Below are three examples of argumentative essays, written by yours truly in my school days, as well as analysis of what each did well and where it could be improved.

Argumentative Essay Example 1

Proponents of this idea state that it will save local cities and towns money because libraries are expensive to maintain. They also believe it will encourage more people to read because they won’t have to travel to a library to get a book; they can simply click on what they want to read and read it from wherever they are. They could also access more materials because libraries won’t have to buy physical copies of books; they can simply rent out as many digital copies as they need.

However, it would be a serious mistake to replace libraries with tablets. First, digital books and resources are associated with less learning and more problems than print resources. A study done on tablet vs book reading found that people read 20-30% slower on tablets, retain 20% less information, and understand 10% less of what they read compared to people who read the same information in print. Additionally, staring too long at a screen has been shown to cause numerous health problems, including blurred vision, dizziness, dry eyes, headaches, and eye strain, at much higher instances than reading print does. People who use tablets and mobile devices excessively also have a higher incidence of more serious health issues such as fibromyalgia, shoulder and back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and muscle strain. I know that whenever I read from my e-reader for too long, my eyes begin to feel tired and my neck hurts. We should not add to these problems by giving people, especially young people, more reasons to look at screens.

Second, it is incredibly narrow-minded to assume that the only service libraries offer is book lending. Libraries have a multitude of benefits, and many are only available if the library has a physical location. Some of these benefits include acting as a quiet study space, giving people a way to converse with their neighbors, holding classes on a variety of topics, providing jobs, answering patron questions, and keeping the community connected. One neighborhood found that, after a local library instituted community events such as play times for toddlers and parents, job fairs for teenagers, and meeting spaces for senior citizens, over a third of residents reported feeling more connected to their community. Similarly, a Pew survey conducted in 2015 found that nearly two-thirds of American adults feel that closing their local library would have a major impact on their community. People see libraries as a way to connect with others and get their questions answered, benefits tablets can’t offer nearly as well or as easily.

While replacing libraries with tablets may seem like a simple solution, it would encourage people to spend even more time looking at digital screens, despite the myriad issues surrounding them. It would also end access to many of the benefits of libraries that people have come to rely on. In many areas, libraries are such an important part of the community network that they could never be replaced by a simple object.

The author begins by giving an overview of the counter-argument, then the thesis appears as the first sentence in the third paragraph. The essay then spends the rest of the paper dismantling the counter argument and showing why readers should believe the other side.

What this essay does well:

• Although it’s a bit unusual to have the thesis appear fairly far into the essay, it works because, once the thesis is stated, the rest of the essay focuses on supporting it since the counter-argument has already been discussed earlier in the paper.
• This essay includes numerous facts and cites studies to support its case. By having specific data to rely on, the author’s argument is stronger and readers will be more inclined to agree with it.
• For every argument the other side makes, the author makes sure to refute it and follow up with why her opinion is the stronger one. In order to make a strong argument, it’s important to dismantle the other side, which this essay does this by making the author's view appear stronger.
• This is a shorter paper, and if it needed to be expanded to meet length requirements, it could include more examples and go more into depth with them, such as by explaining specific cases where people benefited from local libraries.
• Additionally, while the paper uses lots of data, the author also mentions their own experience with using tablets. This should be removed since argumentative essays focus on facts and data to support an argument, not the author’s own opinion or experiences. Replacing that with more data on health issues associated with screen time would strengthen the essay.
• Some of the points made aren't completely accurate , particularly the one about digital books being cheaper. It actually often costs a library more money to rent out numerous digital copies of a book compared to buying a single physical copy. Make sure in your own essay you thoroughly research each of the points and rebuttals you make, otherwise you'll look like you don't know the issue that well.

Argumentative Essay Example 2

There are multiple drugs available to treat malaria, and many of them work well and save lives, but malaria eradication programs that focus too much on them and not enough on prevention haven’t seen long-term success in Sub-Saharan Africa. A major program to combat malaria was WHO’s Global Malaria Eradication Programme. Started in 1955, it had a goal of eliminating malaria in Africa within the next ten years. Based upon previously successful programs in Brazil and the United States, the program focused mainly on vector control. This included widely distributing chloroquine and spraying large amounts of DDT. More than one billion dollars was spent trying to abolish malaria. However, the program suffered from many problems and in 1969, WHO was forced to admit that the program had not succeeded in eradicating malaria. The number of people in Sub-Saharan Africa who contracted malaria as well as the number of malaria deaths had actually increased over 10% during the time the program was active.

One of the major reasons for the failure of the project was that it set uniform strategies and policies. By failing to consider variations between governments, geography, and infrastructure, the program was not nearly as successful as it could have been. Sub-Saharan Africa has neither the money nor the infrastructure to support such an elaborate program, and it couldn’t be run the way it was meant to. Most African countries don't have the resources to send all their people to doctors and get shots, nor can they afford to clear wetlands or other malaria prone areas. The continent’s spending per person for eradicating malaria was just a quarter of what Brazil spent. Sub-Saharan Africa simply can’t rely on a plan that requires more money, infrastructure, and expertise than they have to spare.

