argumentative essay topics for jss2

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160 Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Students in 2024

April 3, 2024

The skill of writing an excellent argumentative essay is a crucial one for every high school or college student to master. In sum, argumentative essays teach students how to organize their thoughts logically and present them in a convincing way. This skill is helpful not only for those pursuing degrees in law , international relations , or public policy , but for any student who wishes to develop their critical thinking faculties. In this article, we’ll cover what makes a good argument essay and offer several argumentative essay topics for high school and college students. Let’s begin!

What is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is an essay that uses research to present a reasoned argument on a particular subject . As with the persuasive essay , the purpose of an argumentative essay is to sway the reader to the writer’s position. However, a strong persuasive essay makes its point through diligent research and emotion while a strong argumentative essay should be based solely on facts, not feelings.

Moreover, each fact should be supported by clear evidence from credible sources . Furthermore, a good argumentative essay will have an easy-to-follow structure. When organizing your argumentative essay, use this format as a guide:

• Introduction
• Supporting body paragraphs
• Paragraph(s) addressing common counterarguments

Argumentative Essay Format

In the introduction , the writer presents their position and thesis statement —a sentence that summarizes the paper’s main points. The body paragraphs then draw upon supporting evidence to back up this initial statement, with each paragraph focusing on its own point. The length of your paper will determine the amount of examples you need. In general, you’ll likely need at least two to three. Additionally, your examples should be as detailed as possible, citing specific research, case studies, statistics, or anecdotes.

In the counterargument paragraph , the writer acknowledges and refutes opposing viewpoints. Finally, in the conclusion , the writer restates the main argument made in the thesis statement and summarizes the points of the essay. Additionally, the conclusion may offer a final proposal to persuade the reader of the essay’s position.

How to Write an Effective Argumentative Essay, Step by Step

• Choose your topic. Use the list below to help you pick a topic. Ideally, a good argumentative essay topic will be meaningful to you—writing is always stronger when you are interested in the subject matter. In addition, the topic should be complex with plenty of “pro” and “con” arguments. Avoid choosing a topic that is either widely accepted as fact or too narrow. For example, “Is the earth round?” would not be a solid choice.
• Research. Use the library, the web, and any other resources to gather information about your argumentative essay topic. Research widely but smartly. As you go, take organized notes, marking the source of every quote and where it may fit in the scheme of your larger essay. Moreover, remember to look for (and research) possible counterarguments.
• Outline . Using the argument essay format above, create an outline for your essay. Then, brainstorm a thesis statement covering your argument’s main points, and begin to put your examples in order, focusing on logical flow. It’s often best to place your strongest example last.
• Write . Draw on your research and outline to create a first draft. Remember, your first draft doesn’t need to be perfect. (As Voltaire says, “Perfect is the enemy of good.”) Accordingly, just focus on getting the words down on paper.
• Does my thesis statement need to be adjusted?
• Which examples feel strongest? Weakest?
• Do the transitions flow smoothly?
• Do I have a strong opening paragraph?
• Does the conclusion reinforce my argument?

Tips for Revising an Argument Essay

Evaluating your own work can be difficult, so you might consider the following strategies:

• Read your work aloud to yourself.
• Record yourself reading your paper, and listen to the recording.
• Reverse outline your paper. Firstly, next to each paragraph, write a short summary of that paragraph’s main points/idea. Then, read through your reverse outline. Does it have a logical flow? If not, where should you adjust?
• Print out your paper and cut it into paragraphs. What happens when you rearrange the paragraphs?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics for Middle School, High School, and College Students

Family argumentative essay topics.

• Should the government provide financial incentives for families to have children to address the declining birth rate?
• Should we require parents to provide their children with a certain level of nutrition and physical activity to prevent childhood obesity?
• Should parents implement limits on how much time their children spend playing video games?
• Should cell phones be banned from family/holiday gatherings?
• Should we hold parents legally responsible for their children’s actions?
• Should children have the right to sue their parents for neglect?
• Should parents have the right to choose their child’s religion?
• Are spanking and other forms of physical punishment an effective method of discipline?
• Should courts allow children to choose where they live in cases of divorce?
• Should parents have the right to monitor teens’ activity on social media?
• Should parents control their child’s medical treatment, even if it goes against the child’s wishes?
• Should parents be allowed to post pictures of their children on social media without their consent?
• Should fathers have a legal say in whether their partners do or do not receive an abortion?
• Can television have positive developmental benefits on children?
• Should the driving age be raised to prevent teen car accidents?
• Should adult children be legally required to care for their aging parents?

Education Argument Essay Topics

• Should schools ban the use of technology like ChatGPT?
• Are zoos unethical, or necessary for conservation and education?
• To what degree should we hold parents responsible in the event of a school shooting?
• Should schools offer students a set number of mental health days?
• Should school science curriculums offer a course on combating climate change?
• Should public libraries be allowed to ban certain books? If so, what types?
• What role, if any, should prayer play in public schools?
• Should schools push to abolish homework?
• Are gifted and talented programs in schools more harmful than beneficial due to their exclusionary nature?
• Should universities do away with Greek life?
• Should schools remove artwork, such as murals, that some perceive as offensive?
• Should the government grant parents the right to choose alternative education options for their children and use taxpayer funds to support these options?
• Is homeschooling better than traditional schooling for children’s academic and social development?
• Should we require schools to teach sex education to reduce teen pregnancy rates?
• Should we require schools to provide sex education that includes information about both homosexual and heterosexual relationships?
• Should colleges use affirmative action and other race-conscious policies to address diversity on campus?
• Should public schools remove the line “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance?
• Should college admissions officers be allowed to look at students’ social media accounts?
• Should schools abolish their dress codes, many of which unfairly target girls, LGBTQ students, and students of color?
• Should schools be required to stock free period products in bathrooms?
• Should legacy students receive preferential treatment during the college admissions process?
• Are school “voluntourism” trips ethical?

Government Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. decriminalize prostitution?
• Should the U.S. issue migration visas to all eligible applicants?
• Should the federal government cancel all student loan debt?
• Should we lower the minimum voting age? If so, to what?
• Should the federal government abolish all laws penalizing drug production and use?
• Should the U.S. use its military power to deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan?
• Should the U.S. supply Ukraine with further military intelligence and supplies?
• Should the North and South of the U.S. split up into two regions?
• Should Americans hold up nationalism as a critical value?
• Should we permit Supreme Court justices to hold their positions indefinitely?
• Should Supreme Court justices be democratically elected?
• Is the Electoral College still a productive approach to electing the U.S. president?
• Should the U.S. implement a national firearm registry?
• Is it ethical for countries like China and Israel to mandate compulsory military service for all citizens?
• Should the U.S. government implement a ranked-choice voting system?
• Should institutions that benefited from slavery be required to provide reparations?
• Based on the 1619 project, should history classes change how they teach about the founding of the U.S.?
• Should term limits be imposed on Senators and Representatives? If so, how long?
• Should women be allowed into special forces units?
• Should the federal government implement stronger, universal firearm licensing laws?
• Do public sex offender registries help prevent future sex crimes?
• Should the government be allowed to regulate family size?
• Should all adults legally be considered mandated reporters?
• Should the government fund public universities to make higher education more accessible to low-income students?
• Should the government fund universal preschool to improve children’s readiness for kindergarten?

Health/Bioethics Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. government offer its own healthcare plan?
• In the case of highly infectious pandemics, should we focus on individual freedoms or public safety when implementing policies to control the spread?
• Should we legally require parents to vaccinate their children to protect public health?
• Is it ethical for parents to use genetic engineering to create “designer babies” with specific physical and intellectual traits?
• Should the government fund research on embryonic stem cells for medical treatments?
• Should the government legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients?
• Should organ donation be mandatory?
• Is cloning animals ethical?
• Should cancer screenings start earlier? If so, what age?
• Is surrogacy ethical?
• Should birth control require a prescription?
• Should minors have access to emergency contraception?
• Should hospitals be for-profit or nonprofit institutions?

Good Argumentative Essay Topics — Continued

Social media argumentative essay topics.

• Should the federal government increase its efforts to minimize the negative impact of social media?
• Do social media and smartphones strengthen one’s relationships?
• Should antitrust regulators take action to limit the size of big tech companies?
• Should social media platforms ban political advertisements?
• Should the federal government hold social media companies accountable for instances of hate speech discovered on their platforms?
• Do apps such as TikTok and Instagram ultimately worsen the mental well-being of teenagers?
• Should governments oversee how social media platforms manage their users’ data?
• Should social media platforms like Facebook enforce a minimum age requirement for users?
• Should social media companies be held responsible for cases of cyberbullying?
• Should the United States ban TikTok?
• Is social media harmful to children?
• Should employers screen applicants’ social media accounts during the hiring process?

Religion Argument Essay Topics

• Should religious institutions be tax-exempt?
• Should religious symbols such as the hijab or crucifix be allowed in public spaces?
• Should religious freedoms be protected, even when they conflict with secular laws?
• Should the government regulate religious practices?
• Should we allow churches to engage in political activities?
• Religion: a force for good or evil in the world?
• Should the government provide funding for religious schools?
• Is it ethical for healthcare providers to deny abortions based on religious beliefs?
• Should religious organizations be allowed to discriminate in their hiring practices?
• Should we allow people to opt out of medical treatments based on their religious beliefs?
• Should the U.S. government hold religious organizations accountable for cases of sexual abuse within their community?
• Should religious beliefs be exempt from anti-discrimination laws?
• Should religious individuals be allowed to refuse services to others based on their beliefs or lifestyles? (As in this famous case .)
• Should the US ban religion-based federal holidays?
• Should public schools be allowed to teach children about religious holidays?

Science Argument Essay Topics

• Would the world be safer if we eliminated nuclear weapons?
• Should scientists bring back extinct animals? If so, which ones?
• Should we hold companies fiscally responsible for their carbon footprint?
• Should we ban pesticides in favor of organic farming methods?
• Should the federal government ban all fossil fuels, despite the potential economic impact on specific industries and communities?
• What renewable energy source should the U.S. invest more money in?
• Should the FDA outlaw GMOs?
• Should we worry about artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence?
• Should the alternative medicine industry be more stringently regulated?
• Is colonizing Mars a viable option?
• Is the animal testing worth the potential to save human lives?

