Argument Essays
Alright, let's be clear. The term argument does not always refer to conflict. In our case, it simply means "the support of an opinion." Your life will be much easier if you keep a couple of practices in mind when you write your argument essay.
First, always have a clear opinion for your thesis statement, and do NOT use opinions with which everyone already agrees. Look at sentence (1) below. Is this an opinion that anyone would be against?
1. We all need to be loved.
Right, no one is going to argue against that opinion, so it is not a well-formed opinion. However, look at (2).
2. Dogs make the best pets.
Do you think everyone would agree with this opinion? Definitely not. So this means we have a valid argument to defend. If we can't defend it, then it is weak. However, it is at least a clear opinion that not everyone would support.
Second, you need to provide a counterargument and refutation. What do these mean? Well, In sentence (2), we stated that dogs make the best pets. That is our opinion, and it is the thesis for our argument essay. In other words, it is the idea that our body paragraphs need to support.
What is important is to know that in many countries, though not all, it's considered correct to include an opinion that does not agree with our thesis. Look at sentence (3).
3. Some people think cats make the best pets.
See how this does not agree with our opinion in sentence (2)? This is counter, or opposite, of our opinion. Therefore, it is a counterargument. It is a best practice to include a counterargument in your essay and provide at least one support for it. The reason is this. When you acknowledge that there is an opinion different than your own, you strengthen your own opinion. It means you pay attention to what others think and feel.
But what about the refutation, what is that? A refutation is when you deny, or refute, an opinion. Remember, you are writing an argument essay, so you are trying to persuade your readers to agree with you. For our essay we want readers to think that dogs really are the best pets.
We provided a counterargument to show a different opinion, but now we have to return to our own thesis, which is dogs are the best pets. Section (4) below shows the counterargument, one sentence of support, and a refutation statement.
4. Some people think cats make the best pets. They say this because cats are independent and can clean themselves. This is true, but people can train dogs to be independent and protective.
The last sentence is the refutation. See how we acknowledge the counterargument then return to supporting dogs?
The sample essay below is about the topic of dogs. It is a basic essay for instructional purposes, but it can help you understand the basics of an argument essay.
First, always have a clear opinion for your thesis statement, and do NOT use opinions with which everyone already agrees. Look at sentence (1) below. Is this an opinion that anyone would be against?
1. We all need to be loved.
Right, no one is going to argue against that opinion, so it is not a well-formed opinion. However, look at (2).
2. Dogs make the best pets.
Do you think everyone would agree with this opinion? Definitely not. So this means we have a valid argument to defend. If we can't defend it, then it is weak. However, it is at least a clear opinion that not everyone would support.
Second, you need to provide a counterargument and refutation. What do these mean? Well, In sentence (2), we stated that dogs make the best pets. That is our opinion, and it is the thesis for our argument essay. In other words, it is the idea that our body paragraphs need to support.
What is important is to know that in many countries, though not all, it's considered correct to include an opinion that does not agree with our thesis. Look at sentence (3).
3. Some people think cats make the best pets.
See how this does not agree with our opinion in sentence (2)? This is counter, or opposite, of our opinion. Therefore, it is a counterargument. It is a best practice to include a counterargument in your essay and provide at least one support for it. The reason is this. When you acknowledge that there is an opinion different than your own, you strengthen your own opinion. It means you pay attention to what others think and feel.
But what about the refutation, what is that? A refutation is when you deny, or refute, an opinion. Remember, you are writing an argument essay, so you are trying to persuade your readers to agree with you. For our essay we want readers to think that dogs really are the best pets.
We provided a counterargument to show a different opinion, but now we have to return to our own thesis, which is dogs are the best pets. Section (4) below shows the counterargument, one sentence of support, and a refutation statement.
4. Some people think cats make the best pets. They say this because cats are independent and can clean themselves. This is true, but people can train dogs to be independent and protective.
The last sentence is the refutation. See how we acknowledge the counterargument then return to supporting dogs?
The sample essay below is about the topic of dogs. It is a basic essay for instructional purposes, but it can help you understand the basics of an argument essay.
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