The Art of Argumentative Writing

We bet you’ll agree with us on this one:

Everyone writes today. Academic writing, business blogs, tons of marketing content, personal blogs on social media and platforms like Medium, etc. — 6+ million new content assets go live daily across all platforms. What do we have in the result?

Content shock.

Users can’t process such a huge volume of information, sinking into it every time they come online. To make them read and trust your writings, you should communicate value and proof that your information is worth their time.

Argumentative writing is your instrument here.

In this post, we’ll reveal the nature of argumentative writing and tell how to structure your argumentative papers for readers to believe what you say.

Don’t have time to read but need help with argumentative essays? Ask our writers for assistance:

What is Argumentative Writing?

Argumentative writing is a content piece (essay, research paper, article, blog post, etc.) aimed to explain the author’s point of view on the issue or topic via evidence from reliable and credible resources.

In academia, argumentative essay writing is a regular assignment for college students. Online Writing Lab at Purdue University defines an argumentative essay as a paper that “requires the student to investigate a topic, collect and evaluate evidence, and establish a position on it.”

The same is true for any other content type you generate online:

Before writing a blog post, for example, you research previously published materials on your topic, collect the data, investigate different points of view, choose your position, and then write your paper using the gathered evidence to support it.

While students generally write argumentative essays on topics related to science, politics, or technologies, online content creators need the art of argumentative writing regardless of the niche. It allows them to:

• Sound expert and authoritative, earning credibility and readers’ trust
• Stand out from the ocean of mediocre content generated by many online resources
• Increase their writings’ visibility, rankings, and shares, thus earning a broader audience

For your essay or other content assets to become argumentative, they should meet the following characteristics:

1. A definite thesis statement with a strong argument within it
2. Several points of discussion to explain and support with the evidence 
3. A conclusion with a call to action for readers to leave them with food for thought

To structure your argumentative paper in the best way possible, it would help if you decided on the claim types you’ll address. Choosing the argumentative writing model (format) you’ll use to communicate your points will come in handy, either.

6 Types of Argument Claims to Use in Papers

Once you decide on the topic (issue) to write about and your thesis statement (point) to discuss, it’s time to think about how you’ll present your arguments.

Six ways to do that exist, and you can choose the types of claims you’ll use:

1. Fact: Is the statement true or false?
2. Definition: What is the explanation of what you’re arguing, and how do you interpret it?
3. Value: How important is what you’re arguing? Is it good or bad? Who thinks so?
4. Cause: What’s the reason for the problem, and what is the effect?
5. Comparison: What can we learn by comparing the subject to another?
6. Policy: Why should the reader care, and what should they do after reading? How can we solve the problem?

Below is a written argument example on each one:

3 Models of Structuring Your Argumentative Writing

Once you decide on a thesis statement and types of claims to use in argumentative writing, it’s time to choose how you’ll structure it. Three main models of structuring argumentative essays exist, and it would help to decide on yours beforehand so that you could outline your future paper accordingly:

1) Classic (Aristotelian) Structure

This one will fit if you make straightforward arguments in your writing, using a simple five-paragraph structure for your essay. It’s the most popular strategy to structure your paper:

Present your argument, explain it, provide a counterargument your opponents may have, and provide the evidence to support your point of view.

Based on: credibility, emotion, reasoning (ethos, pathos, logos)

2) Toulmin Structure

This one is perfect for presenting complex issues with no ultimate truth or straightforward answers. Use it when your thesis is a counterargument to a commonly-accepted statement or when you want to unravel a complicated problem.

Present your argument, give evidence, explain the connection between them, provide additional evidence, and address the opposing opinion and criticism of your claim.

Based on: logic, deep analysis

3) Rogerian Structure

This one will fit if you want to show both sides of an argument, not just prove the credibility of yours.

Here you’ll introduce the problem, explain the opposing perspective first, provide evidence if applicable, then present your claim, and bring both sides together, suggesting a compromise (a balanced argument).

Based on: a comparative analysis

How to Choose Topics for Argumentative Writing?

First, let’s make it clear:

What is the purpose of argumentative writing?

