Argumentative Essay Template

1 Intro + 3 Arguments + 1 Counter-Argument + 1 Conclusion = High Band Essay

In this era of globalisation/information technology/modernisation/social media/etc, ___________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________________.
In fact, ________________________________________________________________________________________.
In my humble opinion /From my perspective /Based on my point of view,
I strongly/completely/absolutely/totally/truly agree/disagree/feel/believe/think that
_____________________________________________________________________________________ (topic).
There are a few reasons for this, namely, _______________ (A1), ______________ (A2) and ______________ (A3).

Firstly/First and foremost, ______________________________(topic) because ____________________(A1).

This means that _________________________________________________________________________________.
Moreover, ____________________________. For example, _____________________________________ and so on.
Therefore, _________________________________________________________________________ (topic + A1).

Secondly, ________________________ (A2) is another factor why __________________________ (topic).

This is because __________________________________________________________________________________.
In addition, __________________________. For instance, ________________________________ and many more.
Thus, ______________________________________________________________________________ (topic + A2).

Finally/Lastly/Last but not least, a final factor why _______________________ (topic) is ____________ (A3).
The main reason for this is _________________________________________________________________________.
Furthermore, ___________________________. Take for example _______________________________ and others.
Hence, _____________________________________________________________________________ (topic + A3).

However/In contrast/On the contrary/Conversely, there are other factors why __________________ (topic).
This is because ______________________________________________________________________________(CA).
Additionally, ____________________________________________________________________________________.
Some examples are ______________________________________________________________________ and so on.
Ultimately, __________________________________________________________________________ (topic + CA).

In conclusion/To conclude/In short/In a nutshell, __________________________________________ (topic)

because _______________________ (A1), ______________________ (A2) and _______________________ (A3)
even though _____________________________ (CA). I still strongly/completely/absolutely/totally/truly
agree/disagree/feel/believe/think that _________________________________________________________ (topic).
I hope that *the government/relevant parties/authorities/community/non-governmental organisations such as
______________________________________________________________________________________________.

Some sample recommendations:

government the Ministry of ... organise effective blueprint solve

relevant Telekom/ implement strategic campaign overcome
parties Astro/
electric or water board
authorities the Police Department carry out reliable strategy curb
The community such as/ the District Council should put into a/an foolproof action to control
through action plan
NGOs women’s organisations, spearhead comprehensive gameplan provide a
environmental groups solution
like WWF etc.

tightening the laws increasing the punishments and penalties.

providing financial grants or subsidies reducing the taxes to encourage more participation.
by setting up a special task force to control the prices and fining the people/businesses that break the law.
hiring better trainers and coaches increasing incentives for good achievements.
providing special training monitoring of their progress.
carrying out campaigns like zero-plastic bags increasing the awareness through various community programmes.
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Sample 1

Students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school.

In this era of information technology and social media, mobile phones are becoming more of a norm than a
luxury item. In fact, more and more students are able to save their money and buy mobile phones of various brands
such as Samsung, HTC, Lenovo and Oppo in order to stay connected with their friends and family. In my humble
opinion, I truly believe that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school because it is good to teach
them to be responsible for their own belongings. There are a few reasons for this, namely, easier to communicate
(A1), an excellent source of information (A2) and schools can control usage of phones (A3).

Firstly, students should be allowed to bring their mobile phones to school because it will definitely make
communication easier for everyone. This means that the mobile phone is a useful tool to make calls or send
messages. Moreover, it is very convenient to inform our parents if there are any changes to the timetable. For
example, if we need to let our parents know when to pick us up if the school suddenly has a program such as IM1S,
co-curricular activities, marching practice and so on. Therefore, if students are allowed to bring their handphones to
school it would be so much easier to keep everyone informed about our whereabouts.

Secondly, mobiles phones are an excellent source of information and this is another factor why we should
allow students to bring them to school. This is because students who have smartphones will have access to all the
information on the internet at the tip of their fingers. In addition, it will help them do their work better and more
efficiently. For instance, they can research online for information on projects given to them by teachers such as
researching facts on famous people, science experiments, essays, reports and many more. Thus, allowing students to
bring mobile phones to school will help them tap into the multitude of information that exists in the world wide web
today.

Finally, a final factor why I agree that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school is that
the usage can still be controlled by the school authorities. The main reason for this is that the teachers have to
explain the rules clearly to students that they can only use it outside the class teaching hours such as before and
after lessons and during recess. Furthermore, it will teach students to be more responsible for their own things and
make them better adults. Take for example the rule that if they use it during lessons the teachers can confiscate the
phones, report to the discipline master, call their parents and others. Hence, it is the school’s responsibility to
control the usage of the mobile phones so that it can bring more advantages to the students especially in improving
their education.

