function of a claim in an argumentative essay

Argumentative Essay

Definition of argumentative essay.

An argumentative essay is a type of essay that presents arguments about both sides of an issue. It could be that both sides are presented equally balanced, or it could be that one side is presented more forcefully than the other. It all depends on the writer, and what side he supports the most. The general structure of an argumentative essay follows this format:

• Introduction : Attention Grabber/ hook , Background Information , Thesis Statement
• Body : Three body paragraphs (three major arguments)
• Counterargument : An argument to refute earlier arguments and give weight to the actual position
• Conclusion : Rephrasing the thesis statement , major points, call to attention, or concluding remarks .

Models for Argumentative Essays

There are two major models besides this structure given above, which is called a classical model. Two other models are the Toulmin and Rogerian models.

Toulmin model is comprised of an introduction with a claim or thesis, followed by the presentation of data to support the claim. Warrants are then listed for the reasons to support the claim with backing and rebuttals. However, the Rogerian model asks to weigh two options, lists the strengths and weaknesses of both options, and gives a recommendation after an analysis.

Five Types of Argument Claims in Essay Writing  

There are five major types of argument claims as given below.

• A claim of definition
• A claim about values
• A claim about the reason
• A claim about comparison
• A claim about policy or position

A writer makes a claim about these issues and answers the relevant questions about it with relevant data and evidence to support the claim.

Three Major Types of Argument and How to Apply Them

Classical argument.

This model of applying argument is also called the Aristotelian model developed by Aristotle. This type of essay introduces the claim, with the opinion of the writer about the claim, its both perspectives, supported by evidence, and provides a conclusion about the better perspective . This essay includes an introduction, a body having the argument and support, a counter-argument with support, and a conclusion.

Toulmin Argument

This model developed by Stephen Toulmin is based on the claim followed by grounds, warrant, backing, qualifier, and rebuttal . Its structure comprises, an introduction having the main claim, a body with facts and evidence, while its rebuttal comprises counter-arguments and a conclusion.

Rogerian Argument

The third model by Carl Rogers has different perspectives having proof to support and a conclusion based on all the available perspectives. Its structure comprises an introduction with a thesis, the opposite point of view and claim, a middle-ground for both or more perspectives, and a conclusion.

Four Steps to Outline and Argumentative Essay

There are four major steps to outlining an argumentative essay.

• Introduction with background, claim, and thesis.
• Body with facts, definition, claim, cause and effect, or policy.
• The opposing point of view with pieces of evidence.

Examples of Argumentative Essay in Literature

Example #1: put a little science in your life by brian greene.

“When we consider the ubiquity of cellphones, iPods, personal computers and the Internet, it’s easy to see how science (and the technology to which it leads) is woven into the fabric of our day-to-day activities . When we benefit from CT scanners, M.R.I. devices, pacemakers and arterial stents, we can immediately appreciate how science affects the quality of our lives. When we assess the state of the world, and identify looming challenges like climate change, global pandemics, security threats and diminishing resources, we don’t hesitate in turning to science to gauge the problems and find solutions. And when we look at the wealth of opportunities hovering on the horizon—stem cells, genomic sequencing, personalized medicine, longevity research, nanoscience, brain-machine interface, quantum computers, space technology—we realize how crucial it is to cultivate a general public that can engage with scientific issues; there’s simply no other way that as a society we will be prepared to make informed decisions on a range of issues that will shape the future.”

These two paragraphs present an argument about two scientific fields — digital products and biotechnology. It has also given full supporting details with names.

Example #2: Boys Here, Girls There: Sure, If Equality’s the Goal by Karen Stabiner

“The first objections last week came from the National Organization for Women and the New York Civil Liberties Union, both of which opposed the opening of TYWLS in the fall of 1996. The two groups continue to insist—as though it were 1896 and they were arguing Plessy v. Ferguson—that separate can never be equal. I appreciate NOW ’s wariness of the Bush administration’s endorsement of single-sex public schools, since I am of the generation that still considers the label “feminist” to be a compliment—and many feminists still fear that any public acknowledgment of differences between the sexes will hinder their fight for equality .”

This paragraph by Karen Stabiner presents an objection to the argument of separation between public schools. It has been fully supported with evidence of the court case.

Example #3: The Flight from Conversation by Sherry Turkle

“We’ve become accustomed to a new way of being “ alone together.” Technology-enabled, we are able to be with one another, and also elsewhere, connected to wherever we want to be. We want to customize our lives. We want to move in and out of where we are because the thing we value most is control over where we focus our attention. We have gotten used to the idea of being in a tribe of one, loyal to our own party.”

This is an argument by Sherry Turkle, who beautifully presented it in the first person plural dialogues . However, it is clear that this is part of a greater argument instead of the essay.

Function of Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay presents both sides of an issue. However, it presents one side more positively or meticulously than the other one, so that readers could be swayed to the one the author intends. The major function of this type of essay is to present a case before the readers in a convincing manner, showing them the complete picture.

Synonyms of Argumentative Essay

Argumentative Essay synonyms are as follows: persuasive essays, research essays, analytical essays, or even some personal essays.

Related posts:

• Elements of an Essay
• Narrative Essay
• Definition Essay
• Descriptive Essay
• Types of Essay
• Analytical Essay
• Cause and Effect Essay
• Critical Essay
• Expository Essay
• Persuasive Essay
• Process Essay
• Explicatory Essay
• An Essay on Man: Epistle I
• Comparison and Contrast Essay

Post navigation

What Is a Claim in an Essay? Read This Before Writing

What is a claim in an essay?

In this article, you’ll find the essay claim definition, characteristics, types, and examples. Let’s learn where to use claims and how to write them.

Get ready for up-to-date and practical information only!

What Is a Claim in Writing?

A claim is the core argument defining an essay’s goal and direction. (1) It’s assertive, debatable, and supported by evidence. Also, it is complex, specific, and detailed.

Also known as a thesis, a claim is a little different from statements and opinions. Keep reading to reveal the nuances.

Claims vs. statements vs. opinions

Where to use claims.

To answer the “What is claim in writing?”, it’s critical to understand that this definition isn’t only for high school or college essays. Below are the types of writing with claims:

• Argumentative articles. Consider a controversial issue, proving it with evidence throughout your paper.
• Literary analysis. Build a claim about a book , and use evidence from it to support your claim.
• Research papers. Present a hypothesis and provide evidence to confirm or refute it.
• Speeches. State a claim and persuade the audience that you’re right.
• Persuasive essays and memos. State a thesis and use fact-based evidence to back it up..

What can you use as evidence in essays?

• Facts and other data from relevant and respectful resources (no Wikipedia or other sources like this)
• Primary research
• Secondary research (science magazines’ articles, literature reviews, etc.)
• Personal observation
• Expert quotes (opinions)
• Info from expert interviews

How to Write a Claim in Essays

Two points to consider when making a claim in a college paper:

First, remember that a claim may have counterarguments. You’ll need to respond to them to make your argument stronger. Use transition words like “despite,” “yet,” “although,” and others to show those counterclaims.

Second, good claims are more complex than simple “I’m right” statements. Be ready to explain your claim, answering the “So what?” question.

And now, to details:

Types of claims in an essay (2)

Writing a claim: details to consider.

What makes a good claim? Three characteristics (3):

• It’s assertive. (You have a strong position about a topic.)
• It’s specific. (Your assertion is as precise as possible.)
• It’s provable. (You can prove your position with evidence.)

When writing a claim, avoid generalizations, questions, and cliches. Also, don’t state the obvious.

• Poor claim: Pollution is bad for the environment.
• Good claim: At least 25% of the federal budget should be spent upgrading businesses to clean technologies and researching renewable energy sources to control or cut pollution.

How to start a claim in an essay?

Answer the essay prompt. Use an active voice when writing a claim for readers to understand your point. Here is the basic formula:

When writing, avoid:

• First-person statements
• Emotional appeal
• Cluttering your claim with several ideas; focus on one instead

How long should a claim be in an essay?

1-2 sentences. A claim is your essay’s thesis: Write it in the first paragraph (intro), presenting a topic and your position about it.

Examples of Claims

Below are a few claim examples depending on the type. I asked our expert writers to provide some for you to better understand how to write it.

Feel free to use them for inspiration, or don’t hesitate to “steal” if they appear relevant to your essay topic. Also, remember that you can always ask our writers to assist with a claim for your papers.

Final Words

Now that you know what is a claim in an essay, I hope you don’t find it super challenging to write anymore. It’s like writing a thesis statement; make it assertive, specific, and provable.

If you still have questions or doubts, ask Writing-Help writers for support. They’ll help you build an A-worthy claim for an essay.

References:

• https://www.pvcc.edu/files/making_a_claim.pdf
• https://lsa.umich.edu/content/dam/sweetland-assets/sweetland-documents/teachingresources/TeachingArgumentation/Supplement2_%20SixCommonTypesofClaim.pdf  
• https://students.tippie.uiowa.edu/sites/students.tippie.uiowa.edu/files/2022-05/effective_claims.pdf
• Essay samples
• Essay writing
• Writing tips

Recent Posts

• Writing the “Why Should Abortion Be Made Legal” Essay: Sample and Tips
• 3 Examples of Enduring Issue Essays to Write Yours Like a Pro
• Writing Essay on Friendship: 3 Samples to Get Inspired
• How to Structure a Leadership Essay (Samples to Consider)
• What Is Nursing Essay, and How to Write It Like a Pro

What is an Argumentative Essay? How to Write It (With Examples)

Table of Contents

We define an argumentative essay as a type of essay that presents arguments about both sides of an issue. The purpose is to convince the reader to accept a particular viewpoint or action. In an argumentative essay, the writer takes a stance on a controversial or debatable topic and supports their position with evidence, reasoning, and examples. The essay should also address counterarguments, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the topic.

What is an argumentative essay?  

• Argumentative essay outline 
• Types of argument claims 

How to write an argumentative essay?

• Argumentative essay writing tips 
• Good argumentative essay example 

How to write a good thesis

• How to Write an Argumentative Essay with Paperpal? 

Frequently Asked Questions

An argumentative essay is a type of writing that presents a coherent and logical analysis of a specific topic. 1 The goal is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or opinion on a particular issue. Here are the key elements of an argumentative essay: 

• Thesis Statement : The central claim or argument that the essay aims to prove. 
• Introduction : Provides background information and introduces the thesis statement. 
• Body Paragraphs : Each paragraph addresses a specific aspect of the argument, presents evidence, and may include counter arguments.  Articulate your thesis statement better with Paperpal. Start writing now!
• Evidence : Supports the main argument with relevant facts, examples, statistics, or expert opinions.
• Counterarguments : Anticipates and addresses opposing viewpoints to strengthen the overall argument.
• Conclusion : Summarizes the main points, reinforces the thesis, and may suggest implications or actions. 

Argumentative essay structure  

Aristotelian, Rogerian, and Toulmin are three distinct approaches to argumentative essay structures, each with its principles and methods. 2 The choice depends on the purpose and nature of the topic. Here’s an overview of each type of argumentative essay format.

Have a looming deadline for your argumentative essay? Write 2x faster with Paperpal – Start now!  

Argumentative essay outline  

An argumentative essay presents a specific claim or argument and supports it with evidence and reasoning. Here’s an outline for an argumentative essay, along with examples for each section: 3  

1.  Introduction : 

• Hook : Start with a compelling statement, question, or anecdote to grab the reader’s attention. 

Example: “Did you know that plastic pollution is threatening marine life at an alarming rate?” 

• Background information : Provide brief context about the issue. 

Example: “Plastic pollution has become a global environmental concern, with millions of tons of plastic waste entering our oceans yearly.” 

• Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position. 

Example: “We must take immediate action to reduce plastic usage and implement more sustainable alternatives to protect our marine ecosystem.” 

2.  Body Paragraphs : 

• Topic sentence : Introduce the main idea of each paragraph. 

Example: “The first step towards addressing the plastic pollution crisis is reducing single-use plastic consumption.” 

• Evidence/Support : Provide evidence, facts, statistics, or examples that support your argument. 

Example: “Research shows that plastic straws alone contribute to millions of tons of plastic waste annually, and many marine animals suffer from ingestion or entanglement.” 

• Counterargument/Refutation : Acknowledge and refute opposing viewpoints. 

Example: “Some argue that banning plastic straws is inconvenient for consumers, but the long-term environmental benefits far outweigh the temporary inconvenience.” 

• Transition : Connect each paragraph to the next. 

Example: “Having addressed the issue of single-use plastics, the focus must now shift to promoting sustainable alternatives.” 

3.  Counterargument Paragraph : 

• Acknowledgement of opposing views : Recognize alternative perspectives on the issue. 

Example: “While some may argue that individual actions cannot significantly impact global plastic pollution, the cumulative effect of collective efforts must be considered.” 

• Counterargument and rebuttal : Present and refute the main counterargument. 

Example: “However, individual actions, when multiplied across millions of people, can substantially reduce plastic waste. Small changes in behavior, such as using reusable bags and containers, can have a significant positive impact.” 

4.  Conclusion : 

• Restatement of thesis : Summarize your main argument. 

Example: “In conclusion, adopting sustainable practices and reducing single-use plastic is crucial for preserving our oceans and marine life.” 

• Call to action : Encourage the reader to take specific steps or consider the argument’s implications. 

Example: “It is our responsibility to make environmentally conscious choices and advocate for policies that prioritize the health of our planet. By collectively embracing sustainable alternatives, we can contribute to a cleaner and healthier future.” 

