Browse through our argumentative essay examples and find inspiration for your own writing! We've got lots of argumentative essays covering many different topics and fields of study. All of our essays are provided here free for personal use, with no sign up needed. Scroll down for our guide on how to write an argumentative essay.
Argumentative Essay: Gun Culture and the American SocietyGun culture is the attitudes, feelings, values and behaviors of a society or any social group in which guns are used. Guns have been around for centuries, and these have had a variety of purposes. According to David Yamane, he divided gun culture into two categories, gun culture … Read more
Do test scores really define you? Does it prove how intelligent you are? What matters the most to colleges is how deep and how intensely you have been devoted to several interests, how much time you designate and prioritize to them, what leadership roles you have started, and what you have accomplished. Many colleges also … Read more
Since the beginning of civilization, harmful gender roles have been inadvertently placed on both women and men. Men are expected to be dominate beings while women are expected to be submissive and beneath men socially, financially and politically. Society has labeled women as sensitive, weak, and a sort of possession for men. Males on the … Read more
This will be a minimum of 9 double-spaced pages, not counting the required Works Cited section. You may include graphics if you wish (e.g., charts, graphs, illustrations, etc.) but the total of the text portion not including those graphics must fit the minimum page guidelines. Write an argumentative essay on a topic relating to both … Read more
26 April 2019 Imagine some years from now and there is no more glaciers in the polar ice caps, no more water in the ocean, and animals that were once known become extinct; these problems could be avoided but will occur if we keep avoiding the issue, which is climate change. Climate change is when … Read more
Should They Allow Medical Assistance in Dying for Refractory Mental Health Patients? This paper intends to use the principle of a utilitarian to conduct an ethical argumentative essay on the decision made by CAMH that the federal government should refrain from amending the MAID legislation for people who are mentally ill. The CAMH argues that … Read more
Imagine that you grew up in a poor family in Sudan. It’s in 2012. You were coming back from a long, hard job, tired, starving, and you see your mother crying. You ask her why. She says that he died of hunger while he was working in a field. Next thing you know, you hear … Read more
John Procter is at fault for the Salem witch trails because he was guilty of sin of pride, adultery, and he cared more about his reputation over his integrity. In the play the crucible written by Arthur Miller, was about the Salem witch trails that took place in the Massachusetts bay colony. In the play … Read more
Did each man in “The Pardoner’s Tale” receive his due by the end of the story? The Pardoner’s Tale is a story within a story, narrated by a drunken Pardoner who is telling the tale of three greedy young rioters, and their inevitable demise. The Pardoner explained who he was as a person – a … Read more
Ever since the creation of the computer, technology has had a major influence on the lives of many people. Without technology, society today would not be as advanced as it is. Researchers use technology to problem solve when developing new medications to treat diseases. Engineers use technology to create when designing and manufacturing new commercial … Read more
Hospitality in its early definition refers to any businesses and services whose primary objective was serving people out of their own home (Barrows, 1995) which constituents generally agree that it is a large, fragmented industry with its own set of challenges that can only be counteracted with enough training and education to work in such … Read more
High school is a time of altering transition into adulthood and the real world of hard work as students separate from family, explore their independence, and build their own life. At this point, they’re looking for a place to belong to; the perfect fit. It is crucial that students have access to counselors during this … Read more
At only ten years, little Erica is struggling to become a grown up and take care of her two siblings after her mother succumbed to pregnancy-related complication. The doctor had said that the baby should be terminated but did not happen because of the firm religious inclination of Erica and her extended family. The story … Read more
Medical marijuana is legal in half of the states whether it is used for medical or recreational use. One of the first states to legalize it for medical use was California in 1996. Currently, there are 29 states and the District of Columbia that have legalized it for medical use for people ages 21 and … Read more
An argumentative essay is an essay in which the author researches a controversial topic, takes a stance, and attempts to persuade the audience to agree with his or her position based on the evidence he or she has uncovered. This type of essay is carefully planned and usually takes several days of researching, pre-writing, writing, and proofreading before a final version is ready to distribute.The argumentative essay is a longer, more detailed, and better researched version of the expository essay. Expository essays also attempt to persuade, but they are typically much shorter and based on limited research. For example, essay exam questions in college courses or on standardized tests are expository essays. Because the student has limited time to take the test, the expository essay is often based on personal experience and evidence that the student can remember offhand versus an organized research effort.
