How To Write An Argumentative Essay That Changes Minds
An argumentative essay is a type of essay that takes a stance on an issue. In an argumentative essay, the writer tries to persuade the readers or the audience to understand and support their points of view on a given topic by stating their views and providing evidence to back up their argument.
When Do You Write An Argumentative Essay?
In most cases, we write an argumentative essay in composition class or at college to develop debating skills, which are the basis for developing strong public speaking skills. To learn the art of crafting a compelling argumentative essay that changes minds, consider looking for some argumentative essay examples from the dissertation discussion chapter writing service.
How To Start A Compelling Argumentative Essay
Starting an argumentative essay can be difficult, especially for students who are not experienced in writing this type of essay. It may also be difficult to start an argumentative essay because we have different ideas and opinions, and it can be difficult to express all these ideas and opinions at once. Below are some tricks on how to start an argumentative essay.
- Choose a topic
- Conduct a careful research
- Prewriting
- Create an outline
- Writing
- Formatting
Tips On How To Write An Argumentative Essay That Will Change Mind
Select An Arguable Topic.
While selecting a topic for your argumentative essay, make sure to choose an arguable topic; your topic should be narrow enough, and your topic should also be manageable. After selecting an arguable topic, decide what your goals are for the paper, your purpose, your opinion, and the views you want to prove. Before you start writing your argumentative essay, try to articulate your purpose.
Take A Position On Your Topic And Develop A Thesis Statement.
Ensure your thesis is arguable; it must assert or deny something about your chosen topic. For your thesis to be arguable, it must have some probability of being true. However, your thesis should only sometimes be generally accepted as true; it should be a statement with which people may disagree. Your thesis statement should have two parts: an observation and an opinion.
While writing a thesis statement, students make some common mistakes. Some of these mistakes are discussed below:
Common Mistakes While Writing A Thesis Statement
- Having a too-broad thesis
- A thesis that deals with stale or trite issues
- Starting a thesis statement with the phrase, I think or in my own opinion.
- Including extraneous information in the thesis.
- Expressing the thesis as a fragment
- Including words that lead to faculty generalization. These are words like everyone, only, and all.
Tips For Writing An Effective Thesis For Your Argumentative Essay
- A thesis evolves as you work with your argumentative essay topic. Before deciding on a thesis, consider, discuss, and brainstorm your topic. If you need help coming up with a thesis, start freewriting about it. Freewriting may offer you a valuable thesis.
- As you compose and revise your argumentative essay, remember that your thesis is a working one that you may need to change or refocus.
- As you conduct research and write, keep an index card with a copy of your working thesis in front of you. Having your thesis in plain sight might help you write more concisely.
Consider Your Audience
While writing your argumentative essay, write with your audience in mind and consider who your readers are. Ask yourself who you should consider as your target audience. If you are still determining your audience, direct your argument to a general audience.
Provide Clear And Convincing Evidence.
To write a compelling argumentative essay that changes minds, make sure to include claims that are supported by evidence. To make your arguments strong and successful, support your claims with ample evidence. Include the following forms of evidence in your claims:
- Facts
- Textual evidence
- Statistics
- Authorities
- Scenarios and cases
- Anecdotes
While including evidence in your essay, make sure to document it properly and explain it significantly; do not assume that the evidence will speak for itself.
Draft Your Argumentative Essay.
While writing an argumentative essay, write several drafts; when writing these drafts and revising them, make sure to:
- Provide the appropriate evidence. Also, make sure the evidence is presented in a logical manner and fairly
- Address the opposing points of view
- Pay attention to the structure of your essay
- Address and correct any logic mistakes
- Ensure proper transitions will allow your audience and readers to follow your argument.
Edit Your Draft
After writing multiple drafts, evaluate your essay carefully and critically. Give the draft to someone else to read and get their feedback. After getting the feedback, revise your draft based on the feedback. While editing your essay, consider asking yourself the following question:
- What is the thesis statement of the essay?
- Is the essay arguable?
- Does the essay include ample evidence?
- Is the essay in the best structure?
- How To Choose A Topic For An Argumentative Essay
While selecting a topic for your essay, make sure the topic is polemical and not expository. Your topic should not be of common knowledge; it should also not be too general to argue. While writing an argumentative essay, you need to find a controversial topic to argue against or to argue for. One of the most suitable topics you can decide to discuss in your essay is the gun control argumentative essay. This is an example of a controversial topic for your argumentative essay.
Conclusion
Crafting an argumentative essay that can effectively change minds requires careful consideration and strategic planning. Starting with a well-defined, arguable topic is crucial, followed by thorough research to gather relevant evidence and develop a strong thesis statement. It’s essential to keep your audience in mind and tailor your arguments to their perspective.
When choosing a topic, opt for a controversial subject that allows for differing opinions and presents an opportunity to engage readers. Remember that an argumentative essay aims to persuade through well-structured reasoning and solid evidence, ultimately influencing the readers to reconsider their stance on the issue at hand.
Suggested Read: How to write an informational essay