Argumentative essay writing is a lot like writing a persuasive essay; in the end your purpose is to influence somebody’s mind. But the major difference is that in an argumentative essay you should present the pros and cons of the topic you have chosen and clarify why you vouch for one, and oppose the other. While in persuasive writing you can confine yourself to only defend your point of view, in an argumentative essay you should state why you are for or against some fact. An argumentative essay is a good way to show that you can tactfully respond to different opinions.
In the introduction to an argumentative essay, you should present two different opinions on the matter that you want to discuss, and state the position you are taking. There are a few ways in which you can construct the main body of your argumentative essay; don’t forget that each paragraph of the main body should be dedicated to one argument. Firstly, you can state all pros you have and leave the penultimate paragraph for cons, and their refutations. Secondly, you can state the cons and refutations in the first paragraph of the main body, and then proceed to explaining the pros. Alternatively, you can leave a paragraph for each con and use your arguments for refuting. Continue reading How to Write an Argumentative Essay