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What is An Argumentative Essay?
Essay writing has been the part and parcel of an academic learning cycle. In some form, it is in every field and subject, which means meticulous writers can get maximum scores in those subjects.
An argumentative essay is one of the most common forms of essay writing employed in schools and colleges to gauge the writing and researching skills of students. In an argumentative research paper, a writer needs to take a stance regarding an argument and then provide the necessary evidence to prove that stance. Depending on the subject and the approach toward argument building, writers can either refute the opposing beliefs or can take them with the side of their arguments.
The structure of an argumentative essay is a classic three-part model. The introduction is there to set a hook, provide context, and then state the thesis. The main body covers the bulk with arguments and supporting evidence. The conclusion summarizes the main points and finishes the essay.
Role of A Topic & Title In Essay Writing
Students often find it hard to come up with a good topic and a title for their argumentative essay. This is understandable because, at the very rudimentary level, they do not have the necessary skills and tools to ensure that everything is just perfect. Many do not understand the difference between a topic and a title. The former is an area of study with a defined scope whereas the latter is the specific field or niche that the writer is going to explore. Apart from fulfilling literary duties in argumentative essays, titles, and topics can serve as hooks for onlookers. Those who did not plan on reading the essay can feel drawn to it if the topic is well-defined and the title is razor-sharp. That’s the reason students should invest time and other resources into selecting good topics and developing solid titles.
What Makes A Good Argumentative Essay
Writing an argumentative essay can be easy, all you need to do is make sure that all the necessary elements are there. However, writing a good argumentative essay is hard. That’s why essays that are similar on technical grounds but different from other seemingly subjective matters make a big difference in terms of scores and grades.
In this section, we will cover the prerequisites of argumentative essays that make them bold and better.
Structured Information
In different approaches to writing narrative essays or description essays, they can follow a loose structure or none at all. This is not the case with argumentative essays because they need to convey structured information. Whether writers are following the classical approach, Toulmin, or Rogerian, it is necessary to structure information in such a way that relevant things are bundled together. The sporadic information with bits and pieces here and there can make it harder for readers to understand and appreciate the stance of the writer.
Logical Flow And Bridging
Picking on the previous thought, it is necessary to have a logical flow between different paragraphs of the same section or different sections. Again, outrageous things like a stream of consciousness and an anti-chronological flow of events can work for other types of essays. They might add value to the essay as the reader could feel invested in figuring out the ciphers. Argumentative essays, on the hand, should have a clear logical flow with bridging between paragraphs. This will help readers understand the subject and get to agree or disagree with the subject.
Segregation Among Major Sections
Argumentative essays follow the conventional format and structure of essay writing. There are three major sections in an argumentative essay and each follows a clear path and purpose. The introduction is to open the essay and provide the background information, before stating the thesis. The main body further develops an argument through reasoning and strengthening it through proofs and citations. The conclusion summarizes the main points and reiterates the argument for the readers. This provides sharpness and purpose to each of the parts of the essay.
Arguments Backed By Evidence
The only subjective thing that a writer can introduce in the essay is his stance toward an argument. Other than that, everything should be scientific and objective in its approach, including the argument itself. After developing an argument, writers should strive to back those arguments with evidence. Publications and journals of the highest order come in this category. They provide the necessary support and strength to the argument and fulfill the need to have an argumentative essay in the first place.
Best 10 Argumentative Essay Topics For Students
In this section, we are shedding light on some of the best argumentative essay topics and ideas for school and college students. They are general in their character and students can either expand them or narrow them down to serve their purpose. Students can either pick them as they are or experiment with them to create something new and novel.
Here is a definitive list of good argumentative research paper topics:
- What is the legal status of fracking in developing countries?
- GMOs – boon or bane for humanity in the 21st century
- Vaccinations should be mandatory for students attending public schools
- The role of world governments in fighting climate change
- The internet has impacted positively impact the human society
- Are self-driving cars safe for the roads?
- The idea of paying college athletes to play in teams
- Why the US should consider soccer a serious sport?
