How to Write an Argumentative Essay Introduction: expert Tips

Many a time we get into arguments to which we try and convince someone or an audience about a subject or an issue. Through this, we tend to take positions on various subject matters we support.

This can be termed as an argument and so do such essays exist. In fact, argumentative essays account for 7% of the essays that our college essay writers complete on a daily basis. Feel free to hire one of them if you need such help.

Argumentative essays are based on logical analysis, facts, and situations. It means that the debate is for or against something. As a writer, you must try to convince the reader to accept your position of thoughts through facts and evidence.

This guide teaches how to write a good introduction to an argumentative essay for all levels of writing. I will also explain the features of a good introduction for such essays along with the dos and don’ts.

We will particularly explore the following;

• An argumentative essay introduction.
• Elements of a good argumentative essay.
• Thesis for an introduction in an argumentative essay.
• The number of paragraphs in an introduction of an argumentative essay
• Length of an introduction in an argumentative essay.  

First and foremost, have a title that is clear, understandable, and appealing title. Moreover, you have to be comfortable to debate the topic so have enough evidence

 The topic should be interesting as long as it has strong points of argument. In case you choose an interesting one without much evidence, your arguments might turn out to be weak.

How to write an argumentative essay introduction

 An introduction is what welcomes the reader to the subject matter of the essay. A good argumentative essay should:

• Use a language style that is clear and precise with facts that are convincing.
• Focus on what is essential to explain the point.
• Have evidence that is strong and can be verified.
• Use clearly worded and understandable arguments.
• Have a thesis statement that gives a brief account of the essay.

1. Prepare an Outline the importance of the topic

Here you tell the readers the importance, the reason for reading your argumentative essay, and the purpose of the essay.

It is important that you explore the underlying problem in the essay plus the objectives of the essay. This will go a long way in convincing the reader about the importance of the topic.

2. Write a good introduction to begin the essay

• Ensure you have a background information on the topic.

If the essay is about “The government efforts to combat COVID 19 disease,” begin with the current efforts it is undertaking and ask yourself:

• What has it done?
• Has it been successful?
• What are other governments in the world doing?

These will give the reader the urge to want to know much about the topic.

• In addition, have a clearly defined thesis statement and the position you would like it to take. It should outline all the topic details without creating assumptions draft the thesis well and let it appear in the introduction.
• Do not elaborate or take a stance on your topic in the introduction.

4. The actual writing of the introduction

We all agree to some extent that the toughest part of writing an essay is starting it and as they say first impressions last. If you begin an argumentative essay well, the rest of it will be very easy to write.

The introduction, therefore, gives an indication of what the essay will look like. The following dos and don’ts will help you understand how to write a proper introduction for this essay.

 The dos:

• Keep the reader hooked
• Introduce the topic
• Outline the importance of the topic
• Provide the background information
• Present the thesis

The don’ts

• Improper planning
• Presenting arguments
• Long introductions
• Weak thesis statement
• An uninteresting or boring introduction

In the real sense, an introduction provides the topic and draws the attention of the reader prompting them to want more information.

The introduction should therefore have an impact on the reader. This means that after reading the introduction to the argumentative essay, people will want to read the remaining part.

Your introduction should achieve the following:

4. Keep the reader hooked

The initial first and second sentences are known as the essay hook.

These sentences create the readers’ interests in the essay eventually gabbing their attention therefore it should therefore be catchy so as to improve your chances of scoring well.

The hook can begin as:

• A quote
• Personal story
• A statistic
• A rhetoric question
• Introduce a joke
• A shocking fact
• An anecdote

These forms will make your hook attractive thereby roping in the reader.

Write the Topic introduction

This is simply what you are going to write about in the argumentative essay and relates more to your topic. You can learn how to write a good argumentative question and practice some of the examples given in that post.

For instance, if you are writing an argumentative essay on whether corporal punishment should be banned in schools, it is here that you will provide the introduction to your argument which will set a foundation for your next course of discussion.

5. Provide background information

It is important that you and your readers be on the same page. To the readers, it makes it easier for them to understand your arguments.

Since the topic has already been introduced and its importance stated, you can provide the background information and context. The context can be social, political, economic personal, cultural, geographical, or scientific.

The reader appreciates the role and the position of the writer. The background information in an argumentative essay, therefore, allows for a better understanding of whatever is being presented.  It is crucial in arguing and explaining your point.

6. Craft a good Thesis

This is the most important part of the introduction in an argumentative essay as it presents your stand and justification to the essay by providing it with structure and direction.

The thesis of an argumentative essay should be:

• Clear and precise in explanation on the main argument of the essay
• It should not be a general statement rather it should be debatable so that it can be agreed or disagreed on
• A thesis should focus solely on the chosen topic therefore it should not be broad or vague.
• It should not go beyond two sentences.
• Debatable, logical, specific and crisp.