Additionally, the widespread use of chloroquine has created drug resistant parasites which are now plaguing Sub-Saharan Africa. Because chloroquine was used widely but inconsistently, mosquitoes developed resistance, and chloroquine is now nearly completely ineffective in Sub-Saharan Africa, with over 95% of mosquitoes resistant to it. As a result, newer, more expensive drugs need to be used to prevent and treat malaria, which further drives up the cost of malaria treatment for a region that can ill afford it.

Instead of developing plans to treat malaria after the infection has incurred, programs should focus on preventing infection from occurring in the first place. Not only is this plan cheaper and more effective, reducing the number of people who contract malaria also reduces loss of work/school days which can further bring down the productivity of the region.

One of the cheapest and most effective ways of preventing malaria is to implement insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs).  These nets provide a protective barrier around the person or people using them. While untreated bed nets are still helpful, those treated with insecticides are much more useful because they stop mosquitoes from biting people through the nets, and they help reduce mosquito populations in a community, thus helping people who don’t even own bed nets.  Bed nets are also very effective because most mosquito bites occur while the person is sleeping, so bed nets would be able to drastically reduce the number of transmissions during the night. In fact, transmission of malaria can be reduced by as much as 90% in areas where the use of ITNs is widespread. Because money is so scarce in Sub-Saharan Africa, the low cost is a great benefit and a major reason why the program is so successful. Bed nets cost roughly 2 USD to make, last several years, and can protect two adults. Studies have shown that, for every 100-1000 more nets are being used, one less child dies of malaria. With an estimated 300 million people in Africa not being protected by mosquito nets, there’s the potential to save three million lives by spending just a few dollars per person.

Reducing the number of people who contract malaria would also reduce poverty levels in Africa significantly, thus improving other aspects of society like education levels and the economy. Vector control is more effective than treatment strategies because it means fewer people are getting sick. When fewer people get sick, the working population is stronger as a whole because people are not put out of work from malaria, nor are they caring for sick relatives. Malaria-afflicted families can typically only harvest 40% of the crops that healthy families can harvest. Additionally, a family with members who have malaria spends roughly a quarter of its income treatment, not including the loss of work they also must deal with due to the illness. It’s estimated that malaria costs Africa 12 billion USD in lost income every year. A strong working population creates a stronger economy, which Sub-Saharan Africa is in desperate need of.  

This essay begins with an introduction, which ends with the thesis (that malaria eradication plans in Sub-Saharan Africa should focus on prevention rather than treatment). The first part of the essay lays out why the counter argument (treatment rather than prevention) is not as effective, and the second part of the essay focuses on why prevention of malaria is the better path to take.

• The thesis appears early, is stated clearly, and is supported throughout the rest of the essay. This makes the argument clear for readers to understand and follow throughout the essay.
• There’s lots of solid research in this essay, including specific programs that were conducted and how successful they were, as well as specific data mentioned throughout. This evidence helps strengthen the author’s argument.
• The author makes a case for using expanding bed net use over waiting until malaria occurs and beginning treatment, but not much of a plan is given for how the bed nets would be distributed or how to ensure they’re being used properly. By going more into detail of what she believes should be done, the author would be making a stronger argument.
• The introduction of the essay does a good job of laying out the seriousness of the problem, but the conclusion is short and abrupt. Expanding it into its own paragraph would give the author a final way to convince readers of her side of the argument.

Argumentative Essay Example 3

There are many ways payments could work. They could be in the form of a free-market approach, where athletes are able to earn whatever the market is willing to pay them, it could be a set amount of money per athlete, or student athletes could earn income from endorsements, autographs, and control of their likeness, similar to the way top Olympians earn money.

Proponents of the idea believe that, because college athletes are the ones who are training, participating in games, and bringing in audiences, they should receive some sort of compensation for their work. If there were no college athletes, the NCAA wouldn’t exist, college coaches wouldn’t receive there (sometimes very high) salaries, and brands like Nike couldn’t profit from college sports. In fact, the NCAA brings in roughly $1 billion in revenue a year, but college athletes don’t receive any of that money in the form of a paycheck. Additionally, people who believe college athletes should be paid state that paying college athletes will actually encourage them to remain in college longer and not turn pro as quickly, either by giving them a way to begin earning money in college or requiring them to sign a contract stating they’ll stay at the university for a certain number of years while making an agreed-upon salary.  

Supporters of this idea point to Zion Williamson, the Duke basketball superstar, who, during his freshman year, sustained a serious knee injury. Many argued that, even if he enjoyed playing for Duke, it wasn’t worth risking another injury and ending his professional career before it even began for a program that wasn’t paying him. Williamson seems to have agreed with them and declared his eligibility for the NCAA draft later that year. If he was being paid, he may have stayed at Duke longer. In fact, roughly a third of student athletes surveyed stated that receiving a salary while in college would make them “strongly consider” remaining collegiate athletes longer before turning pro.

