importance of the atmosphere argumentative essay grade 10

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Gr. 10 GEOGRAPHY: The Heating of the Atmosphere T1 W3

Greenhouse effect, Global Warming and Impact of climate change on Africa discussed

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Atmosphere: essay on the atmosphere | geography.

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Here is a compilation of essays on the ‘Atmosphere’ for class 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Find paragraphs, long and short essays on the ‘Atmosphere’ especially written for school and college students.

Essay on Atmosphere

Essay Contents:

• Essay on the Role of Atmosphere

Essay # 1. Introduction on Atmosphere :

An atmosphere (atmosphaera,) created in the 17th century from Greek atmos “Vapor” and sphaira “sphere” is a layer of gases that may surround a material body of sufficient mas and that is held in place by the gravity of the body.

Some planets consist mainly of various gases, but only their outer layer is their atmosphere.

Earth’s atmosphere, which contains oxygen used by most organisms for respiration and carbon dioxide used by plants, algae and cyanobacteria for photosynthesis, also protects living organisms from genetic damage by solar ultraviolet radiation. The oxygen so characteristic of our atmosphere was almost all produced by plants (cyanobacteria or, more colloquially, blue-green algae).

The present composition of the atmosphere is 79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen, and 1% other gases including carbon di oxide. The troposphere is where all weather takes place; it is the region of rising and falling packets of air. The air pressure at the top of the troposphere is only 10% of that at sea level 0.1 atmospheres.

The buffer zone between the troposphere and the next layer is called the tropopause. Just above the troposphere there is the stratosphere, where air flow is mostly horizontal. The thin ozone layer is present in the upper stratosphere zone that has a high concentration of ozone, a particularly reactive form of oxygen.

This ozone layer is primarily responsible for absorbing the ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. The formation of this layer is a delicate matter, since only when oxygen is produced in the atmosphere can an ozone layer formation. There is considerable recent concern that man-made fluorocarbon compounds may be depleting the ozone layer, with dire future consequences for life on the Earth.

The mesosphere is above the stratosphere and below the ionosphere (or thermosphere). In ionosphere many atoms are ionized, atoms either gained or lost electrons so they have a net electrical charge. The ionosphere is very thin and is also responsible for absorbing the most energetic photons from the Sun.

The structure of the ionosphere is strongly influenced by the charged particle wind from the Sun. An ore is a rock that contains a valuable or useful metal at a concentration high enough to make its mining a profitable operation.

Essay # 2. Composition of Atmosphere :

Dry air is a mixture of gases with about 78 per cent of nitrogen, 21 per cent of oxygen and 0.94 per cent of argon by volume, and minute quantities of carbon dioxide, helium, neon, krypton, xenon oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen and ozone, and in some localities volatile organic matter, sulphurous gases and chlorine from volcanoes and other sources.

Water vapour is also a part of the atmosphere and is present to about 1.2 per cent of the total volume. Water vapour content depends on temperature and forms about 2.63 per cent at equator, 0.92 per cent at latitude 50° N and 0.22 per cent at latitude 70° N.

At some places the atmosphere may contain considerable amounts of fine earthy, salt crystals, smoke, soot, pollen, bacteria, volcanic dust, meteoric dust etc. spread as impurities to such an extent the sky may appear dark reducing visibility.

Dust present in the atmosphere increases red colours at dawn and twilight. Dust particles and minute salt crystals become nuclei around which water vapour condenses producing cloud particles of water or ice.

The earth has twogreat realms:

(i) Lithosphere (solids),

(ii) Hydrosphere (water) and

The gaseous realm extends over the earth’s surface to a height of about 9,600 km and envelops it. It consists of several gases and minute suspended liquid and solid particles. Air is a mixture of several gases. Four gases: nitrogen, oxygen, argon and carbon dioxide account for more than 99 per cent of the dry air (Table 2.2).

Essay # 3. Structure of Atmosphere:

Earth’s atmosphere can be divided into five major layers. These layers are mainly determined by whether temperature increases or decrease with altitude.