What to avoid when writing the introduction to an argumentative essay

Improper planning

This includes not creating an outline which is a plan that creates a structure of the introduction that makes your job better. You should therefore create your pointers as you take note of how the introduction will flow.

Presenting arguments in the introduction

The introduction is a place to state your main point of argument in the thesis statement. Do not present your arguments here because the readers will not see the need to further read your essay. Therefore do not explain what you will be arguing about.

Weak thesis statement

A weak thesis statement is not broad but unreasonable and undebatable. It, therefore, makes the reader not understand the writer’s stand.

It is worth noting that the essay is not about your opinion but the position you are taking through your arguments.

Do not waste time but begin with a sample thesis then improve it later after writing the entire essay.

Long introduction

Do not waste words on not-so-important information which might be key in the body of the essay.

Boring and uninteresting

The essay should not be boring to read at first glance rather the introductory part should be strong and engaging. Do not repeat the instructions or write definitions since they are not required.

Be short, precise, and straight to the point. Since the introduction presents the real issues, provides background, and argues in a logical and intellectual manner.

How to write a good thesis statement for an argumentative essay

 This is a sentence or two that provides the main idea and asserts the issue you are writing about in your essay.

It should not reveal what the essay is all about or what you are going to discuss.

Whatever you assert in the thesis is very crucial to your essay so it should be clear and direct so that the reader or the audience does not doubt your point.

The assertiveness is dependent on the type of argumentative essay that is if the argument is classical, present your side of the issue and if it is Rogerian, bring both sides of the issue.

An argumentative thesis takes a stand on an issue and thought you might have your own opinion about the issue or topic in discussion, you should not remind the reader that it is ‘your opinion.’ Readers, therefore, need to disagree with your thesis.

In addition, argumentative thesis statements have words like: ought to, need to be, must, or should.

For instance:

The government should ban further use of plastic bags.

A good thesis for an argumentative essay should:

• Be one or two sentences.
• Vividly present the main idea.
• Announce what the essay is all about.
• Make the audience understand your point since it is the most important sentence.

Characteristics of thesis statements in argumentative essays

Thesis statements in these essays should be:

1. Debatable

You should come up with a claim which is disagreeable among reasonable people. If a few people disagree with it, then it does not qualify to be an argumentative thesis rather it appears as a fact or a general argument.

2. Assertive

This is all about taking a stand or position by the writer. Quotes, arguments or questions do not qualify as argumentative thesis since they do not give a strong stance on the writer’s point of view.

3. Reasonable

The argumentative thesis should be as logical as possible in its claim. The claims should be possible and reasonable at the same time.

4. Evidence based

The argumentative thesis must be accompanied by evidence. Values, norms, religion, and morals cannot be proven by evidence so they do not qualify as argumentative.

Evidence is important in presenting your point, findings, or argument. In our guide on how to write an introduction to writing issue papers, we found the need to use evidence when need be, and this applies when writing argumentative essays.

5. Narrow and focused

The thesis statement in this essay should be narrow and focused to the point to make it clearer. The reason for this is that it is easier to provide evidence and be more persuasive than having a general claim. This creates a proper understanding of the essay by the reader.

The three steps in writing a thesis statement in an argumentative essay are:

• Make the topic specific.
• Have a debatable phrase.
• Give the importance to the audience.

In conclusion, as you write the thesis statement:

• Avoid phrases like ‘it seems.’
• Do not turn the thesis into a question.
• Present the thesis in your own words.
• Let the thesis appear at the end of the introduction.

Best Length of an introduction in an argumentative essay

The introduction for a five-paragraph argumentative essay should be half a page or a page at most.

If it is for a thousand-word essay, you might have four to five paragraphs on the introduction.

The introduction should have at least 130 words for a normal essay.

It should form about six percent of the entire essay.

The three steps in writing a thesis statement in an argumentative essay are:

• Make the topic specific
• Have a debatable phrase
• Give the importance to the audience

In conclusion, as you write the thesis statement:

• Avoid phrases like ‘it seems.’
• Do not turn the thesis into a question.
• Present the thesis in your own words.
• Let the thesis appear at the end of the introduction.

Number of paragraphs for an argumentative essay introduction

An argumentative essay introduction should have at least three paragraphs which will comprise of:

• The hook which develops the readers’ interest.
• The topic introduction which informs the reader of what the essay is all about together with the background information
• The thesis presentation which provides the main idea about the argumentative essay.

If you follow the above steps and explanations, you will surely have an outstanding introduction to your argumentative essay. You can learn more about the best argumentative essay writers and why you should hire one to do your homework.