Paying athletes could also stop the recruitment scandals that have plagued the NCAA. In 2018, the NCAA stripped the University of Louisville's men's basketball team of its 2013 national championship title because it was discovered coaches were using sex workers to entice recruits to join the team. There have been dozens of other recruitment scandals where college athletes and recruits have been bribed with anything from having their grades changed, to getting free cars, to being straight out bribed. By paying college athletes and putting their salaries out in the open, the NCAA could end the illegal and underhanded ways some schools and coaches try to entice athletes to join.

People who argue against the idea of paying college athletes believe the practice could be disastrous for college sports. By paying athletes, they argue, they’d turn college sports into a bidding war, where only the richest schools could afford top athletes, and the majority of schools would be shut out from developing a talented team (though some argue this already happens because the best players often go to the most established college sports programs, who typically pay their coaches millions of dollars per year). It could also ruin the tight camaraderie of many college teams if players become jealous that certain teammates are making more money than they are.

They also argue that paying college athletes actually means only a small fraction would make significant money. Out of the 350 Division I athletic departments, fewer than a dozen earn any money. Nearly all the money the NCAA makes comes from men’s football and basketball, so paying college athletes would make a small group of men--who likely will be signed to pro teams and begin making millions immediately out of college--rich at the expense of other players.

Those against paying college athletes also believe that the athletes are receiving enough benefits already. The top athletes already receive scholarships that are worth tens of thousands per year, they receive free food/housing/textbooks, have access to top medical care if they are injured, receive top coaching, get travel perks and free gear, and can use their time in college as a way to capture the attention of professional recruiters. No other college students receive anywhere near as much from their schools.

People on this side also point out that, while the NCAA brings in a massive amount of money each year, it is still a non-profit organization. How? Because over 95% of those profits are redistributed to its members’ institutions in the form of scholarships, grants, conferences, support for Division II and Division III teams, and educational programs. Taking away a significant part of that revenue would hurt smaller programs that rely on that money to keep running.

While both sides have good points, it’s clear that the negatives of paying college athletes far outweigh the positives. College athletes spend a significant amount of time and energy playing for their school, but they are compensated for it by the scholarships and perks they receive. Adding a salary to that would result in a college athletic system where only a small handful of athletes (those likely to become millionaires in the professional leagues) are paid by a handful of schools who enter bidding wars to recruit them, while the majority of student athletics and college athletic programs suffer or even shut down for lack of money. Continuing to offer the current level of benefits to student athletes makes it possible for as many people to benefit from and enjoy college sports as possible.

This argumentative essay follows the Rogerian model. It discusses each side, first laying out multiple reasons people believe student athletes should be paid, then discussing reasons why the athletes shouldn’t be paid. It ends by stating that college athletes shouldn’t be paid by arguing that paying them would destroy college athletics programs and cause them to have many of the issues professional sports leagues have.

• Both sides of the argument are well developed, with multiple reasons why people agree with each side. It allows readers to get a full view of the argument and its nuances.
• Certain statements on both sides are directly rebuffed in order to show where the strengths and weaknesses of each side lie and give a more complete and sophisticated look at the argument.
• Using the Rogerian model can be tricky because oftentimes you don’t explicitly state your argument until the end of the paper. Here, the thesis doesn’t appear until the first sentence of the final paragraph. That doesn’t give readers a lot of time to be convinced that your argument is the right one, compared to a paper where the thesis is stated in the beginning and then supported throughout the paper. This paper could be strengthened if the final paragraph was expanded to more fully explain why the author supports the view, or if the paper had made it clearer that paying athletes was the weaker argument throughout.

3 Tips for Writing a Good Argumentative Essay

Now that you’ve seen examples of what good argumentative essay samples look like, follow these three tips when crafting your own essay.

#1: Make Your Thesis Crystal Clear

The thesis is the key to your argumentative essay; if it isn’t clear or readers can’t find it easily, your entire essay will be weak as a result. Always make sure that your thesis statement is easy to find. The typical spot for it is the final sentence of the introduction paragraph, but if it doesn’t fit in that spot for your essay, try to at least put it as the first or last sentence of a different paragraph so it stands out more.

Also make sure that your thesis makes clear what side of the argument you’re on. After you’ve written it, it’s a great idea to show your thesis to a couple different people--classmates are great for this. Just by reading your thesis they should be able to understand what point you’ll be trying to make with the rest of your essay.

#2: Show Why the Other Side Is Weak

When writing your essay, you may be tempted to ignore the other side of the argument and just focus on your side, but don’t do this. The best argumentative essays really tear apart the other side to show why readers shouldn’t believe it. Before you begin writing your essay, research what the other side believes, and what their strongest points are. Then, in your essay, be sure to mention each of these and use evidence to explain why they’re incorrect/weak arguments. That’ll make your essay much more effective than if you only focused on your side of the argument.

#3: Use Evidence to Support Your Side

Remember, an essay can’t be an argumentative essay if it doesn’t support its argument with evidence. For every point you make, make sure you have facts to back it up. Some examples are previous studies done on the topic, surveys of large groups of people, data points, etc. There should be lots of numbers in your argumentative essay that support your side of the argument. This will make your essay much stronger compared to only relying on your own opinions to support your argument.

Summary: Argumentative Essay Sample

Argumentative essays are persuasive essays that use facts and evidence to support their side of the argument. Most argumentative essays follow either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model. By reading good argumentative essay examples, you can learn how to develop your essay and provide enough support to make readers agree with your opinion. When writing your essay, remember to always make your thesis clear, show where the other side is weak, and back up your opinion with data and evidence.

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Do you need to write an argumentative essay as well?  Check out our guide on the best argumentative essay topics for ideas!

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Free Argumentative Essay Generator

State the point to be discussed in your body paragraph

State a supporting point to be discussed in body paragraph

State an opposing point to be discussed in body paragraph

State a similar aspect to be discussed

State a contrasting aspect to be discussed

So, you’ve tried every possible method and technique, but your argumentative essays are still not as good as they should be. What's worse, they take a lot of time to write. Is there a way out?

Yes, there is! With the help of our revolutionary argumentative essay generator, you will boost your creativity and improve the quality of your texts. Use it 100% free of charge to write a perfect argumentative essay!

• ️🚀 How to Use This Tool
• ️💡 Why Use Our Generator?
• ️✍️ What Is an Argumentative Essay?
• ️📚 Essay Structure
• ️🗣️ Types of Arguments
• ️🔥 How to Write
• ️🔗 References

🚀 How to Use Our Argumentative Essay Maker

Our tool is a must-have for all students. Essays that it makes can serve as examples to boost your inspiration. Here’s how to use it effectively:

• Type in your topic.
• Select how many body paragraphs with supporting arguments you want.
• Choose the number of body paragraphs with counterarguments.
• Customize the main body by adjusting the app’s settings (optionally.)
• Press “Generate” and get a fantastic result.

💡 Why Use Our Argumentative Essay Generator?

Our essay maker is one of the best you can get. It's all thanks to its amazing benefits:

✍️ What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is a type of writing where you research a specific subject, state your point of view, and gather evidence. Its aim is to persuade readers to side with your viewpoint.

Assignments for argumentative essays usually require substantial research of literature and previously published material. Additionally, you may need to conduct an empirical investigation . It means that you will gather information through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments.

📚 Argumentative Essay Structure

An argumentative essay has a simple structure. It consists of 3 core parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Let’s take a look at each of them separately.

Introduction

Your essay's introduction will consist of 3 parts:

• Every paper begins with a captivating hook that motivates the audience to read your text thoroughly. It can be a shocking fact, a striking piece of statistics, or a humorous phrase.
• The hook is then followed by a brief review of the topic's background .
• Finally, a thesis statement that encapsulates the main ideas and sets the objectives for the entire essay.

An argumentative essay usually includes 3 or more body paragraphs that provide supporting or opposing arguments for the chosen topic. There, you usually list examples, evidence, statistics, studies, and citations to strengthen your position. Each paragraph starts with a short topic sentence summarizing its main argument.

A conclusion wraps up the entire assignment and links all the elements together. It aims to give a general overview of the whole essay and give it closure. A well-written conclusion appeals to the reader's emotions and effectively explains why it was essential to analyze the chosen topic in the first place.

🗣️ Types of Arguments

Good argumentation is the secret of a good essay. Even the greatest ideas will sink into the air if not supported by convincing facts. To help you with this task, we present to you 3 most popular argumentation techniques. Choose the one that suits you most!

Classic (Aristotelian)

Let's start with a default framework, also known as Aristotelian . It uses reasoning in combination with logical facts. You can apply it to almost any concept except those that haven’t been researched enough. Aristotelian argumentation is perfect for narrow and straightforward topics.

It has the following structure:

• A brief description of the topic.
• A paragraph that explains your viewpoint.
• A section that describes the opposing idea.
• A presentation of proof that supports your position.

The Toulmin technique works best for unraveling complex issues that can be viewed from many angles. It has 7 primary sections that you can rearrange in any way that works best for your essay:

• A concise statement of your viewpoint.
• Several paragraphs that include supporting proof, such as statistics or scientific facts.
• A paragraph that explains the relationship between your claim and evidence.
• Additional findings to back up your assertion.
• A review of opposing viewpoints.

Note that if you choose the Toulmin approach, your arguments should be used only to refute another claim. So, instead of researching a topic, your Toulmin essay will solely aim at disproving an opposing viewpoint.

The Rogerian technique is somewhere between Aristotelian and Toulmin. If you use it, you accept the legitimacy of both your and the opposition's stance. It's the least aggressive and most courteous approach, which aids in persuading skeptical readers.

It is structured in five steps as follows:

• A description of the topic.
• A paragraph about your opponent’s ideas.
• A section about your viewpoint.
• A proposition of compromise that allows both points of view to coexist.
• A conclusion.

🔥 How to Write an Argumentative Essay

Writing an argumentative essay may initially seem complicated, but knowing the specifics makes it much easier. Here you’ll find a small step-by-step guide that will help you ace your task.

