An argumentative essay outline is an important part of the writing process, so it’s important to understand what an outline is and how you can construct one for your own essay.
An outline presents the main ideas of your argumentative essay in a simple list format that makes it easy to see how each idea relates to others. An outline can help you organize your thoughts; it might also be useful as a reference when you’re revising or editing your finished essay.
If you’re struggling with organizing your argumentative essay, consider using an argumentative essay outline template. An outline template will give you guidance through the process of constructing an effective thesis statement and title, identifying supporting points, and crafting a sound structure for the body paragraphs.
Contents
Features of a strong outline for an argumentative essay
A strong outline for an argumentative essay should include a thesis statement, a supporting argument, and a counterargument. The writer should support their own ideas with facts and examples from the text. They should also anticipate potential criticism that could arise from their position, and provide a counterargument against those criticisms.
Thesis Statement:
A thesis statement is an assertion about the topic of research paper which you intend to prove. At the beginning of your outline, write a short, one or two sentence statement that clearly outlines what your argument is going to be.
For example:
The Civil War was the most significant event in American history because it shaped the nation into what it is today.
Argument:
After writing your thesis statement, you should begin to build an outline around it. Your first step is to write a topic sentence that outlines the main point of each paragraph. Each of these sentences should relate back to your thesis statement, and support the idea that the Civil War was the most significant event in American history.
One effective way to do this is by using historical evidence and facts to support your argument. For example:
The Civil War shaped America into what it is today because it created a new, powerful sense of nationalism in the country that would bring people together in times of crisis.
Counterargument:
A counterargument is an opposing viewpoint that you anticipate and prepare for when writing your outline. While there likely won’t be another writer trying to disprove your thesis statement, having a clear understanding of alternative points of view will help strengthen your own argument.
At the end of each paragraph or sentence within your outline, include a brief summary or quote from someone who might disagree with you. This way, any counter arguments can easily be refuted and dismissed, while your own evidence remains cohesive.
For example:
The Civil War did not shape America into what it is today because the United States has gone through other major events that changed the nation.
While this counterargument may seem like a compelling criticism of your thesis statement, it is easily refuted with historical evidence. One example would be how World War I shaped America in similar ways to the Civil War by strengthening nationalism and creating new norms for society. Your point still stands when taking these examples into account, making the Civil War the most significant event in American history.
How to write an argumentative essay outline
A basic argumentative essay outline format will include:
- Introduction,
- Support,
- Opposing ideas,
- Conclusion
Introduction:
A good way to start an argumentative essay is by addressing the reader and presenting a thesis statement that states your position on the topic. You can use an attention-getter such as a quote, fact or question to grab readers’ attention.
Support:
In this section, you will need to present detailed explanations and examples of why you agree or disagree with the claim made in your thesis statement. While some types of argumentative essays require more support than others (such as comparing/contrasting essays), it is important for all types of argumentative writing to include evidence from class readings, lectures, discussions and personal observations and experiences. This academic research should provide insight into what makes your claim accurate and truthful while also giving your reader the opportunity to see things from your perspective.
Opposing ideas:
This section will introduce opposing ideas that challenge your claim. Your job is to pick out specific examples of why these oppositions are not valid and show how they are misguided or incorrect. It’s important that you don’t just state that opposing arguments are inaccurate, but also explain why. This can be done by explaining common misconceptions about the topic and addressing possible counter arguments for any evidence you present in your support section.
Conclusion:
Ending with a conclusion helps string together all of the points you have made throughout the essay while drawing attention back to your thesis statement and reaffirming why it is correct, or if it needs further explanation or clarification. It is also important to thank the reader for their time and consideration, especially if you’ve made a complex argument that may be difficult for them to follow.
Argumentative essay outline examples
Here are good argumentative essay outline examples to follow when writing your argumentative essay outline. These examples of argumentative essay outlines will help you get started on the top part of your paper, which is simply laying out your thesis and support for it.
Argumentative essay outline example 2: Diet soda should be more heavily regulated than normal soda because of health concerns
The first example argumentative essay outline is for an article arguing that diet soda should be more heavily regulated than normal soda because of health concerns:
I. Introduction
– Diet Soda is more dangerous than regular soda and therefore should be more heavily regulated
II. Body Paragraph 1: Science behind Diet Soda and Health Risks
– explains some science about artificial sweeteners and how they negatively affect digestive health, weight gain, blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, etc…
– cites studies to back up claims
– explains how this is relevant to the topic of the article
III. Body Paragraph 2: Why Diet Soda Should Be More Heavily Regulated
– argues that we should be doing everything we can to limit harm and promote health in our society
– claims current policy isn’t sufficient
IV. Conclusion: Restating Thesis and Summarizing Points
– restates thesis and summarizes main points
Argumentative essay outline example 2: Police officers should wear body cameras
Next, here’s an argumentative essay outline example for an article arguing that police officers should wear body cameras because they will decrease the number of complaints against officers:
I. Introduction
– Police Officers should wear body cameras because it will change their behavior and reduce the number of complaints against them
II. Body Paragraph 1: Police Officers’ Behavior
– Claims police officers will change their behavior if they know they are being recorded
– Cites research about body cameras reducing the use of force in some cases and increasing arrests in others
– Notes that individual cops have been fired after being caught lying on camera
III. Body Paragraph 2: Complaints Against Police Officers
– Claims that wearing body cameras would seriously reduce the amount of unsubstantiated complaints against police officers
– Explains that wearing cameras makes it more difficult for people to file false claims, especially given that video footage exists
IV. Conclusion: Restating Thesis and Summarizing Points
– restates thesis and summarizes main points
Argumentative essay outline example 3: State should not raise taxes on gasoline because it will hurt small businesses
Finally, here’s a good argumentative essay outline example for an article arguing that the state should not raise taxes on gasoline because it will hurt small businesses:
I. Introduction
– Arguing against raising gas taxes to offset federal budget cuts
II. Body Paragraph 1: Effect on Businesses
– Raising gas prices hurts out of state business more than in-state businesses
– In certain areas where owning a car is necessary, there is no substitute for driving a personal vehicle
– Out of town visitors won’t come if they have to pay higher gas prices
– Taxes would discourage tourism
III. Body Paragraph 2: Income Losses for People Who Cannot Drive
– Gas tax increase would disproportionately affect lower income people who cannot afford to own a car or need to drive because of work, family, etc…
IV. Conclusion: Restating Thesis and Summarizing Points
– restates thesis and summarizes main points
These are great examples of high school and college argumentative essay outlines that can be used to write a great argumentative essay. Follow the doc and pdf examples listed below to understand better how to make argumentative paper outline for your essay writing assignment.
Need help writing an argumentative essay outline
Do you need professional help in creating an argumentative essay outline or writing an argumentative essay in full? Well, look no more! We are here to help you by providing you with all the necessary resources and explanations that will enable you pay someone to write your essay for cheap and get answers submitted in an effective manner. Click here to ask for help now.