It’s not about persuading readers to believe your point of view but allowing them to build their own based on the fact-based evidence you collected and presented in your work to prove your thesis.

And that’s when you might hit a snag:

When choosing a topic for your argumentative content asset, you should remember that your thesis should be not only about claims but also evidence. A claim itself can’t be a thesis, and that’s what makes choosing an argumentative topic so challenging.

For a topic to be argumentative enough to discuss in your paper, it needs to follow the three criteria:

1. Debatable (with minimum of two conflicting points of view)
2. Compelling (meeting the audience’s interests and needs)
3. Evidence-rich (for you to be able to shape your arguments and have enough facts to support them)

Good examples of argumentative writing are always those covering controversial topics that grab the target audience’s attention and keep them engaged with the stellar format and paragraph structure.

More on that is below.

Outline and Format of Your Argumentative Texts

Now that you have decided on the topic, thesis, claims, and model for representing your arguments, it’s time to outline your future paper so that it has a clear format and you won’t miss anything while writing a draft.

A standard argumentative essay consists of the following elements:

1. Introduction
2. 2-3 body paragraphs with evidence to support your argument
3. A paragraph with counterarguments
4. Conclusion

The number of arguments and counterarguments in your essay may vary, so feel free to format your outline accordingly.

Below is a template you can use and adjust when outlining your argumentative writings:

The whole process of writing an argumentative paper consists of four parts everyone who works with texts knows:

First, you brainstorm a topic and an argumentative thesis for your paper, choosing the “side” you will prove with the evidence.

After that, you prepare everything for writing a draft: collect the evidence, choose the claims you’ll use, decide on the structure to represent arguments, and craft the outline accordingly.

Now, it’s time to write an argumentative essay. Follow the outline, include the data and other evidence to support your arguments, follow the “one argument = one paragraph” rule, and keep each paragraph short (4-5 sentences long) and clear.

Finally, self-edit the draft: optimize word choice, ensure all the arguments are straightforward and relevant, check the conclusion, and proofread the essay to avoid typos and grammar mistakes.

BONUS

Here go the answers to the most frequently asked questions on argumentative writing. We hope these actionable tips will help you craft your papers better:

How to structure the introduction of argumentative papers?

The introduction of argumentative papers consists of one paragraph where an author mentions a topic background to engage the reader (1-2 sentences), a thesis statement (one sentence, an argument briefly explaining your opinion), and the main points you are going to cover (2-3 sentences, depending on how many arguments you plan to discuss in the paper).

How to write a thesis for argumentative essays?

In argumentative essays, a thesis equals a claim plus a reason. With that in mind, you can try three methods of stating it:

1. Turn your claim into a question and then format it as an answer.
2. State your claim as a counterargument to your point of view — and then refute it.
3. Outline your claim briefly.

How to structure paragraphs in argumentative writing?

Every paragraph of your argumentative paper should have a clear structure: present your point, elaborate on it, provide the evidence to support it, and link back to the point to show how it relates to the issue or how it leads to the next argument you’ll discuss. Writers know this structure as PEEL:

What is the last step in writing an argumentative essay?

The last step in writing an argumentative essay is crafting a concluding paragraph. It should be as long as your essay paragraphs, include a thesis restatement, and recommend a future action to readers: a rhetorical question, food for thought, etc. You can start with a transitional phrase a la “In conclusion” or “To sum up,” then restate your claim and say why it matters, admit that counterarguments have a place to be, and call the audience to action.

What is a call to action in argumentative writing?

A call to action in argumentative writing is the last sentence of your paper with a recommendation to the audience. They’ve read your essay; now what? What should they do or think about after that? Your call to action can be a rhetorical question providing some food for thought, extra resources to read on the topic, the invitation to visit your blog or share the article, etc.

What can I use as evidence in argumentative writing?

The evidence will vary depending on your niche, field of study, and topic. You can use scholarly articles and journals, statistics, literary texts, first-hand research, or primary sources like diaries, newspapers, or official documents. Just ensure they are still relevant and credible enough to consider: use up-to-point information to support the claims in your papers.

Any questions left on the topic? Don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments below or contact our writers directly to help you with argumentative writing!