Conversely, there are other factors why mobile phones should not be allowed. This is because some
students who do not have mobile phones will feel inferior compared to their rich friends who can afford smart
phones. Additionally, handphones can be very distracting to the students because they will constantly want to look
at their phones. Some examples are students become distracted when they play games, watch Youtube, make funny
videos of their friends and teachers, cheat during examinations and so on. Ultimately, there are always two sides to
a coin so we should realise and accept that there will be some disadvantages of allowing students to bring their
phones to school.

In short, students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school because handphones ease
communication, allows students unlimited access to online information and the school authorities can still control
the usage so normal lessons are not disrupted even though there are some disadvantages. I still absolutely agree
that students should be allowed to bring mobile phones to school because it is a useful learning tool. I hope that the
government through the Ministry of Multimedia and Communication should spearhead a comprehensive strategy to
provide a solution by giving smartphones and providing free Wifi connection to all students in Malaysia.

[Intellectual Property of Audrey Koh Sui Ean, 2015. DO NOT COPY WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT.
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Sample 2

Money is the most important thing in modern life.

In this era of modernisation, money seems to be the most important thing in life. In fact, without money, life
would be quite a torture because we would not be able to buy what we want including food, clothes or even afford a
safe place to stay. People would do anything for money, hence the saying ‘ Money is the root of all evil’. From my
perspective, I totally disagree that money is the most important thing in modern life because we cannot survive on
money alone. There are a few reasons for this, namely, family is by far more important in life (A1) followed by
religion (A2) and good health (A3).

First and foremost, money is not the most important thing in modern life because family is much more
important than money. This means that even though we are poor, we will still be able to survive with the support of
our family members. Moreover, parents who love their children will work hard to earn money so that they can all
live a better life. For example, we will always turn to and rely on our family members for support when there is a
problem, accident, disaster and so on. Therefore, money is not the most important thing in modern life because
family always comes first.

Secondly, a strong upbringing in religion is another factor why money is not the most important thing in life.
This is because in times of problems and pain, each person normally turns to religion for support because a strong
belief will give people strength to face all situations. In addition, it does not cost any money to have a good religious
upbringing. For instance, parents can ensure that through religion, their children can differentiate black from white,
bad from good and make the right choices in life, love, career, friends and many more. Thus, the keyword is ‘most’
and money is surely not the ‘most’ important because a family with a good religious background is by far more
important than having money.

Last but not least, a final factor why money is not the most important thing in modern life is health is wealth
and no amount of money can buy good health. The main reason for this is in comparison to money, health is
definitely more important because if we do not have good health, life would be very hard to live to the fullest.
Furthermore, good health is essential if we want to make money to support ourselves and our family. Take for
example a person with good health can get a good job like being a pilot, teacher, doctor and others. Hence, without
good health, money is meaningless and all the money earned will be spent on paying for doctor fees and medicine.

On the contrary, there are other factors why money is important in this modern life even though it is not the
most important. This is because modern lifestyle is not cheap and there are many bills to be paid in order to survive.
Additionally, we are no longer living in the era where we can build a house out of materials from the forest or plant
food and hunt or gather in order to eat. Some examples of a modern life are we need money to buy a house or pay
rent, purchase food and clothes, pay for school fees and buy books and stationery, travel, eat out in fancy
restaurants or fast food outlets and so on. Ultimately, it cannot be denied that money is still very important but it is
not the most important thing in this modern life.

In a nutshell, money is not the most important thing in our changing world today because family comes first,
religion provides us a solid foundation and health is wealth even though there are some reasons why money is
important for our survival in this modern world. I still absolutely think that money cannot be the most important
thing in life because family, religion and health will always come first. I hope that the non-governmental
organisations such as Sabah Women’s Association (SAWO) should organise an effective campaign to overcome
materialism and teach the community that money is not everything by conducting ‘Family First’ talks and raising
awareness on ‘Health is Wealth’.