Sports Argument Essay Topics

• Should colleges compensate student-athletes?
• How should sports teams and leagues address the gender pay gap?
• Should youth sports teams do away with scorekeeping?
• Should we ban aggressive contact sports like boxing and MMA?
• Should professional sports associations mandate that athletes stand during the national anthem?
• Should high schools require their student-athletes to maintain a certain GPA?
• Should transgender athletes compete in sports according to their gender identity?
• Should schools ban football due to the inherent danger it poses to players?
• Should performance-enhancing drugs be allowed in sports?
• Do participation trophies foster entitlement and unrealistic expectations?
• Should sports teams be divided by gender?
• Should professional athletes be allowed to compete in the Olympics?
• Should women be allowed on NFL teams?

Technology Argumentative Essay Topics

• Should sites like DALL-E compensate the artists whose work it was trained on?
• Should the federal government make human exploration of space a more significant priority?
• Is it ethical for the government to use surveillance technology to monitor citizens?
• Should websites require proof of age from their users? If so, what age?
• Should we consider A.I.-generated images and text pieces of art?
• Does the use of facial recognition technology violate individuals’ privacy?
• Is online learning as effective as in-person learning?
• Does computing harm the environment?
• Should buying, sharing, and selling collected personal data be illegal?
• Are electric cars really better for the environment?
• Should car companies be held responsible for self-driving car accidents?
• Should private jets be banned?
• Do violent video games contribute to real-life violence?

Business Argument Essay Topics

• Should the U.S. government phase out the use of paper money in favor of a fully digital currency system?
• Should the federal government abolish its patent and copyright laws?
• Should we replace the Federal Reserve with free-market institutions?
• Is free-market ideology responsible for the U.S. economy’s poor performance over the past decade?
• Will cryptocurrencies overtake natural resources like gold and silver?
• Is capitalism the best economic system? What system would be better?
• Should the U.S. government enact a universal basic income?
• Should we require companies to provide paid parental leave to their employees?
• Should the government raise the minimum wage? If so, to what?
• Should antitrust regulators break up large companies to promote competition?
• Is it ethical for companies to prioritize profits over social responsibility?
• Should gig-economy workers like Uber and Lyft drivers be considered employees or independent contractors?
• Should the federal government regulate the gig economy to ensure fair treatment of workers?
• Should the government require companies to disclose the environmental impact of their products?
• Should companies be allowed to fire employees based on political views or activities?
• Should tipping practices be phased out?
• Should employees who choose not to have children be given the same amount of paid leave as parents?
• Should MLMs (multi-level marketing companies) be illegal?
• Should employers be allowed to factor tattoos and personal appearance into hiring decisions?

In Conclusion – Argument Essay Topics

Using the tips above, you can effectively structure and pen a compelling argumentative essay that will wow your instructor and classmates. Remember to craft a thesis statement that offers readers a roadmap through your essay, draw on your sources wisely to back up any claims, and read through your paper several times before it’s due to catch any last-minute proofreading errors. With time, diligence, and patience, your essay will be the most outstanding assignment you’ve ever turned in…until the next one rolls around.

Looking for more fresh and engaging topics for use in the classroom? You might consider checking out the following:

• 125 Good Debate Topics for High School Students
• 150 Good Persuasive Speech Topics
• 7 Best Places to Study
• Guide to the IB Extended Essay
• How to Write the AP Lang Rhetorical Analysis Essay
• AP Lit Reading List
• How to Write the AP Lang Synthesis Essay
• 49 Most Interesting Biology Research Topics
• High School Success

Lauren Green

With a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University and an MFA in Fiction from the Michener Center for Writers at the University of Texas at Austin, Lauren has been a professional writer for over a decade. She is the author of the chapbook  A Great Dark House  (Poetry Society of America, 2023) and a forthcoming novel (Viking/Penguin).

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English Studies Lesson Note for JSS 2 Second Term

Lesson note on English Studies for JSS2 Second term – Edudelight.com

SECOND TERM SCHEME OF WORK FOR JSS2

ENGLISH LANGUAGES

REVISION OF LAST TERM WORK

LESSON 1: SPEECH WORK

TOPIC: INTONATION

SUB – TOPIC: Identification of intonation patterns in statements, questions and commands.

Introduction: Intonation is a feature of speech which affects the understanding of a message. This is the rise and fall of the voice in speech (or the variation in pitch).

Intonation conveys the attitude or mood of the speaker to his listener (audience) he is speaking to. For instance, whether the speaker is doubtful, angry, impatient, polite or impolite is a sign through the intonation pattern he uses. It is the change in the level of pitch (how high or low the voice is) that makes speech interesting.

If there is no change in the level of pitch while we speak, then it will be difficult for others to understand us and it will also be boring to our listeners.

There are two basic patterns of intonation (also known as tunes): the falling tune and the rising tune.

A conventional way of indicating the tune is to use the arrow ↘ for the falling tune and ↗ for the rising tune.

Identification of Intonation

Patterns in statement.

Examples: Using statement like:

• The student are working hard (↘)
• Bola will be here anytime (↘)
• The people in the shop stole the car (↘)

Intonation using WH – questions.

• Why did you come here: (↘)
• Whose book is this? (↘)
• How did you get here? (↘)

Intonation used as command or order.

• Get out of here! (↘)
• Open the door at once! (↘)
• Don’t touch the girl! (↘)
• Be careful! (↘)

New Oxford (2) for junior secondary schools. Page 103

Read the passage below aloud varying your intonation. (Exercise K)

A conversation between Garba and Lawrence

LESSON 2: GRAMMAR:

Making sentences with preposition – Lesson note

Definition of prepositions:.

Prepositions shows the relationship between noun and pronoun in the same sentence. Examples during, towards, without, near, on except, off, from, among, for, at, in, about, with, throughout, beyond, by, through, under, after, to, between, against, into, within etc.

• Bola prefers black biro to a blue one
• She was delayed by the traffic
• A cat is under the table
• The bird flew through the window
• He wrote a letter to his father

USES OF SOME PREPOSITION

FOR – This is accompanied by a period of time. Examples

• I have been here for four years
• He has been living in this house for eight years

SINCE – It is placed before phrases or words indicating a point of time. Examples:

• Adeola has been living in this village since 1980
• I have not seen him since Sunday

FROM – It indicates a point of time. From should be followed by “to” or “till”. Example: Ade worked from eight O’clock till four O’clock without resting.

TO – We can use to for movement from a particular place to an office or school etc. An example: Gbolahan walks to his office everyday.

AT – It is used to indicate position. An example: Jide came at seven O’clock in the morning.

Underline the preposition from the following sentences:

• The dog ran after the mouse
• He walked into the room after the mid – night 
• I kept the bag under the bed
• Friday comes before Saturday
• I bought two loaves of bread
• The girl was beaten by the boy
• The man across the dusty road
• Come with me to the station
• Please wait for me
• Switch on the light in the room

Reference : progressive English. An elaborate coverage of Grammar .page 103,104

LESSON THREE: VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT

Words Associated with Law and Justices

The following are words that are associated with law and justices

• Inter – allia
• Judge adjourned
• Discharge / acquitted
• Hardened criminals
• Evidence/witness etc.

Use your dictionary to find the correct meaning to the above words

LESSON FOUR: COMPOSITION

Writing A Report –

An accident i witness -composition.

            I was on my way to school on a good morning, while I witnessed an horrible and heart pained accident at Shagamu road along Oke – Odo, in Alimosho area.

            A little boy ran into the road in front of a lorry. If he had gone on running, he would not have been in danger, but he trod on an old piece of wood that someone had dropped and fell.

            At once, Kunle stopped dreaming of food and he struggled to avoid hitting the child. His right foot press hard on the brake. His arms tured the stearing wheel swiftly to the right. The lorry crashed into the wall of a house. Just at the spot, something hit the boy’s head, there were bruises everywhere with blood gushing our speedily. I held on to my head and pitied the poor little boy.

Write a story not less than 200 words on the accident you witnessed

• Introduction – time/date
• Body – the discussion (what happened in the course of the accident)
• The conclusion – your feeling at the end of the scene (story)

LESSON FIVE: LITERATURE – IN – ENGLISH

The use of recommended text

• Characterization

TOPIC: SPEECH WORK: Intonation / Stress – Lesson note

Sub – topic: making statement, giving command and asking questions, using different intonation pattern..

INTRODUCTION: Intonation is another feature of speech which affect the understanding of a message. It is the rise and fall of the voice in speech (or the variation in pitch). Intonation explains the attitude or mood of the speaker to his audience. Whichever mode the speaker is when speaking, intonation changes the level of pitch (how high or low the voice is) that makes speech interesting.

A. Making statement giving Command

• Close the door at once! (↘)
• Get out here (↘)
• Don’t touch the broom! (↘)

Making Statements

• Deborah is a beautiful girl (↘)
• The people at the meeting stole the car (↘)

Asking Questions

• Why did you come here? (↘)
• How did you get there? (↘)
• What is your name? (↘)
• Who is your mother? (↘)
• Is this your book? (↗)

Using statement, command and question pattern to write five sentences that sho a fallen tune.

LESSON TWO: GRAMMAR

TOPIC: Regular and Irregular Verbs – lesson note

Regular Verbs: are verbs which form their past tense and past participle with ‘ed’. Examples are:

PRESENT TENSE                      PAST TENSE                             PAST PARTICIPLE

• Wed                              Wedded                                   Wedded
• Close                            Closed                                     Closed
• Hang                            Hanged                                    Hanged/hung
• Play                               Played                                     Played
• Call                              Called                                      Called
• Bleed                           Bled                                         Bled
• Dictate                          Dictated                                  Dictated

Irregular Verbs: Verbs which do not add ‘ed’ to form their past tense and past participle. Examples:

PRESENT TENSE                       PAST TENSE                             PAST PARTICIPLE

• Am, are, is                   was, were                                been
• Broadcast                     broadcast                                broadcast
• Cut                                cut                                           cut
• Grow                           grew                                        grown
• Catch                            caught                                     caught

Pick out regular and irregular verb from the following words using tabular form

LESSON THREE: READING AND COMPREHENSION

TOPIC: TECHNIQUES OF SPEED READING

1. SURVEYING: This talks about text, (title, author, date etc) and skimming and scanning are essential academic reading skills for you and for native English speakers too, who also need to develop this skills.