Types of argument claims  

A claim is a statement or proposition a writer puts forward with evidence to persuade the reader. 4 Here are some common types of argument claims, along with examples: 

• Fact Claims : These claims assert that something is true or false and can often be verified through evidence.  Example: “Water boils at 100°C at sea level.”
• Value Claims : Value claims express judgments about the worth or morality of something, often based on personal beliefs or societal values. Example: “Organic farming is more ethical than conventional farming.” 
• Policy Claims : Policy claims propose a course of action or argue for a specific policy, law, or regulation change.  Example: “Schools should adopt a year-round education system to improve student learning outcomes.” 
• Cause and Effect Claims : These claims argue that one event or condition leads to another, establishing a cause-and-effect relationship.  Example: “Excessive use of social media is a leading cause of increased feelings of loneliness among young adults.” 
• Definition Claims : Definition claims assert the meaning or classification of a concept or term.  Example: “Artificial intelligence can be defined as machines exhibiting human-like cognitive functions.” 
• Comparative Claims : Comparative claims assert that one thing is better or worse than another in certain respects.  Example: “Online education is more cost-effective than traditional classroom learning.” 
• Evaluation Claims : Evaluation claims assess the quality, significance, or effectiveness of something based on specific criteria.  Example: “The new healthcare policy is more effective in providing affordable healthcare to all citizens.” 

Understanding these argument claims can help writers construct more persuasive and well-supported arguments tailored to the specific nature of the claim.  

If you’re wondering how to start an argumentative essay, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you with the argumentative essay format and writing process.

• Choose a Topic: Select a topic that you are passionate about or interested in. Ensure that the topic is debatable and has two or more sides.
• Define Your Position: Clearly state your stance on the issue. Consider opposing viewpoints and be ready to counter them.
• Conduct Research: Gather relevant information from credible sources, such as books, articles, and academic journals. Take notes on key points and supporting evidence.
• Create a Thesis Statement: Develop a concise and clear thesis statement that outlines your main argument. Convey your position on the issue and provide a roadmap for the essay.
• Outline Your Argumentative Essay: Organize your ideas logically by creating an outline. Include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis.
• Write the Introduction: Start with a hook to grab the reader’s attention (a quote, a question, a surprising fact). Provide background information on the topic. Present your thesis statement at the end of the introduction.
• Develop Body Paragraphs: Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that relates to the thesis. Support your points with evidence and examples. Address counterarguments and refute them to strengthen your position. Ensure smooth transitions between paragraphs.
• Address Counterarguments: Acknowledge and respond to opposing viewpoints. Anticipate objections and provide evidence to counter them.
• Write the Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your argumentative essay. Reinforce the significance of your argument. End with a call to action, a prediction, or a thought-provoking statement.
• Revise, Edit, and Share: Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and consistency. Check for grammatical and spelling errors. Share your essay with peers, friends, or instructors for constructive feedback.
• Finalize Your Argumentative Essay: Make final edits based on feedback received. Ensure that your essay follows the required formatting and citation style.

Struggling to start your argumentative essay? Paperpal can help – try now!   

Argumentative essay writing tips  

Here are eight strategies to craft a compelling argumentative essay: 

• Choose a Clear and Controversial Topic : Select a topic that sparks debate and has opposing viewpoints. A clear and controversial issue provides a solid foundation for a strong argument. 
• Conduct Thorough Research : Gather relevant information from reputable sources to support your argument. Use a variety of sources, such as academic journals, books, reputable websites, and expert opinions, to strengthen your position. 
• Create a Strong Thesis Statement : Clearly articulate your main argument in a concise thesis statement. Your thesis should convey your stance on the issue and provide a roadmap for the reader to follow your argument. 
• Develop a Logical Structure : Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point of evidence that contributes to your overall argument. Ensure a logical flow from one point to the next. 
• Provide Strong Evidence : Support your claims with solid evidence. Use facts, statistics, examples, and expert opinions to support your arguments. Be sure to cite your sources appropriately to maintain credibility. 
• Address Counterarguments : Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and counterarguments. Addressing and refuting alternative perspectives strengthens your essay and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the issue. Be mindful of maintaining a respectful tone even when discussing opposing views. 
• Use Persuasive Language : Employ persuasive language to make your points effectively. Avoid emotional appeals without supporting evidence and strive for a respectful and professional tone. 
• Craft a Compelling Conclusion : Summarize your main points, restate your thesis, and leave a lasting impression in your conclusion. Encourage readers to consider the implications of your argument and potentially take action. 

Good argumentative essay example  

Let’s consider a sample of argumentative essay on how social media enhances connectivity:

In the digital age, social media has emerged as a powerful tool that transcends geographical boundaries, connecting individuals from diverse backgrounds and providing a platform for an array of voices to be heard. While critics argue that social media fosters division and amplifies negativity, it is essential to recognize the positive aspects of this digital revolution and how it enhances connectivity by providing a platform for diverse voices to flourish. One of the primary benefits of social media is its ability to facilitate instant communication and connection across the globe. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram break down geographical barriers, enabling people to establish and maintain relationships regardless of physical location and fostering a sense of global community. Furthermore, social media has transformed how people stay connected with friends and family. Whether separated by miles or time zones, social media ensures that relationships remain dynamic and relevant, contributing to a more interconnected world. Moreover, social media has played a pivotal role in giving voice to social justice movements and marginalized communities. Movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and #ClimateStrike have gained momentum through social media, allowing individuals to share their stories and advocate for change on a global scale. This digital activism can shape public opinion and hold institutions accountable. Social media platforms provide a dynamic space for open dialogue and discourse. Users can engage in discussions, share information, and challenge each other’s perspectives, fostering a culture of critical thinking. This open exchange of ideas contributes to a more informed and enlightened society where individuals can broaden their horizons and develop a nuanced understanding of complex issues. While criticisms of social media abound, it is crucial to recognize its positive impact on connectivity and the amplification of diverse voices. Social media transcends physical and cultural barriers, connecting people across the globe and providing a platform for marginalized voices to be heard. By fostering open dialogue and facilitating the exchange of ideas, social media contributes to a more interconnected and empowered society. Embracing the positive aspects of social media allows us to harness its potential for positive change and collective growth.

• Clearly Define Your Thesis Statement:   Your thesis statement is the core of your argumentative essay. Clearly articulate your main argument or position on the issue. Avoid vague or general statements.  
• Provide Strong Supporting Evidence:   Back up your thesis with solid evidence from reliable sources and examples. This can include facts, statistics, expert opinions, anecdotes, or real-life examples. Make sure your evidence is relevant to your argument, as it impacts the overall persuasiveness of your thesis.  
• Anticipate Counterarguments and Address Them:   Acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints to strengthen credibility. This also shows that you engage critically with the topic rather than presenting a one-sided argument. 

How to Write an Argumentative Essay with Paperpal?  

Writing a winning argumentative essay not only showcases your ability to critically analyze a topic but also demonstrates your skill in persuasively presenting your stance backed by evidence. Achieving this level of writing excellence can be time-consuming. This is where Paperpal, your AI academic writing assistant, steps in to revolutionize the way you approach argumentative essays. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Paperpal to write your essay: 

Upgrade your essays with Paperpal

• Sign Up or Log In: Begin by creating an account or logging into paperpal.com .  
• Navigate to Paperpal Copilot: Once logged in, proceed to the Templates section from the side navigation bar.  
• Generate an essay outline: Under Templates, click on the ‘Outline’ tab and choose ‘Essay’ from the options and provide your topic to generate an outline.  
• Develop your essay: Use this structured outline as a guide to flesh out your essay. If you encounter any roadblocks, click on Brainstorm and get subject-specific assistance, ensuring you stay on track. 
• Refine your writing: To elevate the academic tone of your essay, select a paragraph and use the ‘Make Academic’ feature under the ‘Rewrite’ tab, ensuring your argumentative essay resonates with an academic audience. 
• Final Touches: Make your argumentative essay submission ready with Paperpal’s language, grammar, consistency and plagiarism checks, and improve your chances of acceptance.  

Paperpal not only simplifies the essay writing process but also ensures your argumentative essay is persuasive, well-structured, and academically rigorous. Sign up today and transform how you write argumentative essays. 

The length of an argumentative essay can vary, but it typically falls within the range of 1,000 to 2,500 words. However, the specific requirements may depend on the guidelines provided.

You might write an argumentative essay when:  1. You want to convince others of the validity of your position.  2. There is a controversial or debatable issue that requires discussion.  3. You need to present evidence and logical reasoning to support your claims.  4. You want to explore and critically analyze different perspectives on a topic. 

Argumentative Essay:  Purpose : An argumentative essay aims to persuade the reader to accept or agree with a specific point of view or argument.  Structure : It follows a clear structure with an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs presenting arguments and evidence, counterarguments and refutations, and a conclusion.  Tone : The tone is formal and relies on logical reasoning, evidence, and critical analysis.    Narrative/Descriptive Essay:  Purpose : These aim to tell a story or describe an experience, while a descriptive essay focuses on creating a vivid picture of a person, place, or thing.  Structure : They may have a more flexible structure. They often include an engaging introduction, a well-developed body that builds the story or description, and a conclusion.  Tone : The tone is more personal and expressive to evoke emotions or provide sensory details. 

• Gladd, J. (2020). Tips for Writing Academic Persuasive Essays.  Write What Matters . 
• Nimehchisalem, V. (2018). Pyramid of argumentation: Towards an integrated model for teaching and assessing ESL writing.  Language & Communication ,  5 (2), 185-200. 
• Press, B. (2022).  Argumentative Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide . Broadview Press. 
• Rieke, R. D., Sillars, M. O., & Peterson, T. R. (2005).  Argumentation and critical decision making . Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. 

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

Related Reads:

• Empirical Research: A Comprehensive Guide for Academics 
• How to Write a Scientific Paper in 10 Steps 
• What is a Literature Review? How to Write It (with Examples)
• How to Write a Hypothesis? Types and Examples 

Make Your Research Paper Error-Free with Paperpal’s Online Spell Checker 

The do’s & don’ts of using generative ai tools ethically in academia, you may also like, what are citation styles which citation style to..., what are the types of literature reviews , abstract vs introduction: what is the difference , mla format: guidelines, template and examples , machine translation vs human translation: which is reliable..., dissertation printing and binding | types & comparison , what is a dissertation preface definition and examples , how to write a research proposal: (with examples..., how to write your research paper in apa..., how to choose a dissertation topic.

• Humanities ›
• English Grammar ›

What Does It Mean to Make a Claim During an Argument?

John Lund/Stephanie Roeser / Getty Images

• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

Claims backed by reasons that are supported by evidence are called arguments. To win an argument, you first have to make a claim that is more than just an assertion. You use critical thinking skills and argue your case using claims, reason, and evidence. In rhetoric  and argumentation , a claim is an arguable statement—an idea that a rhetor (a speaker or writer) asks an audience to accept.

Persuasive Claims

Generally, there are three primary types of claims in an argument, also called persuasive claims:

• Claims of fact assert that something is true or not true.
• Claims of value assert that something is good or bad, or more or less desirable.
• Claims of policy assert that one course of action is superior to another.

A persuasive claim is an opinion, idea, or assertion. In rational arguments, all three types of claims must be supported by evidence . Jason Del Gandio, in the book, "Rhetoric for Radicals," gives these examples of persuasive claims in an argument:

"I think we should have universal health care.

"I believe the government is corrupt.

"We need a revolution."

Gandio explains that these claims make sense, but they need to be backed up with evidence and reasoning.

Identifying Claims

The University of Washington says a claim "persuades, argues, convinces, proves, or provocatively suggests something to a reader who may or may not initially agree with you." A claim is more than an opinion but it is less than a universally agreed upon truth, such as "The sky is blue" or "Birds fly in the sky."

An academic claim—a claim you make in an argument—is considered debatable or up for inquiry. James Jasinski explains in "Argument: Sourcebook on Rhetoric" that a claim "expresses a specific position on some doubtful or controversial issue that the arguer wants the audience to accept."

A claim is not, then, an opinion, such as "I think Twinkies are delicious." But if you took that same sentence and recrafted it into an arguable statement, you could create a claim, such as "Twinkies and other sugary, processed foods can make you fat." Not everyone might agree with your claim, but you would be able to use scientific and medical evidence (such as studies showing that sugary processed foods lead to weight gain and other health problems) to support your claim.

Types of Claims

You can further break claims in an argument into four basic types, says Mesa Community College :

Claims of fact or definition: Particularly in this day and age, people disagree on hitherto commonly accepted facts. A claim of fact or definition might be that grades do not accurately measure student progress or lie detector tests are inaccurate. Traditionally, grades have been the common measure of student success, but you could argue that they do not really represent a student's true abilities. And lie detector tests were at one point thought to provide clear and accurate evidence, but you could use facts to argue that they can be unreliable.

Claims About Cause and Effect: This type of claim argues that given causes lead to specific effects, such as watching too much television when young leads to obesity or poor school performance. To make this claim, you would have to present evidence (scientific studies, for example) that show television leads to these outcomes. Another debatable cause-and-effect claim would be that video games that depict violence lead to real violence.

Claims About Solutions or Policies: This kind of claim might argue that because the health care system does not adequately assist Americans (you would argue that this is a fact), it should be reformed (you argue for the solution/policy), says Mesa Community College.

Claims About Value: This type of claim might be the trickiest to argue because you are trying to prove that one thing is better or superior to another. For example, you might claim that people who are blind or deaf have a unique culture of blindness or deafness. You could support either argument by researching and presenting facts that these two areas of disability do indeed have unique cultures and communities.

