An argumentative essay is one of the types of academic writing which requires students to select a subject and take a position on a specific problem or idea while starting from a suspicious setup. A well-organised outline is one of the most essential parts of creating an argumentative essay. Therefore, a clear outline prevents your idea from wandering around aimlessly, your points from being contradictory, and your evidence from being presented in a scattered and unconvincing manner.
This blog will cover 4 simple steps to outline an argumentative essay, from the first thing you must do to the final step of making a complete outline to help you write a great essay.
Step 1: Choose a Debatable Topic & Define Your Stance
Before you can outline arguments for your essay, you need to select a debatable topic and one that greatly interests you. The best argumentative topic is one in which there are going to be multiple opinions regarding that topic and has enough evidence to support both sides. It’s crucial because the entire essay will depend on the argument that you will present.
How to Choose a Topic?
Controversial issues:
Pick an urgent topic that is still being debated. Topics such as climate change, guns, and animal rights evoke strong opinions on either side.
Personal interest:
Choose something you are passionate about. This will make the process of researching and arguing your points more accurate.
Available evidence:
Be sure you have enough research and evidence behind you. This could be in the shape of data, expert opinion and real-life examples.
Defining Your Stance
After you’ve settled on a topic, define what position you are taking. Do you uphold or defend a position on an issue, policy, or view? The stance or position you take on a subject in an argumentative essay is what you will argue for throughout your paper. It should be clear, specific and should be evidence-based.
Step 2: Research & Gather Evidence
Solid evidence depends on the success of an argumentative essay. Your argument can seem weak and unconvincing if you don’t have solid evidence to back it. The second thing you do is research, which means collecting all the relevant facts, data, and statistics of information that back your claim and real-world examples.
How to Gather Evidence
Use credible sources:
It’s essential to use good sources of evidence when gathering evidence, generally from academic journals, books, reputable online news outlets, and expert opinions. Use only reliable sources; do not use fake ones like personal blogs or unverified online content.
Include both sides:
You should consider researching both sides of the issue to strengthen your argument. You should know how to adequately acknowledge opposing viewpoints and be ready to counter them with well-reasoned counterarguments.
Organise your findings:
The more evidence you plug into that bulb, the more themes or points around your argument that you will categorise your proof. Incorporating the evidence when you get to your outline will be easier.
Step 3: Create a Thesis Statement
The thesis statement is the argument or claim of your essay. It should let your audience know your stance on the subject and show why you are for or against what you are writing about. The argumentative essay thesis statement is an essential part of the argumentative essay because it determines the course of the rest of the paper. It should be specific enough, debatable, not too broad or too narrow.
How to Write a Strong Thesis Statement
Be clear and specific:
Keep your thesis statement far from vague. It is essential to clarify your position to be specific enough to direct the rest of your essay.
Take a firm stance:
Your thesis area should express the opinion on which you will argue during the essay writing. It should not be neutral.
Preview your arguments:
At its best, your thesis statement will suggest to readers the areas you intend to cover in the essay’s body.
- For example, if your topic is “Should the voting age be lowered to 16?” a strong thesis statement could be: “So lowering the voting age to 16 would get young people more engaged in the political process, may imbue them with a sense of responsibility and would ensure that policies are reflecting the views of younger generations.”
Step 4: Draw the Outline of Your Argument Outline
With that said, you’ve got your topic, research, and thesis statement figured out; it’s time to organise your ideas into a clear essay structure. With a well-organised outline, you can march through the writing process, and the audience will know they are presented with the correct argument. Introduction: Introduces the topic, states the thesis, and presents a brief overview of the main points used to support the thesis.
How to Organise Your Outline
1: Introduction
- Hook: Begin with a hook to catch the reader. It could be an interesting fact, a quote, or a question about the topic.
- Background Information: Provide the reader with some background on the topic. This will help them understand why it’s essential.
- Thesis Statement: Finish your introduction with your thesis statement. This is what you will argue throughout the rest of the essay.
2: Body Paragraphs
- Topic Sentence: We begin with a topic sentence in each body paragraph stating the main point of each body paragraph. It must be directly related to your thesis statement.
- Evidence and Analysis: It would be great if you could mention evidence to support our idea for each paragraph. Data, examples, expert opinions, or real-life case studies could be included. Be sure to analyse and explain the evidence and how it backs up your thesis.
- Counterargument and Rebuttal: One paragraph must address opposing viewpoints, at least one. Make a strong counterargument featuring both evidence and reasoning to refute that counterargument. Admitting the other side’s perspective improves your position by ensuring you’ve not only considered one side.
- Transitions: Transitional phrases help your reader follow the flow of your essay from beginning to end. They aid in the logical flow of ideas and paragraphs.
3: Conclusion
- Restate Thesis: In the conclusion, rephrase your thesis statement and briefly mention all the major (not the minor) points you’ve enumerated.
- Final Thought: Finish with a thought or a call to action. It may sound like a suggestion for further research, a thought-provoking statement to ponder, or a suggestion for what action may be appropriate.
CONCLUSION
Even the outline for an argumentative essay might appear to be an impossibly difficult task, but if you break it down into steps, each step will be pretty straightforward. You’ll be setting up for success when you pick up a debatable topic, research, make a good thesis statement, and properly arrange your essay. No, the outline is nothing but organising your thoughts, but it is a type of guide that helps you to keep the essay focused and clear and ensures that the essay is persuasive. With these four simple steps, you will be well-placed to write a well-structured and compelling argumentative essay effectively communicating your point of view.
