A lot of people have trouble writing argumentative papers. In fact, a lot of the time they end up skimping on research or trying to find ways around actually writing strong points in favor of their own thesis. This is a bad idea and leads to trouble later when it’s time to write a thesis statement in which you need to express your opinion in a simple sentence. Keep reading for some very helpful tips on what a good argumentative paper needs in order to truly shine!

1) Make sure you identify two sides of an issue and have evidence from reliable sources that support both sides.

2) Make sure that no side is more beneficial than the other side. In other words, neither side should be appealing more than the other.

3) Make sure that you focus on the audience you are trying to convince with your argumentative paper. This can be as simple as focusing more on a high school student’s perspective over a college-level perspective.

4) Use evidence from reliable sources that support each of these points you want to argue for and against, then use those sources in order to inform your thesis statement which should include a claim that is debatable. Keep in mind that although there are two sides, there is no right side. It doesn’t matter which side you believe, just make sure it’s something worth thinking about!

5) Write one paragraph that explains how both sides will benefit if they listen to what you have written in your argumentative paper. This should not be about convincing them to agree with you, but simply that they will be informed of the multiple sides of an issue.

6) Write one paragraph which includes each side’s perspective and ways in which people might benefit by following their advice instead of yours.

7) Use this information to support your thesis statement. This statement should always start out with “According to both sides…” or “…according to one side…” Then, describe why knowing both sides is important for other people who are interested in the topic because it means they will be able to make choices based on complete knowledge.

8) Remember that other people don’t need to agree with you, only find value within the information presented. You can do this by focusing on the perspectives of both sides of an issue, even if you don’t agree with them.

Some good evidence for your argumentative paper can come from social studies, science, literature (books and older texts), psychology journals, human interest stories that are either in magazines or online, etc. Be sure to use reliable sources because you want your information to be correct! This is important for convincing others to listen to what you have written!

Good luck writing your own argumentative papers! Just remember these tips and try not to make any of the common mistakes. If you do make a mistake, move on and fix it later because nobody’s perfect! You can do it!