Overview

The purpose of this lesson is to learn how to write an argumentative essay.

Read: What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is a type of writing that requires you to investigate a topic, evaluate evidence, and then decide which side to support, giving facts, reasons, and evidence to support your thesis.

Think of an argumentative essay in terms of a debate with another person. In the beginning of the debate or discussion, you would review the topic as a broad overview and explain why it is important. In the middle of your conversation, you would provide evidence to support your thinking. You would also provide some viewpoints from the other side and explain why your viewpoints are better. At the end, you would leave the discussion with some points to consider, maybe an action to take. Therefore, the argumentative essay must be complete and logical leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.

Watch

The following video presents in detail the elements of an argument and the steps for developing your argumentative essay:

Writing essays at UWA: Get better marks with clear arguments [7:58]

Writing essays at UWA: Get better marks with clear arguments by UWA Student Services is licensed under CC by 4.0