• What Does Argumentation Mean?
• Data Definition and Examples in Argument
• Reductio Ad Absurdum in Argument
• Distinctio Definition
• The Meaning of Innuendo
• Definition and Examples of the Logical Fallacy
• Definition and Examples of Evidence in Argument
• What Is the Toulmin Model of Argument?
• The Value of Analogies in Writing and Speech
• How to Write a Critical Essay
• Argument (Rhetoric and Composition)
• The Definition of Listening and How to Do It Well
• The Implied Audience
• Equivocation (Fallacy)

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

4-minute read

• 30th April 2022

An argumentative essay is a structured, compelling piece of writing where an author clearly defines their stance on a specific topic. This is a very popular style of writing assigned to students at schools, colleges, and universities. Learn the steps to researching, structuring, and writing an effective argumentative essay below.

Requirements of an Argumentative Essay

To effectively achieve its purpose, an argumentative essay must contain:

●  A concise thesis statement that introduces readers to the central argument of the essay

●  A clear, logical, argument that engages readers

●  Ample research and evidence that supports your argument

Approaches to Use in Your Argumentative Essay

1.   classical.

●  Clearly present the central argument.

●  Outline your opinion.

●  Provide enough evidence to support your theory.

2.   Toulmin

●  State your claim.

●  Supply the evidence for your stance.

●  Explain how these findings support the argument.

●  Include and discuss any limitations of your belief.

3.   Rogerian

●  Explain the opposing stance of your argument.

●  Discuss the problems with adopting this viewpoint.

●  Offer your position on the matter.

●  Provide reasons for why yours is the more beneficial stance.

●  Include a potential compromise for the topic at hand.

Tips for Writing a Well-Written Argumentative Essay

●  Introduce your topic in a bold, direct, and engaging manner to captivate your readers and encourage them to keep reading.

●  Provide sufficient evidence to justify your argument and convince readers to adopt this point of view.

●  Consider, include, and fairly present all sides of the topic.

●  Structure your argument in a clear, logical manner that helps your readers to understand your thought process.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

●  Discuss any counterarguments that might be posed.

●  Use persuasive writing that’s appropriate for your target audience and motivates them to agree with you.

Steps to Write an Argumentative Essay

Follow these basic steps to write a powerful and meaningful argumentative essay :

Step 1: Choose a topic that you’re passionate about

If you’ve already been given a topic to write about, pick a stance that resonates deeply with you. This will shine through in your writing, make the research process easier, and positively influence the outcome of your argument.

Step 2: Conduct ample research to prove the validity of your argument

To write an emotive argumentative essay , finding enough research to support your theory is a must. You’ll need solid evidence to convince readers to agree with your take on the matter. You’ll also need to logically organize the research so that it naturally convinces readers of your viewpoint and leaves no room for questioning.

Step 3: Follow a simple, easy-to-follow structure and compile your essay

A good structure to ensure a well-written and effective argumentative essay includes:

Introduction

●  Introduce your topic.

●  Offer background information on the claim.

●  Discuss the evidence you’ll present to support your argument.

●  State your thesis statement, a one-to-two sentence summary of your claim.

●  This is the section where you’ll develop and expand on your argument.

●  It should be split into three or four coherent paragraphs, with each one presenting its own idea.

●  Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that indicates why readers should adopt your belief or stance.

●  Include your research, statistics, citations, and other supporting evidence.

●  Discuss opposing viewpoints and why they’re invalid.

●  This part typically consists of one paragraph.

●  Summarize your research and the findings that were presented.

●  Emphasize your initial thesis statement.

●  Persuade readers to agree with your stance.

We certainly hope that you feel inspired to use these tips when writing your next argumentative essay . And, if you’re currently elbow-deep in writing one, consider submitting a free sample to us once it’s completed. Our expert team of editors can help ensure that it’s concise, error-free, and effective!

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

5-minute read

Free Email Newsletter Template

Promoting a brand means sharing valuable insights to connect more deeply with your audience, and...

6-minute read

How to Write a Nonprofit Grant Proposal

If you’re seeking funding to support your charitable endeavors as a nonprofit organization, you’ll need...

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

What is a claim?

A claim is a statement that presents an idea or series of ideas as arguments. Arguments therefore consist of claims, or another way to put it is, to say that claims are the building blocks of a good argument.

In research writing, claims will be the backbone that form a thesis or a hypothesis (here the term ‘hypothesis’ refers to the argument that is evidenced within the scope of the work).

According to Heady (2013) “Claims are the points you want to prove, interpretations you want to offer, and assertions you want to make” (p. 74). Importantly, in academia claims are statements that can be supported by evidence.

‘Traditional classroom teaching is boring’

For example, claiming that traditional classroom teaching is boring is not a good claim because it lacks definition (what does ‘traditional classroom teaching’ actually mean? and how do we measure ‘boring’)? It may also be a ‘sweeping statement’ (meaning it’s far too general in scope). However, claiming that “traditional teaching methods, like didactic instruction, do not provide sufficient interaction with students and lead to poor learning outcomes” is a good argumentative claim, because it can be investigated and measured.

Characteristics of a good claim

In order to make effective claims it is important to understand the difference between statements  and  sentences. While a statement is also a sentence (in that it is a grammatical unit with subject, verb, object clause), not all sentences are statements (in other words, not all sentences consist of a stance or a position).

The following provides examples of the difference between sentences and statements. The statements present a stance or position about the topic under discussion. This is important to understand as all claims must consist of a stance towards the topic.

Function of claims

The function of claims in academic writing is to provoke, analyse, or interpret rather than merely describe or present facts. They can do this by affirming, acknowledging, confirming, or refuting the proposition being made. In this way, claims do the job of building an overall argument or thesis in a piece of work (i.e. each claim progresses the key argument). It is for this reason that claims will appear in topic sentences, thesis statements, introductory and concluding sentences/paragraphs.

Check your understanding

Research and Writing Skills for Academic and Graduate Researchers Copyright © 2022 by RMIT University is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

What Is A Claim In An Argumentative Essay?

Surrounded by mountains of research to find “what is a claim in an argumentative essay”? We know that it’s not easier to write and present a strong claim in this type of essay type. Are you the one who can decide the best topic for an argumentative essay? Do you want to have an expert guide to present strong claim against your audience? Well! Keep reading this for such purpose.

In argumentative writing, the writer clear his stance by convincing the audience through genuine reasoning, facts, evidences, and figures. Hence, it is very important in such type of writing the representation of a strong claim or claims to convince the readers of the views that the writer carry. The representation of such claim should take into account some major requirements and considerations which we are here to present. So let’s move to it without wasting any second further. 

Table of Contents

What Is A Claim?

A claim is a representation in writing that allows the writer to present the main idea(s) of the entire essay or piece of writing. It has to perform the function of an argument and be supported with enough evidence, facts, and figures throughout the essay. It can also say that a claim is a type of thesis statement. As we represent the thesis and then support it throughout the  argumentative essay outline , so does the claim.

What Should Be Kept In Mind?

Following points should be kept in mind while presenting a claim:

Claims are your opinions that is held by you, but it is represented in the writing as if they are strong facts and are backed up by evidence throughout. 

Whenever the writer make a statement that he supports with evidences, facts and figures, he is representing a claim, irrespective of him knowing.

A statement should not be called claim if there is insufficient evidences, famous quotations or facts that supports it. 

Whenever the writer uses a claim, he must not be confused or firing in the air, rather he should be confident of what he is supporting, even if sufficient evidence is not present. 

A claim should never be confused with general paragraphs starter in an argumentative essay , just because they might be similar or is factual, doesn’t mean all paragraphs can be a claim statement.

A claim should be a debatable statement not just a fact. 

Example of a statement and a claim

A statement:

“I own a car even I’m under age”.

“People should own a car even if they are under age”.

It is clearly seen that in a simple statement, it is only a fact that you are under age but own a car while in the claim or argument, you present a statement that you can defend by evidences but not everyone will agree with the view that even if people are under age, they should own a car. Hence, the first statement is not debatable, however, the second is clearly a debatable statement. Clear on a simple statement and an argument or claim? Let’s move ahead.

Get Your Custom Essay Written with 50% Discount Act Now!

Where Is A Claim Placed?

A claim statement is usually represented in the introduction of an essay or any piece of writing. It is generally paired with a hook statement, which is the starting sentence of the entire writing and is designed to select word choice in argumentative essay for writing. A hook statement holds the reader’s interest, while a claim will tell the readers the points represented or argued in the essay or piece of writing.

A Counterclaim In The Essay Writing

A counterclaim is defined as an alternative argument to, what the writer have represented as a claim. When someone represents an alternative point or statement/claim to what the writer have argued, he is counterclaiming the writers’ argument. Counterclaim in an essay writing is also called rebuttal. Counterclaim mean the views of other person to which the writer has represented his claim. Remember! If someone is making a counterclaim, he must also backed it up with evidences to prove his point. However, in such type of essay writing that we are talking about, the writer himself comprehend from the topic, his counterclaims and then state it in his essay to take his audience in confidence and then rebuttal to prove his own claim. A claim and counter claim acts just like a debate. In debate we represent claim, the opposite party counterclaim, and we again present strong evidences/rebuttals to overcome their claims.

Let’s see the difference:

Claim:  Forming an argument and supporting it with evidence. Example  “laziness is the main factor contributing to obesity and ultimately other diseases”.

Counterclaim:  Presenting a rebuttal to claim and then backing it up with sufficient evidences. Example “ Although lazy lifestyle being the major contributory factor in obesity, there are other factors such as unhealthy eating habits, insufficient physical activities and many more leading to it”.

But what is the purpose of representing the counterclaim?

It is represented by the writer for the purpose of supporting and making his claim and, as a result, the entire essay even stronger because the views of the audience are already included and cleared keeping them into consideration and without them raising criticism.

Claim Examples In An Argumentative Essay

Perfect essay writers knows that it is very hard to digest bundle of information represented above. However, some example can make our life easier. We can review some good examples of argumentative claims to clarify more about it in the writing. You can easily identify these claim when reading any other piece of writing, as well as, write a top-notch essay when writing yourself. Let’s review it then:

Overweight is the major cause of diabetes. 

Regular exercise provide better health benefits both physically and mentally.

Aluminum is the best material to build an aircraft as compare to other materials for a civilian aircraft.

Working as an employee (doing a job) is better option than doing your own business.

Household chores should not be given much time when working on professional platform.

Personal life doesn’t matter for doctors when it comes to serving others.

Children of schools should never be allowed to drive a car to their schools. 

It is not dangerous to carry magnetic materials in an aircraft. 

It should not be illegal to drive car without license. 

A runway built from concrete is better than that made from a bitumen material. 

Children under 18 years of age should not be allowed to use social media platforms.

Working mothers never give attention to the brought up of their child. 

Neglected children are the one involved in crimes when they grow up.

Tattooing the entire body is a taboo, as it is fashion of the modern society. 

Notwithstanding the rules of the institute, a child should be rusticated from the institute.

It should not be the function of Civil Aviation to have both roles of a regulator and a service provider. 

Virtual classes have done more damage to the studies in the situation of covid than the closure of institutes could have done. 

There should be no substitute to respect. 

Supervision will do more good to the children than a good brought up. 

Animated movies are more advantageous than that of songs and films.

A teacher play more important role than does the parents of the students. 

A friend in need is a friend in need-the statement might not be true under many conditions. 

Lack of communication in an organization is the major cause of it being in loss. 

Time management is a skill that comes naturally in a person and cannot be taught.

External motivation works more effectively than does internal motivation. 

It should be noted that the statements stated above are not hard and fast rules and facts. Rather, they are an opinion based statements to which you can either agree or disagree. They can further be supported with evidences by the writer to prove his stance over any of the above claim. The audience are then going to decide whether they agree or disagree with the argument based on the fact that how strongly the writer make his point, as well as, the audience opinion and knowing about the topic under discussion.

Secure Your Custom Essay Writing Solution

So, a claim is going to make up the entire  conclusion for an argumentative essay  and require considerations that has to be given to it while planning and designing for an argumentative essay topic. The outline stage of the essay is also important and one can plan such claim there as well.

Now that we have had enough discussion, perfect essay writers are high-spirited to assume that they have cleared enough for a claim in an argumentative essay. However, if there’s still a need to cater to such issues more, our  college essay writing service  is always here to help.

What is an example of a claim?

Some examples of a claim are as follows: 

Personal life doesn’t matter for doctors when it comes to serving others.

How do you write a claim for an argumentative essay?

To write a claim for an argumentative essay, paired it with a hook statement and place it in the introductory paragraph of the piece of writing. A claim is going to tell the readers the points that will be represented or argued in the essay or piece of writing.

What is a claim in an essay?

A claim is the representation in writing that allows the writer to present the main idea(s) of the entire essay or piece of writing that performs the function of an argument and has to be supported with sufficient evidences, facts and figures throughout the entire essay. It can also be said that a claim is type of a thesis statement; as we represent the thesis and then support it throughout the essay (which is an argument), so do the claim.

First Time Order? Get Custom FREE ESSAY

No Plagiarism & No AI Content

Timely Deliveries

Premium Quality

Unlimited Revisions

We are a team of professional writers providing quality-assured essays, research papers, and assignments. We bring the most affordable services for you with multiple revisions. Get plagiarism-free content with Turnitin pass and on-time delivery. We Create Great Content, Value, & Reliability!

• Biography Writing Services
• Opinion Essay Writing Service
• Personal Statement Writing Service
• Cover Letter Writing Services
• College Essay Writing Service
• Our Writers

• Customer Reviews
• Extended Essays
• IB Internal Assessment
• Theory of Knowledge
• Literature Review
• Dissertations

Essay Writing

• Research Writing
• Assignment Help
• Capstone Projects
• College Application
• Online Class

How to Write a Claim for An Argumentative Essay Step-By-Step

0    comments

Have you searched for a guide on how to write a claim for an argumentative essay but came out empty?

You’ve come to the right place.

