Win Every Argument: How to Write an Argumentative Essay

The best way to win any argument is to know and accept both sides and present your side as the most reasonable one. Like a wise Chinese military general said: know your enemy and know yourself. This skill of argumentative writing is taught to you in college, as it’s a great practical everyday skill to possess. So what is an argumentative essay?

In a classic argumentative essay definition: it is a kind of writing where students study a topic with two opposing arguments, picks a side, and share their choice using supporting evidence: facts, statistics, quotes, etc. Frequently, students receive the topic, and they get to choose their side. Other times, the side is picked beforehand, and the student has to defend a certain argument that they might not favor.

Argumentative essays are common because of their practical application in life. They can be used to juxtapose two separate arguments and use logic and reasoning to determine the dominant one. They can also be used to persuade using facts and statistics. A strong argument with backing proof will always win over an overblown narrative in a professional scenario. If writing argumentative essays were a job, it would be a lawyer, as they have to use cold facts and evidence to help their clients win the case in court, even if they disagree with their morals or know that they’re guilty of a crime.

Exceptional Ideas for Argumentative Essays

Assignments such as these will make you scour library books, lectures, studies, and academic journals for information. Sometimes, if you’re lucky enough, you’ll get to choose your own ideas for an argumentative essay. Other times, your professor might assign something that you are not interested in or make you choose a side that you do not entirely agree with.

Choosing a side, you don’t agree with can be a great way to learn how to successfully argue in favor of anything. Think about lawyers— they do it all the time. This can be a valuable skill for any student to possess.

So before you consider some argumentative essay ideas, think of all the possibilities. Do you want to dive into a topic you’re passionate about? Shed light on a big social issue from an alternative standing? Or take the opposing side to level up your speaking skills? Whichever you choose, here are some good argumentative essay ideas that could spark your creativity:

1. Is defunding the police in America going to help bring an end to racial injustice?
2. Trump or Obama: who did better in their first term as president?
3. Pick a side in the argument about UFOs (real or hoax?) using the recently declassified CIA files as a source.
4. Should governments be allowed to turn authoritarian during a global pandemic?
5. Argue against the legalization of cannabis.
6. Argue in favor of AI replacing essential workers’ jobs.
7. Argue against or in favor of Elon Musk’s brain implant development.
8. Pick a side on whether countries should shut down borders during a global pandemic.
9. Free healthcare for everyone vs. private healthcare plans for Americans.
10. Argue in favor of or against the legalization of same-sex marriage in a country of your choice.

These are just a few ideas for argumentative essay. Be free to search the topics that interest you or ones that you feel demand immediate attention.

How to Choose an Argumentative Essay Topic

In essays such as these, writing is not the challenge as much as it’s researching, reading, observing, and analysing viewpoints and facts. A good rule of thumb when picking topics for argumentative essay is to go for subjects you’d enjoy diving deep into. Otherwise, the research process can become tedious and overbearing, especially considering the amounts you’d have to do. For some, however, choosing topics for an argumentative essay can pose the opportunity to take an unexpected side or gain knowledge in a previously unknown subject.

Pro Tip

If you’re up for a challenge, pick a topic you don’t fully know, and pick a side that you don’t fully agree with. Our top Essay Help writer says that writing papers from the opposing point of view can be fun while also sharpening and broadening your argumentative skills, given that you’re not emotionally tied to your subject of choice.

Here’s a checklist you can refer to when choosing topics for an argumentative essay:

• Make sure your topic has lots of existing research. The best sources are academic journals, articles, primary sources such as interviews, and previous research conducted on the subject.
• Familiarize yourself with the topic first. Check to see what kind of research you can find on the subject and whether your point of view has been previously supported or disputed.
• Try something controversial. Banal topics like supporting the legalising of medical cannabis may seem edgy, but it’s been done a million times. For best output, look for topics for argumentative essay which have some controversy surrounding them.
• Start researching the opposing side. It’s easy to back up your claim, but it’s more challenging to offer the counterclaim and dispute it carefully. Follow the ancient idiom “know your enemy, and know yourself,” and the argument is in your hands.
• Check the news. Most often than not, you’ll find great ideas from watching or reading the news. The most recent global discussions require the most urgent attention, and as a student and part of the developing world, your opinion or position matters the most.

Use these criteria to pick the best argumentative essay topics from our list. Grab a piece of paper and a pen to note down any ideas that come along the way. We’ve tried to include topics from multiple categories, and if you feel like our list is incomplete, we’d love to hear your feedback and ideas!

