Argumentati

ve Essay

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

ow does an Argumentativ
Essay function?
The function of an argumentative
essay is to show that your
assertion
(opinion,
theory,
hypothesis)
about
some
phenomenon or phenomena is
correct or more truthful than
others'.

QUESTION:

If I have an opinion on a
ain topic, how will I be a
o argue on it successfully

Answer:
An argument involves the process
of
establishing a claim and then
proving it with the use of
logical reasoning,
examples, and
research.

n establishing your claim

your topic should be narrowed
down:
Which of the two is correct?
Marijuana should be considered
illegal.
Selling and using marijuana in
public
places
should
be
considered illegal.CORRECT

n establishing your claim

your topic should contain an
argument:
Which of the two is correct?
Considering its geopolitical role,
we can clearly say that the EU
cannot be without Turkey.CORREC
Considering
its
geological
T
position,
Turkey
has
an
important geopolitical role in the
EU.

n establishing your claim

it should be a topic that can be
adequately
supported
(with
statistics, outside source citations,
etc.)
Is this one correct?
I
feel
that
writing
an
argumentative
essay
is
definitely a challenging
task.
wrong

On proving your claim:

LOGICAL REASONING
Pattern 1:
Thesis statement
PRO idea 1
PRO idea 2
CON(s) + Refutation(s)
Conclusion

On proving your claim:

LOGICAL REASONING
Pattern 2:
Thesis statement
CON(s) + Refutation(s)
PRO idea 1
PRO idea 2
Conclusion

On proving your claim:

LOGICAL REASONING
Pattern 3:
Thesis statement:
CON idea 1-----> Refutation
CON idea 2 ----->
Refutation
CON idea 3 -----> Refutation
Conclusion

On proving your claim:

examples

Should be clear
Should be enough
should be based on facts
Should be supported by
evidences

On proving your claim:

Research
Data should be relevant and
support ones claim
Data should come from
reliable sources

The
Argumentat
ive Essay
Everything you need
to know to write one!
A PowerPoint Presentation by Cara Gratton

Step One
Choose

a controversial topic
that interests you.

Step Two
Do

some reading on the topic.

RESEARCH

Step Three
Write

a thesis statement.

states your position on the

topic

sets up the structure for the

paper.

Step Four
Write

down each of the three

main reasons that support
your belief on a separate
piece of paper.
These are your
arguments.

Step Five
Consider

the opposing arguments.

If you were arguing with your
friends, how would they try to
prove you were wrong?
Every controversial issue has
two PROS & CONS
sides.you can support your
Once
position with research, you
need
to explore what others think.

Step Six

Organize

your ideas into an outline.

Paragraph 1 Introduction includes thesis
statement and supporting ideas
Paragraph 2 Opposing argument and your
refutation
Paragraph 3 Opposing argument and your
refutation
Paragraph 4 Your strongest supporting
argument
Paragraph 5 Conclusion includes
restatement of thesis and supporting ideas.
Make a prediction, a recommendation, or a
summary.

Step 7
Follow

your outline and write

the essay.
Be sure to edit your writing for
grammar, spelling, and word
choice errors.
Good Luck!