From lowest to highest, these major layers are:

i. Troposphere:

Troposphere begins at the surface and extends to between 7 km (23,000 ft) at the poles and 17 km (56,000 ft) at the equator, with some variation due to weather. Troposphere is mostly heated by transfer of energy from the surface, so on average the lowest part of the troposphere is warmest and temperature decreases with altitude.

This promotes vertical mixing (hence the origin of its name in the Greek word trope, meaning turn or overturn). Troposphere contains roughly 80 per cent of the mass of atmosphere. Tropopause is the boundary between troposphere and stratosphere.

ii. Stratosphere:

Stratosphere extends from tropopause to about 51 km (32 mi; 170,000 ft). Temperature increases with height, which restricts turbulence and mixing. Stratopause, which is the boundary between stratosphere and mesosphere, typically is at 50 to 55 km (31 to 34 mi; 160,000 to 180,000 ft). Pressure here is 1/1000th sea level. Stratosphere contains much of the total ozone.

Air density is much less here, so that even limited absorption produces a large temperature increase. Temperature increases fairly, generally, with high in summer, with coolest air at equatorial tropopause. Stratosphere is thicker over poles and sometimes does not exist over the equator. Near its outer limit, stratosphere is the greatest concentration of ozone and rare nacreous clouds occasionally appear.

iii. Mesosphere:

Mesosphere extends from the stratopause to 80-85 km (50-53 mi; 260,000- 280,000 ft). It is the layer where most meteors burn up upon entering the atmosphere. Temperature decreases with height in the mesosphere. Mesopause, the temperature minimum that marks the top of the mesosphere, is the coldest place on earth and has an average temperature around -100°C (-148.0°F; 173.1°K).

iv. Thermosphere:

Temperature increases with height in the thermosphere from mesopause up to thermopause, then is constant with height. Temperature of this layer can rises to 1,500°C (2.730°F), though the gas molecules are so far apart that temperature in the usual sense is not well defined.

International Space Station orbits in this layer, between 320 and 380 km (200 and 240 mi). Top of thermosphere is the bottom of exosphere, called the exobase. Its height varies with solar activity and ranges from about 350-800 km (220-500 mi; 1,100.000-2,600,000 ft).

v. Exosphere:

The outermost layer of earth’s atmosphere extends from exobase upward. Here the particles are so far apart that they can travel hundreds of km without colliding with one another. Since the particles rarely collide, atmosphere no longer behaves like a fluid. These free moving particles follow ballistic trajectories and may migrate into and out of magnetosphere or solar wind. Exosphere is mainly composed of hydrogen and helium.

Other Layers:

Within the five principal layers determined by temperature are several layers determined by other properties.

Ozone layer is contained within the stratosphere. In this layer ozone concentrations are about 2 to 8 parts per million (ppm), which is much higher than in lower atmosphere but still very small compared to the main components of atmosphere.

Ionosphere, part of atmosphere that is ionised by solar radiation, stretches from 50 to 1,000 km (31 to 620 mi; 160,000 to 3,300,000 ft) and typically overlaps both exosphere and thermosphere. It forms the inner edge of magnetosphere. It has practical importance because it influences, for example, radio propagation on the earth. It is responsible for auroras.

Homosphere and heterosphere are defined by whether the atmospheric gases are well mixed. In the homosphere, chemical composition of atmosphere does not depend on molecular weight because gases are mixed by turbulence. Homosphere includes troposphere, stratosphere and mesosphere. Above turbopause at about 100 km (62 mi; 330,000 ft), essentially corresponding to mesopause, the composition varies with altitude.

This is because the distance that particles can move without colliding with one another is large compared with size of motions that cause mixing. This allows the gases to stratify by molecular weight, with the heavier ones such as oxygen and nitrogen present only near the bottom of heterosphere. Upper part of heterosphere is composed almost completely of hydrogen, the lightest element.

Planetary boundary layer is part of troposphere that is nearest to earth’s surface and is directly affected by it, mainly through turbulent diffusion. During the day the planetary boundary layer usually is well mixed, while at night it becomes stably stratified with weak or intermittent mixing. Depth of planetary boundary layer ranges from as little as about 100 m on clear, calm nights to 3000 m or more during afternoon in dry regions.

