The primary purpose of an argumentative essay is to win an argument or effectively sway an audience to believe one side of a controversial issue. Therefore, choose a topic that you are interested in or passionate about. However, be careful that you are prepared to research both sides of the topic equally; if you are too opinionated it is easy to write a biased paper rather than a well-documented, logical paper. Include both the pros and cons of the argumentative issue and be proactive about anticipating the arguments against your opinion. In the end a good paper has many facts, statistics, expert opinions and many quotes from articles and books that support your position. You may include personal interviews to strengthen your argument.
A well-defined, controversial issue is the easiest to write about. Try not to be vague when picking a topic. Current topics are often interesting to debate. Watch the nightly news; pick up current news magazines or area newspapers. What are people talking about and reading? What are people concerned about? Whatever topic you pick should generate discussion and excite interest. A student should investigate and evaluate evidence in order to write a strong, professional paper.
Once you begin your research, organize your topics, thoughts, and the pros and cons of the argument. Index cards or notes can be helpful. Decide what your exact position will be and then write an outline. A good writer will have a strong thesis statement. The rest of your paper will revolve around this thesis in clear and concise manner. Write a rough draft making certain your tone stays reasonable and professional. As you begin the first draft of your paper stay organized and keep track of all sources.
Possible topics: A few topic that may have been overdone for professors include gun control, abortion, capital punishment, freedom of speech and euthanasia. Any of the topics below could be narrowed or the other side of the issue could be argued.