In composing an argumentative paper, you must come up with a main point to argue. This point is called the thesis, a statement that directly and clearly tells the reader exactly what the argumentative essay is trying to assert. The argument can be an interpretation, evaluation, opinion, proposal or a statement of cause-and-effect. Explore the thesis in the body of the argumentative essay, and remember the thesis must not contain points not explored in the essay. Also, the thesis should not contain multiple claims, since you will have to manage all these claims in the essay, which can get overwhelming. The most common place to put the thesis is at the end of the first paragraph of the paper.
Consider the audience when writing an argumentative essay. What is persuasive to one audience member will not necessarily be persuasive to another. According to the Lincoln University website, the essayist must consider the opinions the audience already has. The audience’s opinions will be important when you later come up with a counterargument to the most common objections of the audience. Use the beliefs of the audience to persuade them by convincing them that the thesis is consistent with their beliefs. For example, if you advocate slashing the military budget, argue that doing so is a patriotic move to an individual who believes in patriotism, suggesting the cuts will improve the economy.
At some point you must write a counterargument in which you mention the most common objections of those who would oppose the thesis and then refute these objections. You must determine which arguments the audience would most likely be opposed to, and you must then propose arguments to counter the counterarguments. For example, when the most common objection is that the slashed military budget would jeopardize national security, point out that the military budget is very large and that small cuts wouldn’t make a difference.
Writers can use a very broad range of strategies to support the thesis. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided arguments into three categories: ethos, pathos and logos. Ethos is trust, pathos is emotion and logos is logic, with the most powerful essays using all three of these approaches. When using an ethos argument, point out the credentials of an expert whose opinions align with the thesis. With pathos, elicit emotions in the readers and connect them with the thesis or the counterargument. Logos arguments avoid logical and emotional fallacies.
You can find many ways to conclude the argumentative essay. The conclusion could try to drive the thesis forward by making some final points, or it could include a call to action, in which you give the reader something to do in response to the essay. After you make a convincing case, the reader will not necessarily know what to do next, so give him precise actions to take.