Whilst writing good essays will always be an essential skill area for every student, it is important to remember that there are many different forms of essay writing. Some essays might explore or explain a topic, others will give different points of view, but there will be some essays where you are really writing to argue. Whether it is a strong argument on an academic topic or a speech for a debate, argumentative essay writing is an important skill to learn. So read on for key hints on writing to argue in the strongest and clearest way possible.
Writing to argue: a clear structure
This is essential for a strong argument. It is important when writing to argue to make it very clear to your reader what your main key points are. So set them out in a brief introduction, highlighting which are the most important. Then go through each in turn, separating your essay into a new paragraph for each new point. Finally, end with a conclusion that reminds the reader of the overall argument by reiterating each of your key points in the final sentences.
Argumentative writing needs strong language
One of the most important aspects of writing to argue is being aware of not only what you are saying, but the way in which you are saying it. Try to use really persuasive vocabulary, replacing words like ‘shame’ with ‘travesty’, and adding in emotive language and words like ‘extremely’ and ‘particularly’ to add emphasis to your points.
Direct address in writing to argue
One of the strongest methods to use when you are writing to argue is to appeal directly to the reader, making them feel targeted and personally implicated in your argument. You can achieve this by using the word ‘you’ frequently, for example:
“Have you ever considered…?”
or
“Can you imagine…?”
These are rhetorical questions, which force the reader into really thinking about what you are asking and questioning their own ideas.
Try out these writing to argue techniques next time you have to write a strong, persuasive essay and see how much more passionate and convincing your argument will seem as a result. Remember, we are most likely to be influenced by argumentative essay writing if we believe it really matters to the author, so don’t be afraid to make it clear how much the subject matters to you and use your language to create some truly passionate essay writing!