Average temperature of the atmosphere at the surface of earth is 14°C (57°F; 287°K) or 15°C (59°F: 288° K), depending on the reference.

Essay # 4. Physical Properties of Atmosphere :

i. Pressure and Thickness:

Average atmospheric pressure at sea level is about 1.0 atmosphere (atm) = 101.3 kPa (kilo-Pascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch) = 760 torr = 29.9 inches of mercury (Hg). Total atmospheric mass is 5.1480 x 10 18 kg (1.135 x 10 19 lb), about 2.5 per cent less than would be inferred from average sea level pressure and earth’s area of 51007.2 mega-hectares, this defect having been displaced by the earth’s mountainous terrain.

Atmospheric pressure is the total weight of air above unit area at the point where pressure is measured. Thus, air pressure varies with location and time, because amount of air above earth’s surface varies.

If atmospheric density were to remain constant with height, atmosphere would terminate abruptly at 8.50 km (27,900 ft). Instead, density decreases with height, dropping by 50 per cent at an altitude of about 5.6 km (18,000 ft).

As a result, pressure decrease is approximately exponential with height, so that pressure decreases by a factor of two approximately every 5.6 km (18,000 ft) and by a factor of e = 2.718… approximately every 7.64 km (25,100 ft), the latter being the average scale height of earth’s atmosphere below 70 km (43 mi; 230,000 ft).

However, because of changes in temperature, average molecular weight and gravity throughout the atmospheric column, the dependence of atmospheric pressure on altitude is modeled by separate equations for each of the layers. Even in the exosphere, atmosphere is still present. This can be seen by the effects of atmospheric drag on satellites.

In summary, the equations of pressure by altitude can be used directly to estimate atmospheric thickness.

However, the following published data are given:

1. 50 per cent of the atmosphere by mass is below an altitude of 5.6 km (18,000 ft).

2. 90 per cent of the atmosphere by mass is below an altitude of 16 km (52,000 ft). The common altitude of commercial airliners is about 10 km (33,000 ft) and Mt Everest’s summit is 8,848 m (29,030 ft) above sea level.

3. 99.99997 per cent of the atmosphere by mass is below 100 km (62 mi; 330,000 ft), although in the rarefied region above this there are auroras and other atmospheric effects. The highest X-15 plane flight in 1963 reached an altitude of 354,300 ft (108.0 km).

ii. Density and Mass :

Density of air at sea level is about 1.2 kg m -3 (1.2 g l -1 ). Density is not measured directly but is calculated from measurements of temperature, pressure and humidity using the equation of state for air (a form of the ideal gas law). Atmospheric density decreases as altitude increases. This variation can be approximately modeled using the barometric formula. More sophisticated models are used to predict orbital decay of satellites.

Average mass of atmosphere is about 5 quadrillion (5 x 10 15 ) tonnes or 1/1,200,000 the mass of earth.

According to National Center for Atmospheric Research, “total mean mass of atmosphere is 5.1480 x 10 18 kg with an annual range due to water vapor of 1.2 or 1.5 x 10 15 kg depending on whether surface pressure or water vapor data are used; somewhat smaller than the previous estimate. Mean mass of water vapor is estimated as 1.27 x 10 16 kg and dry air mass as 5.1352 ± 0.0003 x 10 18 kg.”

iii. Optical Properties :

Solar radiation (sunlight) is the energy earth receives from sun. Earth also emits radiation back into space, but at longer wavelengths that we cannot see. Part of the incoming and emitted radiation is absorbed or reflected by the atmosphere.

iv. Scattering:

When light passes through atmosphere, photons interact with it through scatter. If light does not interact with atmosphere, it is called direct radiation and is what you see if you were to look directly at the sun. Indirect radiation is light that has been scattered in the atmosphere.

For example, on an overcast day when you cannot see your shadow there is no direct radiation reaching you, it has all been scattered. As another example, due to a phenomenon called Rayleigh scattering, shorter (blue) wavelengths scatter more easily than longer (red) wavelengths.

