Writing the

Argumentative/Persuasive
Essay
 CHOOSING A TOPIC
To begin an argumentative essay, you must
first have an opinion you want others to
share.
 Possible Topic Ideas
Should boxing be banned?
Should hunting be outlawed?
Should recycling be
mandatory?
Should college athletes be
paid?
Should the death penalty be
abolished?
Reality shows are exploiting
people.
Should dying people be kept on
life support?
Should tobacco products be
banned?
Should research on cloning be
discontinued?
Studying martial arts is good
for mind and health.
Ghost hunting is dangerous.
Private colleges are better than state
colleges.
 RESEARCH
To be valid, an opinion or point of view must be
supported by facts and information.

Once you know what you will

write about, you will need to do
research on the topic.

Research through interviewing people, or

reading newspaper, book, journal or Internet
articles.
 THESIS STATEMENT
The thesis statement

 states your position on the topic

 sets up the structure for the paper.

 COUNTER-
ARGUMENTS
 Every controversial issue has two
sides.
 Once you can support your
position with research, you need
to explore what others think.
 THE AUDIENCE
When introducing the topic, think about the
audience first.

 How much does the audience know about the

topic?
 Is the audience likely to be friendly or
hostile to your position?

 How can you “hook” the audience’s

attention?
 INTRODUCTION

Think of the introduction as having a funnel

shape:

General statement (hook)

Specific information
Thesis
 Example of Intro
Paragraph
More people die on driving on
Greek roads in a single year than all
the U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq since the
fighting began. The road conditions
and the mentality that leads to this
unnecessary and avoidable loss of life
should be changed.
Fact to support position The authors position or
and a good hook. Thesis Statement.
 BUILDING BODY
PARAGRAPHS
The first topic sentence of the
first paragraph will be the first
reason that supports your
position.

You may even wish to begin the sentence with

the word first to focus the reader’s attention on
its importance.
FIRST BODY
PARAGRAPH
Write a topic sentence and
three details that
support the reason you
believe

Repeat the process until you

have three paragraphs with
three different reasons and
three details to support that
reason.
 BUILDING
PARAGRAPHS
 The final sentence in each paragraph
should sum up and make a transition to
the main idea of the next paragraph.
 Concluding Paragraph
• Indicate in the conclusion that you have
shown the thesis statement to be true.

• Has a powerful ending often relating to the

introduction.

• Do not include any new information in a

conclusion. If you have not mentioned
something yet in the paper, it is now too
late.
 What is not effective
Saying the opposing viewpoint is “stupid.”
Good essays are clear, calm and factual.
Prove it instead.

Saying negative things about groups or

individuals that have different view points.
This does not support your position but
makes you seem petty instead.
 Reflecting on Your
Paper
 Are you happy with what you have written?

 Have you made a convincing case for

your position?
Is it clear that research supports your
position?
 Have you shown that you understand the
objections to your position?
 Reflecting on Your Paper
 Have you shown that you understand the
objections to your position?

 Is it clear that your position still

outweighs the possible objections?