How to Create an Argumentative Essay Outline

An argumentative essay outline is very important in order to compose your essay. It helps you stay on track with your ideas and arguments throughout the writing process. The outline should be created before you even begin writing so that you can place your arguments and evidence on it. When you know how to structure an essay, you should have no problem writing it.

If you’re thinking what the first step in the prewriting process for an argumentative essay is: it’s writing your facts on note cards before organizing them into an outline. When preparing an outline, it’s necessary to have your facts and sources ready, which is why many students use the note card system to organize their argumentative essays.

It’s easy to do: simply grab a notecard (it can be a rectangular piece of paper if you don’t have the proper note cards) and write a topic sentence in the front. Then, list your facts and evidence to support them in bullet points and your sources next to the evidence. Notecards help you see all the information that you’ve extracted from sources. Try organizing them in different orders to find the best argumentative essay outline with the most cohesive flow of arguments.

With note cards ready, you can use them to fill in the outline. Here’s how an argumentative essay outline looks:

1. Introduction

• A hook or attention grabber, enticing the reader to continue reading your work. There are several ways you could start your essay with a hook.

Thesis Statement

• One sentence that shows both arguments indicates which one you’ve sided with and why. A thesis is basically your essay in a nutshell. The rest of the essay is meant to support your thesis statement.

1. Body
2. First Argument, Topic Sentence, Explanation
3. Supporting evidence (facts, statistics, quotes, primary and/or secondary research)
4. Supporting evidence 2
5. Conclusion, and transition into the next argument
6. Second Argument
7. Support
8. Support
9. Transition
10. Third Argument
11. Support
12. Support
13. Transition

III. Conclusion

• Conclude your essay by reciting all of the main points and reminding the reader how your evidence supports them.
• Restate your thesis, but this time a little differently as you have achieved your goal of convincing the reader in your argument.
• To end things off, appeal to emotions, and create a memorable closing statement.

Following this argumentative essay format will guarantee you a well-structured and focused piece of work. Take some time to prepare for your essay writing by drafting an outline and filling it in. After you’ve established the argumentative essay structure and logical flow of arguments in your paper, it should be a piece of cake to write. In the next part, our professional essay writing service takes a deeper dive into each section of your essay, explaining how to execute them in the best way.

How to Start an Argumentative Essay

The argumentative essay introduction is the roadmap of your essay. This is where you introduce the topic and the background and tell the reader why this it’s important. Both sides of the argument should be clearly stated in the introduction. The writer must pick one side and explain why they’ve made a choice by juxtaposing both arguments and providing (sources, references, statistics, etc.), which will help prove their case.

Next step is writing an argumentative essay thesis: the main sentence which binds the essay together. If any information further down the essay is unclear to the reader, they should be able to refer back to the thesis statement, and it should establish clarity as to where the writer stands on the given issue. A thesis statement for argumentative essay must state both sides of the argument and indicate which side the writer has chosen and for what reason.

When thinking about how to write an introduction for an argumentative essay, make sure to check off all the elements that any introduction has:

• a hook: a tool used to grab the reader’s attention
• background info:presenting both parts of the argument; starting the opposition’s argument and then refuting it with yours, explaining why you disagree
• thesis statement

It’s often good to write an introductory paragraph for this type of essay last, as you get a clearer understanding of your position and counter-argument. Feeling confident in the subject will help you narrow it down into a few concise words. After finishing the argumentative essay introduction, it’s time to craft the body.

Argumentative Essay Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the meat of your essay and where you support your claim for the thesis. This section of your essay is split into three or more parts, each one with a separate argument and evidence supporting or opposing it.

Each argumentative essay body paragraph covers an idea and offers evidence to support a topic sentence. This topic sentence ensures that your position on the matter is the one they should agree with. To prove your idea, you must have good arguments in favor of your position. So let’s see how to write a body paragraph for an argumentative essay.

Body Paragraph 1 – Your arguments

What is the first step in the prewriting process for an argumentative essay?

Make a body paragraph that’s focused on your argument, and state it clearly in a topic sentence:

“Learning to mine asteroids for natural resources will improve the economy and positively impact the environment of our planet.”

Explain what you mean, and use some evidence to back it up:

“Trusted Source tells us that asteroids contain immense amounts of iron, nickel, and cobalt, and extraction of these materials is possible with the technology we have today.” (In-text citation)

Having credible sources to back up your claims will ensure the reader that your arguments are not subjective and have weight in the real world.

Body Paragraph 2 – Opponents claims

Time to see what is the second step in writing an argumentative essay. The second body paragraph should focus on the claims of your opponent. This shows that you’re knowledgeable on both sides of the subject and makes the audience more likely to trust you.

