Learning how to write a great argumentative essay takes a lot of practice and a willingness to improve. But if you want to make positive impact to your academic success when you are first beginning to write this kind of writing assignment there are 5 tips you should know about right from the start:
- Take a clear stand on an issue or topic
Crafting a great argumentative essay starts with coming up with a good thesis statement. If you haven’t had much experience with them and don’t know they are, a thesis statement is basically a clear and direct statement that states your position on arguable issue or topic. Taking a stand occurs much more often than you think, just take a few moments to think critically on an issue and you’ll be well on your way in coming up with a thesis statement.
- Develop a plan to research and write
Procrastination and disorganization are two of the biggest reasons students struggle to get assignments started and completed correctly. The most effective fix is to develop a plan that sets specific tasks and deadlines to do all of the researching and writing. Break up your assignment into manageable tasks and spread out the work over several days, giving yourself a few days to act as buffers if you fall behind or run into unexpected challenges.
- Don’t make up supporting evidence
An aspect of writing a great argumentative essay is providing great examples or supporting evidence to back up your claims. This factual information should come from credible academic or government resources and should under no circumstances be made up or altered in any way. Not only will you increase the chances of failing the assignment but your integrity will be brought into question.
- Write a draft then make revisions
You should plan at least two versions of your argumentative essay written before you make final edits and proofread your assignment. Your first draft should be rough – where you write quickly and efficiently to get all of your ideas down in one place. Next, set your assignment aside for a day or two before making your revisions, which is where you make improvements to the structure and logic of your paper.
- Edit and proofread your assignment
After making your revisions you should spend ample time making edits and proofreading your work. When editing, choose simple and clear vocabulary and sentence constructions to express your ideas more clearly. When proofreading, do so at several levels, checking for any mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation.