Argumentative essay writing guide

In argumentative essay writing we try to convince others to agree with our facts, share our values, accept our argument and conclusions, and adopt our way of thinking. To strengthen your argumentative essays, you can turn to AIDA method of persuasion.

Helpful strategy for writing argumentative essays

• establishing facts to support an argument
• clarifying relevant values for your audience
• prioritizing, editing, and/or sequencing the facts and values in importance to build the argument
• forming and stating conclusions
• “persuading” your audience that your conclusions are based upon the agreed-upon facts and shared values
• having the confidence to communicate your “argument” in writing
• showing awareness of counter-arguments and defend your argument

Steps for developing your own argumentative essay

1. Read all materials available that are relevant to the topic.
2. Identify the main topics covered by the arguments that you have read about your issue. This is so that you have a list of different topics for your paragraphs.
3. Use the topics that you have identified in step 2 as your group headings for organizing your research notes.
4. Make a decision about what your main conclusion will be.
5. Look back at the paragraph structure and apply it to your own essay.
6. Draft a detailed plan for your essay. In this plan note down the information that you will put in each paragraph. Use note form, not complete sentences.
7. Begin writing a draft of the body of your argumentative essay. Turn to words & paragraphs page again.

Check your writing for the following things:

• do your paragraphs present arguments which support your main conclusion as non-debatable or as facts?
• do your paragraphs present arguments which oppose your main conclusion as debatable and possibly not true?
• have you clearly marked the place where you shift from the opposing arguments to the supporting arguments with a contrasting connective?
• have you used connectives, pronouns, and referencing words to make your paragraph cohesive?

1. Draft your introduction.
2. Draft your conclusion.
3. Check your draft introduction and conclusion. Redraft if necessary.

Now that you have a complete draft of your argumentative essay check it again for the following things:

• Does it provide strong support for your main conclusion?
• Can you make the text more cohesive?
• Are your verbs, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure correct?

Check the final draft and write a cover sheet.