To write an effective argumentative essay, you need to know what a good one looks like. In addition to a solid structure, you’ll need an argument, a strong thesis, and solid research.
An Argument
Unlike other forms of essays, you are trying to convince your reader of something. You’re not just teaching them a concept or demonstrating an idea—you’re constructing an argument to change the readers’ thinking.
You’ll need to develop a good argument, which encompasses not just your main point, but also all the pieces that make it up.
Think beyond what you are saying and include how you’re saying it. How will you take an idea and turn it into a complex and well thought out argument that is capable of changing somebody’s mind?
A Strong Thesis
The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis.
This is the foundation on which your essay is built, so it needs to be strong and well-reasoned. You need to be able to expand on it with facts and sources, not just feelings.
Research
A good argumentative essay isn’t just based on your individual thoughts, but on research. That can be citing sources and other arguments or it can mean direct research in the field, depending on what your argument is and the context in which you are arguing it.
Be prepared to back your thesis up with reporting from scientific journals, newspapers, or other forms of research. Having well-researched sources will help support your argument better than hearsay or assumptions. If you can’t find enough research to back up your point, it’s worth reconsidering your thesis or conducting original research, if possible.
Argumentative Essay Examples
Below you can find some good argumentative essay examples. The first essay talks about the value that comes with the freedom of being able to strike for public workers.
Argumentative Essay Example: Should Public Workers be Allowed to Strike?
Say goodbye to ‘stress at work’ and welcome the ‘freedom to express yourself’. Most public workers are denied their right of expression even after being exposed to bad working conditions and rights violations. These violations deny them the morale for performing well on their duties. Enabling workers to strike motivates them to work since it encourages them to speak out whenever they feel their rights, safety, and/or regulations have been compromised. Countries across the globe should always allow public workers to strike.
The second essay discusses the importance of economic equality in a nation, alongside possible repercussions and potential threats if not met.
Argumentative Essay Example: Wealth Inequality
Wealth inequality is not just how much a particular nation possesses, rather it concerns how wealth is shared within a society. Every society has a variety of factors that make them different; inequality leads to a host of problems, as various aspects of a society are made uneven, including views, attitudes, and beliefs. Financial inequality is the level in which wealth is shared unevenly to members of a particular group or society. Wealth is not only encompassed by a certain individual’s yearly pay, but of all of the assets or resources received by employment, investments, state benefits, rent, and/or royalties. Economic inequality can be experienced through pay, wealth, or income. Income is any pay received through investments, savings, employment, rent, etc., while pay inequality is the disparity between the pay received through employment only. When there is too much economic inequality, there are high levels of poverty and minimal opportunities for kids to overcome their parent’s efforts. It is important to note that levels of economic inequality are not the same in different societies.