by Caroline Fynn

Created on: January 18, 2008   Last Updated: May 20, 2009

The first thing to be sure of when writing an argumentative paper is that it is exactly that, and not a persuasive paper. The difference being that a persuasive paper is best written in the first person, and it attempts to convert the reader to your point of view. An argumentative paper should not be based on personal opinion but may include different perspectives and schools of thought on the chosen subject.

The paper should begin with an introduction. This is normally 10% of the total length and should state what the paper will be dealing with and how it will do this. For example; the introduction can begin by stating; the aim of this essay is to.... or, the purpose of this paper is.... and then state what will be discussed. A useful tip is to write the introduction last, that way you will be less likely to miss out mentioning anything that is included in the main body of the text. Use definitions in the introduction to avoid ambiguity, an example being; The Oxford English Dictionary defines deviance as....

The main body of the text should be written in a logical order and backed up by facts. Use research and quote sources to support statements. As with any piece of writing, the reader needs to be kept interested and should be pulled in from the beginning, you can do this by quoting shocking statistics and startling facts. Stay focused don't stray from the subject, and keep grounded in logical argument. Try not to use passive words such as fairly and quite. For example; rather than state: "It is fairly common among those of social class I," simply say that it is common; be bold, after all, it is either common or it isn't. Passive words tend to give the impression that the writer doesn't really know their subject. Be sure to give each argument a fair account and don't be biased, remember that you are stating facts and not giving an opinion, and try to give approximately the same word count to each argument.

The conclusion should be approximately the same length as the introduction, and must summarise and conclude the arguments. Make sure that all summarising is done in the conclusion and not in the main body of the text. The conclusion should make reference to what is written in the introduction; for example; if the introduction states: "The purpose of this paper is to examine the detrimental effects deviance has on society; biological, psychological and social models will be discussed...", then the conclusion should state something similar; for example: "The detrimental effects of deviance upon society have been examined using biological, psychological and social perspectives, then continue to summarise the arguments in a logical order. Good luck.

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