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Argumentative Essay Guide

Argumentative Essay Examples

Argumentative Essay Examples - Samples & Tips

20 min read

Basics of Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is a genre of academic essay writing where the author presents a claim or stance on a particular issue and supports it with evidence, reasoning, and analysis. The purpose of this type of essay is to persuade the reader to agree with the author's viewpoint through logical argumentation.

While the standard five-paragraph format is commonly used, it's not mandatory for argumentative essays. These essays often adopt either the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

The Toulmin model emphasizes a clear claim, evidence to support the claim, reasoning that connects the evidence to the claim, and rebuttals of counterarguments.
The Rogerian model focuses on finding common ground and understanding between conflicting viewpoints, aiming for mutual understanding rather than direct persuasion.

Argumentative Essay Examples For Students

In this section, we will look at examples of argumentative essays for different school levels. Whether you are in middle school or university, these examples can help you learn how to make good arguments.

Argumentative Essay Examples For Kids

What this essay does well:

The thesis statement is clear and easy to understand, presented in the first sentence.
Each paragraph focuses on a specific benefit of online learning (personalized pace, access to resources, flexibility).
Logical structure makes the argument easy to follow for young readers.

How this essay could be improved:

Add stories or examples to show how online learning helps.
Briefly mention and refute concerns about online learning, like too much screen time or missing friends.
Include more specific information to make the argument stronger.
The thesis is clearly stated at the beginning of the essay.
It outlines the author's stance on whether zoos are ethical.
The essay presents reasons why zoos are considered ethical.
Each paragraph discusses a different reason supporting the thesis.
Counter argument is mention towards the end of the essay.
Improvements:
Adding specific examples of endangered animals saved by zoos would make the argument stronger.
Providing more details on how zoos educate people and provide medical care would enhance the essay.

Argumentative Essay Examples For High School

Thesis Placement: The thesis is stated clearly in the third paragraph, outlining the author's stance on free college education.
Effective Counter-Argument: The essay begins by acknowledging concerns about free college education, then systematically refutes these arguments with supporting evidence.
Use of Data: The author supports their points with facts and studies, making the argument more persuasive.
Refutation of Opposing Views: Each counter-argument is addressed and countered, strengthening the author's position.
More Examples: Adding specific examples of individuals benefiting from free education would enhance the essay's impact.
Focus on Data: Remove personal experiences and ensure all arguments are supported solely by data and research.
Accuracy of Points: Verify all facts to ensure accuracy, such as the cost comparison between digital and physical books.

Here is another sample in PDF format that you can download and read for free!

Argumentative Essay Example for High School

Argumentative Essay Examples For College Students

In college, writing essays gets more challenging. Students need to write more advanced assignments like research papers or a thesis .

Let’s take a look at the argumentative essay examples for college level.

Analysis

Effective Counter-Argument: The essay begins by acknowledging concerns about SES-based admissions, then systematically refutes these arguments with specific data and studies.
Use of Evidence: Numerous facts and studies are cited to support the arguments, making the essay more persuasive.
Refutation of Opposing Views: Each counter-argument is addressed and countered, strengthening the author's position in favor of SES-based admissions.
More Examples: Adding specific examples of how students from lower SES backgrounds have thrived in college settings would enhance the essay's impact.
Focus on Data: Remove personal experiences or opinions and ensure all arguments are supported solely by factual evidence and research.
Accuracy of Points: Verify all facts to ensure accuracy, such as the cost comparisons between digital and physical books, to strengthen the credibility of the essay.

Here is another PDF example for you;

Argumentative Essay Example For College

Argumentative Essay Examples For University Students

At this level, you might have to pick special and advanced topics for argumentative essays. You might also need unique argumentative research paper topics for your research assignments.

Clear Thesis Development: The essay introduces its thesis effectively after discussing the counter-argument, focusing the essay's entirety on supporting the thesis.
Use of Facts and Studies: Specific data and studies are cited throughout, enhancing the credibility of the arguments presented.
Effective Refutation of Counter-arguments: Counter-arguments are systematically dismantled, reinforcing the author's viewpoint.
Expand with Examples: Incorporating more detailed examples would enrich the essay's content.
Avoid Personal Opinion: Ensuring the focus remains on objective evidence rather than personal anecdotes or opinions.
Ensure Accuracy of Claims: Verifying the accuracy of all statements, especially those regarding facts and figures, is essential to maintaining credibility.

Take a look at the argumentative essay for university PDF sample below:

Argumentative Essay Example For University

Good Argumentative Essay Examples PDFs

Below are some more argumentative essay samples for you to review. Take a look for further understanding.

