This tutorial covers argumentative essays—how they’re structured, what their thesis statements look like, and what differentiates this mode of writing from other modes. The specific areas of focus include the following:
1. The Purpose of the Argumentative Mode
Modes refer to the different types of writing that serve different purposes:
- The narrative mode tells a story.
- The descriptive mode provides sensory details about people, places, and things.
- The informative mode researches and presents data without bias.
- The argumentative mode takes a side in a debate and then supports that claim with logic and reasoning.
Thus, the purpose of argumentative writing is to present a thesis statement on a topic that is worthy of debate and then support that thesis statement’s argument with reasoning, logic, and research.
2. Argumentative Essay Structure
There are a number of models you might use to structure an argumentative essay; however, the argumentative essays you see in this course will all follow this structure:
- Introduction
- Three body paragraphs
- Conclusion
First, the introduction should present a thesis that takes a position on a debatable topic. A debatable topic covers an issue about which people can argue, differ in opinion, or disagree.
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EXAMPLE
A debatable topic might be whether or not the U.S. government should tax sugar sodas. This is a topic that many people disagree on and that has many possible sides, both pro and con.
A non-debatable approach wouldn’t be an argument worth having.
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EXAMPLE
A non-debatable topic would be whether soda is a liquid. It’s obvious there’s only one answer—yes, soda is a liquid. This isn’t an issue about which reasonable people can disagree.
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What is the difference between the following two topics?
- Are romance novels books?
- Do romance novels create unrealistic expectations about romantic relationships?
The first topic isn’t a debate; you could only rationally answer that question in the affirmative. However, the second topic might elicit some real disagreement from people.
Those who don’t believe that these novels cause any harm to readers would argue against it, while people who are worried about what these narratives are doing to readers might argue for it. Your thesis statement should always take a side on one of these debatable topics, not merely stating a fact.
Second, argumentative essays should have at least three body paragraphs that offer support for the thesis and use logical reasoning and rhetorical appeals to build that support.
You will spend more time learning about rhetorical appeals later; for now, just know that they are logical, emotional, or ethical strategies that you use in your writing to persuade or convince your readers.
Finally, an argumentative essay should always end with a conclusion that summarizes and provides closure on the main point of the essay.
3. Argumentative Thesis Statements
In order to write these argumentative essays, you will need argumentative thesis statements. A thesis statement is a single sentence that expresses the controlling idea for a piece of writing. It expresses the main idea of the whole essay, just as the topic sentence expresses the main point of a paragraph.
In an argumentative thesis statement, you make a strong claim about a worthwhile debate. This is different from the topic, which is broader. The thesis statement requires actually choosing a side of the debate that the topic presents.
In an argumentative essay, the thesis statement makes the central argument that the rest of the essay will back up with support.
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Here are three thesis statements. Which are argumentative, and which aren’t? Take a moment to read them and decide.
Thesis #1: Mangoes are a fruit common to the South Asian subcontinent but beloved worldwide.
Thesis #2: The international treaties governing mango imports and exports have wide-ranging effects on the mango industry.
Thesis #3: International treaties governing mango imports and exports should be improved to allow for greater access to mangoes in the United States.
This first one is not argumentative. Notice how it’s making a statement of fact. This claim is either true or false; there is no debate about it. This thesis would be better for an informative essay.
Although the second thesis covers a clearly more controversial topic, it is still not argumentative. Is this claim debatable or simply true? It’s hard to imagine that anyone could physically disagree with this statement, as international treaties will certainly affect the industries they govern. That’s what they’re designed to do. Again, this is more suited for an informative essay that would explain what these treaties are and how they function.
The last one, then, is the argumentative thesis statement. See how it uses the word “should” right away? That’s a clue, as it tells you that this advocates for an action to be taken—someone should do something. You immediately know that this is an argumentative claim because you can argue that someone should do what it says, and someone else can disagree and argue against you.
In other words, people can disagree with this claim, and they can take up either side and argue for it. All of those are ways in which you know this is an argumentative thesis statement.
Consider the following short essay that’s missing a thesis statement:
Mass campaigns against smoking have reduced the numbers of smokers in the United States drastically. Yet, some still smoke, leading many to wonder how to further reduce these numbers.
Smoking harms our health and well-being. Smoking directly damages the lungs and tissues and negatively affects the psyche through powerful addiction. And secondhand smoke can be just as dangerous. Smoking is thus dangerous for all.
Strict regulations have reduced the number of smokers in this country. Cigarette taxes can make the cost of cigarettes prohibitively high. Although the efficacy of such policies is debatable, to further incentivize quitting, cigarette taxes should be increased.
Beyond simply reducing smokers, increased taxes can be used on research, education, and outreach. This can fund programs focused on curing cancer and campaigns teaching youth about the dangers of tobacco. These programs can be very beneficial.
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Here are two potential thesis statements that you could use to fill in the blank. Read them and decide which is more effective for an argumentative essay.
Thesis #1: Many people debate the merits of increasing the cigarette tax.
Thesis #2: Increasing cigarette taxes will benefit smokers and nonsmokers alike.
The first statement introduces the topic that is discussed in the essay. It indicates that there is a debate, but does it make an argument about that debate or take a side? No. It’s just not argumentative.
The second thesis statement, however, takes a side. The statement stays on the topic, presents the debate, and then makes an argumentative claim that it wants to convince you of.
In this tutorial, you learned that the purpose of the argumentative mode of writing is to take a clear position on a debatable question and to back up claims with evidence and reasoning in order to convince the reader that the position is correct. While there can be many different models, the basic structure of argumentative essays comprises an introduction with a thesis statement, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
You now understand that argumentative thesis statements are one of the most crucial aspects of these essays, as they serve to make a strong claim about a worthwhile debate. A successful argumentative thesis statement presents your argument to the reader in a clear and compelling way.
Good luck!
