Paper Writing Tips: Categories
Argumentative Essay Writing: Choosing Topic and Arguments
Argumentative essay writing is a very interesting type of writing. However, it has some peculiarities a student should know. This article explains how you should formulate your topic and what arguments to choose.
Criteria of Choosing a Topic
Narrowness. If you are provided with the subject area, your task is to find an appropriate angle of discussing it. Argumentative essay writing requires that a problem is formulated very concisely. For example, if you choose a statement “Computers are harmful”, you will hardly be able to embrace the whole topic, and you will leave much space for counterarguments.
If you are not provided with the subject, you may choose one of the controversial issues discussed in society for writing an argumentative essay, for example:
- euthanasia
- sexual orientation
- marijuana legalization etc.
However, you will still have to make sure your topic is as narrow as argumentative essay writing requires.
Two (or more) points of view. Argumentative essay writing implies that you choose the question where two opposite points of view can exist. For example, there is no need to write an argumentative essay proving that warm relations within a family are good.
Objective nature. Choose a topic where argumentation is reasonable. For example, stating that soccer is bad is inappropriate for argumentative essay writing: some people like soccer, others do not.
What Argumentative Essay Writing Implies
Argumentative essay writing allows choosing the following angles:
- proving that A is ineffective/effective/more effective than B etc.
- explaining the essence or the origin of A
- supporting or rejecting introducing A
- stating that A is a problem
- stating when A should be done
- explaining that A causes B/hinders B/stimulates B etc.
What Arguments to Use
- Argumentative essay writing requires providing facts and figures: they work better than words.
Not persuasive: “the majority of Americans …” Persuasive: “69 per cent of Americans…”
- Indicate the information sources you use. This makes your argumentative essay writing persuasive and reliable.
- Argumentative essay writing implies that you use only the reliable information sources.
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