An argumentative essay includes the same three sections—introduction, body, and conclusion—as any other essay. In an argumentative essay, however, the introduction includes an argumentative thesis statement, the body includes both the supporting evidence and the refutation of opposing arguments, and the conclusion includes a strong, convincing concluding statement that reinforces the position stated in the thesis.

The following diagram illustrates one way to organize an argumentative essay.

The elements of an argumentative essay are like the pillars of an ancient Greek temple. Together, the four elements—thesis statement, evidence, refutation of opposing arguments, and concluding statement—help you build a strong argument.

25

Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a single sentence that states your position on an issue. An argumentative essay must have an argumentative thesis—one that takes a firm stand. For example, on the issue of whether colleges should require all students to study a language other than English, your thesis statement could be any of the following (and other positions are also possible):

An argumentative thesis must be debatable—that is, it must have at least two sides, stating a position with which some reasonable people might disagree. To confirm that your thesis is debatable, you should see if you can formulate an antithesis, or opposing argument. For example, the statement, “Our school has a foreign-language requirement” has no antithesis because it is simply a statement of fact; you could not take the opposite position because the facts would not support it. However, the following thesis statement takes a position that is debatable (and therefore suitable for an argumentative thesis):

(For more on thesis statements, see Chapter 7.)

Evidence

Evidence is the material—facts, observations, expert opinion, examples, statistics, and so on—that supports your thesis statement. For example, you could support your position that foreign-language study should be required for all college students by arguing that this requirement will make them more employable, and you could cite employment statistics to support this point. Alternatively, you could use the opinion of an expert on the topic—for example, an experienced college language instructor—to support the opposite position, arguing that students without an interest in language study are wasting their time in such courses.

26

You will use both facts and opinions to support the points you make in your arguments. A fact is a statement that can be verified (proven to be true). An opinion is always open to debate because it is simply a personal judgment. Of course, the more knowledgeable the writer is, the more credible his or her opinion is. Thus, the opinion of a respected expert on language study will carry more weight than the opinion of a student with no particular expertise on the issue. However, if the student’s opinion is supported by facts, it will be much more convincing than an unsupported opinion.

FACTS

UNSUPPORTED OPINIONS

SUPPORTED OPINIONS

Refutation

Because every argument has more than one side, you should not assume that your readers will agree with you. On the contrary, readers usually need to be convinced that your position on an issue has merit. This means that you need to do more than just provide sufficient evidence in support of your position; you also need to refute (disprove or call into question) arguments that challenge your position, possibly acknowledging the strengths of those opposing arguments and then pointing out their shortcomings. For example, if you take a position in favor of requiring foreign-language study for all college students, some readers might argue that college students already have to take too many required courses. After acknowledging the validity of this argument, you could refute it by pointing out that a required foreign-language course would not necessarily be a burden for students because it could replace another, less important required course. (For more on refutation, see Chapter 7.)

27

Concluding Statement

After you have provided convincing support for your position and refuted opposing arguments, you should end your essay with a strong concluding statement that reinforces your position. (The position that you want readers to remember is the one stated in your thesis, not the opposing arguments that you have refuted.) For example, you might conclude an essay in support of a foreign-language requirement by making a specific recommendation or by predicting the possible negative outcome of not implementing this requirement.

The following student essay includes all four of the elements that are needed to build a convincing argument.