how to start a argumentive essay

how to start a argumentive essay

Effective Strategies for Starting an Argumentative Essay

1. Introduction to Argumentative Essays

An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that takes a stance on an issue. In a good argumentative essay, a writer attempts to persuade readers to understand and support their point of view about a topic by stating their reasoning and providing evidence to back it up. Just as a lawyer uses their reasoning and evidence to convince a judge and jury in a trial, a writer aims to persuade the reader to accept their viewpoint by using strong reasoning and evidence. Many students often need help with this type of assignment, but fear that asking for help will only lead to a volume of “template” argumentative essays. Every argumentative essay is unique, as is every teacher. Attempting to disguise essay prep as “homework,” to “guide” them, and to encourage incorporation of their personal knowledge might also be effective. It is essential to distinguish between argument essays and persuasive essays in English. This article focuses on refocusing on the main goal of “learning” with argumentative essays. This topic involves a lot of understanding, which is why teaching the students can be such a complex process.

2. Choosing a Strong Thesis Statement

To form a strong thesis statement, remember that specifics are key. General questions will not always help bring about specifics. Small details will create a clear and engaging argument. Also, avoid making argumentative mistakes. This includes not repeating the same topics over and over. Make sure each argument is a stand-alone argument in itself.

Since standardized writing is a general concept that is meant to provide a starting point for standardized testing, it is important to get ahead of the general concepts. For example, in an essay passage, the prompt could propose that the reader should consider how their careers and lives can be fulfilling or frustrating depending on whether they are dedicated to a particular career path or if they just figure out another way of living. This would be a separate block from the essay prompt. By doing this, you will enhance criterion coherence and better prepare the reader for the rest of the essay. Do this by saying what you are planning to prove in direct, clear sentences.

An effective argumentative essay informs the reader about facts through the presentation of logical arguments in a clear and coherent sequence. Therefore, it is a good idea to explicitly present and demonstrate that your argument is accurate and consistent with factual information. Make sure that this does not leave the main point of the essay unclear.

A great way to begin an argumentative essay is to create a thesis statement about the topic that you are writing about. A thesis statement is a brief summary of the writer’s main point. It should be a clear and concise answer to the author’s question or prompt. In an argumentative essay, the writer should have a statement that holds consensus of both the writer and the reader. Properly composed thesis statement should not be too general or leave the reader feeling uncertain. Be direct and firm.

3. Engaging the Reader with a Hook

This is where the use of subordinating conjunctions will greatly improve the essay and make a better impression on the reader. Sub-conjunctions not only forge a single sentence into revealing a strong composition, but to be most effective, strung together to form even stronger essay elements. In order, 9 common sub-junctions for writing argumentative essays are: because, since, though, although, albeit, even though, granted, while, and regardless. An excellent practice to ensure that each of these conjunctions is used in writing an argumentative essay is to expose them to the student-writer in either an essay they are familiar with or a sentence structure activity that demands the use of subordinating conjunctions.

When writing an argumentative essay, it’s imperative for a writer to make an assertion with relevance of a thesis statement. This is where all arguments will be centered around. There are many different ways that a writer can go about formulating an effective thesis statement. One is an additive thesis statement (AT), the simplest form of argumentative thesis statement. Here, the writer lists a clause referring to the thesis and follows it with the “justification clause”, stating what elements are necessary for the valid claim in the argumentative thesis. By doing this, the reader is able to not only read an initial thesis claim, but a “because” clause, leading to an understanding of the premise.

4. Providing Background Information

One of the ways a student can start an argumentative essay is by applying background information whereby the student should identify the topic of the essay and then analyze it. Background information plays a very crucial role whenever the author is trying to introduce the topic. It is important to write an engaging thought or generalize the information you have presented so that the reader understands why what you are presenting is of importance. Provide a reason as to why you choose that particular topic and provide the relevancy and why it’s important. Providing background information also involves explaining the features or problems of your essay. The information provided should give the reader a general image. Background information can also explain the nature of the problem and offer first-hand knowledge on the aspects. This is a very critical aspect because one needs to convince the reader that their essay is worth reading and has some essential and useful information to be gained from it. A potential reader could be tempted by reading the beginning of your essay if it answers the two aspects of relevancy. Before the reader will be willing to read the rest of your argumentative essay, the reader needs to have a general idea of the topic and the issue presented, which is an effective way to present video in an engaging way.

Starting an argumentative essay with clarity and purpose will dictate the quality of the essay and the success thereof. It is important to lay a solid ground before any major discussions take place in your essay. The aim of an argumentative essay is to justify anything from topics that have no clear answers and the upshot can be anything as long as you try and persuade people that your view is of equal worth. An argumentative essay can be based on anything; it could be drafts or ideas on paper or research and facts. The objective is always to persuade the reader to agree with your viewpoint. If you are new to writing essays, it is important to understand the basic structure of an essay before you start. The introduction is the most important part of the essay as it determines its success.

5. Outlining the Main Arguments

Outlining the main arguments. This is one of the most important strategies, particularly when writing a paper where you’re going to be making an argument. Here you must put your main idea, often called a thesis, which you do need to develop in each main idea in the following paragraphs. Depending on the length of your paper, it can be two to four main ideas. Although you don’t necessarily have to represent every single detail about the main point of the main idea paragraph, you should be thorough on what the essays are going to be about. Be sure to include a contentious topic in the beginning to hook the readers. Speak with your teacher if you’re having difficulty finding an appropriate hook for your paper. Your answer should ultimately explain why the writer chose to write about the subject’s issues at hand.

Briefly explain your main points. Introduce your main points and briefly explain what you’ll be arguing in favor of in your essay. Most academic essays require you to make some sort of argument. While persuasive or argumentative essays require that you leave emotion out and base your viewpoints solely on the evidence, expository assignments may ask that you present a more balanced view of the issue. Brainstorming before writing helps in determining the claims you’re going to be making in your essay.

Start with an enticing hook. Lead with an interesting fact or statistic, a quote, a personal anecdote, or a thought-provoking question. Your first sentence should draw the reader in and make them care about the topic you’re writing about.