What is an Argumentative Essay: Definition and Types

Writing an argumentative essay can be a challenge, especially for inexperienced students. An outstanding argumentative essay is a demanding assignment and can be a real headache. Most students procrastinate and think about it for weeks. We can’t agree that this is the right strategy. The faster you make a decision, the more time you have for decent preparation and writing.

We are here to help you to understand what is an argumentative essay. This article defines what is an argumentative essay and what types does it have. Keep on reading to find how to write an outstanding paper.

A Definition of Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is one of the most common assignments for all educational levels. Yet it doesn’t mean that the writing process is effortless. Such papers are time-consuming and require thorough preparation.

An argumentative essay is an essay that demonstrates different viewpoints on particular subjects. These points of view are often controversial, and the authors have to do their best to present the whole background while remaining objective and unprejudiced. Usually, teachers give a list of topics to choose from, and it significantly simplifies the writing process. If you are not so lucky to have a topic list, get ready to brainstorm ideas.

Writing an argumentative essay relies on the combination of three different sets of skills:

• Writing
• Analytical
• Research

If you feel one of these sets is your weakness, you might need to use essay help or spend more time and energy creating an argumentative paper.

3 Types of Argumentative Essays

You should use three different methods of representing information in argumentative essays.

Classical type

This one is a well-known one. You begin with an intro that includes a thesis statement, then give the key arguments and summarize the part.

Rogerian type

This is an optimal pick for highly controversial topics. It offers an extensive analysis of the problem. According to this model, you introduce all points of view, their pros, and cons, and analyze all the evidence thoroughly. You can slightly push the readers to follow your point of view, but it is not obligatory.

Toulmin type

According to this method, you need to choose which side you are on. You present the central issue and provide the most powerful arguments from both sides. Counterarguments are not presented to mention the diversity of viewpoints. The author mentions them and then disproves them to convince the readers that the chosen point of view is the right one. This method also aims to find a middle ground between different opinions.

That’s it. We hope that now it’s clearer what is an argumentative essay and how to write it correctly.