Short Argumentative Essay Examples

There is no precise word count for an argumentative essay. It just has to persuade the reader and give the author's message to the intended audience.

It can be short or lengthy. It would be considered correct as long as there's a discussion in it.

Here is a PDF sample of a short argumentative essay.

Short Argumentative Essay Example

5 Paragraph Argumentative Essay Examples

The traditional argumentative essay outline consists of 5 paragraphs: one introduction, three body paragraphs, and one conclusion.

Here are 5 paragraph argumentative essay examples in pdf format.

5 Paragraph Argumentative Essay Example

Sample 5 Paragraph Argumentative Essay

Tips for Writing an Argumentative Essay

Here are some tips for writing a strong argumentative essay:

Tip#1. Make a Clear and Definitive Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement should be unmistakable and clearly outline your position on the issue. A well-defined thesis guides the entire essay, making your argument remains focused and coherent throughout.

Tip#2. Critique the Weaknesses of the Opposing Viewpoint

A key aspect of persuasive writing skills involves addressing the opposing viewpoint directly. To strengthen your argument, systematically dismantle the weaknesses of the counter-argument. This demonstrates your thorough understanding of the topic and reinforces the validity of your own stance.

Tip#3. Support Your Claims with Concrete Evidence

An effective argumentative essay requires substantiating your points with credible sources. Whether citing research studies, statistical data, or expert opinions, evidence adds authority and persuasiveness to your arguments.

This not only enhances the credibility of your essay but also convinces readers of the validity of your perspective.

Tip#4. Evaluate the Strengths and Weaknesses of Your Own Argument

Unlike persuasive essays , which may focus more on appealing to emotions or values, an argumentative essay requires a critical evaluation of your own argument.

Identify potential weaknesses or limitations in your reasoning and address them honestly. This strengthens your overall argument and demonstrates intellectual honesty.

Tip#5. Use Language as a Powerful Tool to Convey Conviction

In writing a good argumentative essay, language serves as a powerful tool to convey conviction and clarity. Choose a precise and assertive language to articulate your points effectively. Avoid vague or ambiguous terms that may weaken your argument.

Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

Here are some argumentative essay examples topics that will help you in brainstorming your own essay title:

Should the government impose a curfew on teens?
Should alcohol advertisements be banned?
Are cell phones dangerous to our health?
Is global warming real or fake?
Should school uniforms be mandatory?
Does the social media influence gender roles in society?
Is nuclear energy safe?
Should the death penalty be abolished?
Should abortion be legal in the United States?
Is animal testing necessary?

If you are looking for a comprehensive list of topics, check out our argumentative essay topics blog!

In summary, we've explored a wide range of example for different academic levels. These examples will help you in creating strong arguments and using persuasive writing effectively.

Remember, a good argumentative essay isn't just about stating your opinion. It's about stating it clearly, supporting it with solid evidence, and presenting it convincingly.

Moreover, if you need help with writing argumentative essays, our expert writers are here for you. You can trust our legit essay writing service to help you craft engaging argumentative essays.

With us, you will get 24/7 customer support, timely delivery, free revisions, and more benefits! So place your order at our argumentative essay writing service today!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you start a good argumentative essay example.

Start with a hook that grabs the reader's attention, such as a startling statistic or a compelling question, followed by a clear thesis statement that states your position on the topic.

Can you use examples in an argumentative essay?

Yes, using examples is important in an argumentative essay to illustrate and support your points, provide evidence, and strengthen your overall argument.

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Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.

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Argumentative Essay Examples & Analysis

July 20, 2023

Writing successful argumentative or persuasive essays is a sort of academic rite of passage: every student, at some point in their academic career, will have to do it. And not without reason—writing a good argumentative essay requires the ability to organize one’s thoughts, reason logically, and present evidence in support of claims. They even require empathy, as authors are forced to inhabit and then respond to viewpoints that run counter to their own. Here, we’ll look at some argumentative essay examples and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

What is an argumentative essay?

Before we turn to those argumentative essay examples, let’s get precise about what an argumentative essay is. An argumentative essay is an essay that advances a central point, thesis, or claim using evidence and facts. In other words, argumentative essays are essays that argue on behalf of a particular viewpoint. The goal of an argumentative essay is to convince the reader that the essay’s core idea is correct.

Good argumentative essays rely on facts and evidence. Personal anecdotes, appeals to emotion , and opinions that aren’t grounded in evidence just won’t fly. Let’s say I wanted to write an essay arguing that cats are the best pets. It wouldn’t be enough to say that I love having a cat as a pet. That’s just my opinion. Nor would it be enough to cite my downstairs neighbor Claudia, who also has a cat and who also prefers cats to dogs. That’s just an anecdote.