1. Answer the Question from the Topic

An argumentative essay requires you to present a clear opinion. To do it, you can ask yourself a major topic-oriented question. Then, develop your thesis statement as a response to that question. For instance, your question may be, "What is the best drink?" Then your thesis will say: the best drink is pineapple juice.

This technique simplifies the writing process because you’ve chosen a position from the start and won’t have to formulate your opinion later in the main body.

2. State Why the Opposing Argument Is Wrong

To effectively defeat opposing viewpoints , try stating your objections right away. For example, "Some people believe that apple juice is the best, but not everyone supports this opinion. Compared to apple's sour taste, pineapple juice offers a much more balanced flavor that combines sweet and sour." This approach works well since it backs up your point of view with proof and doesn’t allow your opponent to win.

3. Outline Your Main Points

It’s vital to support each claim you make with facts. To do it, make sure to find enough adequate evidence that can serve as key assertions. It’s best if you select the strongest of them and write them down in an outline. To strengthen your claims even further, don't hesitate to make a list of references and citations from different sources.

4. Write a Draft

It's now time to start writing the first draft of your argumentative essay. All you have to do at this stage is to collect all the parts of your outline together. Ensure a logical flow between paragraphs, and use transitional words to connect your ideas.

Additionally, you may use our argumentative essay generator to create a perfect draft that can serve as a basis for your essay. You can then edit and improve it as you see fit.

5. Edit and Proofread

After the draft is complete, you can start polishing and proofreading it. This time, try to locate and resolve all the grammatical and logical mistakes . Look for areas of your essay that can be clarified or arguments that lack persuasiveness.

Finally, when you feel like your essay is perfect, you can call it a day. Until then, try not to hurry and be sure to revise everything carefully.

As you can see, there is nothing impossible about writing an argumentative essay, especially if you have great AI helpers like our free generator. Try it now and see how the quality of your papers goes through the roof!

We also recommend trying out our business tools such as SOAR analysis matrix and STP template .

❓ Argumentative Essay Generator FAQ

❓ what are the 5 parts of an argumentative essay.

The 5 parts of an argumentative essay include an introduction with a hook, background information on your chosen topic, a thesis statement, body paragraphs with an argument for or against your point of view, and a conclusion.

❓ What is the purpose of an argumentative essay?

A compelling argumentative essay aims to state a specific point of view regarding the chosen topic. To do it, you can use different arguments, evidence, and other proof. Aside from that, an argumentative essay also aims to disprove the opposing viewpoint.

❓ How to start the prewriting process for an argumentative essay?

The first step in prewriting the argumentative essay is to research and gather evidence and facts to support your thesis. Also, sometimes you might have to do empirical research. It means gathering information through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments.

❓ In an argumentative essay, what tone should the author use?

The tone of an argumentative essay should be persuasive and authoritative. Persuasiveness means that you convince the reader that your position is correct and the opposing view is wrong. An authoritative tone will further demonstrate your expertise. Try to strike a balance in tone, and you'll succeed.

🔗 References

• Argumentative Essay/Commentary: The University of Toledo
• How to Write a Good Argumentative Essay: Easy Step-by-Step Guide: Masterclass
• How to Write a Standout Argumentative Essay: Grammarly
• Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays: University of California Berkeley
• Tips for Organizing an Argumentative Essay: Valparaiso University

Argumentative Essay Assistant

Ai-powered tool for enhancing argumentative essays.

• Academic Essays: Structure and enhance your argumentative essays for school or university.
• Debate Preparation: Prepare for debates by structuring your arguments and counterarguments in a clear and persuasive manner.
• Research Proposals: Present your research arguments in a compelling and structured way to persuade your audience of the value of your research.
• Opinion Pieces: Write persuasive op-eds or blog posts on a topic you feel strongly about.

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Writing style mimic, perspective diversifier, teenspeak topic explainer.

Free Essay Outline Generator

Need to quickly outline an argumentative essay or a research paper? Try out this free essay outline generator!

Are you a college student struggling to compose a well-organized essay, yet your deadline is approaching fast?

Our essay outline generator is here to help you save time and avoid stress by creating a structure for whatever kind of essay you’re writing. This AI-powered essay outline-making tool employs cutting-edge Natural Language Processing (NLP) technologies to swiftly and accurately comprehend complicated themes. So, you don’t need to worry about grammatical or spelling issues when preparing outlines for papers or articles.

• 🔢 How to Use It?
• 🤩 The Tool’s 5 Benefits
• 📝 What Is an Essay Outline?
• ✍️ How to Write an Outline

🔎 References

🔢 essay outline generator: how to use it.

To generate an essay outline, you’ll need to take the following steps:

• Choose the genre of your assignment . Is it an essay, research paper, literature review, or proposal?
• Choose the type of the text . Do you need an informative, analytical, persuasive, or argumentative paper?
• Indicate the number of paragraphs . That’s an optional step.
• Add the topic . Please note that it should not be too long or too short.

🤩 Essay Outline Generator: the 5 Benefits

Using our outline generator is easy and beneficial for students.