2. SCANNING: When you scan a text, you are looking through it quickly to find keywords or information. After scanning a text, you should know if it has references to things you want to know about.

3. SKIMMING: This is looking quickly through a text to gain a general impression of what it is about. You can often do this by reading on the title and sub-titles of a text, and the first sentence of reading without using a dictionary.

LESSON FOUR: INFORMAL LETTER (CONTINUED)

TITLE: Letter to a friend about your school Inter – house Sport.

                                                                                                            7, Adesanya Street,

                                                                                                            Ile – Epo,

                                                                                                            Oke – Odo,

                                                                                                            Lagos.

                                                                                                            13 th May, 2015.

            It is a pleasure writing to you at this time. How are you and your studies? Hope all is well over there in Abuja? Bola called and suggested that we should all meet during this coming festive period.

            The purpose of writing is to inform you about my school recent inter-house sport which came up on 12 th April, 2015 at Oke – Odo school field. It was coloured and eventful.

            At exactly 10:00am, we all matched to the field accompanied by two big horses and the “Bridgade boys” with their steady inviting musical instrument which attracts the attention of the passers-by.

            The programme commenced immediately with prayer, recitation of national anthem and the school anthem, followed by colourful match pass by different houses with different displays to attract winning in the end.                                              

            In addition, students from different house’s run such as: relay race, 200m race, 1,200k race, high jump, throwing of javelin etc.

            There are companies who sponsored the programme such as: Milo, Indomie Noodles, Sky bank plc, Mtn, Nestle Castle etc. There are other activities that time will not permits me to explain all.

            In all, yellow house came first followed by Red house, then green and finally blue. As I have said earlier on, it was a great fun and very eventful. I believe you will like to witness the next one. Till the festive time, remain great.

                                                                                                Yours sincerely,

                                                                                                Moses.

Write a letter to your friend telling him/her five good interesting things about your school.

Use of recommended text on Drama (Dangerous Rewards)

SPEECH WORK: STRESS – LESSON NOTE

Topic: identification of the correct points of pauses in different words. (im’port/’import, ‘refuse/re’fuse).

INTRODUCTION: Stress is an important feature of speech which creates special problems to many Nigeria speakers of English. In speech sound, there words that are ultered or produced with greater breath effort and muscular energy than the others. Such syllables with greater muscular energy are louder and longer and are therefore said to be stressed. Stress also involved the increase in pitch of the voice. In English, there are three (3) degree stress, namely:

• Primary stress
• Secondary stress
•  Unstressed words

Syllables with great muscular energy are refer to as “stressed” while those produced with less effort are “unstressed”

A stress syllable is indicated by placing stroke at the beginning of the syllable.

RULES GUIDING STRESS PATTERN

There is no rule guiding the stress pattern of word in English, but if a word consists of two syllable, the first syllable is prefix, the second syllable attract stress while the first syllable is unstressed. Examples:

HOstile                         ConTAIN

EAting                          PreTEND

PIllow                          UnKNOWN

NEver                          UnTILL

DOCtor                        reMAIN

HOStel                         exCEED

TAble                           beHIND

WINdow                      canTEEN

More examples on stress pattern. The meaning and the classes of the following words can also be affected by a change in stress pattern.

NOUN                                      VERB

OBject                                     obJECT

CONtest                                   conTEST

TRANSport                               transPORT

REbel                                       reBEL

CONtrast                                 conTRAST

PROtest                                   proTEST

EScort                                      esCORT

REcord                                      reCORD

IMport                                     imPORT

Indicate the stressed syllable in each of the following words by writing it in capital letters. E.g. Subject (n) – SUBject

WORD                                     STRESS SYLLABLE IN CAPITAL LETTER

Suspect (v)

Project (n)

GRAMMAR: REPORTED COMMAND (SPEECH) CONTINUES

Reference to week Nine (9) first term (page 160) New Oxford.

LESSON THREE

READING AND COMPREHENSION: DIALOGUE

The recommended text: New Oxford secondary English course for junior secondary schools 2.

Reference to comprehension

Unit 1: How we spent the holiday. A conversation between Emeka and Dara.

VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT IC

Words Associated with ICT

• Photocopy machine
• C.P.U system unit
• Mother board
• Daughter board
• Memory unit

Use dictionary to find the correct meaning to the above words.

LESSON FOUR: COMPOSITION – Formal Letter

TITLE: Write to the Local Government Chairman about the bad road in your area.

                                                                                                            8, Fagboola Street,

                                                                                                            Oko – Oba,

                                                                                                            Agege,

                                                                                                            23 rd June, 2015

The Chairman,

BAD ROAD IN BORIPE ALIMOSHO AREA

I write to say congratulation on your recent electoral success which paved the way four your elevation to the exalted office of the chairman of the newly carved our local government council. Once again, accept my profound sincere congratulation for your well deserved office and position.

I will like to ceasse this opportunity to inform you about a major problem confronting my local government. We need good constructed road. Boripe is the bread and the source of food basket of this local government deserves a good road/network of well tarred road. These need will ensure that the products of the local cottage industries and abundant farm produce get to the buyers and consumers outside our town fast and cheap too. This dream can only materialise when new roads are constructed and the existing one repaired to make them motorable all season.

I will be grateful if my request is favourably granted.

Thanks so much.        

                                                                                                            Yours faithfully

                                                                                                            (signature)

                                                                                                            Adeolu Joel

Write a letter to your local government chairman requesting for instalment of a good materials for effectiveness in your studies (200 words).

LESSON FIVE

LITERATURE – IN – ENGLISH

• Use the recommended text on Drama “Dangerous Reward”
• Discussion on Language, setting, characterization in the recommended text.

Write short note on the following character

LESSON 1: COMPOSITION

TITLE: Argumentative Essay

Introduction: An argumentative essay is one that makes student to carefully consider an issue which has two sides to it and which has two sides to it and prove that one side has more merit than the other. It is like a debate in which you have to decide the one that has more merit than the other. Generally, topic in this category demand that you observe the following:

• Prove a point
• Express an opinion
• Strike a balance between two side of an issue

TITLE: Herbal Medicines are more potent than orthodox medicine – Essay

Guideline in handling this essay

Firstly, make sure you are really convinced about the side you are supporting i.e. the side you truly believe in.

Secondly, do not draw general conclusion from only one example or a few point. To reach a convincing conclusion, you would need a number of points at least three or four.

In addition, do not be illogical in your arguments so be sure that your points can support the conclusion you want to reach.

Finally, have many good points at your disposal, for and against. Note that for every point you have for an argument, there is most likely to be another points against.

More on essential tip

Reference: New Oxford for Junior Secondary School. Book 2, page 107.

Write nothing than 200 words on the topic: HERBAL MEDICINES ARE MORE POTENT THAN ORTHODOX MEDICINES

SPEECH WORK: Rhythm – Identification of the appropriate rhythms in a given poem.

Reference: New Oxford English for junior secondary school 2 page 16. Title –  LEISURE

What is this life if, full of care a

We have no time to stand and stare a

No time to stand beneath the boughs b

And stare as long as sheep or cows b

No time to see, when wood we pass c

Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass c

No time to see, in broad daylight d

Stream full of stars, like skies at night d

A poor life this if, full of care e

We have no time to stand and stare e

GRAMMAR: REPORTED REQUESTS (SPEECH)

Reference to week Nine (9) lesson two of the second term.

In addition, if what is being reported is always true, then the verb in the direct speech does not change from present to past tense e.g. The Moon shines in the night, Bola said. The moon shines in the night so here, the reported speech will be: Bola said that the moon shines at night.

Progressive English: An elaborate coverage. Exercise 18A, page 143. No 11 – 20

Change from direct to indirect speech.

LESSON FOUR: LITERATURE – IN – ENGLISH

TITLE: Identification of some figures of speech in the recommended prose text.

“THE DANGEROUS REWARDS”

Look out for the following figures of speech in act 1 and 2

LESSON WORK: Review of /stress/ Intonation. Reference to week 3 and 4

GRAMMAR: Adverbials and the present tense – lesson note

The basic function of adverbials is that of modification. Adverbial modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. Examples

Adverbials as modifiers of the verb.

• John ate hurriedly (modifies ate)
• The children were playing in the field (modifies were playing)

As modifies of adjectives E.g.

• We watched a very funny film (modifies funny)
• This work is good enough (modifies good)
• The man is highly intelligent (modifies intelligent)

Other adverb that can modify adjectives are: very, pretty, rather, unusually, quite, unbelievable deeply.

As modifies of other adverbs. Examples:

• Amina cooks really well (modifies well)
• They walked fast enough to get there on time (modifies fast)
• Our new neighbour drinks very heavily (modifies heavily)

Write five adverbial expressions and states its functions.

READING AND COMPREHENSION

More on week One (1)

Title: Reading to provide alternative words that can fit into the context to replace the target word.

Reference: New Oxford secondary English course, for junior secondary school. Book 2.

Unit 13, Page 123 – 124

Reading to identify the meaning of word in contexts.

Instruction: Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions that follows:

Title: Money – A Medium of Exchange

Use your dictionary to look for the meaning of the following words:

• Able – bodied
• Simultaneously

VOCALBULARY DEVELOPMENT

TITLE: Science and Technology

Introduction: You must have been introduced to science and technology in your school through intergrated science and introductory technology (Basic Technology). You must have also felt the impact of science and technology in your daily activities.

So consider the following by using your dictionary to find a correct meaning to each.

Words Associated with Science and Technology

• Combustible
• Eclipse of the sun
• Photosynthesis etc.

LESSOON FOUR

COMPOSITION: Expository Essay Lesson note

Titile: entrepreneurship.

Introduction: Expository is detailed explanation. It is a writing that explains a process, an idea or a feeling. It is some-what like a descriptive essay in that it contains a great deal of description and also it explains how things works or operates and show their relation with other things.

The aim of expository essay is to inform, to instruct, or to bring someone else to see one’s points of view.

ESSENTIAL TIPS

Useful guides on Expository Writing

• Do not write an exposition on a topic you are not familiar with.
• Be clearer and go straight to the point
• Follow ideas in a logical sequence
• Use good linkers to connect your ideas in a sequential order
• Remember to write in paragraphs

Ideally, one idea should be presented in a paragraph and fully explained.

Write an expository essay of 200 words on Entrepreneurship

e.g. Definition

This is a person who makes money by starting or running business, especially when this involves taking financial risk.

TITLE: Distinguish between Irony, Euphemism and Hyperbole

1. IRONY: This refers to the art of saying one thing and meaning its opposite. An irony is either verbal or dramatic. The former means intentionally saying the opposite of what we mean. Examples:

(i) Ade studied hard, and so he failed his examination woefully

(ii) I saw a woman laughing for sorrow

2. HYPERBOLE: This is a gross exaggeration. Examples:

(i) When my father died, I spent three hundred and sixty billion naira on burial ceremony

(ii) I drank ten bucket of water yesterday

(iii) I swa a man who was taller than an Iroko tree

3. EUPHEMISM: This si the opposite of hyperbole. When the truth is disagreeable (unpleasant) euphemism endeavour to make it pleasing. Examples:

(i) She has kicked the bucket (meaning she died)

(ii) She has just put to bed (meaning giving birth to a new baby)

(iii) He is at rest (meaning he is dead)

(iv) The manager put the student in a family way (he impregnated the student)

Give two sentences each to show the following figures of speech learnt in the lesson

LESSON ONE: CONSTANT /S/ AND /Z/

For articulation of /s/, the tip and blade of the tongue make light contact with the alveolar fridge while the airstream passes through the groove created by partial obstruction. There is no vibration of the vocal cord as /s/ is produced. It is therefore, a voiceless, plosive, alveolar. The common spelling symbols are:

“S” as in Seat

“SC” as in Science

“C” as in Cease

“X” as in Axe

/s/ at the initial and final position

Initial Position                         Final Position

Six                                            Sieze

Sign                                         Gas

Soup                                        Picks

Sat                                           Piece

Sack                                         Ice

/z/: This consonant has the same place and manner of articulation with /s/. The only difference between /z/and /s/ is that the vocal cords vibrate as the articulation of /z/ take place while there is no vibration of the vocal cords during the production of /s/. Thar is why /z/ is a voiced alveolar plosive which has the following symbols.

            Z as in Zip

            S as in has

            X as in exact

/z/ at initial and final position

Initial Position                                     Final Position

Zip                                                       Bees

Zoom                                                   Whose

Zombie                                                Those

Zero                                                     Ways

Zonal                                                   Pigs

Zest                                                     Nose

Zoon                                                    Fees

Zinc                                                      Fez

Write three word for /s/ and two for /z/, showing the two at sound at the initial and final position.

GRAMMAR: INTRODUCTION TO PUNCTUATION MARKS – LESSON NOTE

Punctuation marks is a sign mark used in writing to divide sentence and phrases.

1a. THE COMMA (,): It is used after ‘No’ and ‘Yes’. Example

No, they never go to church

Yes, we have done the assignment

b. It is used in lists

Ade pays tennis, volley ball and football

c. It is used after all linking words. An example: Augutus, therefore, become an unlucky man.

2. THE FULL STOP (.): This is used in abbreviation. Example: U.S.A, U.K, M.A, B.A etc.

(ii) It is used at the end of a sentence. An example: Abu came to Lagos yesterday

3. THE QUESTION MARK (?): It is used after direct speech. examples

(i) What is your father’s name?

(ii) Where are the thieves?

4. THE COLON (:) –  It is used for introducing quotation, lists etc. Examples: Baba said: “People who are well, do not need a doctor but only those who are sick.

5. THE SEMI COLON (;) – It is used between two closely joined principal clauses. Examples

(i) The sun was setting; the shadows were long

(ii) The book is not mine; it is my uncle’s.

Reference to Oxford English Book 2. Page 25. Replace the asterisks in the following sentences with capital letters, full – stop, question marks and commas. (a – e)

TITLE: Reading and Comprehension – Reading to summarize a selected passage

Reference: New Oxford Secondary English course for junior secondary schools. Book 2. Page 115 – 117

Reading for summary

In three sentences, state the three (3) uses of the dog to man as discussed in the passage.

LESSON FOUR

COMPOSITION: Narrative Essay

Title: my last birthday – composition.

Birthday is the day in each year which is the same date as the one which you were born. My last birthday, was on 23 rd June, 2015. It was a memorable day I will not forget.

My parent in their own strength celebrated it in a very big way. My friends, family and relations were invited. In preparation, foods and assorted drinks with cake were made available.

At exactly 2:00pm, the ceremony commenced, I looked so pretty in my beautiful attire. Friend came around to congratulate me. The MC and DJ works hand in hand as the MC introduced different activities in the party e.g. going round the table, hide and seek game, who will be the first? And so on.

The item seven (7) soon followed and everyone eats to their satisfaction. Almost everyone in attendance present their gifts happily. I was so happy just as my parents were. After the presentation of the gift, the DJ opened the ground for appreciation through dance. I danced happily with friends and relation and the while ceremony came to an end around 7:00pm.

It is a memorable day, I will live to remember.

TITLE: Summary of recommended Text

Dangerous Reward

LESSON ONE: SPEECH WORK –

Consonant Sounds /k/ and /g/

/k/ – To produce, the back of the tongue makes contact with the velum. This contact results in a total obstruction of the flow of air. The air pressure which builds up in suddenly released with an explosive sound. The glottis is open so that the local cord do not vibrate as /k/ is produced. This consonants which is voiceless velar plositive, has many spelling symbols. E.g.

• “K” as in King
• “C” as in coat
• “CC” as in account
• “Ch” as in chemist
• “g” as in liquid
• “ck” as in back

The “K” is usually not pronounced before “n” at the beginning of words like: “Knock” and “Know”.

/K/ at   Initial Position                         Final Position

• Cop                                    Poke
• Kin                                     Nick
• Kill                                     Lick
• Calm                                  Mark

/g/ – This consonant is the voiced counterpart of /K/. This means that the process of production of /g/ is similar to that of /k/ except that the vocal cords vibrates as /g/ is produced. /g/ is therefore spelt “g” and “gh” as in “give” and “ghost” respectively. The “g” is not pronounced before “n” at the beginning or end of words such as “gnaw”, “gnash”, “sign” and “reign” and before “m” at the end of words such as “paradigm” and “diaphragm”. Pronounce the following word with /g/ at the beginning and the end of the words.

/g/ at   Initial Position                         Final Position

• god                                    dog
• gel                                     leg
• gas                                     sag
• gum                                   mug
• gut                                     tug

Write 10 words showing /k/ and /g/ at the initial and final position.

TITLE: GRAMMAR: Punctuation Marks (Continues)

The Full Stop and The Comma lesson note

1. The Comma (,) – It is used to separate items of a date. An example

            Monday, 3 rd July, 2015

It is also used for subscription. Examples: Yours sincerely, Your loving son.

Comma can be used to separate noun from another. An example is

I saw Mr. Ojo, the principal of Anglican High School.

It is also used with direct speech. an example: “We shall go home”, she said.

2. The Full – Stop (.) – It is used to end a sentence. And examples

(i) Gbolahan came to Ibadan yesterday         (ii) She is a beautiful woman

b. It is used in abbreviations. Examples U.S.A, U.K, M.A, B.A etc.

Reference: – New Oxford English. Book 2, page 14

Instruction: Replace the asterisks in this conversation with comma, questions make and inverted commas.

Reading to identify the main and supporting ideas in a selected passage.

Reference: New Oxford English for junior secondary school. Book 2. Unit 21, page 200.

Instructions: Read the passage carefully, identify words that shows the writer’s ideas and do the exercise on it.

WRITING A STORY

TITLE:   The Meeting

A DRAMATIC VERSE

A Story of Moremi and Dibia (Meeting in Igbo’s Kings’ Palace)

Reference – New Oxford secondary English course. Book 2 for junior secondary school. Page 201 – 203

Class Exercise: Answer question 1 – 5 that followed the story.

Write a short story on how you meet with an old friend of yours, your both reactions and what ends the story.

SUMMARY ON THE RECOMMENDATION TEXT.

TITLE: SPEECH WORK: Consonant /m/, /n/ and /⌡/

These sounds are called nasal sounds. The nasal sound in English are consonants which are produced when the soft palate is lowered to close the oral cavity so that airstream passes through the nasal cavity. The nasals are /m/, /n/ and /J/ and they are all voiced.

The lips are closed while the soft palate is lowered to cover the oral cavity and allow air pass through the nasal cavity for the production of /m/. This nasal sound is therefore, produced if you close the lips, breathe comes out through the nose and add some “voice” to the breath stream. The spelling symbol is usually “m”. Pronounce the following words where /m/ occurs at the initial and final position.

/m/ at Initial Position             Final Position

• man                       cram
• make                     lame
• meat                      steam
• mile                       calm
• mob                       bomb
• mark                      clamp
• mean                     blame

In /n/, while the soft pilate is lowered to allow the air stream pass through the nasal cavity, the tip of the tongue forms a closure with the alveolar ridge for the production of /n/. The vocal cords vibrate during the articulation of /n/ which is an alveolar nasal. The spelling symbol is “n” but it is silent after “m” in word –  final position as in “damn” and “hymn”.

/n/ at   Initial Position             Final Position

• nab                        ban
• net                         trin
• knit                        corn
• nice                        sign
• nose                      tone

/J/ – As the airstream passes through the nasal cavity, as a result of the lowering of the soft palate, the back of the tongue formed a closure with the volem for the production of /J/. The vocal  cords vibrate during the production of the consonant which is alveolar nasal /J/ does not occur at the beginning of a word and the spelling symbols are: “ng” and “nk”.

