10 Short Argumentative Essay Examples + Downloadable PDF

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Argumentative essays usually require that you make some points on a topic and then argue, giving reasons why people should agree with your points.

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Fredrick Eghosa

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10 Short Argumentative Essay Examples + Downloadable PDF

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10 Short Argumentative Essay Examples + Downloadable PDF

Argumentative essays usually require that you make some points on a topic and then argue, giving reasons why people should agree with your points.

Quite often, you might find it very challenging to write a captivating and wonderful argumentative essay. You might have had your share of these experiences, too. These problems may come in the form of not knowing where and how to start your essay, generating ideas, and lacking metrics to compare your essay against. If this sounds like you, then this article has a solution for you.

By the end of this article, you will be able to come up with a compelling, though short, argumentative essay for your next writing project.

Who says writing argumentative essays is only for those who can argue? That's a myth!

Well, let's dig into the details and help you find out.

Key Takeaways

While it may interest you to choose a topic very personal to you, ensure that you choose one on which you have the capacity to write constructively.

A good thesis for an argumentative essay alone should be able to provide supporting clues as to what to expect in your essay.

Research and collect sufficient knowledge from credible sources that would help to support your argument.

Citation is just one part of the argumentative essay that should not be forgotten.

A good argumentative essay will organize your thoughts and points in a very simple, logical way.

What an Argumentative Essay Is All About

People are always questioning what type of essay an argumentative essay can fall under.

An argumentative essay is a piece of writing designed to furnish a point on the issue. A good argumentative essay depicts the amount of effort a writer puts into persuading their readers so that those readers understand and support their point of view about the topic. To do this, the writer usually states his reasoning and then proceeds to provide evidence that backs up his claims.

You should submit your argumentative essay only if you made sure it meets all of the following criteria:

These claims are valid and have been proven not to be misleading.

The claims are clearly stated so that the reader can understand the reasons.

There is sufficient evidence to prove the claims.

It attends to counterarguments holistically, without bias, but with respect for the opposition.

A strong rebuttal shows that your point is stronger and should be agreed to.

It is in terms of purpose and approach that argumentative essays differ from other types of essays. The following explains how you will be required to structure your argumentative essay in order to stand out.

How to Structure an Argumentative Essay

Though an argumentative essay differs minimally from others because of the overall structure, it isn't much different from other essays.

Here's a detailed outline of how to structure an argumentative essay:

1. Introduction

Here is an opportunity to introduce your topic, and you can start like this:

Begin your line with an attention-grabbing statement.

Write a very short summary of your topic.

Write your thesis statement, which gets you into the body of the essay itself.

2. Body Paragraph 1: The First Main Argument

The body usually comprises the delivery of the content. However, in an argumentative essay, the body can comprise 3–4 body paragraphs, each elaborating on a specific topic sentence.

In the essay body paragraph 1, do the following:

Define the specific topic sentence you want to discuss in body paragraph 1.

Provide examples and evidence for the same topic.

Explain and provide an analysis of the point you write about. This is because analysis helps make understanding the points easier.

Transition with a strong transitive phrase that will carry the readers into the next topic sentence so they don't get lost or left behind.

3. Body Paragraph 2: The Second Main Argument

The same holds true for paragraph 2. You will do the following:

Define what specific topic sentence you are going to talk about in body paragraph 2.

For the same topic, provide examples and evidence to back up your claims.

Explain and give an analysis of the point you are writing on; this is because analysis helps make the understanding of the point easier.

Cradle your next topic sentence in a strong transitive phrase so that your readers do not become lost or left behind.

4. Body Paragraph 3: The Third Main Argument

This will lead you to counterarguments. The content of body paragraph 3 will be the same as that of other body paragraphs, only differing in transition.

This is what you should look out for in this section:

Begin with a topic sentence, as usual.

Provide evidence and examples that prove the truth of your topic sentence.

Elucidate with analysis so that the audience may understand and relate better to your points.

Transition to the counterarguments.

5. Counterargument and Rebuttal

While a good counterargument should respect the points against yours and then reaffirm your argument at the end, a good rebuttal makes sure you respond to the counterargument in such a way that it provides to the audience that your position on the topic is stronger than theirs.

Now, in the counterargument and rebuttal section, do the following:

Present the standpoint that counters yours.

Acknowledge the standpoint.

Using enough evidence and analysis, argue the opposing claim.

6. Conclusion

Every essay has a conclusion, and the same applies to an argumentative essay.

The conclusion involves:

Restate your thesis.

Summary of arguments made above in paragraphs 1, 2, and 3.

End with a call to action. One that will raise arguments in your favor from the audience.

Following this outline strictly will help you come up with an effective argumentative essay, like the ones added to this article to lead you through.

Types and Examples of Argument Claims

Understanding the types of claims can help you in choosing a tone or the body of your argumentative essay.

Before we get to some practical examples of argumentative essays, here are some kinds of argument claims and examples:

1. Claim of Fact

A claim of fact proposes that a quantifiable fact or statement exists, currently exists, or will likely exist.

Another way of looking at this is that the purpose of the claim of fact argument is to convince the audience to agree with that which has not been considered fact or to disagree with something that has been stated as fact.

Example: "Democratic policies caused the rise of terrorism."

