The most fundamental thing about an argumentative essay is deciding on a topic and take a stand on it. You will also need to support your view with properly researched facts and information. One of the most difficult parts is deciding the topic; however, before we get started, an argumentative essay is needed. The word will not be new to you, but it is important to completely understand what it entails so you can come up with an excellent topic.
What is an argumentative essay?
Writing an argumentative essay requires that you argue through proper researches. With these essays, you will take a stand and support it with evidence, but, in contrast to other types of essays, they are interested in expressing a certain argument backed up by research and evidence.
A good argumentative essay will be based on new or old research, not just your thoughts and feelings. Imagine asking your parents to buy you a new smartphone; it involves that you use one of the two arguments favoring yourself:
You should buy me a new smartphone because I want you to.
You should buy me a new smartphone because I have been doing chores without complaining.
The first argument is based entirely on emotions without factual evidence, and the second is based on demonstrable evidence. It is more likely that your parent gives a positive response to the second argument because it shows that you did something to earn the new phone.
Likewise, a well-researched and motivating argument will show readers that your point is really grounded, not just emotions.
How to come up with a topic for an argumentative essay?
Sometimes you might have to argue about things you don’t normally believe in. That’s a good thing – you don’t have to believe in a topic before you can make a persuasive argument.
However, if you are free to choose the topic, it is a good idea to choose something that you have a strong feeling for. A good argumentative essay has two main parts: a strong position and diverse evidence. If you are interested and passionate about your chosen topic, it will be easier to find evidence to back it up, but the evidence is the most crucial.
So, when choosing a topic, think about things that you have a strong feeling for, positively or negatively. You can create a list of ideas and narrow them down to the important ones, and then expand those ideas to some potential points you want to address.
For instance, you are probably trying to decide whether you are writing about how your state should ban herbicides, whether all students should have free school lunches, or whether school hours should be reduced by an hour. In order to make a decision between these ideas, create a list of three to five points for each one, covering the different evidence that can come in handy when supporting each point.
To ban herbicides, it can be said that herbicide has been shown to have negative effects on bees, that there are simple and natural alternatives, and that having weeds around is not too bad. To consider the free lunch idea, you can recommend that some students are hungry because they cannot buy lunch, that funds can be taken elsewhere to support free lunch, and that goods such as chips or pizza can be sold to help recover lost income. And, for the school day length, you can argue that teenagers generally do not have enough time to sleep, that there is a lot of homework and that the time is not enough to do them, and that teenagers are not able to spend enough time at home.
You can find out by making these lists that some are stronger than others. The more your evidence and the stronger the evidence you have, the better your topic. And if a topic has enough evidence but you just don’t want to write about it, you can select other topics as a replacement. It becomes easier to find a solid point while arguing if you are passionate about the topic than if you are not.
Do not avoid controversial topics.
Many of the most successful controversial topics in the essay are related to issues that can provoke debate. Don’t try to avoid these controversial topics that inspire a response in your audience. If you want people to stay focus and keep on reading, then a controversial topic is enough to do that magic. No topics motivate people more than the controversial ones.
Reflect on your paper the same way you would with a debate. The most effective debates are those involving controversial topics that are often caused by divisions. It has to be – you need both sides of the coin to make a valuable and reasonable argument.
Take a new perspective.
In light of these points, you should try to choose a topic that is not exaggerated (not too popular). Everyone wrote an article about gun control or the death penalty. There are probably a few topics that your teachers are tired of reading – and that can hurt you when they are marking your work, even if it is well written and competent. No one wants their teachers to start reading their essays while feeling uninterested. This is definitely not a good start.
This does not mean that you should avoid common topics like this altogether. If you want to choose something like that, there are ways to change it to present a view that is not usually discussed or perhaps an angle that people do not normally consider. Think of a new perspective to offer. It may require more research, but it will be worth it when the work gives you an A.
Ideas for argument essays topic
Sometimes the best ideas are inspired by looking at a variety of options. Explore this list of possible topics and see if you can find anyone that interest you. Write them down as you find them, then think about them for some minutes.
Which of them would you like to research? Is your position firm on a specific subject? Is there a point you would like people to understand? Did you get something new from the topic? Do you see why someone else might see it differently?
Argumentative Essay Topics on Health
- Should minors be allowed to buy birth control without parental consent?
- Should the United States change to single-payer care?
- Is it good to legalized assisted suicide?
- Should the advertisement of supplement and weight loss items, such as tea, be allowed through influencers?
- Is it good to allow doctors to promote medicines?
