Argumentative Essays

Most college essays assignments ask the writer to present an argument.

An argument consists of an arguable claim (or thesis) supported by evidence.

A claim is arguable if a reasonable person could disagree with it. If it’s useful, think of your claim as an opinion, a position, a point of view, a stance, or an interpretation of facts.

Argumentative Essays

EXAMPLES: The use of drones for private and

commercial purposes should be regulated to protect public safety and privacy.

In “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the narrator’s condition actually worsens as a result of the treatment prescribed by her husband.

Arguable Claims

EXAMPLES: In December 2015, the Federal Aviation

Administration (FAA) started requiring users to register their unmanned aircraft.

The narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” reports that her husband has forbidden her from writing.

By contrast, a fact is not arguable, so it is not suitable as a claim/thesis.

EXAMPLES: Shouldn’t we do something about all these drones

flying around, possibly taking photographs of us in our homes?

(This question might imply an arguable claim, but it does not state one. If you are trying to define a claim and you find yourself framing a question, try answering the question. Often the answer to your question will make a suitable claim.) Why does the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper”

imagine herself as trapped in the wallpaper?

A question is open-ended, so it is not arguable and therefore also not suitable as a thesis.

Your thesis should be scoped appropriately to fit the length of your paper.

Your thesis is a sort of promise to your reader that you will cover the argument you define with reasonable completeness.

Be careful of promising more than you can deliver! If your thesis is very general and covers a lot of

ground, you are promising your reader a lot, maybe more than you can cover in the assigned length of your paper.

The scope of your thesis

EXAMPLES: Americans are finding new ways to use technology

to improve and enliven their everyday lives. On the whole, female characters created by

women writers are more complex and realistic than those created by male writers.

How long would the papers need to be to cover these claims thoroughly? Would you want to write a paper that long?

Overly broad claims promise too much!

In Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the wallpaper can be interpreted as representing the social conventions and beliefs that prevent the narrator from living a fulfilling, autonomous life.

It should be illegal for drones to photograph individuals through the windows of their homes.

Appropriately scoped claims

To develop a convincing argument, you need to support your claim with sufficient relevant evidence.

In developing the support for your claim, you may define some sub-claims, but ultimately, you will need to present factual evidence to convince your reader.

EXAMPLES OF FACTUAL EVIDENCE: A 2015 Federal Aviation Administration report counted

241 near collisions between drones and manned aircraft.

The narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” claims to see the woman from the wallpaper “creeping up and down” outside her windows.

A claim alone does not make an argument.

EXAMPLES OF OPINIONS STATED AS FACT: Cats make the best pets because they’re

much nicer than dogs. Only a woman writer could have written

“The Yellow Wallpaper” because women are much more intuitive and in touch with their feelings.

Avoid supporting opinions with opinions and stating opinions as facts.

To make your argument persuasive, be sure to present sufficient evidence. One fact or example is usually not enough to convince a reasonable reader.

For example, if your claim is “My roommate Jeremy takes advantage of me all the time,” and your sole support for your claim is that Jeremy once borrowed your jacket without asking, your reader will probably not be persuaded.

Sufficient Evidence

An essay for an English composition course should be well organized and should follow the conventions of American academic essay structure.

Introduction Body paragraphs (as many as needed) Conclusion

(N.B. Papers in written in non-humanities disciplines may follow slightly different conventions.)

Essay Structure

Purposes: (1) engage the reader, (2) introduce topic, (3) present necessary background information, (4) define thesis

The most important function of your introduction is to set up your thesis.

Place your thesis at or near the end of your introduction (this is where your readers will look for it) unless you have a very compelling reason to locate it elsewhere.

For academic papers, make your thesis explicit (state it outright); don’t just imply it.

Introduction

Always include in your introduction (1) the title of the work, (2) the author’s name, and (3) the genre of the work.

Define an interpretive thesis.

Introductory paragraphs for literary analysis papers

Body paragraphs present evidence (facts, examples, etc.) to support your thesis.

Create as many body paragraphs as you need to effectively support your thesis (not just three!)

Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that sums up the main point of your paragraph.

Conclude each body paragraph with a view toward transitioning to the next paragraph.

Body Paragraphs

Is usually the first or second sentence of a body paragraph

Is a mini thesis sentence that organizes your body paragraph

Is the most general sentence in your body paragraph Is a sub-claim that clearly supports your thesis Should be very clearly written Should not contain a specific piece of evidenceIt’s usually best to write (or revise) your topic sentence after you have written the rest of your body paragraph.

A topic sentence…

Bring your argument to a logical endpoint in your conclusion. Make your reader feel like s/he has come to the end of a journey.

Sum up your argument and reemphasize (but don’t repeat) your thesis. For short papers, there’s no need to summarize or rehash the evidence that’s just been presented.

You may want to use your conclusion to put your argument into a broader context or to add a personal touch.

Conclusion

Think of an essay as a demonstration of your thinking, not as an answer to a question.

Essay grading is more like judging an event, such as high-diving, figure skating, or gymnastics, than it is like identifying the winner of a race or a game. In evaluating an essay, the instructor generally considers the degree of difficulty of the task the writer sets for himself or herself. A simple task well executed may not get as high a grade as a difficult task imperfectly executed.

Final thoughts on argumentative essays