/J/ at    Initial Position             Final Position

• ringer                    bang
• hunger                   swing
• tangle                    tongue
• anger                     sting
• stronger                sing
• banquesst              wing etc.

Indicate the consonant at the final position in each of the following words. Write the appropriate symbols.

• E.g. boom        /m/

GRAMMAR: Punctuation Marks (Continues)

Sub – Title: The Question Marks, The Colon and The Semicolon.

A. THE QUESTION MARKS (?) – It is used after direct speech. Example: (i) What is your name?     (ii) Who are you?

B. THE COLON (:) – It is used for introducing quotations, lists etc, examples

(i) In Oke – Odo market, I saw the following: maize, yams, fisher, vegetables and tomatoes.

(ii) My father said: Coming Christmas, he will ride a Toyota Camry car.

C. THE SEMI COLON (;) – It is used between two closely joined principal or main clause. Examples

(i) The sun was setting; the shadow were long

(ii) The book is not mine; it is my uncle’s

Punctuate the following sentences

Exercise 19D. Page 153

Question No 11 – 20

Reference: Progressive English An Elaborate coverage of Grammar. By J. Addai.

As in Week 8

Reference –  New Oxford for junior Secondary school book 2. Unit 10. Page 96

Reading to understand the writer’s purpose

Persuasion:

Read this. Then do the exercise below it

Title: When Should They Go?

COMPOSITION: Revision on the types of Letters and Essay

Revision on Literacy

English Studies Lesson Note for Jss2 First Term

English studies lesson note for jss 2 third term, yoruba lesson note for ss2 second term, lesson note on civic education ss 1 first term, lesson note on civic education ss 1 second term, lesson note on cultural and creative arts jss 1 third term.

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50 Argumentative Essay Topics

Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo. 

• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
• B.A., History, Armstrong State University

An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and argue for or against it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas available to get you started. Then you need to take a position, do some research, and present your viewpoint convincingly.

Choosing a Great Argumentative Essay Topic

Students often find that most of their work on these essays is done before they even start writing. This means that it's best if you have a general interest in your subject. Otherwise, you might get bored or frustrated while trying to gather information. You don't need to know everything, though; part of what makes this experience rewarding is learning something new.

It's best if you have a general interest in your subject, but the argument you choose doesn't have to be one that you agree with.

The subject you choose may not necessarily be one you are in full agreement with, either. You may even be asked to write a paper from the opposing point of view. Researching a different viewpoint helps students broaden their perspectives. 

Ideas for Argument Essays

Sometimes, the best ideas are sparked by looking at many different options. Explore this list of possible topics and see if a few pique your interest. Write those down as you come across them, then think about each for a few minutes.

Which would you enjoy researching? Do you have a firm position on a particular subject? Is there a point you would like to make sure you get across? Did the topic give you something new to think about? Can you see why someone else may feel differently?

List of 50 Possible Argumentative Essay Topics

A number of these topics are rather controversial—that's the point. In an argumentative essay , opinions matter, and controversy is based on opinions. Just make sure your opinions are backed up by facts in the essay.   If these topics are a little too controversial or you don't find the right one for you, try browsing through persuasive essay and speech topics  as well.

• Is global climate change  caused by humans?
• Is the death penalty effective?
• Is the U.S. election process fair?
• Is torture ever acceptable?
• Should men get paternity leave from work?
• Are school uniforms beneficial?
• Does the U.S. have a fair tax system?
• Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
• Is cheating out of control?
• Are we too dependent on computers?
• Should animals be used for research?
• Should cigarette smoking be banned?
• Are cell phones dangerous?
• Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?
• Do we have a throwaway society ?
• Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?
• Should companies market to children?
• Should the government have a say in our diets?
• Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
• Should members of Congress have term limits?
• Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
• Are CEOs paid too much?
• Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
• Do violent video games cause behavior problems?
• Should creationism be taught in public schools?
• Are beauty pageants exploitative ?
• Should English be the official language of the United States?
• Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels?
• Should the alcohol-drinking age be increased or decreased?
• Should everyone be required to recycle?
• Is it okay for prisoners to vote (as they are in some states)?
• Should same-sex marriage be legalized in more countries?
• Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school ?
• Does boredom lead to trouble?
• Should schools be in session year-round ?
• Does religion cause war?
• Should the government provide health care?
• Should abortion be illegal?
• Should more companies expand their reproductive health benefits for employees?
• Is homework harmful or helpful?
• Is the cost of college too high?
• Is college admission too competitive?
• Should euthanasia be illegal?
• Should the federal government legalize marijuana use nationally ?
• Should rich people be required to pay more taxes?
• Should schools require foreign language or physical education?
• Is affirmative action fair?
• Is public prayer okay in schools?
• Are schools and teachers responsible for low test scores?
• Is greater gun control a good idea?

How to Craft a Persuasive Argument

After you've decided on your essay topic, gather evidence to make your argument as strong as possible. Your research could even help shape the position your essay ultimately takes. As you craft your essay, remember to utilize persuasive writing techniques , such as invoking emotional language or citing facts from authoritative figures. 

• 100 Persuasive Essay Topics
• 50 Great Topics for a Process Analysis Essay
• 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
• Examples of Great Introductory Paragraphs
• Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
• Preparing an Argument Essay: Exploring Both Sides of an Issue
• Bad Essay Topics for College Admissions
• How to Write a Narrative Essay or Speech
• Controversial Speech Topics
• How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
• High School Debate Topics
• MBA Essay Tips
• 25 Essay Topics for American Government Classes
• How to Write a Persuasive Essay
• A Sample Essay for Common Application Option #7: Topic of Your Choice
• Common Application Essay Option 6: Losing Track of Time

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• Writing Tips

50 Argumentative Essay Topics for Students

4-minute read

• 11th June 2022

The goal of an argumentative essay is to persuade the reader to understand and support your position on an issue by presenting your reasoning along with supporting evidence. It’s important to find the right balance between giving your opinions and presenting established research.

These essays discuss issues around a range of topics, including science, technology, politics, and healthcare. Whether you’re a teacher looking for essay topics for your students or a student tasked with developing an idea of your own, we’ve compiled a list of 50 argumentative essay topics to help you get started!

●  Does texting hinder interpersonal communication skills?

●  Should there be laws against using devices while driving?

●  Do violent video games teach or encourage people to behave violently?

●  Should social media sites be allowed to collect users’ data?

●  Should parents limit how long their children spend in front of screens?

●  Is AI helping or hurting society?

●  Should cyber-bullying carry legal consequences?

●  Should Supreme Court justices be elected?

●  Is war always a political decision?

●  Should people join a political party?

●  Is capitalism ethical?

●  Is the electoral college an effective system?

●  Should prisoners be allowed to vote?

●  Should the death penalty be legal?

●  Are governments around the world doing enough to combat global warming?

●  Is healthcare a fundamental human right?

●  Should vaccinations be mandated for children?

●  Are there any circumstances under which physician-assisted suicides should be legal?

●  Should parents be able to choose specific genetic modifications of their future children?

●  Should abortion be legal?

●  Is it ethical to perform medical experiments on animals?

●  Should patients who lead unhealthy lifestyles be denied organ transplants?

●  Should doctors be able to provide medical care to children against their parents’ wishes?

Mental Healthcare

●  What causes the stigma around mental health?

●  Discuss the link between insufficient access to mental health services and the high suicide rates among veterans.

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●  Should cannabis be used as a treatment for patients with mental disorders?

●  Is there a link between social media use and mental disorders?

●  Discuss the effect of physical activity on mental health.

●  Should sports be segregated by gender?

●  Should male and female athletes be given the same pay and opportunities?

●  Are professional athletes overpaid?

●  Should college athletes be paid?

●  Should sports betting be legal?

●  Should online access to art such as music be free?

●  Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?

●  Are there any circumstances under which books should be banned?

●  Should schools be required to offer art courses?

●  Is art necessary to society?

●  Should schools require uniforms?

●  Should reciting the Pledge of Allegiance be required in schools?

●  Do standardized tests effectively measure intelligence?

●  Should high school students take a gap year before pursuing higher education?

●  Should higher education be free?

●  Is there too much pressure on high school students to attend college?

●  Are children better off in two-parent households?

●  Should LGBTQ+ partners be allowed to adopt?

●  Should single people be able to adopt children as easily as couples?

●  Is it okay for parents to physically discipline their children?

●  Does helicopter parenting help or hurt children?

●  Should parents monitor their children’s Internet use?

Proofreading & Editing

An argument could also be made for the importance of proofreading your essay ! The reader can focus more on your message when your writing is clear, concise, and error-free, and they won’t question whether you’re knowledgeable on the issues you’re presenting. Once you have a draft ready, you can submit a free trial document to start working with our expert editors!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 50 great argumentative essay topics for any assignment.

General Education

At some point, you’re going to be asked to write an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is exactly what it sounds like—an essay in which you’ll be making an argument, using examples and research to back up your point.

But not all argumentative essay topics are created equal. Not only do you have to structure your essay right to have a good impact on the reader, but even your choice of subject can impact how readers feel about your work.

In this article, we’ll cover the basics of writing argumentative essays, including what argumentative essays are, how to write a good one, and how to pick a topic that works for you. Then check out a list of argumentative essay ideas to help you get started.

What Is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay is one that makes an argument through research. These essays take a position and support it through evidence, but, unlike many other kinds of essays, they are interested in expressing a specific argument supported by research and evidence.

A good argumentative essay will be based on established or new research rather than only on your thoughts and feelings. Imagine that you’re trying to get your parents to raise your allowance, and you can offer one of two arguments in your favor:

You should raise my allowance because I want you to.

You should raise my allowance because I’ve been taking on more chores without complaining.

The first argument is based entirely in feelings without any factual backup, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven. Your parents are more likely to respond positively to the second argument because it demonstrates that you have done something to earn the increased allowance. Similarly, a well-researched and reasoned argument will show readers that your point has a basis in fact, not just feelings.

The standard five-paragraph essay is common in writing argumentative essays, but it’s not the only way to write one. An argumentative essay is typically written in one of two formats, the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.

