For or Against: Writing an Effective Argumentative Essay

The argumentative essay thrives on controversy and a dynamic argumentative essay is an extremely powerful tool. A prime example of this power was shown through Thomas Paine's, Common Sense, written in 1776, so well written and so passionate, it became a major propaganda tool for rousing the American colonists out of apathy and into a band of determined patriots.

The argumentative essay uses multiple tools found in various essay forms to persuade the reader over to the side of the writer. Expository writing, research and review can all be put into play. The one thing true for all argumentative essays is controversy. There are two sides, often multiple issues, differing opinions and enough data to back up both sides of the argument.

I wrote "A rant whines but a dynamic, argumentative essay purrs", because in a rant, someone offers their one-sided opinion without taking serious stock of the other side's argument. It is basically a complaint, not a reasoned thought process. A good argumentative essay considers all sides, testing the validity of each argument and then stating the best logical position. Since all sides are considered, a good argumentative essay will be a fair and valid assessment of a volatile emotional issue.

A fascinating thing happens to a writer choosing an argumentative essay. If done correctly, it forces the writer to take a hard and fair look at their own judgments on the issue and that of others. Since all sides must be carefully weighed, a writer can often discover, to their own astonishment, their views on a particular subject can change. That is the beauty of this type of writing. Good writers are both expressive and introspective. On page 3 of The College Writer's Reference, 4th Ed., it states,

"Writing helps people think as well as record what they've already thought. Writing makes language, and therefore thought, visible and permanent, allowing writers to understand, critique, rearrange, and correct their ideas."

The Question

To create an argumentative essay, the first thing you have to do is to answer a question. The topic should provide a controversial subject and one in which you are either a definite pro or con (Yes/No, For or Against). If you have varying opinions on the topic, then an expository essay would be a better choice. If argumentative, you then take your answer, your firm stance on the issue, and shape it into your introductory, or topic, sentence. You clearly state the issue or your position on this issue. You do want to be careful with this sentence so your reader cannot quickly and easily dismiss it or refute it. Inaccurate or sloppy logic will make it easy for a reader to dismiss your essay immediately.

In the following example, I show both good and bad examples of an initial question followed by the definite pro/con statements, one of which could be the opening of the essay.

Poor:

Question: Is vanilla ice cream better than chocolate ice cream?

Pro and Con:
Yes - Vanilla ice-cream is better than chocolate ice-cream.
No - Chocolate ice-cream is better than vanilla ice-cream.

Comment: This is a poor choice for an argumentative topic. There are three reasons immediately presenting us with a problem:
- It is too vague (what does "better" mean - "better" than what?)
- There is no real controversy over this. Most people would not care one way or another.
- There is not enough real data to support either side.

Good:

Question: Has deregulation of the airline industry in the 1980's resulted in more danger and less amenities for the consumer?

Pro and Con:
Yes - Deregulation of the airline industry in the 1980's has resulted in a rise in accidents, baggage damage, plane malfunctions and loss of service to the consumer.
No - Deregulation of the airline industry in the 1980's has created greater profits for the industry, cheaper prices for the consumer and a minimal loss of safety and comfort.

Comment: This is a good example of a good basis for an argumentative essay.
- There are plenty of statistics and records on the airline industry, plenty of people to interview and a possibility of personal experience to use as data and prove or disprove the "answers" to the question.
- It is controversial because there are often strong political opinions on government's control of industry.
- The topic can be clearly be answered, Yes or No, Pro or Con, For or Against, and requires data to prove or disprove each answer.

The Data - doing your research

The second part of creating an effective and dynamic argumentative essay is research. I know many people cringe when they hear that word, but in order to refute the other side's arguments, you must first understand what their argument is and what they use to support their stand on it. You gather these into sections and then provide your own research to invalidate their argument. This is also where you must be careful. Be honest when you try to break down the other side's argument. Make certain your own arguments are valid and your statistics accurate and pertinent. Query on "Logical Fallacy" on the internet and try not to fall into those kinds of traps.

This research time is when you may become surprised to find yourself agreeing with the other side. This is normal and can actually be a good thing. As we expand our knowledge past the strictly emotional stage controversy stirs up, we can often see reasons and valid explanations where we could not before. Allow these moments to happen and continue with your research. During that part of the process, this type of essay is much more like a research essay than a debate or argumentative essay. During this phase you are in scholar mode, you are the investigator, not standing at the debate podium. At the end of the process, you will still be able to pick a side, even if it is not the one you started with. You will then choose your side, writing your essay with confidence, because of the overwhelming evidence you have gathered. You will probably find, due to the abundance of research and carefully worked out logic, you have an even stronger conviction and much more active strength in declaring it.

In the second example I gave earlier on airline deregulation, if I was going to research this, I might choose safety statistics before and after deregulation. I could look into customer satisfactions surveys or polls. I would probably interview long term airline employees or business people who travel frequently. I could also investigate corporate profit margins. Investigating each of these, I could then back up or refute either side.

Once you have gathered your research into various arguments, it is time to organize that information into your essay.

Organizing

Your data is gathered; you have again selected your side and now you wish to write. There are two methods in which to organize your argumentative paper.

"In your face", is where you state your topic sentence firmly in the first paragraph and then use all other paragraphs to state the other side's argument, refute it, and end each supporting paragraph reiterating the validity of your stance. There is no question where you stand, from the very beginning of your essay until the end. The conclusion for this method would recap the arguments from the opposition that have dissolved under scrutiny and why your argument and initial statement is correct.

"Tricky, Tricky", leaves the reader in the dark as to your stance until the very end. The first paragraph states the controversy, even giving both sides to the argument, but never takes a side, one way or another. This method allows you to explore the controversy in each supporting paragraph as if you were considering one issue at a time and carefully deciding which side is correct. The final paragraph is similar to method one in that it sums up all these arguments and but only here is your stance made known and you conclude with what you have already proven as inevitable--your stance is the correct one.

Be Fair

One important note for a good argumentative essay: Always acknowledge the right of the other side to have their opinion. You do not have to agree with that opinion and you will use your essay to explain why your opinion is the more valid of the two, but you always grant the opposition the right to hold their opinion. Why do we do this? We do this because we are trying to persuade the reader, not insult them. We are trying to show our reader that "in spite of" the many valid opinions of the opposition, your facts and your logical reasoning leaves us with no choice but to take your particular side as the correct one. That very potent structure is why these essays can be so very powerful.

Argumentative Essay Exercises:

Pick a topic you find controversial and write it in a question form, similar to the way I did with the airline deregulation example. Then write two clear sides on the controversy, followed by the areas of research you might pursue for your paper.

An example of this layout would be:

Question 1 (your first topic, written in the form of a question requiring a yes/no answer)

- Pro Stance - (This should be a sentence with you answering YES to the question)

--- Research topic 1 (1st area you'll research for the Yes/pro side)
--- Research topic 2 (2nd area you'll research for the Yes/pro side)
--- Research topic 3 (3rd area you'll research for the Yes/pro side)

- Con Stance - (This should be a sentence with you answering NO to the question)

--- Research topic 1 (1st area you'll research for the No/con side)
--- Research topic 2 (2nd area you'll research for the No/con side)
--- Research topic 3 (3rd area you'll research for the No/con side)

Do this for two or three more questions until you feel you have a good grasp of taking a stance on both sides of an issue. Remember...these should clearly show a Yes/No, For or Against or Pro/Con attitude on the subject. Don't be wishy-washy! The clearer you can state your case and that of the opposing side, the more effective your essays will become.

Don't know what to write about? Check out, "Breaking the Writer's Block: Sparking the Ideas"