Argumentative Essay Topics for High School
- The United States educational system
- Is homeschooling a good option?
- Is the cost of attending university too high?
- Should the government have a say in our diet?
- What are the advantages of attending a unisex school?
- Can graffiti be seen as art?
- What kind of social activity should have a legal punishment?
- Is the United States very tolerant of Israel?
- Advantages and disadvantages of globalization.
Argumentative Essay Topics about Sports
- Are violent video games dangerous or not?
- Does participation in sports create problems for teenagers?
- Should competitions be used as the only way to prove your competence?
- Do children change positively when they engage in sports?
- Is cheating in sports games controllable?
- What type of sport is seen as the most dangerous?
- Is swimming the only sport activity that trains all muscle groups?
- Are there legally recognized alternatives to steroids?
- Is cheerleading suitable for games?
- What kind of sport is aimed only for the richest?
Argumentative Essay Topics Religion
- Is it good that religious organizations pay taxes?
- Should we have a religious club in schools?
- Should “one nation under God” be in the pledge of allegiance?
- Should religion be allowed in school as a subject?
- Is it good that the clergy should be allowed to marry?
- Argumentative essay topics on Ethics
- Should the Government legalize sex work?
- Should Columbus Day be replaced by Indigenous Day?
- Should they legalize the death penalty?
- Is animal testing proper?
- Should the Government decriminalized drug possession?
Argumentative Essay Topics on Social Media
- Key factors for rapid changes in consumer behavior
- Can girls be the first to ask a boy out?
- Should cigarettes sale be allowed?
- Is our society a disposable waste?
- Should a country sell to children?
- What is the best alternative side of Twitter?
- Do people really secure jobs through valid LinkedIn profiles?
- Does the government have the right to view personal data?
- Will popular Internet activists be shy in real life?
- Can you make a lot of money on YouTube?
- Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics
- Is the American electoral process fair?
- Should animals be used in experiments/tests?
- Is the death penalty a good option?
- Will religious movements provoke a war?
- British government politics
- Celebrities often fail their political careers.
- Today’s system is too corrupt.
- Politics is universal, always a “dirty” game.
- Clinton could become a better American president.
- The positive and negative results of feminism
Argumentative essay topics on History, English, and the Humanities
- Was Julius Caesar, a genius in the army or a power dictator?
- What was the most important development of the Renaissance, and what was its effect on the future?
- Is there a real “American” or “Canadian” culture?
- Is culture shock a sign of ignorance based on globalization, or is it a human instinct based on our social education?
- What impact did the Industrial Revolution have on the era of advertising and consumer culture?
- Can the current Black Lives Matter movement be compared to the 1960s Civil Rights Movement?
- Could the United States avoid civil war, or was it unavoidable?
- Is Jo in Little Women’s by Louisa May Alcott a real feminist or the product of her time?
- Was European colonialism beneficial to the countries they colonized?
- Are the monsters in the horror literature very fierce, or are they produced from their environment?
- Who really controls Macbeth Shakespeare?
Argumentative essay topics on Business, Law, and Politics
- How has technology revolutionized the landscape of business in our world today?
- To what extent should the United States be involved in foreign affairs or conflicts among foreign countries?
- Is national security more crucial than individual privacy?
- Should the minimum enlistment age in the army be increased to 21? Do you think 18-year-old are mature enough to be sent to war?
- Should parents be more responsible or have legal consequences for their obese children?
- If technology can one day make outdated manual labors, what impact will it have on the economy in the future?
- What is the most controversial part of the US Constitution?
- Should the children of illegal immigrants still have access to the public education system or other social services if they are born here?
- Should the children of illegal immigrants be given access to the education system and other social services if they were birthed here?
Argumentative Essay Topics for Young Students
- Is there a strong relationship between regular exercise, nutrition, and overall health?
- Are diets as effective as they should be?
- The bad consequences of anorexia fashion.
- Why should people spend more time sleeping?
- Is playing golf still cool?
- Is swimming the only sport that keeps the muscles in the human body in shape?
- Skiing and other high-risk sports.
- Children are not allowed to watch horror movies.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve been offered some of our argumentative essay topics, including the tips you need to get started, here are some quick tips you need to put into consideration before you start writing.
Always check the essay question, if you are using one, to ensure your topic is relevant.
Do not use personal pronouns, even if your essay is based on opinion or you are passionate about the topic.
Do thorough research. Discover as many reliable sources as possible, including books, textbooks, academic journals, reports, and many more.
Keep in mind that your goal is to convince your audience to agree with your point of view. Ensure you present your arguments in a way that suits your audience.