How Can I Write an Argumentative Essay?

Many people believe that an argument is effective only if it’s won, that unless they convince or persuade someone, they’ve failed in their mission to change the world — or their community or the minds of people they hang out with, or the people who read their Facebook pages. In fact, most written arguments aren’t so much about winning or losing as about sharing the writer’s perspective with others who are interested in an issue. Think of it as exploring alternative ways of thinking, acting, and believing — as advancing a conversation about an issue. If you follow this line of thinking, you’ll recognize that the effectiveness of your essay isn’t based on whether you win the argument. It is based on your ability to affect the community of readers and writers to whom you direct your argument.

Then again, sometimes winning is all that matters. Application essays for medical or business school, no matter how well written, are seldom considered successful if the writer isn’t accepted. The same is true of letters requesting scholarships. And if you’re a teenage driver, either you get to borrow the car or you don’t.

In this section, you’ll learn about the processes and strategies involved in writing an argumentative essay. As you work on your essay, you’ll follow the work of Vince Reid, a first-year student who wrote an argumentative essay about the advantages of the competitive League approach to game design.