ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Introduction

An argumentative essay utilises logic and reason to show that one idea is more
legitimate than another idea.

It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a

particular action.

The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts,
giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts.

Step-by-step instructions for writing an Argumentative Essay

i. Brainstorming. Take a look at the topic chosen. What are the pros and cons of
topic?

ii. Choose your position. Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write
about, and what solution will you offer? Know the purpose of your essay.

iii. Research your topic. An argumentative essay must provide specific and
convincing evidence. Often it is necessary to go beyond your own knowledge and
experience. You need to go to the library or conduct a preliminary research online.

iv. Structure your essay. Figure out what evidence you will include and in what
order you will present the evidence.

The criteria which are essential to produce an effective argument

 Be well informed about your topic. To add to your knowledge of a topic, read
thoroughly about it, using legitimate sources. Take notes.

 Test your thesis. Your thesis, i.e., argument, must have two sides. It must be
debatable. If you can write down a thesis statement directly opposing your own,
you will ensure that your own argument is debatable.

 Disprove the opposing argument. Understand the opposite viewpoint of your

position and then counter it by providing contrasting evidence or by finding
mistakes and inconsistencies in the logic of the opposing argument.

 Support your position with evidence. Remember that your evidence must
appeal to reason.
Keywords used in argumentative writing

1. Claim

A statement which is either true or false, stating your position on an issue. It locates the
topic of your argument, makes clear your position on this topic and presents a strategy
for arguing the validity of your claim.

2. Evidence

Facts, statistics, quotes or examples to support your claim.

3. Warrants

A warrant is the glue that holds an argument together. It links the evidence to the claim.
It says something like “This evidence supports the claim because...”

4. Counterclaim / counter argument

A claim that disagrees with the thesis/claim.

When writing an argumentative essay, your argument will be much stronger if you
identify an opposing argument and explain why that argument is less effective. Reveal
the flaws of the counterclaim. This is called refuting an argument or refutation.

5. Refutation

Disapproving with the counterclaim.

Some common mistakes when refuting include:

 Stating an opposing argument without saying why it is less effective.

 Being too general, like “…and that argument is less effective because it is wrong.”
 Refuting an argument other than the one you have stated in your essay.
Choose two possible topics from the list of topics given in your assignment and use the
brainstorming chart to conduct a prewriting on the topics.

Title 1 : ________________________________________________________

Pros Cons

1 1

2 2

3 3

Title 2 : ________________________________________________________

Pros Cons

1 1

2 2

3 3
 THESIS STATEMENT

What is a thesis statement?

A thesis statement is a clear sentence that provides the reader with the focus of your
essay.

It states the specific topic and may list subtopics or subdivisions of the main topic or
subtopics.

The thesis statement may also give an indication of the pattern of organisation of your
essay.

In academic writing, the thesis statement is most often placed as the last sentence in
the introduction (although this is not a must).

If you find that you are writing ideas, which do not fit with the thesis statement that you
have presented, this means that you are going out of the topic.

If you find that after a few paragraphs, you have nothing else to write that will fit into
your topic, this means that your thesis statement is too restricting and does not allow
room for development.

Elements of a good thesis statement

A good thesis statement

 is a clear statement of your focus or the main idea that you want to present in
your writing,
 tells readers what you want them to believe, and
 provides a direction of how you intend to convince them, i.e. it may provide the
points you intend to use to support your main idea or just the general direction.

What is not a thesis statement?

A thesis statement cannot be:

 a statement of fact – facts cannot be argued

Example 1

A person who intends to become a chartered accountant in Malaysia must have a

recognised accountancy qualification and relevant experience.

This is a fact – all you need to do is verify your source of information. It is either
true or false. Once the correct answer is proven, there is nothing else that you
can add on. You will have a very short essay.

Example 2

The Malaysian Institute of Accountants has legitimate reasons for making it

mandatory for chartered accountants to have an accountancy qualification.
 This is an opinion based on a fact. Your essay can be developed by pointing out
what those reasons are and why you consider those reasons to be legitimate.

 a question

Example 1

Should the government profit from student loans?

This does not help your readers to determine the direction of your essay. Your
answer may be yes; it may be no. Your readers may be in the same position as
well. If their answer to this question is a yes, they may expect you to develop
your arguments along the same line. When you don’t, the readers may end up
confused.

Example 2

Should the government profit from student loans?

In actual fact, the government has made the wrong decision by charging
interest because it creates many problems after the student graduates.

opinion general direction

In the above example, the question is still being used but it is not the thesis
statement. The question is considered to be part of your introduction. The
answer that follows is the thesis statement, which presents an opinion on the
matter and a general direction of how the main idea will be developed in the
essay.

How to write a thesis statement

To create a basic thesis statement, using this formula may help you:

TOPIC + OPINION = THESIS STATEMENT

e.g. The boycott of McDonalds in Malaysia + is something that should never have
happened.

topic opinion
To refine the thesis statement, add the subdivisions of your essay.

topic opinion

e.g. The boycott of McDonalds in Malaysia + is something that should never have
happened

+ as it is unfair to the workers + and does not help to solve the existing problem.

subdivision 1 subdivision 2

It is clear from the thesis statement above that your essay will first discuss how the
incident is unfair to the workers before moving on to explain how it does not contribute
to a solution to the problem.
Thesis Statement Exercise

Exercise: Forming Thesis Statements

Write possible thesis statements for the following questions so that they will become
effective for an 800-word essay.