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 Suggested Topics:

1. Space exploration is a waste of money

2. War is never the answer

3. Single-sex schools are better than co-education

4. Giving is better than receiving

5. Social media is a waste of time

6. Group study is better than individual revision

7. People should stop gender stereotyping

8. Examinations do not reflect the true ability of a student

9. Tuition centres should be banned

10. Homework should be banned

11. Plastic surgery is a blessing

12. Being a civil servant is better than working in the public sector

13. The pen is mightier than the sword

14. Zoos are cruel

15. Financial management should be taught in schools

16. Charity begins at home

17. Where there is a will, there is a way

18. Everyone should aim to be a millionaire

19. Imposing a curfew will keep teens out of trouble

20. Being popular is important

21. Necessity is the mother of invention

22. Education is the answer to all problems

23. Reading newspapers is a dying trend

24. Movies are a bad influence to children

25. Students should not be allowed to work part-time

26. Online gaming is beneficial for everyone

27. Fast food is a healthy option

28. Mind mapping is an excellent education tool

29. Experience is the best teacher

30. Everyone deserves a second chance

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 Suggested Outlines

5. Social media is a waste of time 5. Social media is a waste of time

Agree Disagree
A1: Addicted to social media A1: Good communication tool
- Always checking updates/status/pictures - saves time because do not have to meet, just msg
- Facebook/Twitter/WeChat etc. - Wastapp/FB messenger/WeChat etc.
A2: Time consuming A2: Exchange information quickly
- Watching movies and playing games - can easily find information from friends or internet
- Youtube/Clash of Clans/Candy Crush etc. - share files/picture/updates etc.
A3: Lose focus A3: Stay updated easily
- Do not study, work or socialising properly - can always check status and updates 24/7
- Do not play outdoor games/go out/face-to-face etc. - 24hrs/day connection with good deals from Digi/Hotlink/Maxis etc.

CA: Sometimes it is a good communication tool, exchange info
faster and stay updated easily.
Recommendation:
Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture
- implement more activities in the district/national level
- by carrying out competitions/organising roadshows with useful
outdoor activities
9. Tuition centres should be banned
Agree
A1: Waste time and money
- many students excel without expensive tuition
- pay attention in class/ask questions/do homework etc.
A2: Tuition centres focus on profit
- just want to make money so quality is not controlled
- too many students/poor facilities/unsystematic syllabus etc.
A3: Tutors are not properly trained
- tutors do not have the right teaching qualifications
- not well trained/teach according to what they like/seldom go
for courses to upgrade teaching skills etc.
CA: Tuition is only useful if the school itself does not prepare a
good and complete learning environment including dedicated
and professional teachers.
Recommendation:
Ministry of Education
- implement an effective blueprint to monitor schools’ performance
- by providing better infrastructure/hiring better quality teachers
11. Plastic surgery is a blessing
Agree
A1: Best solution for birth defects
- can fix problems in babies/children
- cleft lips/scars/ deformities etc.
A2: Fix effects of accidents or natural disasters
- scars can be treated to look almost as good as new
- fire /car crash/earthquake victims etc.
A3: Increases confidence
- people face low confidence because of imperfections
- higher confidence because they are happier/ satisfied/good
looking etc.
CA: Sometimes it is not a blessing when it is abused by celebrities
or people to change their looks just for superficial reasons like
beauty and popularity
Recommendation:
Ministry of Health:
- spearhead a new plastic surgery department
- by purchasing more equipment/hiring more plastic surgeons
CA: In certain cases it can waste time when people become too
addicted to social media that is time consuming and they lose
focus.
Recommendation:
Ministry of Multimedia & Communication
- encourage more people to use social media
- by providing free wifi/preparing more public computer centres.
9. Tuition centres should be banned
Disagree
A1: Personal attention
- tuition can offer one-on-one or small group lessons
- help slow learners/attention deficit/unmotivated etc.
A2: Additional knowledge
- tutors can provide complete explanations in tuition classes
- history/mathematics/science etc.
A3: Time management
- can teach students to manage their time for doing all their
daily activities according to the right timing
- school/homework/outdoor activities/tuition etc.
CA: Some tuition centres that are only working for profit and
providing poor services should be banned if quality is not
maintained.
Recommendation:
Ministry of Education:
- organise regular spotchecks on tuition centres
- by ensuring tuition centres follow guidelines /training for tutors
11. Plastic surgery is a blessing
Disagree
A1: Changing what god has given
- dissatisfied with what we already have
- nose jobs/double eye lids/liposuction etc.
A2: Promotes superficial beauty
- too much focus on looking beautiful and perfect
- Korean popstars/celebrities/young generation etc.
A3: Plastic surgery addiction
- keep doing operations even though it is unnecessary
- Michael Jackson – skin/nose/mouth etc.
CA: In certain cases it can be useful to treat birth defects,
accidents scars and can also increase confidence.
Recommendation:
Community:
- organise an effective campaign to appreciate natural beauty
- by giving talks/providing fashion workshops

[Intellectual Property of Audrey Koh Sui Ean, 2015. DO NOT COPY WITHOUT PRIOR CONSENT.
Call/sms/email for permission to use. queendrey@gmail.com 0168451270]