This is why the sky looks blue, you are seeing scattered blue light. This is also why sunsets are red. Because the sun is close to the horizon, sun’s rays pass through more atmosphere than normal to reach your eye. Much of blue light has been scattered out, leaving red light in a sunset.

v. Absorption:

Different molecules absorb different wavelengths of radiation. For example, O 2 and O 3 absorbs almost all wavelengths shorter than 300 nanometers. Water (H 2 O) absorbs many wavelengths above 700 nm. When a molecule absorbs a photon, it increases the energy of the molecule. We can think of this as heating the atmosphere, but atmosphere also cools by emitting radiation.

Combined absorption spectra of gasses in the atmosphere leave “windows” of low opacity, allowing transmission of only certain bands of light. Optical window runs from around 300 nm (ultraviolet-C) up into the range humans can see, the visible spectrum (commonly called light), at roughly 400-700 nm and continues to infrared to around 1100 nm. There are also infrared and radio windows that transmit some infrared and radio waves at longer wavelengths. For example, radio window runs from about one centimeter to about eleven-meter waves.

vi. Emission:

Emission is opposite of absorption, it is when an object emits radiation. Objects tend to emit amounts and wavelengths of radiation depending on their “black body” emission curves, therefore hotter objects tend to emit more radiation, with shorter wavelengths. Colder objects emit less radiation, with longer wavelengths.

For example, sun is approximately 6,000 K (5,730°C; 10,340°F), its radiation peaks near 500 nm and is visible to human eye. Earth is approximately 290 K (17°C; 62°F), so its radiation peaks near 10,000 nm and is much too long to be visible to humans.

Because of its temperature, atmosphere emits infrared radiation. For example, on clear night’s earth’s surface cools down faster than on cloudy nights. This is because clouds (H 2 O) are strong absorbers and emitters of infrared radiation. This is also why it becomes colder at night at higher elevations. Atmosphere acts as a “blanket” to limit the amount of radiation earth loses into space.

Greenhouse effect is directly related to this absorption and emission (or “blanket”) effect. Some chemicals in the atmosphere absorb and emit infrared radiation, but do not interact with sunlight in the visible spectrum.

Common examples of these chemicals are CO 2 and H 2 O. If there are too much of these greenhouse gasses, sunlight heats the earth’s surface, but gases block the infrared radiation from exiting back to space. This imbalance causes earth to warm and thus climate change.

vii. Refractive Index:

The refractive index of air is close to, but just greater than 1.0. Systematic variations in refractive index can lead to the bending of light rays over long optical paths. One example is that, under some circumstances, observers onboard ships can see other vessels just over the horizon because light is refracted in the same direction as the curvature of the earth’s surface.

Refractive index of air depends on temperature, giving rise to refraction effects when the temperature gradient is large. An example of such effects is the mirage.

viii. Circulation :

Atmospheric circulation is large scale movement of air and the means (with ocean circulation) by which heat is distributed around the earth. Large scale structure of atmospheric circulation varies from year to year, but the basic structure remains fairly constant as it is determined by earth’s rotation rate and difference in solar radiation between equator and poles.

Essay # 5. General Circulation of Atmosphere:

The worldwide system of winds, which transports warm air from the equator where solar heating is greatest towards the higher latitudes, is called the general circulation of the atmosphere, and it gives rise to the Earth’s climate zones.

The general circulation of air is broken up into a number of cells, the most common of which is called the Hadley cell. Sunlight is strongest nearer the equator. Air heated there rises and spreads out north and south. After cooling the air sinks back to the Earth’s surface within the subtropical climate zone between latitudes 25° and 40°.

This cool descending air stabilises the atmosphere, preventing much cloud formation and rainfall. Consequently, many of the world’s desert climates can be found in the subtropical climate zone. Surface air from subtropical regions returns towards the equator to replace the rising air, so completing the cycle of air circulation within the Hadley cell.

Although the physical reality of Hadley Cells has been questioned, they provide an excellent means for describing the way in which heat is transported across the Earth by the movement of air. Other circulation cells exist in the mid-latitudes and polar-regions. The general circulation serves to transport heat energy from warm equatorial regions to colder temperate and polar regions. Without such latitudinal redistribution of heat, the equator would be much hotter than it is whilst the poles would be much colder.