Whether you’re looking forward to working on a difficult argumentative essay topic or you already have easy subject to work on, this guide will show you how to write a claim that you can defend using evidence and reason.  

Key Takeaways

• A claim is a declaration sentence subject to debate.
• Claims are different from topic sentences in that they appear only in the thesis statement of the essay. A topic sentence appears in every paragraph of an essay.
• For a sentence to be a claim, it should communicate a message that engages an audience to do something or act in a certain way.

What is a Claim in an Argumentative Essay?

A claim in an essay is a debatable statement and a part of an argument’s declaration sentence. In respect to academic writing standards, a claim must exclude personal feelings and already known facts and it must leave room for debate.

Just as personal opinions are unacceptable in argumentative writing, a claim must not have a link to how you feel about a subject. Rather making a bold statement that potentially demonstrate that you’re right about an issue, you must bind your claim up for inquiry within the specific subject.

The purpose of a claim in an argument is to convince, persuade, or give proof to move your audience to agree with your point of view. You can focus on communicating a message, but it’s best to double down on moving an audience to think in a certain way.  

Types of Claims in Argumentative Essay

A claim is one of the elements that drive an argument . For the best outcome, you need to use the right type of claim depending on the topic presented in the prompt.

You can make a:

• Claim of fact
• Claim of definition
• Claim of cause and effect
• Claim of value
• Claim of policy

Let’s look at each of these types of claims to help you understand what they mean.

Claim of Fact

How valid is the statement you’re about to give? Is there an element of truth in the statement you intend to present?

Should such be the statement you want to present, you’re looking at making a claim of fact.

A claim of fact mainly presents an argument that demonstrates whether something is true or false. It holds that if you’re going to challenge what we consider as facts, you must have concrete research to back it up. 

Claim of Definition

A claim of definition argues about definitions of things or phenomena. Ideally, you may argue that something means another thing altogether, even if some people don’t consider your definition sounding.

Rather than offering a discount explanation of your claim, you shouldn’t hesitate to give your personal explanation. However, you must ensure that you sound neither emotional nor biased.

Pay attention to the information that you provide when dealing with a claim of definition. Remember that when writing an argumentative essay, even a claim of definition must be debatable.

Claim of Cause and Effect

The claim of cause and effect requires you to do two things:

First, you should describe the cause of an event. Second, you should explain the implication or impact the issue has.

By doing so, your essay will be so comprehensive and valuable that you earn top grades.

Claim of Value

If you’re going to base your argument on the significance of the topic in question, you will have to make a claim of value. 

Claim of Policy

You can also make a claim of policy in your argumentative essay.

This type of claim seeks to give readers the reasons why they should care about what you have to say. It also should suggest what they should do after reading your essay.

How to Write a Claim for an Argumentative Essay

You’ve learned three important things so far. You know what claim is in an essay, why the claim is important, and the types of claims you can write in your argument.

But how do you write a claim for an argumentative essay?

1. Explore the Essay’s Topic

Exploring your focus topic is a good way to determine what claim can best fit in your argumentative essay.

Whether you’ve selected your own idea or received a focus topic from your teacher, you should do preliminary research and develop concrete ideas that you can easily argue.

Let’s say you’re working on a topic about global warning. Deforestation would make a good focus topic here. From this, you can present evidence and give reasons why cutting down trees is the major cause of global warming.

2. Ask a Question

Narrowing down to a specific subject has two benefits.

• It’s easy to come up with tons of useful ideas for your central argument.
• You can develop reasonable questions to help you develop a relevant claim for the essay.

The most relevant question for the project is one that summarizes your thoughts. For the claim to be bold, you must follow the question with a short, clear, and direct response to summarize your positon.

3. Determine the Goal of the Essay

Another way to come up with a strong claim for an argumentative essay is to look at the assignment brief once more to understand the primary goal of the argument .

Determining the goal of the assignment can help you to develop a claim that can easily challenge the opinion of your readers regardless of what they assume to be true.

From a writing standpoint, your essay will focus on multiple issues. However, you’ll need to ensure that they all tie together to address the central theme in the thesis statement. In this respect, your claim should demonstrate a clear stand on the main issue. 

4. Take a Unique Approach

We’ve looked at hundreds of argumentative essay samples in the last few months. What we discovered is a similarity in the way students approach the assignment.

Either they state arguable facts followed by blunt claims.

There’s nothing with this. The problem, though, is that it becomes difficult to grab the attention of a reader.

So we recommend that you take a different approach. By doing so, you can write a claim that’s not only interesting but also sustainable.

Our team of professional writers and editor, who hold college and university degrees in various fields will research, write, and validate the information in the essay and deliver results that exceed your expectations.

You may also like

Can turnitin detect the essays i’ve bought online, how to write a last minute essay: 6 tips for better grades, subscribe to our newsletter now.

How to Write an Effective Claim (with Examples)

Formulating a claim for your essay can be difficult even if you are already a masterful debater — especially if you are not quite sure what a claim is, and how it may differ from a counterclaim or thesis statement. This guide will make it easy to decide on your claim!

Essay Claim Basics

In essay writing, a claim can most succinctly be defined as "a debatable statement" — which the writer then defends with supporting evidence and rhetoric. It is easy to confuse a claim and a thesis statement, because the thesis is indeed a type of claim as well. Essays can contain further claims that orbit the topic of the thesis statement, however.

Claims straddle the line between opinion and fact. If you're hoping to make a strong claim that seamlessly fits into a powerful essay, you will need to make sure that your claim ticks the right boxes:

• Your claim can debated — solid arguments can be made both in favor and against. Therefore, statements such as "I live in Queens" or "Joe Biden is the President" are not claims. In an argumentative essay, "the death penalty should be abolished" is an example of a claim. Even scientific papers make claims, such as "Keyboards contain more germs than toilet seats", which can be tested. These are called hypotheses.
• You will state your claim as a matter of fact. "Many people oppose the death penalty, and with good reason" is not a good claim, but "the death penalty is no longer an appropriate punishment in modern America" can be.
• Your claim is sufficiently specific to allow you to explore all aspects that you intend to tackle. "The Victorian era was Britain's darkest era" give you more bite than you can comfortably chew. "Fast food should be taxed to reduce obesity rates" is more specific.

Types of Claim (With Examples!)

Claims are debatable statements, but there are numerous different types. If you have specifically been asked to present a claim in an essay, you may be able to choose what kind of claim you would like to work with.

1. Claim of Fact or Definition

In research essays, a claim of fact or definition is one that defines a fact, as you see it, and proceeds to lay out the evidence in favor of the claim. Here are some examples to show you how it works:

• Plant species are becoming extinct at a faster rate than animal species, yet the plight of plants has been overlooked.
• Amazon's Alexa has revolutionized many people's daily lives — but this appliance also makes us vulnerable to new forms of hacking.
• Commercial air travel transformed the way in which we do business.

2. Claim of Cause & Effect

In a claim of cause and effect, you argue that one thing causes another, such as:

• Internet gaming has a widespread negative effect on students' grades.
• Lax enforcement of preventative measures against Covid has enabled the pandemic to continue for much longer than it need have.
• Playing jigsaw puzzles leads to novel cognitive connections that help senior citizens stay sharp.

3. Claim of Value

Claims of value are more heavily opinion-based than other types of claims. If you are making a claim of value, you will usually want to compare two things. For example:

• George W Bush was a better President than George W H Bush.
• Emotional health is just as important as physical health.
• Stephen King is the best horror writer of al time.

4. Claim of Solution or Policy

Claims of solution or policy state a position on a proposed course of action. In high school and college essays, they typically focus on something that should be done, or something that should no longer be done. Examples might include:

• Depressed patients should always be offered talk therapy before they receive a prescription for antidepressants.
• The United States should not accept refugees from Afghanistan.
• First-time offenders should be given lighter sentences.

Claim vs. Counterclaim vs. Thesis Statement

If you've been told to make an essay claim, you may be confused about the differences between a claim, counterclaim, and thesis statement. That's understandable, because some people believe that there's no difference between a claim and a thesis statement.

There are important distinctions between these three concepts, however, and if you want to write a killer essay, it's important to be aware of them:

• A thesis statement is the very foundation of your essay — everything else rests on it. The thesis statement should contain no more than one or two sentences, and summarize the heart of your argument. "Regular exercise has consistently been shown to increase productivity in the workplace. Therefore, employers should offer office workers, who would otherwise be largely sedentary, opportunities to work out."
• A claim is a statement you can defend with arguments and evidence. A thesis statement is a type of claim, but you'll want to include other claims that fit neatly into the subject matter as well. For instance, "Employers should establish gyms for employees."
• A counterclaim is a statement that contradicts, refutes, or opposes a claim. Why would you want to argue against yourself? You can do so to show that arguments that oppose the claim are weak. For instance, "Many employers would balk at the idea of facilitating costly exercise classes or providing a gym space — employees can work out in their own time, after all. Why should the boss pay for workers to engage in recreational activities at work? Recent studies have shown, however, that workplaces that have incorporated aerobics classes enjoy 120% increase in productivity, showing that this step serves the bottom line."

Together, a thesis statement, claims, and some well-placed counterclaims make up the threads of your story, leading to a coherent essay that is interesting to read.

How to Write an Effective Claim

Now that you've seen some examples, you are well on your way to writing an effective claim for your essay. Need some extra tips? We've got you covered.

First things first — how do you start a claim in an essay? Your claim sentence or sentences should be written in the active voice, starting with the subject, so that your readers can immediately understand what you are talking about.

They'll be formulated as an "[Subject] should be [proposed action], because [argument]. You can stay with this general structure while making different word choices, however, such as:

• It is about time that
• We have an obligation to
• Is the only logical choice
• It is imperative that

Once you have formulated a claim, you will want to see if you can hook your readers with an interesting or provocative statement that can really get them thinking. You will want to break your argument down into sections. This will lead you to sub-claims. If your claim is your main argument, your sub-claims are smaller arguments that work to support it. They will typically appear naturally once you contemplate the subject deeply — just brainstorm, and as you research, keep considering why your claim is true. The reasons you come up with will sprout sub-claims.

Still not sure what to write? Take a look at these examples of strong claim statements:

• A lack of work experience has proven to be the main barrier to finding satisfying employment, so businesses should be incentivized to hire recent graduates.
• The rise in uncertified "emotional support animals" directly causes suffering for people suffering from severe pet dander allergies. Such pets must be outlawed in public places to alleviate the very real harm allergy patients now experience on a daily basis.
• Emerging private space exploration ventures may be exciting, but they greatly increase CO2 emissions. At a time when the planet is in crisis, private space exploration should be banned.

Additional Tips in Writing a Claim the Right Way

You now know what you need to include in a claim paragraph to leave a strong impression. Understanding what not to do is equally important, however.

• Take a stand — if you're writing an argumentative essay, it is perfectly OK to take a controversial opinion, and no matter what you write, it is bound to have the potential to offend someone . Don't sit on the fence. Even when you're defending a position you disagree with, embrace it wholeheartedly.
• Narrow your claim down. The more specific you can get, the more compelling your argument can be, and the more depth you can add to each aspect of your argument.
• Have fun! You want your essay to be interesting to read, and any genuine passion you have will be apparent.
• Choose the right subject — one about which you can find a lot of data and facts.

What should you avoid in writing a claim, you wonder? Don't:

• Use any first-person statements. The claim is about your ideas, not about you.
• Base your claim on emotional appeal. You can work some pathos in, but don't make feelings your center.
• Clutter your claim with too many separate ideas, which will make the rest of your essay harder to read, less powerful, and unwieldy for you to develop.

How do you use a claim?

When you're writing your essay, you can think of the thesis statement as the spine. The claims you make are, then, your "ribs", so to speak. If you prefer a different analogy, the thesis is your trunk, and the claims branches. You use them to build a strong final product that shows you have considered all aspects of your argument, and can back them up with evidence and logic.

What is a good way to start a claim?

You can start with a shocking fact, objective data from a reliable source, or even an anecdote — or, if you prefer, you can simply offer your argument without bells and whistles.

Can a claim be in a paragraph or is it a single sentence only?

Claims are almost always limited to a single sentence. It can be a long compound sentence, though! The claim does not have to remain all alone in the paragraph. You can immediately surround it with rhetorical punches or further facts.

What are some examples of argumentative claims?

So, you want to learn to argue like a pro? Watching speeches politicians make is a great way to look out for claims, and court transcripts and academic debates are two other places you can look for great argumentative claims.

Is there a claim generator you can use?

Yes! Some claim generators are free to use, while others require a subscription. These tools can be interesting to play with, and can serve as inspiration. However, it's always best to tweak your final claim to fit your needs.

Related posts:

• Bone of Contention - Meaning, Usage and Origin
• I Beg to Differ - Meaning, Origin and Usage
• Chewing the Fat - Meaning, Usage and Origin
• All that Glitters is Not Gold - Meaning, Origin and Usage
• Ginning Up - Meaning, Usage and Origin
• Chime In - Meaning, Origin and Usage

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Choose Your Test

• Search Blogs By Category
• College Admissions
• AP and IB Exams
• GPA and Coursework

3 Key Tips for How to Write an Argumentative Essay

General Education

If there’s one writing skill you need to have in your toolkit for standardized tests, AP exams, and college-level writing, it’s the ability to make a persuasive argument. Effectively arguing for a position on a topic or issue isn’t just for the debate team— it’s for anyone who wants to ace the essay portion of an exam or make As in college courses.

To give you everything you need to know about how to write an argumentative essay , we’re going to answer the following questions for you:

• What is an argumentative essay?
• How should an argumentative essay be structured?
• How do I write a strong argument?
• What’s an example of a strong argumentative essay?
• What are the top takeaways for writing argumentative papers?

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepped and ready to write a great argumentative essay yourself!