The Toulmin model is the most common, comprised of an introduction with a claim (otherwise known as a thesis), with data to support it. This style of essay will also include rebuttals, helping to strengthen your argument by anticipating counterarguments.

The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Both essay styles rely on well-reasoned logic and supporting evidence to prove a point, just in two different ways.

The important thing to note about argumentative essays as opposed to other kinds of essays is that they aim to argue a specific point rather than to explain something or to tell a story. While they may have some things in common with analytical essays, the primary difference is in their objective—an argumentative essay aims to convince someone of something, whereas an analytical essay contextualizes a topic with research.

What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay?

To write an effective argumentative essay, you need to know what a good one looks like. In addition to a solid structure, you’ll need an argument, a strong thesis, and solid research.

An Argument

Unlike other forms of essays, you are trying to convince your reader of something. You’re not just teaching them a concept or demonstrating an idea—you’re constructing an argument to change the readers’ thinking.

You’ll need to develop a good argument, which encompasses not just your main point, but also all the pieces that make it up.

Think beyond what you are saying and include how you’re saying it. How will you take an idea and turn it into a complex and well thought out argument that is capable of changing somebody’s mind?

A Strong Thesis

The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis.

This is the foundation on which your essay is built, so it needs to be strong and well-reasoned. You need to be able to expand on it with facts and sources, not just feelings.

A good argumentative essay isn’t just based on your individual thoughts, but research. That can be citing sources and other arguments or it can mean direct research in the field, depending on what your argument is and the context in which you are arguing it.

Be prepared to back your thesis up with reporting from scientific journals, newspapers, or other forms of research. Having well-researched sources will help support your argument better than hearsay or assumptions. If you can’t find enough research to back up your point, it’s worth reconsidering your thesis or conducting original research, if possible.

How to Come Up With an Argumentative Essay Topic

Sometimes you may find yourself arguing things you don’t necessarily believe. That’s totally fine—you don’t actually have to wholeheartedly believe in what you’re arguing in order to construct a compelling argument.

However, if you have free choice of topic, it’s a good idea to pick something you feel strongly about. There are two key components to a good argumentative essay: a strong stance, and an assortment of evidence. If you’re interested and feel passionate about the topic you choose, you'll have an easier time finding evidence to support it, but it's the evidence that's most important. 

So, to choose a topic, think about things you feel strongly about, whether positively or negatively. You can make a list of ideas and narrow those down to a handful of things, then expand on those ideas with a few potential points you want to hit on.

For example, say you’re trying to decide whether you should write about how your neighborhood should ban weed killer, that your school’s lunch should be free for all students, or that the school day should be cut by one hour. To decide between these ideas, you can make a list of three to five points for each that cover the different evidence you could use to support each point.

For the weed killer ban, you could say that weed killer has been proven to have adverse impacts on bees, that there are simple, natural alternatives, and that weeds aren’t actually bad to have around. For the free lunch idea, you could suggest that some students have to go hungry because they can’t afford lunch, that funds could be diverted from other places to support free lunch, and that other items, like chips or pizza, could be sold to help make up lost revenue. And for the school day length example, you could argue that teenagers generally don’t get enough sleep, that you have too much homework and not enough time to do it, and that teenagers don’t spend enough time with their families.

You might find as you make these lists that some of them are stronger than others. The more evidence you have and the stronger you feel that that evidence is, the better the topic.  Of course, if you feel that one topic may have more evidence but you’d rather not write about it, it’s okay to pick another topic instead. When you’re making arguments, it can be much easier to find strong points and evidence if you feel passionate about our topic than if you don't.

50 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

If you’re struggling to come up with topics on your own, read through this list of argumentative essay topics to help get you started!

• Should fracking be legal?
• Should parents be able to modify their unborn children?
• Do GMOs help or harm people?
• Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
• Should world governments get involved in addressing climate change?
• Should Facebook be allowed to collect data from its users?
• Should self-driving cars be legal?
• Is it ethical to replace human workers with automation?
• Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving?
• Has the internet positively or negatively impacted human society?

• Should college athletes be paid for being on sports teams?
• Should coaches and players make the same amount of money?
• Should sports be segregated by gender?
• Should the concept of designated hitters in baseball be abolished?
• Should US sports take soccer more seriously?
• Should religious organizations have to pay taxes?
• Should religious clubs be allowed in schools?
• Should “one nation under God” be in the pledge of allegiance?
• Should religion be taught in schools?
• Should clergy be allowed to marry?
• Should minors be able to purchase birth control without parental consent?
• Should the US switch to single-payer healthcare?
• Should assisted suicide be legal?
• Should dietary supplements and weight loss items like teas be allowed to advertise through influencers?
• Should doctors be allowed to promote medicines?

Government/Politics

• Is the electoral college an effective system for modern America?
• Should Puerto Rico become a state?
• Should voter registration be automatic?
• Should people in prison be allowed to vote?
• Should Supreme Court justices be elected?
• Should sex work be legalized?
• Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
• Should the death penalty be legal?
• Should animal testing be allowed?
• Should drug possession be decriminalized?

• Should unpaid internships be legal?
• Should minimum wage be increased?
• Should monopolies be allowed?
• Is universal basic income a good idea?
• Should corporations have a higher or lower tax rate?
• Are school uniforms a good idea?
• Should PE affect a student’s grades?
• Should college be free?
• Should Greek life in colleges be abolished?
• Should students be taught comprehensive sex ed?

Arts/Culture

• Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
• Should books with objectionable words be banned?
• Should content on YouTube be better regulated?
• Is art education important?
• Should art and music sharing online be allowed?

How to Argue Effectively

A strong argument isn’t just about having a good point. If you can’t support that point well, your argument falls apart.

One of the most important things you can do in writing a strong argumentative essay is organizing well. Your essay should have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, better known as the introduction, body and opposition, and conclusion.

This example follows the Toulmin model—if your essay follows the Rogerian model, the same basic premise is true, but your thesis will instead propose two conflicting viewpoints that will be resolved through evidence in the body, with your conclusion choosing the stronger of the two arguments.

Introduction

Your hook should draw the reader’s interest immediately. Questions are a common way of getting interest, as well as evocative language or a strong statistic

Don’t assume that your audience is already familiar with your topic. Give them some background information, such as a brief history of the issue or some additional context.

Your thesis is the crux of your argument. In an argumentative essay, your thesis should be clearly outlined so that readers know exactly what point you’ll be making. Don’t explain all your evidence in the opening, but do take a strong stance and make it clear what you’ll be discussing.

Your claims are the ideas you’ll use to support your thesis. For example, if you’re writing about how your neighborhood shouldn’t use weed killer, your claim might be that it’s bad for the environment. But you can’t just say that on its own—you need evidence to support it.

Evidence is the backbone of your argument. This can be things you glean from scientific studies, newspaper articles, or your own research. You might cite a study that says that weed killer has an adverse effect on bees, or a newspaper article that discusses how one town eliminated weed killer and saw an increase in water quality. These kinds of hard evidence support your point with demonstrable facts, strengthening your argument.

In your essay, you want to think about how the opposition would respond to your claims and respond to them. Don’t pick the weakest arguments, either— figure out what other people are saying and respond to those arguments with clearly reasoned arguments.

Demonstrating that you not only understand the opposition’s point, but that your argument is strong enough to withstand it, is one of the key pieces to a successful argumentative essay.

Conclusions are a place to clearly restate your original point, because doing so will remind readers exactly what you’re arguing and show them how well you’ve argued that point.

Summarize your main claims by restating them, though you don’t need to bring up the evidence again. This helps remind readers of everything you’ve said throughout the essay.

End by suggesting a picture of a world in which your argument and action are ignored. This increases the impact of your argument and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.

A strong argumentative essay is one with good structure and a strong argument , but there are a few other things you can keep in mind to further strengthen your point.

When you’re crafting an argument, it can be easy to get distracted by all the information and complications in your argument. It’s important to stay focused—be clear in your thesis and home in on claims that directly support that thesis.

Be Rational

It’s important that your claims and evidence be based in facts, not just opinion. That’s why it’s important to use reliable sources based in science and reporting—otherwise, it’s easy for people to debunk your arguments.

Don’t rely solely on your feelings about the topic. If you can’t back a claim up with real evidence, it leaves room for counterarguments you may not anticipate. Make sure that you can support everything you say with clear and concrete evidence, and your claims will be a lot stronger!

What’s Next?

No matter what kind of essay you're writing, a strong plan will help you have a bigger impact. This guide to writing a college essay is a great way to get started on your essay organizing journey!

Brushing up on your essay format knowledge to prep for the SAT? Check out this list of SAT essay prompts to help you kickstart your studying!

A bunch of great essay examples can help you aspire to greatness, but bad essays can also be a warning for what not to do. This guide to bad college essays will help you better understand common mistakes to avoid in essay writing!

Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.

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101 Standout Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

An argumentative essay is just what it sounds like: an essay where you argue. You pick a topic, take a stance, research information to support your opinion, state your claims, and voilà! You’ve got your essay.

As simple as that may sound, writing a persuasive essay can be quite difficult for even very experienced writers. It takes excellent organization and planning to clearly address your thoughts and requires stellar research skills to find valid arguments that support your claim.

But before you can state your case, you first need to come up with the topic you’re going to argue about.

How to Choose a Topic for an Argumentative Essay

When you choose a topic for an argumentative essay, it’s important to keep these tips in mind:

• Your topic must be debatable. Duh... this seems obvious, but it’s worth stating. You need a topic that has (at least) two sides. Choosing a topic such as Puerto Rico is My Favorite Place is not really debatable. However, picking a topic like Puerto Rico Should Become the 51st State to Join the United States is something arguable. Some people agree with this statement, and others do not. There are pros and cons that can be discussed. ‍
• Write about what people are talking about. Watch the news. Browse the internet. It’s more engaging to write about something that’s relevant right now. For example, if you keep hearing a lot about immigration, you might choose a topic such as America Should Close Its Borders . Or if you read a lot about standardized testing in schools, you can create a topic like Colleges Should Eliminate Standardized Testing From Their Application Process . When a topic is current and intriguing, it makes for a more interesting essay. ‍
• Reflect on your interests. It’s always better to write about something for which you have a passion. If you love video games, you could write a persuasive essay such as Video Gaming is Healthy for Teens . If you’re passionate about sports, you could cover something like College Athletes Deserve to Be Paid . Researching and writing an argumentative essay takes quite a bit of time, so you should pick a topic you’re fascinated by to make the process a little less painless.

