Tips for writing argumentative essays:

Tips for writing argumentative essays:

1) Make a list of the pros and cons in your plan before you start writing. Choose the most important that support your argument (the pros) and the most important to refute (the cons) and focus on them.

2) The argumentative essay has three approaches. Choose the one that you find most effective for your argument. Do you find it better to “sell” your argument first and then present the counter arguments and refute them? Or do you prefer to save the best for last?

• Approach 1:
  Thesis statement (main argument):
  Pro idea 1
  Pro idea 2
  Con(s) + Refutation(s): these are the opinions of others that you disagree with. You must clearly specify these opinions if you are to refute them convincingly.
  Conclusion
• Approach 2:
  Thesis statement:
  Con(s) + Refutation(s)
  Pro idea 1
  Pro idea 2
  Conclusion
• Approach 3
  Thesis statement:
  Con idea 1 and the your refutation
  Con idea 2 and the your refutation
  Con idea 3 and the your refutation
  Conclusion

3) Use good transition words when moving between arguments and most importantly when moving from pros to cons and vice versa. For example:

• While I have shown that.... other may say
• Opponents of this idea claim / maintain that …            
• Those who disagree claim that …
• While some people may disagree with this idea...

When you want to refute or counter the cons you may start with:

• However,
• Nonetheless,
• but
• On the other hand,
• This claim notwithstanding

If you want to mark your total disagreement:

• After seeing this evidence, it is impossible to agree with what they say
• Their argument is irrelevant
• Contrary to what they might think ...

These are just a few suggestions. You can, of course, come up with many good transitions of your own.

4) Use facts, statistics, quotes and examples to convince your readers of your argument