Now, let’s break this down.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is a type of writing that presents the writer’s position or stance on a specific topic and uses evidence to support that position. The goal of an argumentative essay is to convince your reader that your position is logical, ethical, and, ultimately, right . In argumentative essays, writers accomplish this by writing:

• A clear, persuasive thesis statement in the introduction paragraph
• Body paragraphs that use evidence and explanations to support the thesis statement
• A paragraph addressing opposing positions on the topic—when appropriate
• A conclusion that gives the audience something meaningful to think about.

Introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion: these are the main sections of an argumentative essay. Those probably sound familiar. Where does arguing come into all of this, though? It’s not like you’re having a shouting match with your little brother across the dinner table. You’re just writing words down on a page!

...or are you? Even though writing papers can feel like a lonely process, one of the most important things you can do to be successful in argumentative writing is to think about your argument as participating in a larger conversation . For one thing, you’re going to be responding to the ideas of others as you write your argument. And when you’re done writing, someone—a teacher, a professor, or exam scorer—is going to be reading and evaluating your argument.

If you want to make a strong argument on any topic, you have to get informed about what’s already been said on that topic . That includes researching the different views and positions, figuring out what evidence has been produced, and learning the history of the topic. That means—you guessed it!—argumentative essays almost always require you to incorporate outside sources into your writing.  

What Makes Argumentative Essays Unique?

Argumentative essays are different from other types of essays for one main reason: in an argumentative essay, you decide what the argument will be . Some types of essays, like summaries or syntheses, don’t want you to show your stance on the topic—they want you to remain unbiased and neutral.

In argumentative essays, you’re presenting your point of view as the writer and, sometimes, choosing the topic you’ll be arguing about. You just want to make sure that that point of view comes across as informed, well-reasoned, and persuasive.

Another thing about argumentative essays: they’re often longer than other types of essays. Why, you ask? Because it takes time to develop an effective argument. If your argument is going to be persuasive to readers, you have to address multiple points that support your argument, acknowledge counterpoints, and provide enough evidence and explanations to convince your reader that your points are valid.

Our 3 Best Tips for Picking a Great Argumentative Topic

The first step to writing an argumentative essay deciding what to write about! Choosing a topic for your argumentative essay might seem daunting, though. It can feel like you could make an argument about anything under the sun. For example, you could write an argumentative essay about how cats are way cooler than dogs, right?

It’s not quite that simple . Here are some strategies for choosing a topic that serves as a solid foundation for a strong argument.

Choose a Topic That Can Be Supported With Evidence

First, you want to make sure the topic you choose allows you to make a claim that can be supported by evidence that’s considered credible and appropriate for the subject matter ...and, unfortunately, your personal opinions or that Buzzfeed quiz you took last week don’t quite make the cut.

Some topics—like whether cats or dogs are cooler—can generate heated arguments, but at the end of the day, any argument you make on that topic is just going to be a matter of opinion. You have to pick a topic that allows you to take a position that can be supported by actual, researched evidence.

(Quick note: you could write an argumentative paper over the general idea that dogs are better than cats—or visa versa!—if you’re a) more specific and b) choose an idea that has some scientific research behind it. For example, a strong argumentative topic could be proving that dogs make better assistance animals than cats do.)

You also don’t want to make an argument about a topic that’s already a proven fact, like that drinking water is good for you. While some people might dislike the taste of water, there is an overwhelming body of evidence that proves—beyond the shadow of a doubt—that drinking water is a key part of good health.  

To avoid choosing a topic that’s either unprovable or already proven, try brainstorming some issues that have recently been discussed in the news, that you’ve seen people debating on social media, or that affect your local community. If you explore those outlets for potential topics, you’ll likely stumble upon something that piques your audience’s interest as well.  

Choose a Topic That You Find Interesting

Topics that have local, national, or global relevance often also resonate with us on a personal level. Consider choosing a topic that holds a connection between something you know or care about and something that is relevant to the rest of society. These don’t have to be super serious issues, but they should be topics that are timely and significant.

For example, if you are a huge football fan, a great argumentative topic for you might be arguing whether football leagues need to do more to prevent concussions . Is this as “important” an issue as climate change? No, but it’s still a timely topic that affects many people. And not only is this a great argumentative topic: you also get to write about one of your passions! Ultimately, if you’re working with a topic you enjoy, you’ll have more to say—and probably write a better essay .

Choose a Topic That Doesn’t Get You Too Heated

Another word of caution on choosing a topic for an argumentative paper: while it can be effective to choose a topic that matters to you personally, you also want to make sure you’re choosing a topic that you can keep your cool over. You’ve got to be able to stay unemotional, interpret the evidence persuasively, and, when appropriate, discuss opposing points of view without getting too salty.

In some situations, choosing a topic for your argumentative paper won’t be an issue at all: the test or exam will choose it for you . In that case, you’ve got to do the best you can with what you’re given.

In the next sections, we’re going to break down how to write any argumentative essay —regardless of whether you get to choose your own topic or have one assigned to you! Our expert tips and tricks will make sure that you’re knocking your paper out of the park.

The Thesis: The Argumentative Essay’s Backbone

You’ve chosen a topic or, more likely, read the exam question telling you to defend, challenge, or qualify a claim on an assigned topic. What do you do now?

You establish your position on the topic by writing a killer thesis statement ! The thesis statement, sometimes just called “the thesis,” is the backbone of your argument, the north star that keeps you oriented as you develop your main points, the—well, you get the idea.

In more concrete terms, a thesis statement conveys your point of view on your topic, usually in one sentence toward the end of your introduction paragraph . It’s very important that you state your point of view in your thesis statement in an argumentative way—in other words, it should state a point of view that is debatable.

And since your thesis statement is going to present your argument on the topic, it’s the thing that you’ll spend the rest of your argumentative paper defending. That’s where persuasion comes in. Your thesis statement tells your reader what your argument is, then the rest of your essay shows and explains why your argument is logical.

Why does an argumentative essay need a thesis, though? Well, the thesis statement—the sentence with your main claim—is actually the entire point of an argumentative essay. If you don’t clearly state an arguable claim at the beginning of your paper, then it’s not an argumentative essay. No thesis statement = no argumentative essay. Got it?

Other types of essays that you’re familiar with might simply use a thesis statement to forecast what the rest of the essay is going to discuss or to communicate what the topic is. That’s not the case here. If your thesis statement doesn’t make a claim or establish your position, you’ll need to go back to the drawing board.

Example Thesis Statements

Here are a couple of examples of thesis statements that aren’t argumentative and thesis statements that are argumentative

The sky is blue.

The thesis statement above conveys a fact, not a claim, so it’s not argumentative.

To keep the sky blue, governments must pass clean air legislation and regulate emissions.

The second example states a position on a topic. What’s the topic in that second sentence? The best way to keep the sky blue. And what position is being conveyed? That the best way to keep the sky blue is by passing clean air legislation and regulating emissions.

Some people would probably respond to that thesis statement with gusto: “No! Governments should not pass clean air legislation and regulate emissions! That infringes on my right to pollute the earth!” And there you have it: a thesis statement that presents a clear, debatable position on a topic.

Here’s one more set of thesis statement examples, just to throw in a little variety:

Spirituality and otherworldliness characterize A$AP Rocky’s portrayals of urban life and the American Dream in his rap songs and music videos.

The statement above is another example that isn’t argumentative, but you could write a really interesting analytical essay with that thesis statement. Long live A$AP! Now here’s another one that is argumentative:

To give students an understanding of the role of the American Dream in contemporary life, teachers should incorporate pop culture, like the music of A$AP Rocky, into their lessons and curriculum.

The argument in this one? Teachers should incorporate more relevant pop culture texts into their curriculum.

This thesis statement also gives a specific reason for making the argument above: To give students an understanding of the role of the American Dream in contemporary life. If you can let your reader know why you’re making your argument in your thesis statement, it will help them understand your argument better.

An actual image of you killing your argumentative essay prompts after reading this article! 

Breaking Down the Sections of An Argumentative Essay

Now that you know how to pick a topic for an argumentative essay and how to make a strong claim on your topic in a thesis statement, you’re ready to think about writing the other sections of an argumentative essay. These are the parts that will flesh out your argument and support the claim you made in your thesis statement.  

Like other types of essays, argumentative essays typically have three main sections: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Within those sections, there are some key elements that a reader—and especially an exam scorer or professor—is always going to expect you to include.

Let’s look at a quick outline of those three sections with their essential pieces here:

• Introduction paragraph with a thesis statement (which we just talked about)
• Support Point #1 with evidence
• Explain/interpret the evidence with your own, original commentary (AKA, the fun part!)
• Support Point #2 with evidence
• Explain/interpret the evidence with your own, original commentary
• Support Point #3 with evidence
• New paragraph addressing opposing viewpoints (more on this later!)
• Concluding paragraph

 Now, there are some key concepts in those sections that you’ve got to understand if you’re going to master how to write an argumentative essay. To make the most of the body section, you have to know how to support your claim (your thesis statement), what evidence and explanations are and when you should use them, and how and when to address opposing viewpoints. To finish strong, you’ve got to have a strategy for writing a stellar conclusion.

This probably feels like a big deal! The body and conclusion make up most of the essay, right? Let’s get down to it, then.

How to Write a Strong Argument

Once you have your topic and thesis, you’re ready for the hard part: actually writing your argument. If you make strategic choices—like the ones we’re about to talk about—writing a strong argumentative essay won’t feel so difficult.

There are three main areas where you want to focus your energy as you develop a strategy for how to write an argumentative essay: supporting your claim—your thesis statement—in your essay, addressing other viewpoints on your topic, and writing a solid conclusion. If you put thought and effort into these three things, you’re much more likely to write an argumentative essay that’s engaging, persuasive, and memorable...aka A+ material.

Focus Area 1: Supporting Your Claim With Evidence and Explanations

So you’ve chosen your topic, decided what your position will be, and written a thesis statement. But like we see in comment threads across the Internet, if you make a claim and don’t back it up with evidence, what do people say? “Where’s your proof?” “Show me the facts!” “Do you have any evidence to support that claim?”

Of course you’ve done your research like we talked about. Supporting your claim in your thesis statement is where that research comes in handy.

You can’t just use your research to state the facts, though. Remember your reader? They’re going to expect you to do some of the dirty work of interpreting the evidence for them. That’s why it’s important to know the difference between evidence and explanations, and how and when to use both in your argumentative essay.

What Evidence Is and When You Should Use It

Evidence can be material from any authoritative and credible outside source that supports your position on your topic. In some cases, evidence can come in the form of photos, video footage, or audio recordings. In other cases, you might be pulling reasons, facts, or statistics from news media articles, public policy, or scholarly books or journals.

There are some clues you can look for that indicate whether or not a source is credible , such as whether:

• The website where you found the source ends in .edu, .gov, or .org
• The source was published by a university press
• The source was published in a peer-reviewed journal
• The authors did extensive research to support the claims they make in the source

This is just a short list of some of the clues that a source is likely a credible one, but just because a source was published by a prestigious press or the authors all have PhDs doesn’t necessarily mean it is the best piece of evidence for you to use to support your argument.

In addition to evaluating the source’s credibility, you’ve got to consider what types of evidence might come across as most persuasive in the context of the argument you’re making and who your readers are. In other words, stepping back and getting a bird’s eye view of the entire context of your argumentative paper is key to choosing evidence that will strengthen your argument.

On some exams, like the AP exams , you may be given pretty strict parameters for what evidence to use and how to use it. You might be given six short readings that all address the same topic, have 15 minutes to read them, then be required to pull material from a minimum of three of the short readings to support your claim in an argumentative essay.

When the sources are handed to you like that, be sure to take notes that will help you pick out evidence as you read. Highlight, underline, put checkmarks in the margins of your exam . . . do whatever you need to do to begin identifying the material that you find most helpful or relevant. Those highlights and check marks might just turn into your quotes, paraphrases, or summaries of evidence in your completed exam essay.

What Explanations Are and When You Should Use Them

Now you know that taking a strategic mindset toward evidence and explanations is critical to grasping how to write an argumentative essay. Unfortunately, evidence doesn’t speak for itself. While it may be obvious to you, the researcher and writer, how the pieces of evidence you’ve included are relevant to your audience, it might not be as obvious to your reader.

That’s where explanations—or analysis, or interpretations—come in. You never want to just stick some quotes from an article into your paragraph and call it a day. You do want to interpret the evidence you’ve included to show your reader how that evidence supports your claim.

Now, that doesn’t mean you’re going to be saying, “This piece of evidence supports my argument because...”. Instead, you want to comment on the evidence in a way that helps your reader see how it supports the position you stated in your thesis. We’ll talk more about how to do this when we show you an example of a strong body paragraph from an argumentative essay here in a bit.

Understanding how to incorporate evidence and explanations to your advantage is really important. Here’s why: when you’re writing an argumentative essay, particularly on standardized tests or the AP exam, the exam scorers can’t penalize you for the position you take. Instead, their evaluation is going to focus on the way you incorporated evidence and explained it in your essay.

Focus Area 2: How—and When—to Address Other Viewpoints

Why would we be making arguments at all if there weren’t multiple views out there on a given topic? As you do research and consider the background surrounding your topic, you’ll probably come across arguments that stand in direct opposition to your position.

Oftentimes, teachers will ask you to “address the opposition” in your argumentative essay. What does that mean, though, to “ address the opposition ?”

Opposing viewpoints function kind of like an elephant in the room. Your audience knows they’re there. In fact, your audience might even buy into an opposing viewpoint and be waiting for you to show them why your viewpoint is better. If you don’t, it means that you’ll have a hard time convincing your audience to buy your argument.

