How to write an argumentative essay: all the tips for a brilliant introduction

The purpose of an argumentative essay is not to use rhetorical persuasiveness, but to convince the reader of the validity of a certain opinion or position with the help of factual arguments (or justification). In an argumentative essay, this point of view must be expressed unambiguously and clearly in the form of a statement or thesis (“I argue that…”), and then substantiated by arguments that either directly demonstrate the validity of the thesis (“because”) or refute objections to it.

Writing an essay implies that the author, or that every essay writing assistance comprehensively and critically comprehends the problem at hand, clarifies his position and the reasons that lead to it, and then clearly states these reasons in the text.

This part is not always easy: what was in the author’s mind in the form of a complex spatial formation should be arranged linearly in the text, so that the reader, who reads the text from beginning to end, clearly understands where it is directed and what the message is.

Thus, we can imagine a well-designed text as the most direct possible path from a certain point to another, on which the author of the text is a kind of guide for the reader traveling along this path. Undesirable detours, blind turns or excessive looping (avoiding the leading idea) complicate the journey and can lead to the reader getting completely lost (no longer understanding where the author is going, what his thesis is). During the long tradition of writing argumentative texts, a basic form was established, which consisted of an introduction, the argument itself and the conclusion. What is its thesis).

During the long tradition of writing argumentative texts, the basic form was established, which consisted of an introduction, the argument itself and the conclusion.) During the long tradition of writing argumentative texts, the basic form was established, which consisted of an introduction, the argument itself and the conclusion

Introduction

When you read a text, when do you most often give up? The answer is usually: in the introduction – the introduction is what the reader encounters first, so it needs to be written carefully and given due attention. The introduction of a text typically consists of two parts.

The first – typically longer – contains an introduction to the topic and motivation to read.
The second briefly outlines the plan of the following text, i.e., the individual milestones of the argument.

What does it mean to introduce someone to a problem or topic? To introduce something or someone in general means to briefly describe the given thing or person and to capture what is interested in order to attract the attention of someone who has just met this thing or person for the first time. In the case of presenting an issue of opinion, it is similar: we try to arouse the interest and curiosity of the reader, typically by showing him some ambiguity, dilemma, exciting question. An argumentative essay is always an attempt to solve some acute problem (often social), but at the same time there is no clear solution for it: to legalize euthanasia or not? Should Europe open up to non-European refugees or not? Is it morally acceptable to kill animals for meat?

In the introduction of the essay, try to explain what concern your text is about, so that the reader can see that it is an unsolved issue – there are arguments for and against, you are aware of this and at the same time offer a solution. Be as specific as possible, explain. As a “start” you can use a specific example, comparison of two specific alternatives, etc. The problem can also be formulated in the form of a question (i.e., with a question mark at the end) – the reader will also ask this and sharpen their attention. (At the same time, the first sentence of the essay should be as polished as possible. Make sure the heading is not part of the text, so don’t start with a blank, e.g., “This issue is important to many people” should be repeated as if the heading is not above the text).

The introduction should also contain the wording of your decision, your position, your answer to the question (“I will argue that…”, “I will try to show that…”). Convincing the reader in your point of view is, in fact, the purpose of this work, individual arguments in the text are the steps that you will take to reach the goal. It is advisable to briefly indicate these steps at the end of the introduction in the “outline”, where you outline the basic structure of your text, and therefore the argumentation, in 1-3 sentences. Clearly writing an outline, apart from making it much easier for the reader to navigate the text that follows, also helps the author to clarify and possibly refine the structure of his/her text. For clarity, this structure should include 2-4 parts with a clear connection both with each other and with the main thesis of the text.

Introduction

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