Writing an Argumentative Essay I. The structure of an argumentative essay A. introduction: —a topic —some【T1】______ informatio

Writing an Argumentative Essay
    Good morning, everyone. Today’s lecture is about how to write an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay presents an argument backed by well researched and articulated views to persuade the reader or an opposite side.
    An argumentative essay should ordinarily contain three parts; the introduction, the body and the conclusion. The length and the details of the parts, obviously, will depend on the assignment, the media or even the audience it is directed to. A newspaper article, for instance, will have to consider the size of the space given and the readership, while a college paper will be assigned a certain number of words. (1) The introduction should have a brief explanation of the topic, some background information and a thesis statement. In this case, the thesis statement will be a statement of the writer’s position on the topic being discussed.
    In the body of the essay, the writer will present both sides of the controversy. (2) Thus the body of the essay should contain all the arguments in detail, on both sides of the coin. (3) A "fair" argument presents the strongest points of the counter-side of the issue being discussed. This is followed by a well-presented counter-argument that neatly shoots down each point raised. (4) After this presentation, the position of the writer is described, supported with evidence to show why it is the correct position to take.
    (5) In the conclusion, the writer’s position is restated as the most convincing one to take, of course the data, sources and how well it is presented should be helpful in winning the reader to his side of the argument.
    When you are assigned an argumentative essay it does not have to be a daunting task. Break up the work into several tasks and never procrastinate. Try not to do the entire essay in a single day. Use the following steps as a guide, take your time, and you will have success.
1. Choose your topic. Your instructor may have a preselected list of topics for you to choose from. This will help narrow down your search. (6) Choose a topic that you are already familiar with if you can. Also, choose something that you are interested in researching. It will make the process much more enjoyable.
2. Find a question or point to argue within your topic. (7) Be sure that there will be plenty of sources that you can refer to for research. If it is a very unusual or weak argument, you will not find enough evidence to back up your claim.
3. Once you have chosen your topic and argument, it is time to research. (8) Spend plenty of time scouring your school’s library, as well as your public library. Do not rely solely on Internet sources, and if you do use the Internet, be sure that your sources are reliable. (9) Find your evidence from not only secondary sources (text books, etc.), but from primary sources as well. These include documents such as letters, newspaper articles, and government papers. You want to back up your argument with a variety of rich and reliable sources.
4. Go through your research. (10) Take notes, or make cue cards, each with one point, or one quotation. Try to be very organized so that things are simple and easy to access once you start writing your paper. (11) Be sure to choose 5 or 6 of the strongest pieces of evidence that back up your argument. There is no need to overload your paper. (12) If you have several convincing points backing you up (as opposed to 15 weaker points) , then stick with them and expand.
5. (13) Write an outline of your paper. The basic outline is very simple—introduction, body, and conclusion. Sketch out your paper, and put in point form what you want to say in each paragraph.
6. Write your paper. Begin with a strong and clear opening sentence that catches the interest of your reader. Present what you are arguing, and give the reader a taste of what your paper is about. (14) It is very important that your thesis statement (argument) is very clear and is written in a single sentence, preferably as the first or the final sentence of the introductory paragraph. The body of your paper should be several paragraphs. Each paragraph should present evidence that supports the argument. Once you feel you have covered the most important points and have fully argued the thesis, then move on to your conclusion. (15) The conclusion is a brief summary of your paper and should reiterate your argument.
7. Pay attention to the details. All the "little" things will not only have an impact on your grade, but they will also have an effect on your success and authority as an essay writer. A well written and researched essay must include great attention to details. If you have any questions or problems while writing your paper, be sure to talk to your instructor. They are a very reliable source that can help you get on track. Once you have polished and perfected your essay, then hand it in with pride, and expect positive results.
    OK, the above are several steps you can follow to write an argumentative essay, from choosing a topic and finding the argument to doing the research and writing the paper. Of course, great attention should be given to the details during the process of writing. Next time, we’ll discuss other kinds of writing successively.