For the essay to have a chance at succeeding, I’d have to use evidence to support my argument. Maybe there are studies that compare the cost of cat ownership to dog ownership and conclude that cat ownership is less expensive. Perhaps there’s medical data that shows that more people are allergic to dogs than they are to cats. And maybe there are surveys that show that cat owners are more satisfied with their pets than are dog owners. I have no idea if any of that is true. The point is that successful argumentative essays use evidence from credible sources to back up their points.

Argumentative essay structure

Important to note before we examine a few argumentative essay examples: most argumentative essays will follow a standard 5-paragraph format. This format entails an introductory paragraph that lays out the essay’s central claim. Next, there are three body paragraphs that each advance sub-claims and evidence to support the central claim. Lastly, there is a conclusion that summarizes the points made. That’s not to say that every good argumentative essay will adhere strictly to the 5-paragraph format. And there is plenty of room for flexibility and creativity within the 5-paragraph format. For example, a good argumentative essay that follows the 5-paragraph template will also generally include counterarguments and rebuttals.

Introduction Example

Now let’s move on to those argumentative essay examples, and examine in particular a couple of introductions. The first takes on a common argumentative essay topic —capital punishment.

The death penalty has long been a divisive issue in the United States. 24 states allow the death penalty, while the other 26 have either banned the death penalty outright or issued moratoriums halting the practice. Proponents of the death penalty argue that it’s an effective deterrent against crime. Time and time again, however, this argument has been shown to be false. Capital punishment does not deter crime. But not only that—the death penalty is irreversible, which allows our imperfect justice system no room for error. Finally, the application of the death penalty is racially biased—the population of death row is over 41% Black , despite Black Americans making up just 13% of the U.S. population. For all these reasons, the death penalty should be outlawed across the board in the United States.

Why this introduction works: First, it’s clear. It lays out the essay’s thesis: that the death penalty should be outlawed in the United States. It also names the sub-arguments the author is going to use to support the thesis: (1), capital punishment does not deter crime, (2), it’s irreversible, and (3), it’s a racially biased practice. In laying out these three points, the author is also laying out the structure of the essay to follow. Each of the body paragraphs will take on one of the three sub-arguments presented in the introduction.

Argumentative Essay Examples (Continued)

Something else I like about this introduction is that it acknowledges and then refutes a common counterargument—the idea that the death penalty is a crime deterrent. Notice also the flow of the first two sentences. The first flags the essay’s topic. But it also makes a claim—that the issue of capital punishment is politically divisive. The following sentence backs this claim up. Essentially half of the country allows the practice; the other half has banned it. This is a feature not just of solid introductions but of good argumentative essays in general—all the essay’s claims will be backed up with evidence.

How it could be improved: Okay, I know I just got through singing the praises of the first pair of sentences, but if I were really nitpicking, I might take issue with them. Why? The first sentence is a bit of a placeholder. It’s a platitude, a way for the author to get a foothold in the piece. The essay isn’t about how divisive the death penalty is; it’s about why it ought to be abolished. When it comes to writing an argumentative essay, I always like to err on the side of blunt. There’s nothing wrong with starting an argumentative essay with the main idea: Capital punishment is an immoral and ineffective form of punishment, and the practice should be abolished .

Let’s move on to another argumentative essay example. Here’s an introduction that deals with the effects of technology on the brain:

Much of the critical discussion around technology today revolves around social media. Critics argue that social media has cut us off from our fellow citizens, trapping us in “information silos” and contributing to political polarization. Social media also promotes unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards, which can lead to anxiety and depression. What’s more, the social media apps themselves are designed to addict their users. These are all legitimate critiques of social media, and they ought to be taken seriously. But the problem of technology today goes deeper than social media. The internet itself is the problem. Whether it’s on our phones or our laptops, on a social media app, or doing a Google search, the internet promotes distracted thinking and superficial learning. The internet is, quite literally, rewiring our brains.

Why this introduction works: This introduction hooks the reader by tying a topical debate about social media to the essay’s main subject—the problem of the internet itself. The introduction makes it clear what the essay is going to be about; the sentence, “But the problem of technology…” signals to the reader that the main idea is coming. I like the clarity with which the main idea is stated, and, as in the previous introduction, the main idea sets up the essay to follow.

