HOW TO TACKLE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY WRITING?

1. HOW TO TACKLE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY WRITING? In Section C, Paper 1 of the GCE O Level English examinations, students are expected to pick a question from four prescribed titles and write an essay between 350-500 words on the topic. This is an important aspect of Secondary School English composition writing class as students are taught about it early on. Though it varies across different years, it is common that one or more of these titles would consist of an argumentative essay which could be phrased in various ways which candidates are supposed to identify. Common examples include titles with “Do you agree” or “Should XYZ be allowed”. This type of question is usually challenging for some students who could either be unfamiliar with the requirements of the question or unaware of how to effectively convey their opinions. In this article, we will clarify the details on how to write an argumentative essay articulately yet convincingly. First and foremost, the most important marking point of an argumentative essay is that it expects the student to take a clear and firm stance towards the given topic. That being said, students should be familiar with both sides of the coin, and be able to understand and argue from both perspectives, and decide on the more convincing point of view as the stance they write for. There are four parts to a typical argumentative essay that markers are looking out for, the

2. introduction, body, rebuttal and the conclusion. Each section is crucial to a desirable argumentative essay and equal attention should be paid to them. As with all essays, students should spend some time planning out the general structure of the essay to ensure clarity and flow in their writing. More often than not, students tend to rush into their essays without giving much thought to the planning process, which could result in incoherence or an inability to convey their ideas effectively. Introduction : In the introduction, there should be an effective hook that attracts the reader’s attention. This can be done through by famous sayings, introducing various background information in the form of facts or interesting aspects of the topic to display knowledge and understanding of the topic. The most crucial portion of the introduction would be the thesis statement, which explains clearly to the reader about the stance that the student is taking with regards to the topic. The thesis statement should be succinct and straight to the point to directly answer the question. Pro-tip #1: It would be good to keep up with some knowledge about current affairs such as climate change and other rising trends, and the reading of newspapers or the following of news outlets should be encouraged. Body: The next two paragraphs are known as the body of an argumentative essay typically consisting of three paragraphs, with two paragraphs that support the stance taken and one paragraph which opposes the view, which is typically thought of as a rebuttal. Here, it is important to familiarise students with the popular P-E-E-L structure, which is the most popular approach towards essay writing. It stands for Point, Example, Elaboration and Link which provides a clear structure towards any point being made. Pro-tip #2: Students should be well equipped with examples such as statistics or past precedent events to elevate the quality of their responses, which could be cited from journals or articles.

3. Rebuttal: Next up is the rebuttal paragraph, which could also be considered within the body of the essay but there is a distinctive feature which separates it from the rest of the paragraphs in the body used to support your stance. In this paragraph, you would introduce an opposing point to your stance that supports a different point of view and rebut this point directly and effectively. In this process, you are required to prove to the marker that while there are opposing views, your stance remains the strongest due to different reasons or limitations of the opposing view. In doing so, you would display an understanding of the importance of balance in argumentation whilst remaining convicted of your stance. Pro-tip #3: There should be no need to rack your brains over a rebuttal if you put great thought to both sides of the question. In some instances, with inadequate planning, it might become very difficult to disagree with yourself so remember the value of setting aside some time to plan for your essay before you start! Conclusion: The conclusion serves an important function in summarising the points discussed in the essay. You could also share your reflections about the issue topic if it adds value to your writing. Here, it is advisable to reiterate your stance for the final

4. time to convince the marker of the validity of your opinion; this could be done by repeating the thesis statement used previously in the introduction. As a word of caution, bear in mind that this is not the time to introduce new points as it will only confuse the reader. Practice makes perfect. As one becomes more familiarised with the nuances of argumentative essay writing, he or she will certainly grow to be better at it. Never forget that the ultimate choice lies with you whether or not to choose the question on an argumentative essay, for there are always other options to choose from. At the end of this article, you can find a summary of the points discussed above.