“Opposing Source, who has also done research on this subject, claims that we don’t know what asteroids are composed of, and a failed landing will cost the economy billions of dollars.” (In-text citation) 

Giving some recognition to your opposing argument will also appeal to those who are already uncertain about your claim’s validity. A good trick is to ‘say what’s on the opponent’s mind’ before using strong evidence to dispute their claim.

“However, the Opposing Source has failed to consider this Newest Development in Space Mining Technology, which cuts down the price of launching Mining Bots from millions, to merely several hundred thousand dollars.” (in-text citation) 

Body Paragraph 3 – Compare the two

So what is the last step in creating an argumentative essay? It’s simple: compare the two arguments. Your last body paragraph should be like the ‘final nail in the coffin’ for the opposing argument.

“After looking at Opposing Source’s reference material and background, it has become clear that their claims are backed by faulty sources. Their source materials are articles made by big mining companies aiming to protect their businesses, regardless of mining being harmful to the environment.” 

Now that the opposing claim is shaken up and proved invalid, it’s time to offer a better solution to fill the void.

“The Asteroid Mining Mission has been viewed as super expensive in the past, but technology is advancing at such a rapid pace that by 2023, we’ll be mining asteroids as if they were standing right here on Earth.” (In-text citation) 

And now you’re done with the body. Just remember always to use evidence to back up your claim. Here are some types of evidence you should use:

• Research: Conduct primary and secondary research. Ask people, search in library books, or online in academic journals. Conduct interviews and use them as a primary source to back up your argument.
• Examples: Compare and contrast research from both sides, and provide examples from real life to back up your claim. Use your knack for persuasion to make your argument seem more valid than the counter-argument.
• Statistics: People love being presented with statistics that they can analyze on their own to come to a conclusion. Giving statistics is a great way to involve the reader in your essay.
• Studies: Cite other essays and studies relating to your topic. Show that you’re not alone in supporting this argument, and use other people’s research to solidify your claim.

Keep in mind that whenever you support your topic sentence with evidence, you should always indicate the source where you got the evidence from. There is a way to cite each specific source in your argumentative essay body paragraph. The format is different depending on your essay’s formatting requirements, whether it’s assigned to be in APA, MLA, Chicago style, or other styles. Refer to your essay rubric to see which style to format your work in.

How to End an Argumentative Essay

With the body paragraphs done and all your cards on the table, you may be asking — how to end an argumentative essay? Well, every argumentative essay conclusion starts with a summary of the entire essay and all its arguments in a nutshell. It’s important to give the reader a reminder of the opposing viewpoints and re-emphasize yours.

Having read so much information could raise an important question in the reader’s head: so what? What should I do with this information now? Your job in the Conclusion is to make sure that the question is answered by discussing the implications of your research.

If you have truly proven that, for example, renewable energy and solar panels are a more profitable long-run solution than gas and fossil fuels, then now is the time to call the reader to action; get them to join the protest, or if it’s a businessman in the sphere, switch up their business model to help save the environment. When thinking about how to conclude an argumentative essay– remember to appeal to the reader’s emotions and use the Conclusion to call them to action. Then your efforts in writing this essay haven’t been in vain, and you’ve succeeded in coming up with a powerful conclusion.

To top it all off, pose a question to the reader or a final statement that they can wrap their head around and think for a while.

“With this new Asteroid Mining Technology, we can faster propel humanity into space, while making our planet greener, fresher, and less polluted.”

Best Argument Essay Ideas

Greatest ideas can come from the strangest places, but maybe not in this case. When looking for argumentative writing ideas, it’s recommended to stick to modern-day problems that required attention. You’ll find lots of ideas in the news, on the internet, by listening in on students’ conversations and paying attention to modern trends and tendencies.

At the end of the day, you’ve got to ask yourself: what are the most interesting argumentative essay topic ideas? What would not only enjoy writing about but also find to be a beneficial and urgent subject to address? Perhaps with your essay, you could change somebody’s mind and impact the world in a positive way.

