Writing an impressive and convincing argumentative essay requires a lot of research, good writing skills and understanding of the right format. The main purpose of argumentative essay is to take a stance on an issue and defend it using empirical evidences. It can easily confuse and frustrate you if you don’t adopt the right approach and plan for your essay properly. Here are some useful tips to make argumentative essay writing simpler for you.
Research the topic before taking a position on it
One mistake that many students make is that they directly start writing on the position they are more inclined towards due to their personal belief or understanding. This is not the right approach to craft an argument. First you need to thoroughly research your topic on reliable scholarly sources that you can refer to in your paper. Make sure that the position you are taking on the issue can be defended through reliable academic literature or researches. If you choose a side that has no empirical evidences to support it, your research paper will look weak and unimposing.
On the other hand, if you select a position that can be supported by reliable sources such as research journals, your argumentative essay will be strong enough to convince or impress the reader.
Consider Your Audience
Once you have selected a specific position, next thing is to analyze the audience you are writing for. Typically, if it is your professor, you need to examine what he or she expects from your research assignment in terms of language, points to be addressed, format, quantity of references, nature of sources etc. Don’t forget that ultimately, your aim is to get an A+ on your custom essay.
Invest time in research and use different types of evidences
The key to a great academic paper is extensive research. It is important to use scholarly sources such as peer-reviewed journals, books, statistics, and newspaper articles etc. Google books and documents are the most recommended tools for searching for reliable references. Apart from quantitative evidences, you can also use opinions of renowned experts who are considered credible authorities on a given issue.
Correct structuring
The next step is to know the format of writing an argumentative essay. You can visit authentic websites such as Purdue Owl (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/) or Study Guide and strategies (http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm) to learn about the standard formats for different kinds of paper and how to cite sources properly. It is better if you present both sides of the topic (favor and against) first, then write about the position you are taking and justify it using strong reasons.