2. Claim of Definition

This kind of claim convinces a reader that there is something in particular that really needs to be defined or viewed the way a writer has proposed.

Example: "The use of artificial intelligence should be considered a form of life."

3. Claim of Value

This argument mainly states the opinion on what is good, what is bad, what is right, and what is wrong.

Elaborating further, if you stand in the argument position to state something is good, bad, right, or wrong and you back your claim with your points, evidence, and analysis, what you have done here then is a claim of value.

Example: "Snowboarding is the greatest way to spend a vacation."

4. Claim of Cause and Effect

A claim of cause and effect is one that intends to show the relationship between the cause and effect of two events or situations. In this case, the effect is a direct result of the cause.

Example: “A crude oil spill into a water body can cause many plants and animals in the water to die.”

Claim of Policy

A claim of policy proposes that some course of action should be taken. Thus, the keyword most often used in such a claim is "ought." The following example makes this clear.

Example: "All professional athletes should be randomly drug-tested.”

Understanding the types of claims gives one an edge on how best to put forth one's argument, together with the kind of tone and words to use. For example, the policy claim specifically illustrates the use of the word "should."

Here are 10 Examples of Argumentative Essays that you can download and use as a guide to write yours. It contains 10 examples under these several types of argument claims.

You may find this helpful: 10 Expository Essay Examples

Argumentative Essay Writing Tips

The purpose of an argumentative essay is to convince a reader by staying relevant to the topic given.

Here are some effective tips you can use to achieve this:

1. Use strong points: Have you ever tried persuading someone to believe what you are saying without using valid points? How was the experience?

The friend wouldn't often believe in you. That is how writing an argumentative essay without strong points can be done.

Now, the points you will put into your 3–4 body paragraphs should be strong and convincing enough.

2. Use a formal tone: This is an argument, as much as it is; sometimes we get inspired and would wish to move not so formally. One must have a formal tone when writing an argumentative essay.

3. Use strong transitions: Make use of transitions that direct

4. Use topic sentences: In the body paragraph of your essay, start with a topic sentence for each paragraph. Make sure all the topic sentences relate directly to your thesis statement. In other words, as much as you are using new topic sentences for every paragraph, they should not deviate from the context of the essay.

5. Use credible and authoritative sources: The reader will support you much more strongly if they can see that the source you cite for a particular argument is, in fact, authoritative in the field.

For example, if you want to make a claim of fact that is political in nature, you will consider statements from an influential or knowledgeable figure in the political arena. As you then formulate your claim, your credible sources provide backup.

6. Proofread your work: This is to ensure that grammatical errors are corrected, structures are aligned, and arguments are valid and well cited.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay With CoWriter

Using a writing assistant like CoWriter can help make your work better.

Here are ways you can productively use CoWrite to write an argumentative essay:

Brainstorm topic ideas.

You can use CoWriter to generate argument topics that you would want to write on.

Submit your prompt and get a response.

Get Research Assistance

Request real information, statistics, or professional points of view on the topic one chooses to write about from Cowriter.

Creation of Outline

You can use CoWriter to create an outline of what you want your essay to look like. You can provide it with the main topic and ask it to structure them into an ordered outline.

Improvement of Thesis

You can use CoWriter to help you improve your thesis.

There are two options here:

The first option is to prompt CoWriter with your written thesis and have it change the thesis for you.

Another way to go about it is to provide it with your topic and ask for it to generate a thesis statement for your essay.

Generating your Counterarguments

One way to maximize CoWriter is to have it generate counterarguments for your essay. As it's AI, the depth in terms of possible counterargument angles will be great, making it effective at doing the job.

Language improvement

CoWriter can play a great role in language improvement. You can use it to polish the tone of your essay, strengthen your transitions, or enhance your vocabulary in the essay.

You may find this helpful: How to Write Essays with CoWriter

Download 10 Free Argumentative Essay Examples PDF

Conclusion

Writing a persuasive essay is an exciting skill to have when you know how.

The article has introduced you to what an argumentative essay is, how to structure an argumentative essay, the types of argument claims, and specific examples under those claims.

Following the guidance in this article, a hassle-free process should have resulted while writing an argumentative essay.

You can finally make CoWriter your friend to help you create your argumentative essay even quicker. That also helps in cases where you come up with some kind of roadblock or lack of ideas.

If you're blank to begin with, then you could use CoWriter.ai to help you brainstorm and kick off from there, but remember that your essay needs a personal touch, not an overly referenced writing assistant like CoWriter. Read back quickly over the section covering its use for clarity on how to approach CoWriter for this.

F. A. Qs.

1. What is the difference between an argument and a debate?

While in a debate, you have an opponent that you are counter-arguing, in an argumentative essay, there is no opponent; hence, one does not counter an argument with a statement.

2. Can I use "I" in an argumentative essay?

It is best if first-person pronouns are avoided while writing academic argumentative essays. This is to ensure the consistency of the formality of your essay. Although some instances may require you to use these kinds of words,.

3. Is it appropriate to address counterarguments in an argumentative essay?

Yes. This is why it is called an argumentative essay: to fairly counter other arguments and re-emphasize your argument.

4. How do I choose an appropriate topic for an argumentative essay?

An appropriate topic for an argumentative essay is one that you find debatable, can use logic, and can relate to.