Argumentative Essay

What is it?
An essay is an opinion writing in which we analyse a topic, a situation or an issue
from one or many different points of view, providing arguments and expressing
our opinion about it.

What is the purpose of an argumentative essay?

Its main aim is to analyse and assess a topic, situation or issue which, in some
way, is interesting or controversial.

Structure
As every text included within the argumentative type, an argumentative essay
must include ‘claim’, ‘support’ and ‘warrant’.
1. Title
2. Introduction:
The claim comes here. A claim is the expression of an opinion via assertion,
preference, view or judgment.
3. Body: support of the claim (or rebuttal).
This part of the essay is designed to support the claim and counter its possible
challenge. The different ideas can be organized in different paragraphs.
*If you decide to write a for/against essay you could start by disserting
about the positive features and then move on to the disadvantages.
4. Conclusion:
Warrant: justification linking the data to the claim (like a circular structure: after
all the arguments, we conclude about what has been said in the claim)
You can also include your personal opinion.
Remember that…
• Your ideas must follow a logical order and be well connected with appropriate
linkers.
• Opinion: There are countless ways of expressing your opinion in an essay, so
you must choose the one that suits you best. However, you can also remain
impartial throughout your writing and give your opinion only in the last paragraph,
as a conclusion. The most important thing is that you justify everything you say
in your essay.

EXAMPLE:

Streaming video platforms

Everyone knows about streaming platforms. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO,
and the list goes on. It’s true that they offer their audiences numerous
advantages, but maybe they are not for everyone, and before you sign up for one
of them, you should also consider their disadvantages.

The main advantage of streaming video services is that you can take your
favourite shows and movies anywhere, you just need a phone/tablet, and internet
connection, and you are good to go. Another advantage is the great availability;
you have access to almost any show or film that you can think of, and you don’t
have to wait one week to see another episode of your favourite
series. Furthermore, if you a learning a language, you can easily find movies in
original version and you decide whether you want to add subtitles or not.

However, not everything is positive about these platforms; there are also some
disadvantages that we should consider. An important disadvantage is that if you
go somewhere with a poor internet connection, or with no internet connection,
then you’d better go straight to bed or read a book, because you’re not going to
watch your series. In addition, it’s true that you can almost watch anything, but
there are important limitations. Not everything you want to watch is there; for
instance, if you love old movies, you will probably not find what you are looking
for, and if you have Netflix, forget about watching Game of Thrones. Another
negative point is that there are so many films and series episodes available, that
you may end up sleeping less than you need.

In conclusion, streaming video platforms are great, and they are the present and
future of TV entertainment, but people who want to use one of these platforms
should know that not everything is positive about these services.

Use linking expressions…

to list advantages and disadvantages:

 The main advantage of … is that …

 An important advantage of … is that …
 Another advantage is that …
 Another point in favour of … is that …
 Another negative point is that …
to add more points:

 In addition,
 Furthermore,

to introduce examples:

 For example,
 For instance,

to introduce contrasting points:

 On the other hand,

 However,

to introduce the conclusion:

 To sum up,
 In conclusion,