Choose a topic

Once you’ve settled on a topic, it is time to think about how you want to approach it. The best way to do this is by choosing a stance that you are passionate about. This will make it easier and more enjoyable for you to write the essay. For example, if you choose “I want to be vegan because I want animals to be treated better” as your topic, then writing an argumentative essay will not only help inform others of your beliefs but also give you an outlet for expressing them!

You also need to consider whether or not there are any counterarguments against what you stand for—if there aren’t any, then no one should disagree with anything that’s said in the paper! If there are counterarguments, acknowledge them early in the paper so that anyone reading can know what they’re up against from the start.

After finding a subject matter that interests both sides (or just one side), it’s time for research!

Research your topic

The first step to writing a good argumentative essay is to research your topic thoroughly and gather all the information you will need, including facts and statistics in support of your position, examples that illustrate the points you are making, counter-arguments or rebuttals to opposing positions on this issue from other people or groups who take up another point of view, alternative viewpoints on this issue (or alternative answers), etcetera.

Brainstorm your argument

The first step in writing an argumentative essay is to brainstorm your ideas. Brainstorming is the process of writing down everything you can think of on a given topic, without worrying about the order or grammar. The point of brainstorming is to help you think more creatively and come up with new ideas that might not have occurred to you otherwise.

When brainstorming, don’t worry about spelling or grammar (you can fix those later). Instead, just write whatever comes into your mind as fast as possible. You might even want to jot down “thought bubbles” in which one thought leads into another and then another—that’s fine! Just keep going until it seems like there’s nothing left for you to say on this topic, at which point it’s time for step two: exploring arguments for and against your topic statement.

Thesis statement

The thesis statement is the backbone of your paper, and without it, you won’t be able to write a strong argumentative essay. It must be clear, concise, and arguable. The following are good examples of thesis statements:

Outline the argumentative essay

Before you start writing, it’s important to outline the essay. This will help you figure out how to organize your ideas and make sure that your essay makes sense as a whole.

For example, let’s say that we’re writing an argumentative essay about why it’s not fair for parents to be able to buy their kids college scholarships, even if they can afford them. Our thesis statement might be: “Parents should not be able to buy their kids college scholarships because it gives them an unfair advantage over students whose parents do not have the financial means.”

This statement is still pretty vague—we need more details! To get started on this outline, I recommend starting each section with its own title (which is also known as a subheadline). These titles should reflect what kind of information will go in each section below them (e.g., “The Benefits of Buying Your Kid College Scholarships” or “Why It’s Not Fair That Parents Can Buy Their Kids College Scholarships”). After creating these titles for each section and subheading under them whatever points you want about buying your child a scholarship, take another look at our thesis statement above and see how much closer we are now compared with where we started at first glance without any planning whatsoever!

Write the introduction

The introduction is the first thing that readers read, so you want to make sure it’s concise and engaging. Your thesis should be stated clearly in the first paragraph of your argumentative essay. This can be done by explaining what you’re going to talk about in relation to how others have looked at it before, and why they’re wrong.

If your thesis is “American education has gotten worse over time,” then one way of phrasing this would be: “Throughout history, American education has been viewed as the best in the world; however, those who think this fail to realize that standards have dropped significantly over time.” Most readers will not read past an overly long or dull introduction (think more than three paragraphs). Keep yours short and clear so that people will keep reading!

The body paragraphs

The body paragraphs should be three to five paragraphs long and should each discuss a single point. Each body paragraph will have the same basic structure:

Your essay will often end with a conclusion paragraph summarizing all of the arguments you’ve made so far, then leaving it up to the reader to decide whether they agree with them.

The counterargument/rebuttal paragraph

The counterargument/rebuttal paragraph is the final paragraph in an argumentative essay. You should have one counterargument/rebuttal paragraph per body paragraph. It’s easy to think that your thesis statement covers all the bases, but if you’re writing a five-paragraph essay, there are other arguments to be made against it.

Your counterargument/rebuttal paragraph should begin with a phrase like “In spite of this” or “Despite what my opponent might argue.” Then give reasons why the counterargument made by your opponent is incorrect or flawed (or why it falls short). This can include examples from previous text or evidence of some kind that supports your rebuttal:

Write the conclusion

In the conclusion, restate your main argument in a succinct manner. In addition, summarize the main points of your essay and do not introduce any new information. Suggest areas for further research or future discussion that arise from your essay.

Finally, use this closing paragraph to remind readers of why they should be persuaded by your argument and why it is important: if you want to persuade them about an issue, make sure that you explain why it matters; if you want them to change their behavior or adopt a new attitude towards something (such as recycling or buying locally produced products), explain how these actions will benefit society as a whole.

You can write an excellent argumentative essay by following these recommendations.

If you want to write an excellent argumentative essay, it’s important to choose a topic that is relevant and interesting to you. In addition, you should have a strong stance on the issue. If your topic seems too boring or non-controversial, it will be difficult for you to find information and support for your claims.

After selecting your topic, do some research on both sides of the argument so that you can look at things from all perspectives. This will help ensure that there is no bias in either direction when writing your essay.

The most important aspect of an argumentative essay is making sure that everything is backed up with evidence from research or statistics. If possible use quotes from experts or other credible sources if they are in favor of what you are saying; this will strengthen not only the legitimacy but also the credibility of your work as well as make it more persuasive because readers know that someone else agrees with what was said (even if they don’t agree themselves).