How to develop an argument in an essay. Writing and assessments : Skills Hub : University of Sussex 2022-12-15

How to develop an argument in an essay Rating: 7,5/10 426 reviews

Developing an argument in an essay involves presenting a clear and concise thesis statement, providing evidence to support your position, and addressing counterarguments. Follow these steps to effectively develop an argument in your essay:

  1. Choose a clear, debatable topic: Your argument should be centered around a specific issue that can be debated. Avoid topics that are too broad or too narrow, and make sure you have access to enough evidence to support your argument.

  2. Develop a strong thesis statement: Your thesis statement should clearly state your position on the topic and provide a roadmap for the rest of your essay. It should be specific, concise, and debatable.

  3. Gather evidence to support your argument: Look for sources that provide evidence to support your position, such as research articles, news articles, and statistics. Make sure to evaluate the credibility of your sources and consider multiple perspectives on the issue.

  4. Organize your evidence: Once you have gathered your evidence, organize it into logical sections or paragraphs. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point and provide evidence to support it.

  5. Address counterarguments: A strong argument anticipates and addresses counterarguments, or opposing viewpoints. This shows that you have considered multiple perspectives on the issue and strengthens your own argument by showing that you have considered and rejected alternative viewpoints.

  6. Conclude your essay: Summarize your main points and restate your thesis in a way that ties everything together and leaves a lasting impression on your reader.

By following these steps, you can effectively develop an argument in your essay and present a well-supported, well-reasoned position on your chosen topic.

Constructing an Argument

how to develop an argument in an essay

The first thing to consider is whether you might be wrong! An argumentative essay aims to persuade a reader that a claim made in the paper is true by linking the claim to supporting evidence and information. For many students, writing a perfect statement for an argument can be a complete nightmare. And I probably spoke to one of my friends and he was like, 'You should just know when to stop reading. Moreover, the House or Commons vote witnessed the largest rebellion among the backbenchers of a majority party since the repeal of the Corn Laws in the mid-19th century. Evaluate your essay carefully and critically. At this stage, it is better to overlook nothing and keep extensive notes for later reference. As you find the evidence, add a bullet under that claim including the fact and the source.

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7 Ways to Develop an Argument in an Essay

how to develop an argument in an essay

The first topic sentence tells us that the paragraph will look at fabrication being a part of psychotic behaviour, and the second sentence gives more detail on this. In the argument, if the premise that 1 first world countries should do more to reduce climate change, and 2 that Australia is a first world country are accepted, then the conclusion that Australia should do more to reduce climate change logically follows. This is a good starting point, but it does not talk about why competition is overrated, only simply that competition can be unhealthy. The problem is, the more you read, the more ideas you have, and then the more you don't know where to start. How does a bee communicate? But if changing your mind comes with additional consequences e. Multi-part essay questions like this can be trickier to navigate.

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How To Develop An Argument For An Essay? Essay Example

how to develop an argument in an essay

Organize your essay before writing Instead of jumping right into your essay, plan out what you will say beforehand. It put all my research into one place and kept it for me whereas I know lots of people who did research and then couldn't remember where they found that bit of information from. In the opposite set of circumstances — when you only weakly believe your perspective to be right — it can also be tricky to construct a good argument. So what I do is I just write down thoughts or some bullet points of what I think I want my essay to go into. It is used when the claim is straightforward, without scope for a potential conflict. Close the introduction with your thesis statement.


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How to Construct an Essay Argument: 13 Steps (with Pictures)

how to develop an argument in an essay

The focus of your evidence as a whole can take your probable audience into account; for example, if you were arguing that a particular drug should be banned on health grounds and your main audience was teenagers, you might want to focus more on the immediate health risks, rather than ones that might only appear years or decades later. This can make the essay a bit more nuanced and show that you did consider both sides before determining the best one. Look in at the six areas belowand see which applies to you. Make sure your topic is neither too broad—something which warrants a dissertation—nor too limited. This sentence includes a source for the assertion and is in fact a link to the next paragraph which discusses the media response to the war.

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Developing an Argument

how to develop an argument in an essay

Do not believe it. For this essay, you should develop a logical argument in support or against the statement given and provide ample evidence that supports your conclusion. However, as businesses grew increasingly greedy and desperate, companies have resorted to immoral tactics that only hurt their reputations and consumers as a whole. Your flatmates are going to want proof of what you say, so make sure you include evidence to back up each of your reasons for wanting to change coffee. Before you embark on research, give yourself realistic goals for the amount of material you need by sketching out a plan for length.

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Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument

how to develop an argument in an essay

However, in your introductory paragraph as you introduce the debate, be sure to mention if there are merits to the arguments of the other side. In these pages, we show you how to adapt your writing to different written assessments. Be careful with your thesis question; your answer must not degenerate into a recitation of information without interpretation. What is the role of Darius in Atlanta? Conclusion: A parrot is a bird. From the thesis, the rest of your essay will develop, supporting your thesis and showing how and why your thesis is valid. The section on Feedback has useful advice on the best ways to deal with this takes you to a different page. Prove what you can, including your assumptions, and work from there.

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How to Write a Thesis Statement for An Argumentative Essay

how to develop an argument in an essay

To construct an essay that moves beyond a list of examples, you need to think of how Eliot uses London places and come up with an idea that others may not have considered when they read the poem. Conclusion: The next dog I see will be furry. Have a Clear Conclusion As with the basic argument at the start of this list, the This requires more than just summarising your argument. After preliminary research, ask questions to find a thesis. Make sure your topic is neither too broad--something which warrants a dissertation--nor too limited. Refuting Counter-arguments Including counter-arguments in your essay shows that you have considered views that contradict ones which you have presented but have decided that they are not strong enough to sway your opinion. So I work on that, and then I go into the body and then into the conclusions.

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Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays

how to develop an argument in an essay

It should also be noted that the structure of the essay is incomplete. This helps them identify their stance on the topic before presenting a claim. If you are not certain of your audience, direct your argument to a general audience. Ă‚ Example of Deductive Reasoning Using a Syllogism: Major premise: All birds have feathers. Get Writing Help for Your Argumentative Essay Writing a thesis statement for your argumentative essay should be easy after reading this guide. Contexts You now need to do some further reading to find additional evidence.

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Academic Writing: How to Argue in an Essay

how to develop an argument in an essay

The debate in the UK about whether or not to stay in the EU was a great example of this. After you have written a developed draft, take off your writer's hat and put on your reader's hat. Conclusion: Dwayne Johnson is mortal. If you have analyzed the topic, but are still unsure about what exactly you need to do, ask your instructor. What was the effect of something? So I think going back, reading it through and keeping the question in mind constantly really helps. The Basic Structure of an Argument At its Premise One: Dwayne Johnson is a man.

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Writing and assessments : Skills Hub : University of Sussex

how to develop an argument in an essay

An example of a negative effect of the war on the internal politics of the Labour party. Using emotions as a support for argument can be tricky. And yeah, slowly, slowly it takes time. All of your evidence should be in support of that one side. This just means that you should be able to provide concrete examples in support of your argument.

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