Here are the parameters you’re sure to like:

📝 What Is an Essay Outline & Why Is It Important?

An essay outline is a technique of organizing the structure and flow of your essay before you begin writing the text itself. You should outline any essay, no matter which type you need: argumentative , comparative , narrative , or other.

Outlining highlights each section’s content, the paragraphs’ sequence , and the relationship between various arguments. Though you may only sometimes be required to make an outline before drafting the essay, doing so can help you plan your thoughts and ensure that you cover all the basics.

Let’s review 5 advantages of an essay outline.

Enhanced Focus

An outline gathers and emphasizes all of your ideas to determine if you’ve adhered to your main point or veered off course. In essence, it helps you maintain concentration and prevents you from wandering off into unrelated topics’ discussion.

Seamless Transitions

If you organize your thoughts logically, your writing will flow more smoothly , and the topic sentences in the body paragraphs of your essay will have more impact. You may check your transitions and the logic of your material with a well-planned outline.

Effective Information Sequence

Presenting your strongest point first is better. Your outline will help you determine whether you have presented your information in the most effective sequence .

Conciseness

An essay outline allows for achieving one of the most important writing goals: conciseness . Maintaining simplicity and brevity will help the reader understand your message rather than burying it beneath a sea of superfluous words and off-topic discussion points.

Better Organization

An outline is fundamentally a tool of organization . Have you said everything you intended to? Did you use a logical approach to your argument? Is your argument convincing? It’s still crucial to plan your strategy for the essay, even if you’re not writing to prove or debate a specific point.

✍️ How to Write an Essay Outline

Here are a few pointers on developing an outline for your essay.

Step #1 Understand the Requirements

Before beginning to write the outline, please read the assignment instructions thoroughly .

Ensure you understand:

• The style of the essay you should write
• The number of citations required
• The required length

Ask yourself:

What’s the goal of my essay?

Do I intend to inform, convince, or merely entertain the readers? Depending on the objective, you will know which thesis to consider, which writing techniques to employ, and how to conceptualize research in the article.

Step #2: Formulate Your Thesis Statement

Establish your thesis statement to determine which topic sentences to outline in your essay .

The thesis statements must:

• Be debatable
• Contain sufficient details to captivate readers

Once you have a thesis prepared , you may begin organizing your essay. Please note that the outline is not an initial stage of work. You should already have a clear idea of your essay by the time you are creating an outline.

Step #3: Brainstorm

Brainstorming involves writing down as many concepts as possible without limiting yourself or critiquing any of them. You can generate ideas and arguments confirming your thesis during brainstorming or, vice versa, choose opposing points.

Step #4: Select the Best Points

Now that you came up with ideas for the essay, it’s time to review your planning notes and choose the ideas that will help you reach your essay’s purpose.

How does this prove my point?

Do that for each piece of information you have written down. If you have a concise, well-thought-out response to that query, consider including it on your list of essay topics.

Step #5: Structure the Body

Using the compiled perspectives you created, determine the most significant points you will present in your essay. These will be the parts of your essay’s body. List the facts, anecdotes, and statistics that corroborate these claims.

There should be only one idea per paragraph, and each of them should be connected with your thesis statement.

Step #6: Write Your Outline

Now that you fully understand your main claims and supporting evidence, it’s time to compose your outline.

Format your essential points into a concise, well-organized framework using a template for the style of essay you’re writing. You’ll fill in the blanks with information when you write your first draft.

👀 Essay Outline Examples

In this section, you’ll find outline examples for various essay types. Note that these are 5-paragraph essay outlines.

Argumentative Essay Outline

Here is an illustration of an argumentative essay outline that a college student can use:

• Title : Almond Milk Is Better Than Soy Milk
• Introduction : Discuss the distinctions between soy and almond milk and their respective levels of popularity.
• Thesis : Almond milk is a more nutritious, flavorful, and sweeter alternative to soy milk.
• Compare the typical calories in a serving of soy milk with almond milk.
• Cite how almond milk is more easily included in consumers’ daily calorie allowances.
• Compare the advantages of consuming vegan versus items made from animals.
• Describe how almond and soy milk’s vegan status makes them available to vegans and non-vegans and a better, more environmentally friendly option for everyone.
• The product is easier to find than soy milk due to the availability of almonds and how much milk they produce with every squeeze.
• Tell stories of people who have dairy allergies and the health issues they cause.
• Conclusion : Explain why almond milk is preferable to soy milk again, and include any supporting arguments.

Expository Essay Outline

Here is an illustration of an expository essay for a middle school student.

• Title : My Favorite Pet
• Introduction : Describe your favorite animal and your feelings towards the pet. Provide background on the pet and some interesting features about it.
• Thesis : My dog, Coco, is my best friend.
• Compare the dog to other pets you have encountered.
• Describe how the dog’s breed, color, favorite snack, and why you chose the name for the dog.
• Tell stories about your dog’s hobbies and your best memories together.
• Conclusion : Explain why you love your dog and how you plan to care for your furry best friend.