How it could be improved: I like how direct this introduction is, but it might be improved by being a little more specific. Without getting too technical, the introduction might tell the reader what it means to “promote distracted thinking and superficial learning.” It might also hint as to why these are good arguments. For example, are there neurological or psychological studies that back this claim up? A simple fix might be: Whether it’s on our phones or our laptops, on a social media app, or doing a Google search, countless studies have shown that the internet promotes distracted thinking and superficial learning . The body paragraphs would then elaborate on those points. And the last sentence, while catchy, is a bit vague.

Body Paragraph Example

Let’s stick with our essay on capital punishment and continue on to the first body paragraph.

Proponents of the death penalty have long claimed that the practice is an effective deterrent to crime. It might not be pretty, they say, but its deterrent effects prevent further crime. Therefore, its continued use is justified. The problem is that this is just not borne out in the data. There is simply no evidence that the death penalty deters crime more than other forms of punishment, like long prison sentences. States, where the death penalty is still carried out, do not have lower crime rates than states where the practice has been abolished. States that have abandoned the death penalty likewise show no increase in crime or murder rates.

Body Paragraph (Continued)

For example, the state of Louisiana, where the death penalty is legal, has a murder rate of 21.3 per 100,000 residents. In Iowa, where the death penalty was abolished in 1965, the murder rate is 3.2 per 100,000. In Kentucky the death penalty is legal and the murder rate is 9.6; in Michigan where it’s illegal, the murder rate is 8.7. The death penalty simply has no bearing on murder rates. If it did, we’d see markedly lower murder rates in states that maintain the practice. But that’s not the case. Capital punishment does not deter crime. Therefore, it should be abolished.

Why this paragraph works: This body paragraph is successful because it coheres with the main idea set out in the introduction. It supports the essay’s first sub-argument—that capital punishment does not deter crime—and in so doing, it supports the essay’s main idea—that capital punishment should be abolished. How does it do that? By appealing to the data. A nice feature of this paragraph is that it simultaneously debunks a common counterargument and advances the essay’s thesis. It also supplies a few direct examples (murder rates in states like Kentucky, Michigan, etc.) without getting too technical. Importantly, the last few sentences tie the data back to the main idea of the essay. It’s not enough to pepper your essay with statistics. A good argumentative essay will unpack the statistics, tell the reader why the statistics matter, and how they support or confirm the essay’s main idea.

How it could be improved: The author is missing one logical connection at the end of the paragraph. The author shows that capital punishment doesn’t deter crime, but then just jumps to their conclusion. They needed to establish a logical bridge to get from the sub-argument to the conclusion. That bridge might be: if the deterrent effect is being used as a justification to maintain the practice, but the deterrent effect doesn’t really exist, then , in the absence of some other justification, the death penalty should be abolished. The author almost got there, but just needed to make that one final logical connection.

Conclusion Example

Once we’ve supported each of our sub-arguments with a corresponding body paragraph, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

It might be nice to think that executing murderers prevents future murders from happening, that our justice system is infallible and no one is ever wrongly put to death, and that the application of the death penalty is free of bias. But as we have seen, each of those thoughts are just comforting fictions. The death penalty does not prevent future crime—if it did, we’d see higher crime rates in states that’ve done away with capital punishment. The death penalty is an irreversible punishment meted out by an imperfect justice system—as a result, wrongful executions are unavoidable. And the death penalty disproportionately affects people of color. The death penalty is an unjustifiable practice—both practically and morally. Therefore, the United States should do away with the practice and join the more than 85 world nations that have already done so.

Why this conclusion works: It concisely summarizes the points made throughout the essay. But notice that it’s not identical to the introduction. The conclusion makes it clear that our understanding of the issue has changed with the essay. It not only revisits the sub-arguments, it expounds upon them. And to put a bow on everything, it restates the thesis—this time, though, with a little more emotional oomph.

How it could be improved: I’d love to see a little more specificity with regard to the sub-arguments. Instead of just rehashing the second sub-argument—that wrongful executions are unavoidable—the author could’ve included a quick statistic to give the argument more weight. For example: The death penalty is an irreversible punishment meted out by an imperfect justice system—as a result, wrongful executions are unavoidable. Since 1973, at least 190 people have been put to death who were later found to be innocent.

An argumentative essay is a powerful way to convey one’s ideas. As an academic exercise, mastering the art of the argumentative essay requires students to hone their skills of critical thinking, rhetoric, and logical reasoning. The best argumentative essays communicate their ideas clearly and back up their claims with evidence.

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Dane Gebauer

Dane Gebauer is a writer and teacher living in Miami, FL. He received his MFA in fiction from Columbia University, and his writing has appeared in Complex Magazine and Sinking City Review .

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