Essay types
How to write an argumentative essay.
By the EssayMate team · Updated November 4, 2026
An argumentative essay takes a clear position on a debatable question and proves it with evidence, while taking the strongest opposing view seriously. It is the most common essay type in high school and university, and the skills it trains (claim, evidence, reasoning, rebuttal) carry into almost every other assignment.
This guide covers the structure, a fill-in outline, worked examples of the paragraphs that matter most, and topic ideas.
What is an argumentative essay?
It is an essay that argues for one answer to a question on which reasonable people disagree, using evidence rather than feeling (a persuasive essay leans more on the reader's values). The reader should finish knowing exactly what you think, why, and why the other side's best points don't change your conclusion.
| Argumentative essay | Persuasive essay | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Prove a position with evidence and reasoning | Convince the reader to agree or act |
| Main tools | Research, data, logic | Appeals to emotion and values, as well as logic |
| Other side | Addressed directly and rebutted | Often mentioned briefly or not at all |
| Typical tone | Measured, academic | More personal and urgent |
Three ways to structure the argument
Classical (the default): introduce the issue and your thesis, give your reasons with evidence, answer the counterargument, conclude. Use it unless the assignment suggests otherwise.
Toulmin: build each point as a claim, the grounds (evidence) and the warrant (why the evidence supports the claim), then add qualifiers and a rebuttal. It suits complex or technical debates where the reasoning needs to be explicit.
Rogerian: start from common ground, state the opposing view fairly, then show where your position meets both sides' interests. It works for polarised topics where the reader may be hostile.
Argumentative essay outline
This classical outline fits essays of about 1,000 to 1,500 words. Add a body paragraph per extra reason for longer essays.
I. Introduction
Hook, the issue and why it matters, thesis (position + main reasons).
II. Reason 1
Topic sentence · evidence · analysis · link to thesis.
III. Reason 2
Topic sentence · evidence · analysis · link to thesis.
IV. Reason 3 (optional)
Topic sentence · evidence · analysis · link to thesis.
V. Counterargument and rebuttal
The strongest opposing view, stated fairly · what it gets right · why your position still holds.
VI. Conclusion
Thesis restated · reasons drawn together · implication or recommendation.
Put your strongest reason first or last, not in the middle, where it gets the least attention.
How to write it, step by step
- Pick a debatable question. "Should cities charge drivers to enter the centre?" works; "Is pollution bad?" doesn't.
- Research both sides before you decide, and note the best evidence for each.
- Write a thesis that states your position and the reasons: it is the essay in one sentence.
- Outline one paragraph per reason, plus a counterargument paragraph.
- Draft the body first, then the introduction and conclusion, once you know exactly what you've argued.
- Cite every source in your course's style, and add a reference list.
- Revise for logic: does every paragraph support the thesis, and is the rebuttal convincing?
Argumentative essay examples
Every weekday, thousands of cars crawl through city centres that were built for walking. Congestion charging, a daily fee for driving into the centre, has been tried in London, Stockholm and Singapore, and each time it has divided opinion before it began. Critics call it a tax on people who have no choice but to drive. Yet the evidence from those cities points the other way: congestion charges should be adopted more widely, because they cut traffic and pollution quickly and the revenue can fund the public transport that makes driving unnecessary.
The strongest objection is fairness: a flat fee costs a cleaner on a low wage far more, relative to income, than it costs a manager. This is a real concern, and a charge introduced on its own would be regressive. But the objection is to the design, not the principle. Exemptions for essential workers, discounts for low-income residents, and spending the revenue on cheaper buses can turn the charge from a burden on the poorest drivers into a transfer towards those who rely on public transport.
Notice what the rebuttal does: it states the opposing view in its strongest form, concedes what is true, and then shows why the thesis still stands. A rebuttal that only says "but this is wrong" convinces no one.
20 argumentative essay topics
Good topics are debatable, specific and researchable. Narrow any of these to a place, group or time:
- Should social media be banned for children under 16?
- Should schools restrict phone use during the school day?
- Should university education be free?
- Should cities introduce congestion charges?
- Should voting be compulsory?
- Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
- Is nuclear power essential to cutting carbon emissions?
- Should homework be limited in primary schools?
- Should zoos be phased out?
- Should employers offer a four-day working week?
- Should junk food advertising aimed at children be banned?
- Should AI tools be allowed in university coursework?
- Should standardised tests be dropped from university admissions?
- Is remote work better for employees than office work?
- Should plastic packaging be taxed?
- Should genetic testing of embryos be regulated more strictly?
- Should professional athletes be paid less?
- Should a universal basic income replace welfare benefits?
- Should fast fashion brands pay for clothing waste?
- Should space exploration be publicly funded?
Before you submit
- The thesis takes one clear side and names your reasons.
- Each body paragraph proves one reason with cited evidence and explains it.
- The counterargument is the strongest one, stated fairly, and properly answered.
- No sweeping claims ("everyone knows", "always") without support.
- The conclusion adds the "so what", not just a summary.
- Citations and reference list in the required style.
Example papers
Sample papers written with EssayMate, to read for structure and citations, not to copy.
Frequently asked questions
How many paragraphs is an argumentative essay?
A short one usually has five or six: introduction, two or three reasons, a counterargument paragraph and a conclusion. Longer essays add a paragraph for each further reason or piece of evidence.
Where does the counterargument go?
Usually just before the conclusion, after your own reasons. You can also answer objections inside each body paragraph, or open with the opposing view in a Rogerian structure.
Can I use "I" in an argumentative essay?
Many instructors accept it in the thesis ("I argue that…"), but the argument should rest on evidence, not on "I think". If unsure, write the thesis without "I": it is just as clear.
What makes a good argumentative essay topic?
One with two defensible sides, enough credible evidence, and a scope narrow enough for your word count. "Should our city ban cars from the centre on weekends?" is better than "cars and the environment".
What is the difference between an argumentative and an expository essay?
An expository essay explains a topic without taking a side; an argumentative essay takes a side and defends it.
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