Forming General Arguments

To test whether or not the prompt you have in mind is up to snuff for an entire essay, you can test it out by putting it in a general argument.

Pick the topic you’re thinking about and see if it works as a two-sided debate in any of the following formats:

• Is…effective? Productive? Helpful? Worth it? (i.e. Is school choice effective?)
• Is…hurtful? Harmful? Wasteful? (i.e. Is fracking harmful to the environment?)
• …should be allowed for… (i.e. Alcohol should be allowed for all people who are 18 and older. )
• …should be forbidden for… (i.e. Football should be forbidden for children under the age of ten .)

If you can make a topic from any of these, you’re ready at this point to start outlining your essay . If not, you need to find a more specific starting point.

Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

Need some ideas to help you choose a topic? This list will get you started.

Note that these are listed as questions so you can take your own stance. For example, Should everyone have free healthcare? gives you at least two possible topics depending on your point of view: Everyone is Entitled to Free Healthcare vs. It is Not the Government’s Responsibility to Provide Healthcare for Everyone .

Laws & Policies

• Should the drinking age be lowered/raised?
• Should military participation be mandatory for all citizens?
• Should all Americans be required to speak English fluently?
• Should Americans be required to speak Spanish?
• Should teachers be armed?
• Should gun control laws be stricter?
• Should the military age be lowered/raised?
• Should there be limits to free speech?
• Should marijuana be legal?
• Should the internet be censored?
• Are gun control laws too strict?
• Should people of the same sex be allowed to marry each other?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Should laws be grounded in religion?
• Should churches be tax-free institutions?
• Should the voting age be lowered/raised?
• Should felons have the right to vote?
• Should the electoral college still exist?
• Should Puerto Rico become a state?
• Should all politicians have term limits?
• Should everyone have free healthcare?
• Should social security be privatized?
• Should the United States build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico?
• Should the minimum wage be raised?
• Should wealthier citizens pay more taxes?
• Should the use of the penny be eliminated?
• Should every citizen be required to vote?
• Is life better now than it was X years ago?
• Who is the greatest president of all time?
• Who is the most ethical/moral politician that has ever served?
• Is globalization a good thing?
• How can governments prevent World War 3?
• Is democracy the best form of government?
• Are teenagers now smarter than teenagers of past generations?
• Does revolution result in real change?
• Should the U.S. get involved with other countries’ wars?
• Should cursive writing be taught in schools?
• Should students have to wear school uniforms?
• Should all students have free college tuition?
• Should teachers be paid more?
• Should K–12 school selection be based on where you live?
• Should all students be required to study abroad?
• Should year-round schooling be mandatory?
• Should high school start times be later?
• Should everyone be required to learn a foreign language?
• Should schools have mandatory metal detectors and security guards?
• Is standardized testing fair?
• Should prayer be allowed in school?
• Should sex education be required for all students?
• Are single-sex schools more effective?
• Should students be required to take a year off before starting college?

Science & Technology

• Should we invest in space travel?
• Are nuclear weapons helping make the world safe?
• Are video games harmful?
• Do video games cause children to be violent?
• Does screen time have an effect on a child’s social behavior?
• Should animals be used to test new products?
• Has technology helped or hurt society?
• Does technology make life easier?
• Are online relationships legitimate?
• Is cloning ethical?
• How can we best fight against the obesity epidemic?
• Should smoking be illegal?
• Should energy drinks be banned?
• Are diets helpful?
• Is technology making healthcare more/less personal?
• Should schools offer healthier food choices?
• Should doctor-assisted suicide exist?
• Should unhealthy foods and beverages be taxed at a higher rate?
• Should physical education be mandatory for everyone?
• Should recycling be mandatory?
• Should every household have a trash limit?
• Should people eat vegan to help save the environment?
• Should tax money be used to save endangered species?
• Should cars be outlawed in cities?
• Should plastic straws and bags be banned worldwide?
• Should there be limits on water usage?
• Should solar and wind power be used more often than other energies?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• Should players have to stand for the National Anthem?
• Do athletes have a responsibility to be role models?
• Who is the greatest athlete of all time?
• Is football too dangerous for young athletes?
• Should sports betting be illegal?
• Does playing a sport help build character in young children?
• Should professional sports have cheerleaders?

Pop Culture & the Arts

• Should beauty contests be terminated?
• Should artwork be censored?
• Do celebrities have responsibilities to be role models?
• Is social media helpful or hurtful?
• Do television shows accurately represent current American lifestyles?
• Should music be censored?
• Should people live together before marriage?
• Should children be put in the spotlight at a young age?
• Does money lead to happiness?
• Should the death penalty be abolished?
• Is there any time when breaking the law is okay?
• Is money the root of all evil?
• Are we responsible for other people or only for ourselves?
• Do the ends justify the means of any action?
• Can people ever change who they are?

Once you have chosen a topic that is relevant, debatable, and worth discussing, you are free to begin organizing your argumentative essay. Outline your opinion, do some research, and get started!

How to Write Essay Titles and Headers

Don’t overlook the title and section headers when putting together your next writing assignment. Follow these pointers for keeping your writing organized and effective.

Need a topic for your upcoming argumentative essay? We've got 100 helpful prompts to help you get kickstarted on your next writing assignment.

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52 Argumentative Essay Ideas that are Actually Interesting

What’s covered:, how to pick a good argumentative essay topic, elements of a strong argumentative essay, argumentative essay idea example topics.

Are you having writer’s block? Coming up with an essay topic can be the hardest part of the process. You have very likely encountered argumentative essay writing in high school and have been asked to write your own. If you’re having trouble finding a topic, we’ve created a list of 52 essay ideas to help jumpstart your brainstorming process! In addition, this post will cover strategies for picking a topic and how to make your argument a strong one. Ultimately, the goal is to convince your reader. 

An argumentative essay tasks the writer with presenting an assertion and bolstering that assertion with proper research. You’ll present the claim’s authenticity. This means that whatever argument you’re making must be empirically true! Writing an argumentative essay without any evidence will leave you stranded without any facts to back up your claim. When choosing your essay topic, begin by thinking about themes that have been researched before. Readers will be more engaged with an argument that is supported by data.

This isn’t to say that your argumentative essay topic has to be as well-known, like “Gravity: Does it Exist?” but it shouldn’t be so obscure that there isn’t ample evidence. Finding a topic with multiple sources confirming its validity will help you support your thesis throughout your essay. If upon review of these articles you begin to doubt their worth due to small sample sizes, biased funding sources, or scientific disintegrity, don’t be afraid to move on to a different topic. Your ultimate goal should be proving to your audience that your argument is true because the data supports it.

The hardest essays to write are the ones that you don’t care about. If you don’t care about your topic, why should someone else? Topics that are more personal to the reader are immediately more thoughtful and meaningful because the author’s passion shines through. If you are free to choose an argumentative essay topic, find a topic where the papers you read and cite are fun to read. It’s much easier to write when the passion is already inside of you!

However, you won’t always have the choice to pick your topic. You may receive an assignment to write an argumentative essay that you feel is boring. There is still value in writing an argumentative essay on a topic that may not be of interest to you. It will push you to study a new topic, and broaden your ability to write on a variety of topics. Getting good at proving a point thoroughly and effectively will help you to both understand different fields more completely and increase your comfort with scientific writing.

Convincing Thesis Statement

It’s important to remember the general essay structure: an introduction paragraph with a thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. A strong thesis statement will set your essay up for success. What is it? A succinct, concise, and pithy sentence found in your first paragraph that summarizes your main point. Pour over this statement to ensure that you can set up your reader to understand your essay. You should also restate your thesis throughout your essay to keep your reader focused on your point.

Ample Research

A typical argumentative essay prompt may look like this: “What has been the most important invention of the 21st century? Support your claim with evidence.” This question is open-ended and gives you flexibility. But that also means it requires research to prove your point convincingly. The strongest essays weave scientific quotes and results into your writing. You can use recent articles, primary sources, or news sources. Maybe you even cite your own research. Remember, this process takes time, so be sure you set aside enough time to dive deep into your topic.

Clear Structure

If the reader can’t follow your argument, all your research could be for nothing! Structure is key to persuading your audience. Below are two common argumentative essay structures that you can use to organize your essays.

The Toulmin argument and the Rogerian argument each contain the four sections mentioned above but executes them in different ways. Be sure to familiarize yourself with both essay structures so that your essay is the most effective it can be.

The Toulmin argument has a straightforward presentation. You begin with your assertion, your thesis statement. You then list the evidence that supports your point and why these are valid sources. The bulk of your essay should be explaining how your sources support your claim. You then end your essay by acknowledging and discussing the problems or flaws that readers may find in your presentation. Then, you should list the solutions to these and alternative perspectives and prove your argument is stronger.

The Rogerian argument has a more complex structure. You begin with a discussion of what opposing sides do right and the validity of their arguments. This is effective because it allows you to piece apart your opponent’s argument. The next section contains your position on the questions. In this section, it is important to list problems with your opponent’s argument that your argument fixes. This way, your position feels much stronger. Your essay ends with suggesting a possible compromise between the two sides. A combination of the two sides could be the most effective solution.

• Is the death penalty effective?
• Is our election process fair?
• Is the electoral college outdated?
• Should we have lower taxes?
• How many Supreme Court Justices should there be?
• Should there be different term limits for elected officials?
• Should the drinking age be lowered?
• Does religion cause war?
• Should the country legalize marijuana?
• Should the country have tighter gun control laws?
• Should men get paternity leave?
• Should maternity leave be longer?
• Should smoking be banned?
• Should the government have a say in our diet?
• Should birth control be free?
• Should we increase access to condoms for teens?
• Should abortion be legal?
• Do school uniforms help educational attainment?
• Are kids better or worse students than they were ten years ago?
• Should students be allowed to cheat?
• Is school too long?
• Does school start too early?
• Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school?
• Is summer break still relevant?
• Is college too expensive?