Addressing the opposition is a balancing act: you don’t want to undermine your own argument, but you don’t want to dismiss the validity of opposing viewpoints out-of-hand or ignore them altogether, which can also undermine your argument.

This isn’t the only acceptable approach, but it’s common practice to wait to address the opposition until close to the end of an argumentative essay. But why?

Well, waiting to present an opposing viewpoint until after you’ve thoroughly supported your own argument is strategic. You aren’t going to go into great detail discussing the opposing viewpoint: you’re going to explain what that viewpoint is fairly, but you’re also going to point out what’s wrong with it.

It can also be effective to read the opposition through the lens of your own argument and the evidence you’ve used to support it. If the evidence you’ve already included supports your argument, it probably doesn’t support the opposing viewpoint. Without being too obvious, it might be worth pointing this out when you address the opposition.

Focus Area #3: Writing the Conclusion

It’s common to conclude an argumentative essay by reiterating the thesis statement in some way, either by reminding the reader what the overarching argument was in the first place or by reviewing the main points and evidence that you covered.

You don’t just want to restate your thesis statement and review your main points and call it a day, though. So much has happened since you stated your thesis in the introduction! And why waste a whole paragraph—the very last thing your audience is going to read—on just repeating yourself?

Here’s an approach to the conclusion that can give your audience a fresh perspective on your argument: reinterpret your thesis statement for them in light of all the evidence and explanations you’ve provided. Think about how your readers might read your thesis statement in a new light now that they’ve heard your whole argument out.

That’s what you want to leave your audience with as you conclude your argumentative paper: a brief explanation of why all that arguing mattered in the first place. If you can give your audience something to continue pondering after they’ve read your argument, that’s even better.

One thing you want to avoid in your conclusion, though: presenting new supporting points or new evidence. That can just be confusing for your reader. Stick to telling your reader why the argument you’ve already made matters, and your argument will stick with your reader.

A Strong Argumentative Essay: Examples

For some aspiring argumentative essay writers, showing is better than telling. To show rather than tell you what makes a strong argumentative essay, we’ve provided three examples of possible body paragraphs for an argumentative essay below.

Think of these example paragraphs as taking on the form of the “Argumentative Point #1 → Evidence —> Explanation —> Repeat” process we talked through earlier. It’s always nice to be able to compare examples, so we’ve included three paragraphs from an argumentative paper ranging from poor (or needs a lot of improvement, if you’re feeling generous), to better, to best.

All of the example paragraphs are for an essay with this thesis statement: 

Thesis Statement: In order to most effectively protect user data and combat the spread of disinformation, the U.S. government should implement more stringent regulations of Facebook and other social media outlets.

As you read the examples, think about what makes them different, and what makes the “best” paragraph more effective than the “better” and “poor” paragraphs. Here we go:

A Poor Argument

Example Body Paragraph: Data mining has affected a lot of people in recent years. Facebook has 2.23 billion users from around the world, and though it would take a huge amount of time and effort to make sure a company as big as Facebook was complying with privacy regulations in countries across the globe, adopting a common framework for privacy regulation in more countries would be the first step. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg himself supports adopting a global framework for privacy and data protection, which would protect more users than before.

What’s Wrong With This Example?

First, let’s look at the thesis statement. Ask yourself: does this make a claim that some people might agree with, but others might disagree with?

The answer is yes. Some people probably think that Facebook should be regulated, while others might believe that’s too much government intervention. Also, there are definitely good, reliable sources out there that will help this writer prove their argument. So this paper is off to a strong start!  

Unfortunately, this writer doesn’t do a great job proving their thesis in their body paragraph. First, the topic sentence—aka the first sentence of the paragraph—doesn’t make a point that directly supports the position stated in the thesis. We’re trying to argue that government regulation will help protect user data and combat the spread of misinformation, remember? The topic sentence should make a point that gets right at that, instead of throwing out a random fact about data mining.

Second, because the topic sentence isn’t focused on making a clear point, the rest of the paragraph doesn’t have much relevant information, and it fails to provide credible evidence that supports the claim made in the thesis statement. For example, it would be a great idea to include exactly what Mark Zuckerberg said ! So while there’s definitely some relevant information in this paragraph, it needs to be presented with more evidence.

A Better Argument  

This paragraph is a bit better than the first one, but it still needs some work. The topic sentence is a bit too long, and it doesn’t make a point that clearly supports the position laid out in the thesis statement. The reader already knows that mining user data is a big issue, so the topic sentence would be a great place to make a point about why more stringent government regulations would most effectively protect user data.

There’s also a problem with how the evidence is incorporated in this example. While there is some relevant, persuasive evidence included in this paragraph, there’s no explanation of why or how it is relevant . Remember, you can’t assume that your evidence speaks for itself: you have to interpret its relevance for your reader. That means including at least a sentence that tells your reader why the evidence you’ve chosen proves your argument.

A Best—But Not Perfect!—Argument  

Example Body Paragraph: Though Facebook claims to be implementing company policies that will protect user data and stop the spread of misinformation , its attempts have been unsuccessful compared to those made by the federal government. When PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a Federal Trade Commission-mandated assessment of Facebook’s partnerships with Microsoft and the makers of the Blackberry handset in 2013, the team found limited evidence that Facebook had monitored or even checked that its partners had complied with Facebook’s existing data use policies. In fact, Facebook’s own auditors confirmed the PricewaterhouseCoopers findings, despite the fact that Facebook claimed that the company was making greater attempts to safeguard users’ personal information. In contrast, bills written by Congress have been more successful in changing Facebook’s practices than Facebook’s own company policies have. According to The Washington Post, The Honest Ads Act of 2017 “created public demand for transparency and changed how social media companies disclose online political advertising.” These policy efforts, though thus far unsuccessful in passing legislation, have nevertheless pushed social media companies to change some of their practices by sparking public outrage and negative media attention.

Why This Example Is The Best

This paragraph isn’t perfect, but it is the most effective at doing some of the things that you want to do when you write an argumentative essay.

First, the topic sentences get to the point . . . and it’s a point that supports and explains the claim made in the thesis statement! It gives a clear reason why our claim in favor of more stringent government regulations is a good claim : because Facebook has failed to self-regulate its practices.

This paragraph also provides strong evidence and specific examples that support the point made in the topic sentence. The evidence presented shows specific instances in which Facebook has failed to self-regulate, and other examples where the federal government has successfully influenced regulation of Facebook’s practices for the better.

Perhaps most importantly, though, this writer explains why the evidence is important. The bold sentence in the example is where the writer links the evidence back to their opinion. In this case, they explain that the pressure from Federal Trade Commission and Congress—and the threat of regulation—have helped change Facebook for the better.

Why point out that this isn’t a perfect paragraph, though? Because you won’t be writing perfect paragraphs when you’re taking timed exams either. But get this: you don’t have to write perfect paragraphs to make a good score on AP exams or even on an essay you write for class. Like in this example paragraph, you just have to effectively develop your position by appropriately and convincingly relying on evidence from good sources.

Top 3 Takeaways For Writing Argumentative Essays

This is all great information, right? If (when) you have to write an argumentative essay, you’ll be ready. But when in doubt, remember these three things about how to write an argumentative essay, and you’ll emerge victorious:

Takeaway #1: Read Closely and Carefully

This tip applies to every aspect of writing an argumentative essay. From making sure you’re addressing your prompt, to really digging into your sources, to proofreading your final paper...you’ll need to actively and pay attention! This is especially true if you’re writing on the clock, like during an AP exam.

Takeaway #2: Make Your Argument the Focus of the Essay

Define your position clearly in your thesis statement and stick to that position! The thesis is the backbone of your paper, and every paragraph should help prove your thesis in one way or another. But sometimes you get to the end of your essay and realize that you’ve gotten off topic, or that your thesis doesn’t quite fit. Don’t worry—if that happens, you can always rewrite your thesis to fit your paper!

Takeaway #3: Use Sources to Develop Your Argument—and Explain Them

Nothing is as powerful as good, strong evidence. First, make sure you’re finding credible sources that support your argument. Then you can paraphrase, briefly summarize, or quote from your sources as you incorporate them into your paragraphs. But remember the most important part: you have to explain why you’ve chosen that evidence and why it proves your thesis.

What's Next?

Once you’re comfortable with how to write an argumentative essay, it’s time to learn some more advanced tips and tricks for putting together a killer argument.

Keep in mind that argumentative essays are just one type of essay you might encounter. That’s why we’ve put together more specific guides on how to tackle IB essays , SAT essays , and ACT essays .

But what about admissions essays? We’ve got you covered. Not only do we have comprehensive guides to the Coalition App and Common App essays, we also have tons of individual college application guides, too . You can search through all of our college-specific posts by clicking here.

Trending Now

How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League

How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA

How to Write an Amazing College Essay

What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?

ACT vs. SAT: Which Test Should You Take?

When should you take the SAT or ACT?

Get Your Free

Find Your Target SAT Score

Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect SAT Score, by an Expert Full Scorer

Score 800 on SAT Math

Score 800 on SAT Reading and Writing

How to Improve Your Low SAT Score

Score 600 on SAT Math

Score 600 on SAT Reading and Writing

Find Your Target ACT Score

Complete Official Free ACT Practice Tests

How to Get a Perfect ACT Score, by a 36 Full Scorer

Get a 36 on ACT English

Get a 36 on ACT Math

Get a 36 on ACT Reading

Get a 36 on ACT Science

How to Improve Your Low ACT Score

Get a 24 on ACT English

Get a 24 on ACT Math

Get a 24 on ACT Reading

Get a 24 on ACT Science

Stay Informed

Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Ask a Question Below

Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!

Want to create or adapt books like this? Learn more about how Pressbooks supports open publishing practices.

Elements of Argument

10 Types of Claims

By jim marteney.

There are three types of claims: claims of fact, claims of value, and claims of policy . Each type of claim focuses on a different aspect of a topic. To best participate in an argument, it is beneficial to understand the type of claim that is being argued.

Claim of Fact

A c laim of f act asserts that something quantifiable has existed, does exist, or will exist. The center of controversy in a factual claim is over the reasonableness of the fact in question. In other words, a claim of fact debates whether the statement of the claim is correct or incorrect, valid or invalid, true or false. In making such implications, we reason from something that is known to something that is unknown. Claims of fact also focus on cause-to-effect relationships.

The goal in arguing for a claim of fact is to gain audience acceptance that something that is currently not accepted as fact or that something that is currently considered a fact should no longer be considered as such. The goal in arguing against a claim of fact is to get your audience to deny acceptance of some proposed new fact or to defend the status quo that something that is a fact should remain so. Claims of fact may be assertions about the past, present, or future.

Past claims of fact tend to deal with the assigning of motive or responsibility for historical actions. Examples are “ General Custer was responsible for the massacre at the Battle of the Little Big Horn ,” or “ Democrat policies caused the rise of terrorism .”

Present claims of fact tend to deal with events of current importance. Examples are “ There is a God ,” “ Divorce is causing increased juvenile crime ,” “Video games lead to the increase of violence among teens,” or “Climate change is exacerbated by people.”

Future claims of fact deal with making predictions about the nature of future events; such as “ Tuition at community colleges will be increased next year ,” “ Oil prices will continue to rise ” or “ The Tesla Model 3 will become the best-selling sedan in the United States .”

Claims of fact are quantifiable. That is, establishing the correctness of factual claims depends heavily on empirical verification. Such verification, or evidence, usually consists of using some combination of sensory data (sight, smell, touch, sound, and taste).

Claim of Value

A c laim of v alue asserts qualitative judgments along a good-to-bad continuum relating to persons, events, and things in one’s environment. If you construct a position claiming that something is good or bad or one thing is better than another, you’ve made a claim of value. Examples of claims of value are “ The Wizard of Oz is the greatest movie of all time ,” “ Snowboarding is the greatest way to spend a vacation ,” or “ Indian food is the best food of all .”

The center of argument in a value claim is over the criteria used in making the judgment. Value claims call into question a standard of comparison: bad as compared to what, good as compared to what, superior as compared to what? All judgments we make are opinions that compare two or more items and assert that one of the items is, by comparison, the better one. For instance, “ Coke is better than Pepsi ,” “ Natural gas is our best energy source ,” and “ George Washington is the greatest President of all time .” How do you define words like “ better ,” “ best ,” and “ greatest ”? And more importantly, do you and the person you are arguing with define them identically? If not, that difference must be resolved first with agreed-upon definitions of these key terms. Then you can begin your argument.

In our everyday decisions, we make many kinds of value judgments. Our own experiences reveal how difficult it often is to empirically quantify these judgments. Your parents ask you not to associate with a certain person because they are a “ bad influence .” You go to a certain college to get a “good” education. You buy a certain car because it is “ better ” than other similar cars. What is a “bad” influence, a “good” education, a “better” car? These words have no universality or common understanding. This puts you in the position of having to define how value judgments are made in a particular situation, to argue for that definition, and to assess how well the person/thing being judged meets that definition.

For example, with the claim “Abraham Lincoln is the greatest president ever,” the advocate would have to prove either or both that Lincoln meets the criteria for a great president, which involves arguing for the criteria as well as judging his play against that criteria AND that he meets the criteria better than any other president, which involves comparing and contrasting his presidency to other presidents.

A person’s values are often called into play when a person is arguing morality. Since value claims cannot be empirically supported, our arguments with others tend to be qualitative and without much factual support. One significant problem in social argumentation is that we tend to view claims of value as claims of fact, and thus we shift the focus of argument from good and bad to true or false. Value claims are the hardest on which to reach consensus because of the lack of objective criteria.

A major problem we often face is that we frequently argue claims of value as if they are claims of fact. Look at the following claims:

• Law and Order is the best program on television.
• Barack Obama was a great president.
• Abortion is morally wrong.
• The Lakers are better than the Celtics.