1. Should Barbie be banned?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

2. Should age discrimination be made legal in the workplace?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

3. Should people be allowed to make "designer babies?"

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

4. Cell phones control our relationships.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

5. Why do so many celebrities have terrible life problems?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

6. What is the cause of the increase in child obesity?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

7. How can the rights of artists and writers be protected on the Internet?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

8. Should civil servants be paid according to their performance?

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Activity 2

The following thesis statements are unfocused and can lend themselves to
misinterpretation. Rewrite each of them and define unclear terms. Write a clear thesis
which you can support in your own argument.

Example:

Unfocused issue : Children should be able to quit school whenever they want to.

Focused issue : Students who have parental consent should be allowed to quit school
by the age of sixteen.

1. Unfocused issue: Schools should start late.

Focused issue: _________________________________________________

2. Unfocused issue: Overeating is bad for young people.

Focused issue: _________________________________________________

3. Unfocused issue: Computers are bad for studies.

Focused issue: _________________________________________________

4. Unfocused issue: Capital punishment should be abolished.

Focused issue: _________________________________________________

5. Unfocused issue: Homeschooling is bad.

Focused issue: ________________________________________________

Writing the supporting paragraphs

The different ways to support your argument

Facts - A powerful means of convincing, facts can come from your reading, observation,
or personal experience.
Note: Do not confuse facts with truths. A "truth" is an idea believed by many people, but
it cannot be proven.

Statistics - These can provide excellent support. Be sure your statistics come from
responsible sources. Always cite your sources.

Quotes from authorities - Direct quotes from leading experts that support your
position are invaluable.

Examples - Examples enhance your meaning and make your ideas concrete. They are
the proof. Examples are specific instances used to illustrate or support an argument. In
academic writing, you should try to give factual examples.

Scenarios - Scenarios are ‘what if’ situations speculating on causes and effects and
possibilities. They are effective when you want to give your readers a clear illustration or
picture of particular situations.

Example of a good supporting paragraph

Introduce Computer parts are not biodegradable and therefore should be recycled,
the reason refurbished and reused.

Fact New generations of computers are born almost every two years. With
such quick turnover, many used computers are discarded without
consideration given to recycling or reusing or the hazards they pose to
the environment.

Example Examples of hazards are like like toxic materials found in computer
parts include lead, mercury, lithium and nickel.

Direct quote As highlighted in an article on recycling in Straits Times, Mr Lee , a

from computer analyst, was prompted to do his share to push for computer
authorities recycling when he saw usable computers being discarded at a rubbish
dump near his apartment three years ago. (Tan, 2008)

Scenarios Imagine how much hazardous waste we would generate if we did not
consciously practice recycling and reuse of used of computer?

Concluding Therefore, used computer should not be discarded and should be

sentence reused.
Writing the Refutation Paragraph

Example of counter argument


1
Some people argue that hybrid cars are not an effective strategy to fight
pollution. 2They feel that instead of focusing on cars, which still encourages a culture
of driving even if it cuts down on pollution, the nation should focus on building and
encouraging use of mass transit systems. 3However, their argument is weak because
they do not examine all the facts. 4While mass transit is an environmentally
sound idea that should be encouraged, it is not feasible in many rural and
suburban areas, or for people who must commute to work. 5Cars generally have
a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-
term impact. In addition, hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-
powered electric motor. This combination of technologies means that less pollution is
produced. According to ineedtoknow.org "the hybrid engine of the Prius, made by
Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline
engine." Thus, hybrid cars are a better solution for much of the nation's
population.6

Introduce the counter argument

1

Stating the reason why the opponent think this way

2

Reaching the turning point

3

Refutation
4

Stating the reason/evidence to support your refutation

5

Concluding sentence
6

Expressions to use:

1. When pointing out opposing arguments

 Opponents of this idea claim/maintain that …
 Those who disagree/are against these ideas may say/may assert that …
 Some people may disagree with this idea.

2. When stating specifically why they think like that

 They put forward this idea because …
 They claim that … since …

3. Reaching the turning point

 However, …
 On the other hand, …

When refuting the opposing idea, you may use the following strategies
1. Compromise but prove that the argument is not powerful enough

e.g. They have a point in thinking like that. However, …

To a certain degree they may be right. However, …

2. Completely disagree

e.g. After considering the evidence, there is no way we can agree with what they
say.

3. Say that the argument is irrelevant to the topic

e.g. What we are discussing here is not what they are trying to prove. Their
argument is irrelevant.
 Argumentative Essay Outline

Title: ________________________________________

INTRODUCTION Paragraph 1  Hook

 Connecting/Background Information

 Thesis Statement
Paragraph 2 Support 1

BODY  Introduce the first reason

 Give your opinion/explanation

 Provide evidence

 Conclude
Paragraph 3 Support 2

 Introduce the second reason

 Give your opinion/explanation

 Provide evidence

 Conclude
Paragraph 4  Introduce the counter argument

 Stating the reason why the opponent think this

way

 Reaching the turning point

 Refutation

 Stating the reason/evidence to support your

refutation

 Concluding sentence

Paragraph 5  Repeat your thesis statement in different words

CONCLUSION  Suggestion/Opinion/Prediction for the future