- Minors should be able to buy contraceptives without parental consent
- The idea of doctors promoting medicines in public hospitals
These were the best 10 argumentative essay topics for students of schools and colleges, especially if they are in a pinch. On the contrary, if they have some time on their hands, they can explore other areas we have highlighted in the upcoming sections. They can also experiment with these to come up with a more focused and relevant topic.
How To Come Up With Argumentative Essay Topics
Argumentative essays are also called persuasive essays as the writer needs to convince the readers about his point of view or argument. That’s why these types of essays have their prerequisites and need to cover some crucial bases from the start.
First, writers need to be invested in a topic. They should care about the subject matter and the issues or problems that will be discussed in the essay. In addition to this, they must look for enough data and information to support their preliminary argument, proofs, and citations. Also, writers should explore the areas and disciplines further to ensure that they are on the right track in terms of the scope and depth of the topic.
Major Categories of Argumentative Research Essay Topics
One way of selecting the best title for an argumentative research paper is to take a look at all of them from a focal point. If a topic covers the side that is cherished and piqued by a writer, he will find it easy to research and write on the topic. If that is not the case, they might face bottlenecks and roadblocks along the way.
In this light, we have shared some of the top categories and their issues in this section. These include Science, Technology, Religion, Politics, and Finance. So, there will be plenty for everyone, irrespective of their preferences and priorities.
Science & Technology
Science and technology have played a massive role in our evolution as an organism. We have become better and more resistant to maladies and issues of the past of development and advancements in this field. After going through various stages, we have much more to cover in argumentative essays than we can even fathom.
Theology, Religion, And Ethics
Religion used to be a dogma, an enigma that was never to be questioned or argued. This is not the case now as every major religion from the past has come under the scrutiny of pragmatists and seers. Argumentative essays are the best tools to deal with these issues scientifically and topics covering these are best for students.
Politics & Policy Making
Politics has quickly encompassed the social and economic side of humans. The politics of homo sapiens and its lack have led our species from being a hunter-gatherer to a metropolitan-dwelling, voting, empowered individual. Argumentative essays in these categories also serve as fodder for researchers to develop arguments and try to explain complex phenomena through simple tools.
Economics & Finance
According to many experts, economics is driving both collective and individual aspects of our lives. We have gone through rudimentary systems of barter and trade to sophisticated and complex systems including stocks, banking, and crypto. Writers have explored many topics yet there are many more to cover. This is where argumentative essays can help writers uncover underlying truths.
F.A.Q
What is the ideal way to open an argumentative essay?
The best way to start an argumentative essay is to grab the readers’ attention. This can be done by using an elaborate hook. A hook can be a literary device that can connect the opening with the main problem of the essay.
Can I use a quote or a question at the beginning of the essay?
Of course. A quote or a question is a great way to open an essay. It helps readers familiarize themselves with the main problem and ensure that the context is masterfully bridged with the main body and the thesis of the essay.
What is meant by a strong sentence starter?
A strong sentence starter is a forceful display of authority by the writer. This can be achieved by putting down a bold claim or statement. A statistic with a harrowing approach can also be used in this setting.
How can I write a strong argument in my essay?
There are three major approaches to developing an argument that we have discussed in the essay. An argumentative essay is as good as the argument it is based on. So, no matter which approaches you are following, they should resonate with logic and reasoning.
What is a good example of a strong argument?
According to the Aristotelian or classical approach, a strong argument covers the following aspects:
- Introduce the issue
- Explain the writer’s perspective
- Explaining and refuting opposing arguments
How can I balance different sections in an argumentative essay?
An argumentative essay is composed of different sections. An ideal essay covers all the sections and then balances one another in such a way that they support the thesis and the topic without going overboard.
Search For New & Exciting Topics
The search for new and exciting topics does not end, whether it is a seasoned writer of argumentative essays or students of schools and colleges. Every topic comes with its challenges and proper treatment of that topic reveals insights that are useful for both the writer and the reader. In this blog, we have covered the top 10 topics for argumentative essays. Additionally, we have covered some areas that students cover in their writings. We hope that students will find it easy to connect the dots for them after going through the post. As a resource, this will help writers to become better and brighter in their approach!
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