Look for topics in the following fields or ideas:

1. Using smartphone technology during the learning process in school.
2. Advancing the race to space with companies like Space X.
3. Teaching business and how to deal with money at an earlier age.
4. Banning soda and junk foods at school cafeterias.
5. Including gender studies in the school curriculum.
6. Letting professors have full control over what they teach in classrooms.
7. Banning smoking around university grounds.
8. Introducing fines for non-recycled garbage.
9. Spending millions on developing 3D technology which enables us to scan into the crust of the Earth.
10. Building a space base on the moon and mining asteroids rich in natural material.
11. Changing the process of educating people on political parties and ideas.
12. Altering the election process.
13. De-funding, re-thinking the police force.
14. Taking away the power of mass corporations on the internet.
15. Introducing bitcoin as the primary currency in a certain country.
16. Giving manual labor jobs to AI.
17. AI for home learning.
18. Students should be taught computer language as a mandatory language course.
19. The Roman Empire should be its own separate history class.
20. The basics of philosophy should be taught earlier in school.
21. TOEFL and SAT are archaic; methods of entry into college should be replaced with more modern ones.
22. College tuition must go down, as most of the valuable knowledge from college can be obtained online.
23. Colleges should place harder pressure on students, as they party too much and study too little.e
24. Colleges should do more to monitor the circulation of Adderall on their campuses.
25. Music class should be mandatory in college, whether it’s music history or pop music.
26. Gender class should be mandatory in college.
27. High school students should have a class educating them on the history of Television as a medium.
28. Corporations should focus more on creating renewable and recyclable packaging for their products.
29. Ecological products should cost less.
30. Corporations should focus their efforts on creating more jobs in the ecology market.‍

Most Interesting Topics for Argumentative Essays

Looking for interesting topics for argumentative essay? You’ve hit a lucky run, as we’ve got fascinating and thoughtful topics on various subjects and across various fields. Use our lists for inspiration, and you’ll have no trouble impressing the professor with your thoughtfulness and knack for a good and well-argumented point of view.

1. Lottery winners: have their lives significantly improved by winning the lottery or making one big score?
2. Argue in favor of or against the implementation of the death penalty in certain developing nations.
3. Support or argue against quick fashion brands, considering their impact on society and the environment.
4. Take a position in favor of or against atheism in the modern world.
5. Support the studying of religions, despite the modern world being primarily atheist.
6. Sororities and fraternities: do they do more harm to students than good?
7. Take a position in favor of or against democracy in a large country like Russia or China.
8. Take a position on Elon Musk’s idea of a brain implant, and discuss whether it would be beneficial or harmful to people.
9. Do high levels of competition breed stress, jealousy, and bullying in the workplace?
10. Support the digitization of transportation and supermarket shopping in an era of a global pandemic.
11. Argue in favor of or against basic jobs (like truck drivers and builders) being done in the future by robots.
12. Find a topic relating to culture shock and globalization: to what extent should a certain nation allow its culture to merge with other cultures?
13. Support or argue against using a country’s budget for the rebuilding and reformation of ancient buildings.
14. Support or argue against the defunding of police, or deformation of the police and replacement with a different form of social control.
15. Say you were a straight, conservative family. To what extent would you support the promotion of LGBTQ+ rights in your country?

Easy Argumentative Essay Topics

Looking to keep it simple this time? We also value simplicity. With mountains of research available on the internet and a plethora of solid material covering these easy topics for argumentative essay, you should be scoring high grades in no time.

1. Boys versus girls: who is better at excelling academically?
2. Should middle schoolers have their internet access limited or controlled by parents?
3. Legal cannabis in Europe, good or a bad idea?
4. Has religion caused the most wars in humanity, or have humans?
5. Does climate change exist regardless of human pollution and greenhouse gas emissions?
6. Should children be heavily disciplined, or is it best to let them do their thing?
7. Does buying flowers for a girl dramatically increase the chances that she’ll get with you?
8. Is veganism actually good for the environment, or should we protect the plants as well?
9. Is Elon Musk a good businessman, or is he crazy?
10. Has social media made a positive or negative impact on modern society?
11. Will Brexit play out well in the long run, or was it a terrible idea?
12. Do smartphones cause more harm than the gain to youngsters?

Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics

Sparking some controversy can turn heads and ears on the argument. That’s why many students go for controversial topics for argumentative essay as they can truly stand out from the crowd. Choose whether you wish to support a good cause, or try taking the opposing argument for the hell of it. Here are some controversial topics that are relevant to modern-day.

1. Same-sex marriages: choose a country where they’re strictly prohibited, and put yourself in favor or against same sex marriages.
2. The feminist movement: support or deconstruct the modern image of feminism.
3. Immigration: take a position on the issue of immigration in the USA or in Europe.
4. Fashion killers: should big fashion brands be allowed to use animal products in their clothing lines?
5. Argue in favor of, or against the modern implementation of Communism in a certain country.
6. Argue in favor of, or against using modern cloning technologies to produce more animals for various means (food, clothing, etc.)
7. Poland is fighting for abortion rights for women. Which side do you pick?
8. Take a utopian novel (such a Brave New World) and argue in favor of, or against, implementing this utopia in the modern day society.
9. Imagine the scenario: take the position of Donald Trump in fighting against ‘fake news’ and the constant blackwashing of the president by the media.
10. Should California be allowed to withdraw from the United States and become a country?
11. Argue in favor of, or against, corporations using cookies and other software to track and record customers’ behavior while browsing their websites.
12. Take the position of a certain political party in your city, and make the opposition your counter-argument.

Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School

Middle schoolers often see argumentative essays. Teachers like to throw a challenge and see how these kids produce research and bring evidence to the table, as argumentative writing will be a huge part of high school.

Good argumentative essay topics for middle school students are those that sharpen their critical thinking skills and intrigue them to argue with logic and reasoning. It’s beneficial to prepare these skills for freshman year. Many topics for an argumentative essay for middle school deal with issues that these kids face every day:

1. Are bullies not getting the punishment they deserve?
2. Video games and real-life violence – correlated or unrelated?
3. Do Americans have healthy diets compared to their European counterparts?
4. Should middle school students be allowed to pick their own classes?
5. Should students in JV or Varsity teams be allowed to leave classes early for sports practice?
6. Are celebrities good or bad idols for developing teenagers?
7. Should American schools return to stricter dress codes as a means of discipline?
8. Argue in favor of or against students having to leave their smartphones at home before going to school.
9. Does television offer an accurate representation of modern human beings, or are we spoonfed values and ideas?
10. Is arts education truly useless, or can it guarantee a big future like a business education?
11. Is pop culture worth studying in school?
12. Does school do enough to promote a healthy lifestyle to its students?

Argumentative Essay Topics for College

Students entering college have a lot to say. Fresh out of high school, writing plenty of essays, and finding a school as far away from home as possible, there’s a lot at stake upon transitioning into college. The brightest minds of today compete and share new ideas, expand their cultures and worldviews, and all of this can make fascinating argumentative essay topics for college.

Diving into a new life, with new roommates and sets of classes, the suspense only strengthens. Students, when looking for argumentative essay topics for college, seek to challenge the system, shake up the status quo, and offer new ideas to replace aged values of the past.

1. The taxation system in place is ineffective and prone to error, with many exposable loopholes, and putting people in poverty at risk of total bankruptcy. Argue for or against.
2. Men do the bulk of the job in any business; therefore, it’s only natural that they receive higher paychecks than women. Argue for or against.
3. William Shakespeare has shaped the English language; however, his lingering presence in most college courses is a setback. Leave Shakespeare in high school. Argue for or against.
4. College tuition is not worth its cost, as most students end up in high debt without the promise of a sustainable career. Argue for or against.
5. Test scores do not fully show the adequacy and skill of a given student, they’re merely additional stress factors, and students don’t perform at their best during any testing. Argue for or against.
6. Support the idea that having a College degree paves the way for a better future.
7. Corporations are using social media to manipulate the tastes of the masses and brainwash us into buying their products. The social media advertisement machine must be destroyed. Argue for or against.
8. The absence of religious teaching in modern society has drawn us back as a community, as there are important values that are ignored and overshadowed by religion’s bloody past. Support this argument, or disprove.
9. Although modern life is made easier with technology, students are faced with immense levels of pressure that their organisms aren’t used to. Life was better when it was slow. Support or dispute.
10. The past does not define who the person is, as everybody can change and become better in the future: support or dispute.
11. Guns will never be illegal in the USA, as they’re part of every American’s first amendment rights, and if the constitution gets changed, then no law holds strong. Argue or support.
12. Healthcare should offer STD tests for free to all members of society.
13. Argue in favor of or against same-gender parenting.
14. Relationships have changed in the time of social media; people move on faster and hunger for more physical satisfaction as it’s more accessible, pushing society closer towards polygamy. Support or dispute.
15. Book smart vs street smart. Pick a side, and argue in favor of one being better in terms of building a sustainable business and career.
16. The fashion industry promotes bad values to teenagers, especially with fast fashion movements, which promote heavy consumerism, an addictive characteristic of fashion which is bad for the kids: support or dispute.
17. Physical disciplining of kids should not be a cause for locking a parent up in jail in the USA. Instead, certain levels of it should be allowed. Support or dispute.
18. All medical centers should be able to offer health support to somebody without money, rather than leaving them to suffer and die. The medical system, in general, should be more affordable. Argue or support.
19. Bob Dylan’s lyrics should be taught in literature classes. Argue or support.
20. Product placement in musical lyrics should be censored on YouTube. Product placement of any kind in a piece of entertainment is manipulation and should not be promoted in our society: support, or dispute.