Personal Essay Outline

Here is a sample of an essay outline for a personal essay suitable for high school students:

• Title : The Two Best Birthdays in My Life
• Introduction : Describe your feelings around birthdays and how you prefer commemorating yours.
• Thesis : My 16 th and 17 th birthdays were the two happiest days of my life.
• I obtained a driver’s permit on my sixteenth birthday, and my closest pals and I went to our first live music concert.
• I still have my armband and ticket voucher from the event.
• I initially believed that everyone didn’t remember my birthday. I was inconsolable.
• Then, as a pleasant surprise, my family drove six hours to pick me up and take me to the art exhibition I had been dying to see.
• Conclusion : The reasons mentioned above made my 16 th and 17 th birthdays very special.

Thank you for reading this article! If you wish to continue working on the sample, check out our essay generator to get a full-scale paper example.

❓ Essay Outline Generator FAQ

❓ what is an essay outline.

An essay’s outline is used as the paper’s basic framework. It’s a written version of an essay’s main idea and most important supporting points. Whenever you are working on an essay, creating one is a good idea to help you build a supporting structure for further writing stages.

❓ How to make an essay outline?

You should formulate the essay’s main point that will lay the basis for your essay’s thesis statement. Then apply brainstorming to generate supporting arguments and find academic sources that expand those points and help you build solid, coherent content.

❓ What elements are required in an outline for an argumentative essay?

The standard format for an argumentative essay consists of an introduction, a thesis statement, supporting evidence, counterarguments, and a conclusion. You should insert that data in the argumentative essay outline generator to get high-quality results.

❓ How does an essay outline generator work?

An outline generator for essays is an online, AI-powered tool that helps students organize their essay ideas orderly. The essay outline builder uses complex AI models to research, paraphrase information, create relevant outlines, and guarantee that its content is authentic, interesting, and related to the topic.

• How to Write an Outline in 5 Steps, with Examples
• Types of Outlines and Samples - Purdue OWL
• Why and How to Create a Useful Outline - Purdue OWL
• Creating an Outline
• Outlining | - Harvard College Writing Center

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Persuasion Map

About this printout

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Teaching with this printout

More ideas to try, related resources.

Examples of persuasion surround our lives, and the ability to persuade others is a powerful asset. We can persuade people to act in our favor, help them to see our point of view, and sway their opinion to that of our own. The power of persuasion is far reaching, and it is a technique that students will use throughout their lives. This tool helps students formulate ideas for a persuasive argument by helping them determine their goal or thesis, identify three reasons to support it (with three facts or examples to support each reason), and restate the thesis in a conclusion statement. Before your students use this tool independently, model its use for them. Choose a simple topic (such as, “Sixth Grade is the Best Grade” or “Why Our Lunch Period Should be Longer”). Then, fill in the Persuasion Map while discussing the process  aloud, displaying the tool so that all students can see it. Review students’ completed maps prior to having them continue with the persuasion assignment. This will provide you with an opportunity to check students’ understanding of persuasion and help those who need extra instruction.

• Have students analyze a persuasive piece (for example, an advertisement or editorial in a newspaper or magazine) by filling in the map and discussing the authors’ strategies of persuasion.
• Encourage older students to create propaganda-based assignments by having them incorporate deceptive language in some of the “reasons” or “examples” on their maps. (Propaganda is a form of persuasion that uses deceptive language to exaggerate, distort, or conceal information.) Upon completion, have students read their maps orally and/or display them for their peers. Have students identify the deceptive language in their peers’ maps to create a class list of the examples used. As an additional follow-up, students can view and read advertisements, newspaper editorials, and other text that contain propaganda to search for use of the examples on the class list and to add additional ones.
• Have students complete two maps based on the same goal but with two different targeted audiences in mind. Attention to audience is an essential element of effective persuasion. For example, students might create maps to market a particular children’s toy; one map could target children as the audience, and the other could focus on parents as the audience. After they have completed their maps, have students read them to the class without identifying the intended audience. Ask the rest of the class to determine the intended audience and identify the specific clues that prompted their deductions. Finally, as a class, compare and contrast the language and words used for each intended audience.
• Lesson Plans
• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides

Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

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Essay Planner template

Helpful for Education Idea Generation Mind Mapping Planning .

Ayoa’s Essay Planner template simplifies the process of writing an academic essay by allowing you to brainstorm great ideas, then put your arguments into a clear and defined structure ready for you to turn into a cohesive and well-researched paper.

Ready to get started with this template? It’s ready and waiting in Ayoa! Create your account , then simply open the app , select ‘create mind map’ from the homepage and choose this template from the library.

What is included in the Essay Planner template?

Writing an essay can be an overwhelming and time-consuming task for any student, whether you’ve written dozens before, or this is the very first time you’ve put pen to paper for this task. You could have plenty of great points ready and waiting, but no idea how to start your essay and actually begin writing. On the other hand, you could be struggling to generate ideas in the first place! Whatever the issue, Ayoa’s Essay Planner template provides you with the perfect canvas to brainstorm ideas for various types of essays, flesh out your arguments, then put them into a clear and defined structure.