All of these claims are claims of value. We tend, however, to often debate them as if they were claims of fact, or “true or false” statements. Instead of getting others to accept our position as having the same validity as theirs does, successful conflict resolution demands that one of us abandon our “false” position and accept the other’s “true” position.

We do this without the universal criteria necessary for such “truthfulness” to be argued. We expect that others will accept our value judgments as “true,” without the empirical data necessary to prove such judgments. This is why social argumentation occasionally breaks down into quarreling and bickering, and why we have such a difficult time getting along with others who see the world differently than we do. Because most values are personal, and because the process of argumentation calls for one side or the other to abandon a value, constructive conflict resolution is hard to achieve when debating value claims.

Claim of Policy

A c laim of p olicy asserts that something should or should not be done by someone about something. It proposes that some specific course of action should, but not necessarily will, be taken. The key word in a claim of policy is the conditional verb “should” which implies that some action ought to be taken, but not that it must or will be taken. For instance, “The United States should send a manned expedition to Mars,” or “Students should read the assigned text material before the instructor lectures on it.” Policy claims are analyzed by locating the sub-claims of fact (the need for a policy change in the status quo) or value claims (the desirability of making such a change) inherent in the policy claim.

For example, the following claim has been advanced, “All professional athletes should be randomly drug-tested . ” We can analyze this claim by first finding the sub-claims of fact, which center around the need for drug testing of athletes. We might discover the following: drug use among athletes has increased, drug use affects athletic performance, athletes are role models for youth, and other methods to discourage drug use have not worked. In order to discover the sub-claims of value, we need to discuss the desirability of drug testing on athletes. We might discover the following: athletic performance will be greatly improved if we have mandatory drug testing, fans will have greater respect for athletes if they submit to drug tests, or random drug testing is the best way to deal with drug use in sports. We can now debate the original claim using these sub-claims as the major arguments that will determine pro or con adherence.

With a claim of policy, the pro-side in a debate must establish a need in the system for a change and desirability of their approach. The con-side only needs to defeat one of the two to defeat the claim.

• Claims of fact are quantifiable statements that focus on the accuracy, correctness, or validity of such statements and can be verified using some objective evidence.
• Claims of value are qualitative statements that focus on judgments made about the environment and invite comparisons.
• Claims of policy are statements that focus on actions that should be taken to change the status quo.

Attributions

“Types of Claims” by Jim Marteney is licensed under CC-BY-NC 4.0

Writing Arguments in STEM Copyright © by Jason Peters; Jennifer Bates; Erin Martin-Elston; Sadie Johann; Rebekah Maples; Anne Regan; and Morgan White is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book

Feedback/errata.

Comments are closed.

Argumentative Essay: Student Guidelines & Examples

• Icon Calendar 8 September 2024
• Icon Page 5302 words
• Icon Clock 24 min read

Writing a good argumentative essay is one of the activities that students in high schools and higher learning institutions undertake as a test of their knowledge acquisition. Basically, this is a paper where students focus on persuading readers to agree with the central argument (thesis). However, to make their argument legitimate, people need to highlight views from opposing points of view (counterarguments). In writing, there are 3 main types of argumentative essays: classical, Rogerian, and Toulmin. While these types of papers can follow a similar outline, each has a unique writing structure that distinguishes it from others. In turn, primary features of an argumentative essay a person should capture in writing are a thesis, body paragraphs that support a central claim, a counterargument, a response to a counterargument (refutation), and concluding remarks. Finally, these guidelines present a definition of an argumentative essay, its format, basic writing steps, defining features, types, structures, outlines, templates, prompts, some examples, what to include, and what to avoid, allowing students to present high-quality papers and get their A+ grades.

General Aspects

Academic writing is a broad discipline that covers various styles and types of writing. Among different types of essays , there is an argumentative or persuasive writing format. Basically, the main point of an argumentative essay is to convince a reader of a validity of an author’s position on a debatable issue through evidence, reasoning, and persuasive statements. As such, it is a writing genre where a person investigates a topic by collecting and evaluating evidence to strengthen a claim concerning specific themes, including a basic outline. In other words, an argumentative paper focuses on supporting a person’s stance on an issue. Moreover, writing an entire content aims to persuade readers to understand and support that point of view. To achieve this writing goal, students need to state a valid reasoning behind their stance and provide evidence that backs it up.

What Is an Argumentative Essay and Its Purpose

According to its definition, an argumentative essay is a type and form of academic writing where an author presents a clear stance on a specific issue, supporting their position with logical reasoning and evidence. For example, the main purpose of writing an argumentative essay is to convince an intended audience of a real validity of an author’s viewpoint by presenting points backed by facts, research, and examples while also addressing and refuting opposing perspectives (Rogers, 2024). Unlike simple opinion pieces, an argumentative essay requires critical thinking and a structured writing approach, often involving introduction, body, and conclusion components. Further on, such a composition encourages an entire debate and helps to develop skills in logical reasoning, analysis, and persuasive communication (Koons, 2021). In principle, readers are encouraged to consider multiple sides of a specific issue, fostering a deeper understanding and prompting further reflection on a chosen topic. Moreover, people can take a clear stance, support a main claim with evidence, and systematically address counterarguments to reinforce their positions (Crossley& Tian, 2022). In terms of pages and words, the length of an argumentative essay depends on academic levels, course requirements, and controversial topics, while general writing guidelines are:

High School

• Length: 1-4 pages
• Word Count: 250-1,000 words
• Structure: Introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, conclusion.

College (Undergraduate)

• Length: 2-6 pages
• Word Count: 500-1,500 words
• Structure: Introduction, 3-5 body paragraphs, conclusion, with more emphasis on research and evidence.

University (Bachelor’s Level)

• Length: 4-10 pages
• Word Count: 1,000-2,500 words
• Structure: More in-depth research, multiple counterarguments, and extensive evidence supporting a central argument.

Master’s

• Length: 6-20 pages
• Word Count: 1,500-5,000 words
• Structure: More advanced research, multiple viewpoints, detailed analysis, and integration of sources, and its focus is on original argumentation.
• Length: 10-30+ pages
• Word Count: 2,500-7,500+ words
• Structure: Extensive research, complex arguments, multiple perspectives, and a highly detailed examination of sources, often contributing new insights to a chosen field.

Note: Some writing sections of an argumentative essay can be added, deleted, or combined with each other, depending on specific assignments or fields of study. For example, a standard argumentative essay format is an organized framework that outlines how to structure and present a thesis, supporting claims, counterarguments, and evidence in a coherent, logical way to persuade readers (Rogers, 2024). Basically, argumentative writing is a style and form of writing where an author presents a clear position on a specific and debatable issue and supports a main claim with evidence and reasoning while also addressing and refuting opposing viewpoints to persuade readers. Further on, the 5 main parts of an argumentative essay are an introduction, thesis statement sentence, body paragraphs with supporting evidence, counterarguments with refutations, and a conclusion (Koons, 2021). In writing, a typical length of an argumentative essay ranges from 250 to 2,000 words long, depending on academic levels and course instructions. Moreover, students write an argumentative essay when they need to take a stance on a debatable issue and persuade their audience through evidence, reasoning, and addressing counterarguments (Kleemola et al., 2022). An example of a strong claim for an argumentative essay is: “Implementing renewable energy sources is crucial to reducing global carbon emissions and combating climate change.” Finally, people need to cite sources whenever they use information, ideas, or direct quotes from others to support their argument, ensuring proper credit and avoiding plagiarism (Ferretti & Graham, 2019). In turn, to start an argumentative essay, people introduce a specific controversial topic with a hook to grab attention, provide some background information, and present a clear thesis statement that outlines their main position.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay

• Choose a Debatable Topic for Writing: Select a good topic that has two or more sides and can be argued with evidence.
• Conduct Research: Gather credible information, statistics, and expert opinions to support your position.
• Develop a Clear Thesis: Write a concise statement that expresses your main argument or stance.
• Create an Outline: Organize your writing points and structure your argumentative essay with an introduction, body, counterarguments, and conclusion.
• Write an Engaging Introduction: Start writing your argumentative paper with a hook to capture attention, provide background information, and state your thesis.
• Present Your Claims: In each body paragraph, introduce a point supporting your thesis and back it up with evidence.
• Incorporate Counterarguments: Acknowledge opposing views and address them to show balance in your argument.
• Refute Counterarguments: Present evidence or reasoning to disprove or weaken counterarguments.
• Write a Strong Conclusion: Restate your main thesis in another writing way, summarize key body points, and leave readers with a final thought or call to action.
• Revise and Proofread: Review your argumentative essay for clarity, coherence, and any grammatical or logical errors in writing.

Defining Features

An argumentative essay is a common form of writing. Basically, all students encounter argumentative papers at some point in their academic studies. In writing, this type of paper is tailored for a presentation of an argument due to its unique format. For example, a basic structure of an argumentative essay includes a classical layout, covering an introduction with a thesis statement sentence, body paragraphs with supporting evidence from credible sources and counterarguments, refutations, and a conclusion that reinforces a main stance (Koons, 2021). In principle, an argumentative essay is founded on a claim that is supported by evidence and rebuttals, which lack logical fallacies to facilitate a scientific critique. Further on, at the core of writing an argumentative essay is an initial claim that an author intends to defend when considering some argumentative topics. For example, a thesis statement in an argumentative essay must establish a clear position (Hackett, 2021). In this case, an author’s collection of evidence must support a main claim. Moreover, an author needs to have an opinion on an issue at hand and systematically explain an underlying logic to justify that position. Essentially, writing a thesis statement of an argumentative text ties together individual pieces of evidence provided by an author to develop a compelling explanation for an intended audience (Rogers, 2024). In turn, some examples of sentence starters for beginning an argumentative essay are:

• In today’s society, a hot issue of [topic] has sparked considerable debate over [themes].
• A question of whether [topic] is critical because it affects [stakeholders or consequences].
• There is no doubt that [topic] has become a highly controversial subject because [reasons].
• Many people argue that [topic], but evidence suggests [synthesis of evidence].
• One of the most pressing issues of a modern time is [topic], and it demands a careful consideration of [factors].
• While some scholars believe that [counterargument], it is clear that [thesis statement].
• An ongoing discussion about [topic] raises important questions about [related issue].
• It is often assumed that [counterargument], but a closer examination reveals that [thesis statement].
• To fully understand a real impact of [topic], people must first explore key reasons why [thesis statement].
• A hot debate over [controversial topic] has intensified over last ten years, with compelling arguments on both sides, but [thesis statement].

Body Section

Writing a body section of an argumentative essay consists of two distinct parts: supporting evidence and rebuttals. For example, the 5 writing characteristics of an argumentative essay are a clear thesis, logical reasoning, evidence-based support, acknowledgment of counterarguments, and a persuasive conclusion (Koons, 2021). Essentially, supporting evidence may be presented in either a deductive or inductive writing form, and it is dependent on a specific nature of an initial claim. In an argumentative text, the evidence provided to a target audience must build a convincing argument where a link between the evidence and the main claim is apparent (Hackett, 2021). Then, people need to provide rebuttals to main competing ideas to demonstrate some flaws in those lines of thought. Basically, students must provide unbiased reasoning and address alternative positions in a dispute (Rogers, 2024). In writing, there is no preferred order for presenting these sections. However, a target audience should be able to follow a person’s arguments easily. In turn, the principal difference between an expository essay and an argumentative essay is the former explains a topic with facts and information, while the latter presents a stance on an issue and aims to persuade readers with evidence and reasoning.

Challenges in Writing

The main challenge authors face when writing an argumentative essay is avoiding logical fallacies. For example, the 5 steps of an argumentative essay are choosing a debatable topic, crafting a clear thesis, gathering and organizing evidence, addressing counterarguments, and concluding with a strong restatement of a central claim (Rogers, 2024). In writing, fallacies are defects in one’s reasoning, which undermine an argument’s logic. As such, fallacies can easily creep into one’s paper if authors do not carefully assess the supporting evidence. Moreover, logical errors may manifest in various forms, such as a slippery slope and hasty generalization (Koons, 2021). Hence, writing argumentative papers allows students to improve their awareness of weak arguments through critical analysis of their claims. Besides logical fallacies weaken any argument because they create platforms for a critic. In turn, the key difference between argumentative and narrative/descriptive essays is that the former aims to persuade with evidence and reasoning, while the latter focuses on storytelling or vividly describing a person, place, or event.

Argumentative essays are important because they provide a valid framework for a scientific critic. For example, the best definition of an argumentative text is a piece of writing that presents a clear position on a debatable issue, supported by evidence and reasoning, with a goal of persuading a reader (Hackett, 2021). In particular, a scientific disagreement may arise because of issues, such as a generality of an argument, questionable methodology, and a presence of alternative interpretations of findings. On the other hand, argumentative writing ensures students can adequately defend their reasoning when disagreeing with some conclusions of other studies (Koons, 2021). In writing a conclusion section of an argumentative essay, people should restate a thesis, summarize key points made in a body, and provide a final thought or call to action that reinforces their position. As a result, a crucial demand for objectivity and logic in an argument ensures any disagreement in a scientific community is handled in a civilized manner.

