Most of us have seen the prime time news debates where distinguished guests share their perspectives and argue against the other. If you listen to these guests debating over a topic, you’ll realize that they have years of practice to present their opinions and arguments. As a student, you need to present a clear argument.
Presenting your argument clearly is a skill that needs to be nurtured. Arguments based on logic can help sway the opinion of others towards what you believe in. Using a well-researched thesis statement and statements free of errors in logic will help you win arguments while preparing your argumentative and persuasive papers.
But presenting an argument on paper can be difficult for many of you. However, that problem can be resolved when you follow the right steps to present a clear argument. Let’s ponder over these steps.
Get a clear idea about your assignment before you get started with any step of the assignment writing; you should fully read and understand the requirements. While it might seem easy, developing an understanding of your assignment will let you effectively break the assignment down and follow the requirements properly.
If you’re not sure that you have clarity on the assignment, you can try rewriting it in your own words, opine the eminent academic experts who offer data-preserver-spaces=”true”>to students. If you see that you still have questions, you may need more details. You can find crucial words in the instructions like explain, define, relate, compare, or prove, to understand the assignment.
1. Draw up the thesis statemen
Your thesis statement is the claim/theory you’re trying to prove. Pick something that’s arguable, and be specific. For instance, instead of saying, “Air pollution is harming for the environment,”, you should say, “To minimize air pollution, the government should impose more tax on car owners.”
Try not to be confrontational in your thesis statement. Don’t use derogatory words in your thesis, either. This can quickly put off the people you’re trying to convince.
2. Find verified sources to back your thesis statement.
When you’re putting together an assignment for class, your teacher will be able to offer sources, as well. You can also perform the research online as well, but you’ll have to be cautious about which websites you’re using. In this case, some are more trustworthy than others.
Government websites, notable news publications, peer-reviewed journals, or documentaries are excellent places to begin. In general, personal websites, and social media posts, where anyone can make edits, are not trustworthy sources to cite. However, they are a great place to develop a basic knowledge of a topic.
3. Prepare an outline for the argument.
You can create the structure in a bulleted or numbered list format, starting with the introduction. Most papers include 4-5 individual claim/ideas and at least 2 points of evidence for each of those claims.
As you look for the evidence, include a bullet under a claim, and then include the fact and the source. You should leave some space in your outline for highlighting the counterargument and making your conclusion.
You don’t have to write down complete sentences when you’re preparing your outline. You may include names, page numbers, or big ideas that you want to cover in that paragraph.
4. Introduce your argument
The introduction you prepare should explain what you’re going to argue. The introduction will consist of your thesis statement, and it’ll offer a preview of how you try to prove the arguments. Typically, this “preview” will be a brief summary of your research findings.
This preview should also consist of an appealing hook sentence and a brief summary of both sides of an argument. If your argument is persuasive, you could begin by asking your reader to question something that they might believe in.
5. Present concrete evidence
Begin with your most brilliant piece of evidence to convince the readers of your viewpoint as clearly as possible. From there, you can move on with what you see as the weakest aspect of your argument. Alternatively, you might present your weakest argument next, then wind up with a slightly stronger piece of evidence.
Ensure that your claim is sufficiently supported by scholarly resources and offer a seamless transition between the arguments—also, incorporate your own thoughts and ideas to relate the evidence to the claim.
6. Dedicate a section to address counterarguments
After you’ve highlighted your claims, prove your understanding of the topic by writing about the opposing arguments. This is identified as a rebuttal or concession, which indicates to the reader you’ve researched all the sides of the argument.
State the contradictory argument and acknowledge that it comprises valid points. Then, emphasize why your point of view is correct according to the available evidence.
Showing that took note of other arguments boosts the credibility of your assignment. Don’t feel apprehensive to refer back to your previous claims that you’ve explained.
7. Use quotes, summaries, and paraphrasing for your evidence
To keep your readers intrigued about your arguments, try different means of adding the supporting details. Present the facts in your own words, make a proper statement about the details, or incorporate direct quotations. Also, add citations for any ideas that are not yours.
For example, if you have a direct quote in a paragraph, you can use a summary for your other type of supporting evidence.
8. Craft a clear conclusion
While concluding your paper, explain a bit about how your argument fits into a broader context or further questions that arise from your argument. Rephrase your main argument and why it offers a worthwhile contribution to an ongoing conversation involving the topic.
Your conclusion must leave an impact on your readers and give them something to think about once they’re reading.
Wrapping it up,
Present a clear argument in the appropriate way will help you convince your readers to think beyond their own point of view. And to prepare such an argument, you need to diligently follow these steps. Preparing the arguments for your academic papers won’t seem too daunting when you remember these steps.
Comments are closed for this post.