You might think of an ‘argument’ in everyday life as a discussion involving conflict, with two people speaking over each other, even becoming angry and raising their voices, but when it comes to writing, an ‘argument’ is not necessarily about a loud disagreement.

Instead, it’s about putting forward a particular point-of-view and using evidence and persuasive language to convince your reader that your ideas are worth considering. You might want to argue for a specific solution to a problem. For example, you could discuss how to deal with the negative effects of social media on young people. Or you may want to explain why you think people should take a particular course of action, such as why you believe teenagers shouldn’t use social media. Whatever you are arguing, you need to structure your writing clearly and logically, and below are some guidelines for constructing a persuasive argument.

What are the most important elements of an argument?

There are different ways of structuring an argument, but some of the most important aspects include:
1. Introduction with main thesis statement
2. Body paragraphs, each with sub-points and evidence
3. Conclusion

Introduction:
You first need to introduce the topic to your readers. Why is the topic interesting or important? What has been said or argued about the topic before by others? Use a specific example or story to draw your reader in and explain why this issue is important. For instance, if you are discussing the negative effects of social media, you might discuss recent news stories about the issue or talk about different ways that this problem has been tackled in the past. You can draw on personal experience, and describe an incident or event that illustrates the basic point. However, your introduction should be broad and give a general idea of the issue to readers: don’t get into too many details at this point.

Main thesis statement:
As part of the introductory section of your piece, you should say what you are going to argue about the topic. This is your ‘thesis statement’: the main, overall point of your argument. To use the same example, in an article about social media’s effects, your thesis statement could be: Teenagers should not use social media until they are 18 years old. The introduction could be one paragraph or couple of paragraphs long – that will depend on the length of the article you are writing. But remember that it’s important to include your thesis statement near the beginning of the piece.

Body paragraphs with sub-points
Although your main thesis statement will guide everything you argue, avoid just repeating the same point over and over. Develop your argument by making ‘sub-points’ that explain different aspects of your argument. These points could provide further reasons why your thesis statement should be taken seriously, or you could provide suggestions of how an idea could be carried out. In the social media example, sub-points could include:
Young teenagers are vulnerable to the negative effects of social media because they are still developing in many ways.
– Teenagers’ body image can be negatively affected by social media.
– Cyber bullying is a major problem on social media.
– Social media distracts teenagers from their schoolwork and other healthy activities.

You may also want to include as a sub-point one or two possible objections to your argument. What would be potential criticisms of your argument and how would you argue against them? Remember that each paragraph should only include one main idea. Structure your paragraph like a mini-article: introduction, thesis statement, evidence and conclusion. Introduce your point, provide the main sub-point, provide evidence and then wrap it up with a concluding sentence. Link your paragraphs to each other using linking words and phrases, such as: however, therefore, in addition, on the other hand, consequently (and so on).

Evidence
Think about a legal TV show or film: the plot always revolves around the skilful and charismatic lawyer putting the criminal behind bars by presenting convincing evidence to the judge or jury. In the same way, you can’t make your argument without evidence. Evidence can come in several forms:

– Facts: Do some research and find statistics, articles or academic/ scientific studies that support your points. Remember that certain sources are more reliable than others: a scientific journal article or a news article from a well-known news site is more valuable as evidence than a Facebook post or tweet. Tell us where your information comes from. For instance, you can say, “According to a study conducted by Princeton University….” or “An article published by News24 states that…”
– Examples: These might be taken from news articles or other sources that you have found. You might find a specific story or case that proves your point perfectly.
– Quotes: You may want to interview people who can speak knowledgeably or from their own experience about the subject. For instance, for a piece on social media and teenagers, you could interview a parent, a teenager, a teacher or a psychologist. In this case, you would use direct quotes from the person as evidence. Remember to use quotation marks and make sure you quote the person accurately. You can also quote from other sources, like online articles or YouTube videos. In that case, make it clear again where the quote comes from.

Conclusion
Don’t forget to include a strong concluding paragraph to round off your argument. Here you shouldn’t introduce any new information or ideas, but you should also avoid just repeating yourself or using the same sentences from your introduction. This is where you can use really strong, persuasive language and techniques like rhetorical questions. Appeal to the readers’ emotions. Tell your reader exactly why they should care about the topic you’ve discussed and why your point-of-view is valuable.
Pay attention to the structure of your argument just as much as the content, because a clear structure will mean readers will understand your ideas more easily. It’s a good idea to plan your article in advance and to write several drafts, so that you can make sure your thoughts and evidence are presented in the most logical and convincing way.

This article was written by Andrea Thorpe.