No matter the subject or topic you’re writing about, every essay should follow the same basic structure with an intriguing introduction, a body that contains a number of points or arguments to be explored in detail, and a concise conclusion that sums up the findings of your essay. Our Essay Planner template (which is formatted in the style of a colorful, visual mind map ) provides you with prompts for each of these sections, so you can determine what you’ll be exploring and conduct some helpful research before you begin writing.

The reason you should use a mind map to plan an essay is because they are well-known for their ability to boost idea generation, organization and memory.

Why should you use the Essay Planner template?

Our Essay Planner template provides you with prompts for each of the sections of your essay to help you establish what you want to write before you get started. You can also use our template to make notes of helpful information (such as quotes, excerpts, statistics and links to articles) that you want to include or reference in your essay. By having this information all in one place, and knowing exactly what points you’re going to make, you can make the process of getting your words down both quicker and easier when the time comes. This is because you won’t be interrupted by needing to conduct additional research, and you’ll also be less likely to run out of steam halfway through writing.

The reason that our Essay Writing template is in the style of the mind map is due to the fact that they are proven to boost our ability to think creatively. The interconnecting branches of a mind map mirror our brain’s natural thinking processes, which can help us to generate more creative ideas. Our brains also love visuals, and the different visual cues you can include in a digital mind map (such as shapes, colors and images) can also help our brains to make associations and get out creative juices flowing.

The interconnecting branches of a mind map also perfectly demonstrate the way a process (in this example, writing an essay) should flow and the way various ideas connect to each other, which can make structuring your work incredibly simple. You can also add attachments, notes, comments and checklists to individual branches of your mind map, so everything you need to start writing is in one place!

How to use our Essay Planner template

Unsure of how to write an essay or struggling to find inspiration for your next report? Using our Essay Planner template will get you ready to get started as quickly as possible! Discover how to use our template below.

To access the template, sign up to Ayoa . Once you've signed up, navigate to the homepage to create a new whiteboard , mind map or task board and choose this template from the library .

When you open the template, you will see that we’ve already included examples to help you get started. Beginning with the central idea (the circle in the middle of your mind map), briefly outline what topic you will be exploring in your essay. To do this, double click on the text to bring up a menu of options. From here, you can change the color and size of your text, make it bold, underline it, add emojis, and more.

Tip: You can also click the paintbrush icon to bring up a side panel with options to change how your central idea looks by changing the shape and image.

Now it’s time to start planning your essay. Navigate to the ‘introduction’ section of the mind map and use the attached sub-branches to briefly outline the summary of your essay and what your goals are. Ask yourself: what are you hoping to achieve? What are you expecting the outcome of your essay to be? Use your answers to form the basis of your introduction. To edit an existing branch, double click on the text. To add a new sub-branch, click on the branch you want it to be connected to, then click the green arrow that appears.

Use the next few branches to determine what points you will argue in your essay. In as few words as possible, write what these are in the ‘argument’ branches. You should then use the sub-branches to go into more detail – you may want to include statistics, quotes and excerpts to back up your argument.

Mind maps should contain singular short sentences to avoid it becoming ‘cluttered’ or overwhelming. If you want to go into more detail, you can easily attach files, comments, notes and checklists to individual branches of your mind map. To do this, click on the branch you want to add more detail to, and this will bring up a menu of options. To discover what each one does, simply hover over the icon with your mouse!

Once you’ve outlined what you will cover in the body of your essay, it’s time to plan your conclusion. This will be a concise summary of everything you covered and what you have discovered from your research and analysis. In some cases, you might not know what your conclusion will be until after you’ve covered the main points and arguments of your essay. If this is the case, feel free to fill out this section of the map after you’ve done this.

Now that you have your plan, it’s time to start writing! Use the hierarchical structure of the mind map to structure your essay, developing the branches into sentences and paragraphs. Keep your mind map open so you can keep referring back to it and ensure that you’re staying on track.

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About Louise Cunnah

• Teacher Planner Templates

Essay Planner Template

Description:

This great planner will help you make an argumentative, persuasive, and informative essay from introduction to expository moments. Pick a paper size that suits you, download the PDF template, and print it as you start writing your story with pre-prepared materials and creative ideas for your essay.

Sections available in this template:

• Possible Title (1, 2, 3);
• Ideas & Key Points.

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Customer reviews

nice product. very detailed and tidy

Purchased item:

easy to install and use.

Very goood!, loved it, use it a lot

The planner is everything it’s advertised to be tho the hyperlinks only work with your fingers and not the remarkable pen. However it’s just too much, too busy - too many options which I understand. You’re competing with others making similar ‘busy/full featured products’ but I just want a simple planner with readable icons that I can identify easily and use quickly. Including all the variables is complicating what should be a simple process of planning my time. I don’t want to downplay the makers efforts as others may want more complex items, but if they made/make a simpler version - or if I can massively simplify the one I purchased, I’d feel far happier.

Great product. Thank you very much.

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