Without the Earth’s rotation, air would flow north and south directly across the temperature difference between low and high latitudes. The effect of the Coriolis force as a consequence of the Earth’s rotation however, is to cause winds to swing to their right in the Northern Hemisphere, and to their left in the Southern Hemisphere. Thus the movement of air towards the equator swings to form the northeast and southeast trade winds of tropical regions.

Air flowing towards the poles forms the westerlies associated with the belt of cyclonic low pressure systems at about 50° to 60° north and south. In general, where air is found to descend, high pressure develops, for example at the subtropical latitudes and again near the poles. Where air is rising, atmospheric pressure is low, as at the equator and in the mid-latitudes where storms or frontal systems develop.

Essay # 6. Role of Atmosphere :

i. Air functions as a medium for locomotion of insects, birds etc.

ii. Ozone layer of atmosphere protects the living organisms from harmful radiations of sun.

iii. Air is the source of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen required for various metabolic activities of living beings.

iv. It helps in dispersal of spores, pollen, seeds etc.

v. Air maintains temperature on earth required for life.

vi. Air transmits sound for communication.

vii. Ionosphere reflects the radio waves back to earth for long distance communication due to presence of ions and free electrons in this zone.

viii. Burning of fire takes place in presence of oxygen.

ix. Specie climatic conditions and water cycle is maintained due to circulation of air.

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Essay , Geography , Earth , Atmosphere , Essay on the Atmosphere

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1. Composition and structure of the atmosphere

1. Importance of the atmosphere.

2. The composition and structure of the atmosphere: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere and thermosphere.

3. The ozone layer – in the stratosphere. 4. Causes and effects of ozone depletion. 5. Ways to reduce ozone depletion.

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importance of atmosphere - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

The atmosphere is essential for life on Earth as it provides the air we breathe, protects us from harmful radiation from the sun, and regulates the temperature of the planet. The atmospheric conditions also play a crucial role in weather patterns, which affect agriculture, transportation, and other practical aspects of human life. Understanding the atmosphere and how it functions is crucial for predicting and mitigating the impacts of climate change, air pollution, and other global environmental issues. Therefore, a healthy and balanced atmosphere is crucial for the survival and sustainability of life on Earth.

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Grade 10 English Module: Using a Variety of Persuasive and Argumentative Writing Techniques

This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners, can continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions, exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you step-by-step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module or if you need to ask your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for better understanding of the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to answer the post-test to self-check your learning. Answer keys are provided for each activity and test. We trust that you will be honest in using these.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part of this SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. And read the instructions carefully before performing each task.

This module was designed and written with you in mind. Primarily, its scope is to teach you how to write a persuasive and an argumentative essay employing various techniques.

While going through this module, you are expected to:

1. determine the difference persuasive, and argumentative writing;

2. identify some writing techniques used in persuasion and argumentation; and

3. write a persuasive or an argumentative essay employing the techniques learned.

By the way, use a sheet of paper as your answer sheet to write your answers of the different activities presented in this learning module. DO NOT ANSWER here directly.

Grade 10 English Quarter 3 Self-Learning Module: Using a Variety of Persuasive and Argumentative Writing Techniques

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Online Guide to Writing and Research

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• Online Guide to Writing

Writing Arguments

Purposes of Argument

Why do we write argument essays? This form of writing may be challenging but it will strengthen your writing skills. An argument has two purposes:

change people’s points of view or persuade them to accept new points of view

persuade people to a particular action or new behavior

Because people don’t always agree on a single point of view, an effectively worded argument helps us arrive at what is fair or true. It is used to settle disputes and discover truth. Instructors assign argumentative writing so students can learn to examine their own and others’ ideas in a careful, methodical way. 

Argument teaches us how to evaluate conflicting claims and judge evidence and methods of investigation. Argument helps us learn to clarify our thoughts and articulate them accurately. Arguments also consider the ideas of others in a respectful and critical manner.

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Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Introduction

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

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• How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

• Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
• Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
• Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
• Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
• Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
• Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

• Make a claim
• Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
• Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
• Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

• Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
• Cite data to support your claim
• Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
• Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

• Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
• Highlight the problems with this position
• Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
• Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

• Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
• Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
• Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
• Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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