Argumentative essays open with an introduction. The introduction provides an overview of the controversial topic about which the author is about to make an argument. The introduction should capture the interest of the audience and make them want to read more. An author might use one of several strategies for the introduction, including presenting a scenario, providing startling facts, or opening with a relevant quote. The introduction should also explain the author’s stance. This is accomplished by providing a clear, concise thesis statement that tells the audience the author’s position. Providing the thesis statement in the first paragraph gives the audience a solid background about what to expect as they read the rest of the essay.
The body of the essay should have well-developed points that support the author’s argument. For example, if the author’s thesis is that universities should provide more financial assistance for needy students, their main points might include the fact that tuition has risen above the rate of inflation, that more students are working as well as going to school, and that increasing tuition costs are placing an unreasonable financial burden on students in the form of excessive student loan debt. Each of these points should be placed in its own paragraph and developed using supporting evidence that the author has uncovered during his or her research.
The research should be credible to help establish the author’s ethos, or credibility. Credible sources include books, newspaper articles, journal articles, and well-regarded Internet sources such as sites that end in .gov, .org, or .edu. Students should avoid the overuse of sources that have a clear bias because these sources may not be seen as credible by the audience, and they may not present well-balanced or accurate information. In addition, students should beware of using Internet sources that are not from credible sources, such as wikis and blogs that are authored by non-experts on the topic. These sources often contain erroneous information which can mislead the reader and damage the credibility of the author.
Toward the end of the argumentative essay, the author should include a paragraph that presents the opposition’s argument and then refutes it using evidence. This section is known as the “counterargument” and its role is to address and then lay to rest any lingering doubts or “what ifs” that the audience still has in mind after reading the author’s argument. For example, in an argumentative essay that attempts to persuade the audience that gun control is a good idea, the counterargument might present the popular anti-gun control argument that gun control only serves to disarm law abiding citizens, while leaving guns in the hands of the criminals. The author would present this point, but then refute it, perhaps citing evidence from countries with strict gun control laws but a low incidence of crimes involving the use of guns.
The argumentative essay should end with a strong conclusion that wraps up the essay and reiterates the main points in the author’s argument, using the evidence the author found. The conclusion should not simply restate the thesis; it should be an expanded summary that reinforces the main ideas and key pieces of evidence that the author has presented.
The introduction, main points, and conclusion should also have clear and effective transitions between them. Each paragraph should begin with a strong topic sentence that identifies the main idea. These sentences cue the reader as to what he or she can expect as they read the paragraph and helps them follow the main thread of the argument. The one exception to the use of strong topic sentences is the introduction, which may begin with a quote or another rhetorical strategy to catch the audience’s interest.
The paragraphs should also have strong transitions that help guide the reader through the main points of the essay. For example, cue words such as “first,” “next,” and “last” tell the reader that they are moving on to a different point. Using words like “in conclusion” tell the reader that the author is going to wrap up the essay. These transitions may be more subtle, especially in argumentative essays written for upper level university classes.
After the author has presented his or her points, it is important to make sure that nothing has been omitted. For example, each point should be developed thoroughly, and there should be a solid introduction and conclusion. The essay should flow logically from one point to the next, and the reader should have no questions or lingering doubts after he or she completes the essay.
Many introductory university-level composition classes use a five paragraph structure for the argumentative essay. The five paragraphs include an introduction, three main points, and a conclusion. This structure is useful for teaching students who are new to writing argumentative essays because it provides a clear format for them to follow. However, upper-level composition courses often abandon this format, allowing more points to be made or for more complex points to be made that may span more than one paragraph. In addition, the counterargument may require its own paragraph in a complex argumentative essay.