A principal basis of argumentative papers is a specific aim of authors to affect the minds of readers. Basically, argumentative essay examples are sample papers that present a clear thesis on a debatable topic supported by evidence and reasoning while addressing and refuting opposing viewpoints (Kleemola et al., 2022). In writing, 3 conventional approaches to an argument are classical, Rogerian, and Toulmin, with different types of structures. Firstly, a classical argument emphasizes evidence and refutation to convince an opponent, dating back to Socrates and Aristotle’s 400 BC ancient Greece (Koons, 2021). Basically, refutation means disapproving of a main argument that is likely to challenge a person’s claim. Secondly, a Rogerian argument aims for a “win-win” negotiation, where neither an author nor an opposing viewpoint is wrong (Hackett, 2021). In essence, this writing type of argument emphasizes some areas where an author and an opposing argument have something in common, such as values and beliefs. Finally, a Toulmin argument underscores an author’s evidence and its strength in proving his or her claim (Rogers, 2024). In turn, common writing types of argumentative essays include:

Standard Writing Structures of Argumentative Essays

2-Point Argument Essay Structure

I. Introduction

Here, a student introduces his or her topic and a thesis statement, which is a central claim.

II. Body Paragraph 1

Here, a student presents a first point and supporting evidence.

III. Body Paragraph 2

Here, a student presents a second point and supporting evidence.

IV. Body Paragraph 3

Here, a student refutes a first argument (counterargument 1) from an opposing viewpoint.

V. Body Paragraph 4

Here, a student refutes a second argument (counterargument 2) from an opposing viewpoint.

VI. Conclusion

Here, a student concludes an argumentative by restating a thesis.

2-Point Refutation Essay Structure

Here, an author introduces a topic and a thesis statement, which is a central claim.

Here, an author refutes a first argument (counterargument 1) from an opposing viewpoint.

Here, an author refutes a second argument (counterargument 2) from an opposing viewpoint.

Here, an author presents a first point and supporting evidence.

Here, an author presents a second point and supporting evidence

Here, an author concludes an argumentative essay by restating a thesis.

A Structure of a Combination of Arguments With Refutations

Here, a person introduces a topic and a thesis statement, which is a central claim.

Here, a person presents a first point and supporting evidence, which also refutes a first counterargument.

Here, a person presents a second point and supporting evidence, refuting a second counterargument.

Here, a person presents a third point and supporting evidence, which also refutes a third counterargument.

V. Conclusion

Here, a person concludes an argumentative essay by restating a thesis.

Outlines and Templates

Classical Argumentative Essay Outline and Template

Here, a student focuses on capturing a reader’s attention by using a hook to introduce a topic with a thesis claim.

II. Statement of Background

Here, a student provides readers with an explanation of a context of a theme, an aspect that fosters a reader’s understanding of a topic.

III. Proposition

In this section, a student states a claim (thesis) based on the information presented and provides key points that will be used to support a central claim.

In this section, a student presents key reasons, sub-claims, and evidence.

V. Refutation

Here, a student anticipates and refutes counterarguments, which indicates that an issue is considered thoroughly, while a conclusion part is the most reasonable.

Here, a student summarizes key points and makes a final appeal to values, motivations, and feelings to persuade readers to identify themselves with a paper’s main argument.

Rogerian Argumentative Essay Outline and Template

I. Introduction of Problem

Here, an author presents a topic as a problem and raises suggestions for influencing positive change by using a thesis statement.

II. Summary of Opposing Views

In this section, an author embraces an accurate and neutral stance in stating views that disagree with a thesis.

III. Statement of Understanding

Here, an author shows readers that they understand that there are situations in which opposing views are valid and lets readers understand under which conditions.

IV. Position Statement

Here, an author states his or her own position after persuading readers that they have given full consideration to opposing views.

V. Statement of Contexts

Here, an author describes situations that can persuade readers to agree with his or her position by outlining some merits of a central argument in specific contexts.

V. Statement of Benefits (Conclusion)

In this section, an author appeals to an opposing viewpoint by showing how it would benefit from accepting his or her position.

Toulmin Argument Essay Outline and Template

I. Data (Introduction)

Here, a person presents facts or evidence to prove a main argument.

Here, a person writes a statement that captures an argumentative thesis.

III. Warrants

This section indicates a person’s general, hypothetical logical statements that link a claim and a data.

IV. Qualifiers

This section presents a person’s statements that propose conditions that justify an argument.

V. Rebuttals

Here, a person highlights counterarguments.

VI. Backing (Conclusion)

Here, a person challenges rebuttals by presenting statements that support warrants. In turn, these statements do not necessarily prove a thesis when concluding an argumentative essay, but they prove an overall validity of warrants.

High School Level

Classical Argumentative Essay

• Ethical Implications of Artificial Intelligence: A Necessary Debate
• Is a Wage Gap a Reality or an Illusion?
• Is Gun Control Possible in the US?
• Does Owning a Gun Constitute a Right or a Privilege?

Rogerian Essay

• Does Marijuana Legalization Make a Medical or Economic Sense?
• Should There Be a Separation of Religion and Government?
• Is Single-Sex Education Necessary?

Toulmin Essay

• Is Technology Useful or Harmful to Young Children’s Development?
• Do Social Movements, Such as Black Lives Matter and #MeToo, Promote Iinclusiveness or Division?
• What Is a Greatest Threat to an Integrity of a Natural Environment?

College Level

• Pros and Cons of Self-Driving Vehicles: Evaluating Safety and Efficiency
• Influence of Violence in Video Games
• Roles of Technology in Enhancing Educational Outcomes
• Is Technology a Distraction?
• Is Facebook Still Relevant, or Has It Lost Its Edge?
• Should Companies Surveil Employees’ Use of Social Media?
• Should Companies Fire Employees for What They Post on Social Media Platforms?
• Is There a Moral Justification for Obscuring One’s Identity Online?
• What Are Key Dangers of Cyberbullying for Both Victims and Perpetrators?
• Which Is More Useful to Student Academic Success Between Virtual and Classroom Learning?
• Does Digitization of Class Content Encourage or Discourage Reading Among College Students?
• Should Colleges Allow Instructors to Provide Course Content to Students via Cellphones and Tablets?

University Level

• Impacts of Technology on Society
• Roles of Parental Attachment in Child Development
• Should Higher Learning Institutions Screen Students for Substance Use?
• Are Standardized Tests Necessary or Outdated?
• Do Standardized Tests Give an Accurate Assessment of One’s Abilities?
• Influence of Technology on Modern Education
• Should Schools Be Allowed to Offer Students Cash Bonuses for Good Test Scores?
• Do School Holidays Impact Students’ Academic Performance?
• Does a School Environment Foster or Hamper Young People’s Creativity?
• Is Arts Education Beneficial?
• Is a Teacher-Student Relationship a Predictor of Students’ Academic Success?
• Should Parents Contribute to Curriculum Development?

Master’s Level

• The Ethical Implications of Gene Editing: A Paradigm Shift in Medicine
• Balancing School Curriculum: Is Art Education as Important as Science?
• Mandatory Vaccinations: A Public Health Necessity or Personal Liberty Infringement?
• Does Inclusiveness in Schools Benefit “General Education” Students?
• Do Standardized Tests Determine a Student’s Level of Knowledge?
• Does Higher Education Promote or Kill Innovation in an Individual?
• Do Gender Stereotypes Exist in Education?
• How Does Parental Poverty Affect a Child’s Education?
• Should One Refuse Medical Treatment Because of Religious Beliefs?
• Is Parental Consent Necessary in Teenagers’ Decision to Have a Tattoo?
• Is ‘Mercy Killing’ Moral?
• Who Is to Blame for Childhood Obesity in America Between the Government and Parents?

Ph.D. Level

• Importance of Dream Analysis in Understanding Subconscious Thoughts
• Did Mormons Have an Impact on America as a Society?
• Was War Necessary for a separation of the Southern States from the Union?
• What Was Slavery’s Contribution to the American Economy?
• Was the Federal Reserve to Blame for the Great Depression?
• What Is the Most Controversial Amendment of the US Constitution?
• Does Immigration Promote or Undermine a National Economy?
• Is There a Connection Between Concepts of Illegal Immigration and Runaway Crime in the US?
• Should Children of Illegal Immigrants Benefit From a Public Education System?
• What Is a Real Impact of Immigration Between Fostering Diversity and Threatening Indigenous Culture?

Practical Examples of Written Outlines

Classical Argumentative Essay Structure

I. Introduction: An importance of vocational training for inmates.

II. Background: Most inmates lack personal development skills, which explains a high number of inmates serving time for drug-related charges.

III. Proposition: Exposing inmates to vocational training reduces chances of reoffending (recidivism).

IV. Proof: Research shows that ex-offenders who get employed or those who engage in economic activities rarely get arrested for criminal involvement.

V. Refutation: There is no evidence that individuals with vocational training do not engage in criminal activities.

VI. Conclusion: Exposing inmates to vocational training is the best approach when it comes to reducing chances of reoffending (recidivism) after release from prison.

Rogerian Argumentative Essay Structure

I. Problem: A growing number of fast-food joints is to blame for increasing rates of teenage obesity in the United States (US).

II. Summary of Opposing Views: American teens eat more from home than at fast-food joints.

III. Statement of Understanding: There is a high probability that fast-food joints contribute to a culture of unhealthy eating in the US.

IV. Statement of a Student’s Position: A growing number of fast-food restaurants is to blame for the rising rates of obesity among American teenagers.

V. Statement of Contexts: Evidence shows that American teens see fast-food joints as places for social connection, an aspect that increases their exposure to unhealthy foods.

VI. Statement of Benefits: By regulating a general number of fast-food restaurants in a city, official authorities can reduce teenage exposure to unhealthy foods.

Toulmin Argumentative Essay Structure

I. Data: An excellent weather in Miami has seen a number of foreign tourists this year doubled from last year’s.

II. Claim: Weather is a significant factor in holiday-goers’ destination choice.

III. Warrants: There is a higher likelihood that a family would choose a place with warm weather as a holiday destination.

IV. Qualifiers: A primary reason for holidaymaking is to enjoy oneself, which includes engaging in outdoor activities. Good weather makes this happen.

V. Rebuttals: Weather is a natural phenomenon that is sometimes unpredictable.

VI. Backing: Despite a possibility that a weather can change abruptly, considering it is an essential activity for anyone planning on going for a holiday or even out of town.

Short Writing Example of a Toulmin Essay Format

There is emerging evidence that cruelty against animals is an accepted fact in a pursuit of specimens for use in animal research (data). In this case, a thought that a scientific community is indifferent to a cruelty involved in a search for specimens for use in experiments is enough to compel the United States (US) Congress to ban animal research (claim). Moreover, morality demands that society should place a higher premium on animals’ well-being than profits or scientific advancement (warrant). As things stand, it is only Congress that can bring about change through legislation (warrant). Then, a reason as to why Congress should intervene in this matter is because it is the only institution that corporations cannot influence through lobbying (backing). Moreover, a fact that there has been a public uproar makes it difficult for congressional members to be swayed by corporate lobbyists from enacting the law (backing). For clarity purposes, this ban should not apply to medical research (qualifier). In turn, a law that bans all research would be counterproductive since human civilization has relied on science to advance in many areas (rebuttal). As such, it would be incumbent upon congressional members to craft a law that specifies what kinds of research are illegalized (backing).

Complete Argumentative Essay Example

What to include.

Common Mistakes

• Lack of a Clear Thesis Statement: Without a strong, specific thesis, an argumentative essay lacks focus and direction for writing.
• Ignoring Counterarguments: Failing to acknowledge opposing views weakens a central position by making it seem one-sided.
• Insufficient Evidence: Arguments without proper evidence appear weak and unconvincing, relying too much on opinion.
• Overusing Emotional Appeals: Excessive reliance on emotion instead of logic undermines credibility and fails to persuade rationally.
• Poor Structure and Organization: A disorganized argumentative essay confuses readers and makes a central idea harder to follow.
• Weak or Vague Topic Sentences: Without strong topic sentences, body paragraphs lack clear direction and focus.
• Using Unreliable Sources: Citing unreliable or biased sources can damage an overall credibility of an entire argumentative paper.
• Failing to Explain Evidence: Presenting evidence without explaining its relevance weakens a connection between a claim and support.
• Overgeneralization: Making sweeping claims without considering exceptions or nuances diminishes a paper’s validity.
• Inconsistent Tone or Style: Shifting tone or style can distract readers and break an overall flow of an argument, making it less persuasive.

To write an argumentative essay, people clearly state their thesis, support this stance with evidence and reasoning, address counterarguments, refute them, and conclude by reinforcing their main point. In writing, they must cover a presentation of an argument in a convincing manner by considering certain aspects. Firstly, a position or main claim of an author has to be stated at the beginning of a paper. Secondly, people must provide evidence that supports a chosen position and necessary rebuttals. Finally, an author ensures there are no logical fallacies. Unfortunately, they may undermine an underlying logic of a central argument. Moreover, mastering a critical skill of writing an argumentative essay ensures students can actively engage in scientific criticism. As such, some writing tips include:

• Pick an interesting topic for writing an argumentative essay.
• Research the topic widely.
• Record all the facts.
• Decide which type of argumentative paper to write.
• Craft an argument.
• Formulate a structure.
• Start writing an argumentative composition.

Crossley, S., & Tian, Y. (2022). Argumentation features and essay quality: Exploring relationships and incidence counts. Journal of Writing Research , 14 (1), 1–34. https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2022.14.01.01

Ferretti, R. P., & Graham, S. (2019). Argumentative writing: Theory, assessment, and instruction. Reading and Writing , 32 (6), 1345–1357. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11145-019-09950-x

Hackett, U. (2021). Brilliant essays . Red Globe Press.

Kleemola, K., Hyytinen, H., & Toom, A. (2022). The challenge of position-taking in novice higher education students’ argumentative writing. Frontiers in Education , 7 , 1–14. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2022.885987

Koons, M. (2021). Writing an argumentative essay: The complete introductory guide to writing an argumentative essay for beginner students . Write Illusion LLC.

Rogers, D. (2024). Writing better essays: A rhetorical guide to writing and revision . Equinox Publishing Ltd.