Art / Culture

• How can you reform copyright law?
• What was the best decade for music?
• Do video games cause students to be more violent?
• Should content online be more harshly regulated?
• Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
• Should schools ban books?
• How important is art education?
• Should music be taught in school?
• Are music-sharing services helpful to artists?
• What is the best way to teach science in a religious school?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should parents be allowed to modify their unborn children?
• Should vaccinations be required for attending school?
• Are GMOs helpful or harmful?
• Are we too dependent on our phones?
• Should everyone have internet access?
• Should internet access be free?
• Should the police force be required to wear body cams?
• Should social media companies be allowed to collect data from their users?
• How has the internet impacted human society?
• Should self-driving cars be allowed on the streets?
• Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
• Are professional athletes paid too much?
• Should the U.S. have more professional sports teams?
• Should sports be separated by gender?
• Should college athletes be paid?
• What are the best ways to increase safety in sports?

Where to Get More Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas

If you need more help brainstorming topics, especially those that are personalized to your interests, you can use CollegeVine’s free AI tutor, Ivy . Ivy can help you come up with original argumentative essay ideas, and she can also help with the rest of your homework, from math to languages.

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Student Opinion

401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

By Michael Gonchar

• March 1, 2017

Note: We have 310 new argumentative writing prompts to add to this list.

Of all the resources we publish on The Learning Network, perhaps it’s our vast collection of writing prompts that is our most widely used resource for teaching and learning with The Times.

This list of 401 prompts ( available here in PDF ) is now our third iteration of what originally started as 200 prompts for argumentative writing, and it’s intended as a companion resource to help teachers and students participate in our annual Student Editorial Contest .

So scroll through the hundreds of prompts below that touch on every aspect of contemporary life — from social media to sports, politics, gender issues and school — and see which ones most inspire you to take a stand. Each question comes from our daily Student Opinion feature, and each provides links to free Times resources for finding more information. And for even more in-depth student discussions on pressing issues like immigration , guns , climate change and race , please visit our fall 2016 Civil Conversation Challenge .

What’s your favorite question on this list? What questions should we ask, but haven’t yet? Tell us in the comments.

And visit our related list as well: 650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing .

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JSS2 First Term English Language Junior Secondary School

Types of essays.

3) The Analytical essay What is it? In this type of essay you analyze, examine and interpret such things as an event, book, poem, play or other work of art.  What are its most important qualities? Your analytical essay should have an:

• Introduction and presentation of argument   The introductory paragraph is used to tell the reader what text or texts you will be discussing. Every literary work raises at least one major issue. In your introduction you will also define the idea or issue of the text that you wish to examine in your analysis. This is sometimes called the thesis or research question. It is important that you narrow the focus of your essay.
• Analysis of the text (the longest part of the essay) The issue you have chosen to analyze is connected to your argument. After stating the problem, present your argument. When you start analyzing the text, pay attention to the stylistic devices (the “hows” of the text) the author uses to convey some specific meaning. You must decide if the author accomplishes his goal of conveying his ideas to the reader. Do not forget to support your assumptions with examples and reasonable judgment.
• Personal response Your personal response will show a deeper understanding of the text and by forming a personal meaning about the text you will get more out of it. Do not make the mistake of thinking that you only have to have a positive response to a text. If a writer is trying to convince you of something but fails to do so, in your opinion, your critical personal response can be very enlightening. The key word here is  critical . Base any objections on the text and use evidence from the text. Personal response should be in evidence throughout the essay, not tacked on at the end.
• Conclusion (related to the analysis and the argument) Your conclusion should explain the relation between the analyzed text and the presented argument.

Tips for writing analytical essays:

• Be well organized: Plan what you want to write before you start. It is a good idea to know exactly what your conclusion is going to be before you start to write. When you know where you are going, you tend to get there in a well organized way with logical progression.
• Analytical essays normally use the present tense: When talking about a text, write about it in the present tense.
• Be “objective”: Avoid using the first person too much. For example, instead of saying “I think Louisa is imaginative because…”, try: “It appears that Louisa has a vivid imagination, because…”.
• Do not use slang or colloquial language (the language of informal speech).
• Do not use contractions.
• Avoid using “etc.”: This is an expression that is generally used by writers who have nothing more to say.
• Create an original title, do not use the title of the text.
• Analysis does not mean retelling the story: Many students fall into the trap of telling the reader what is happening in the text instead of analyzing it. Analysis aims to explain how the writer makes us see what he or she wants us to see, the effect of the writing techniques, the text’s themes and your personal response to these.

4) The argumentative essay What is it? This is the type of essay where you prove that your opinion, theory or hypothesis about an issue is correct or more truthful than those of others. In short, it is very similar to the persuasive essay, but the difference is that you are arguing for your opinion as opposed to others, rather than directly trying to persuade someone to adopt your point of view. What are its most important qualities?

• The argument should be focused
• The argument should be a clear statement (a question cannot be an argument)
• It should be a topic that you can support with solid evidence
• The argumentative essay should be based on pros and cons (see below)
• Structure your approach well (see below)
• Use good transition words/phrases (see below)
• Be aware of your intended audience. How can you win them over?
• Research your topic so your evidence is convincing.
• Don’t overdo your language and don’t bore the reader. And don’t keep repeating your points!
• Remember the rules of the good paragraph. One single topic per paragraph, and natural progression from one to the next.
• End with a strong conclusion.

Tips for writing argumentative essays: 1) Make a list of the pros and cons in your plan before you start writing: Choose the most important that support your argument (the pros) and the most important to refute (the cons) and focus on them.

2) The argumentative essay has three approaches: Choose the one that you find most effective for your argument. Do you find it better to “sell” your argument first and then present the counter arguments and refute them? Or do you prefer to save the best for last?

• Approach 1: Thesis statement (main argument): Pro idea 1 Pro idea 2 Con(s) + Refutation(s): these are the opinions of others that you disagree with. You must clearly specify these opinions if you are to refute them convincingly. Conclusion
• Approach 2: Thesis statement: Con(s) + Refutation(s) Pro idea 1 Pro idea 2 Conclusion
• Approach 3: Thesis statement: Con idea 1 and the your refutation Con idea 2 and the your refutation Con idea 3 and the your refutation Conclusion

3) Use good transition words when moving between arguments and most importantly when moving from pros to cons and vice versa. For example:

• While I have shown that…. other may say
• Opponents of this idea claim / maintain that …
• Those who disagree claim that …
• While some people may disagree with this idea…

When you want to refute or counter the cons you may start with:

• Nonetheless,
• On the other hand,
• This claim notwithstanding

If you want to mark your total disagreement:

• After seeing this evidence, it is impossible to agree with what they say
• Their argument is irrelevant
• Contrary to what they might think …

These are just a few suggestions. You can, of course, come up with many good transitions of your own.

4) Use facts, statistics, quotes and examples to convince your readers of your argument

Grammar: Agreement (Concord)

Concord in broad terms means agreement between the subject and the verbs as well as other elements of the clause structure. The idea of concord in the grammar of English suggests that for an English sentence to be correct and meaningful, its constituent parts (i.e. subject, verb, object, adverbial) must be in perfect agreement.  Some rules of agreement are discussed below:

• The Subject/Verb Agreement

This is the agreement between the subject and the predicate or verb.  The rule here states that:

(i) When the subject is singular, the verb should be singular i.e. singular subject takes singular verb

Examples: Tolu  is  a lover of football. – Tolu (singular subject), is (singular verb) She  likes  chocolate – She (singular subject), likes (singular verb)

(ii) When the subject is plural, the verb must also be plural

Examples: Nigerians  are  lovers of football. – Nigerians (Plural subject), are (Plural verb) The  children  have  very loving parents. – Children (Plural subject), have (Plural verb)

The verb agrees with the subject and NOT with the noun next to it.

• Correct: Her bouquet of  flowers  is  a birthday present. – The verb  is  affects bouquet not flowers.
• Incorrect: Her bouquet of  flowers are  a birthday present.

(The subject here is  bouquet , which is part of the noun phrase  bouquet of flowers . Since  bouquet  is a singular item, and we are referring to it and not the flowers, a singular verb should be used.)

• Correct: The  man  with two briefcases  is  heading for the airport.
• Incorrect: The man with two  briefcases are  heading for the airport.
• Correct: The  instruction  to the boys  was  not clear.
• Incorrect: The instruction to the  boys were  not clear.
• Correct: The  thieves  who stole the money  have  escaped.
• Incorrect: The thieves who stole the  money has  escaped.
• Compound Subject/Verb

A compound subject consists of two or more nouns (Adam and Eve, cowboy and cowgirl), pronouns (your and I, he and she), or noun phrases (a basket of rotten eggs, a layer of dirt). Together, they form the subject of a verb in a sentence.

If the subject has two or more nouns, it takes a plural verb

• Daniel, David and Daniela  are  triplets.
• He, his dog and I  are  best friends.

When two or more nouns are joined by ‘and’ to form a subject, the verb is in the plural form

• Forks and spoons  have  always been together during dinnertime.
• The grandfather, the father and the son all  have  beard.
• The teacher and the student  are  inside the class

If the nouns that make up a compound subject are joined by ‘or’ and both are singular, a singular verb is used

• His father or mother  is  a professor of insects.
• Chicken soup or duck soup  makes  no difference to me because I like all soups.

If the nouns that make up a compound subject are singular and plural, the verb agrees with the noun nearer to it

• The clock or the watch or both  are  not accurate; they tell different times.
• His killers or killer  is  still at large.
• Subject coming after Verbs

The subject usually comes before the verb, but there are sentences that have the subjects coming after the verbs. The verbs must still agree with the subjects.

• There  is  a  fly  on your food.
• I  saw three  big  cows  in Mr Tunde’s farm.

In questions, the subjects usually come after the verbs.

• Does  your  girlfriend  know you have other girls?
• Have you  read my new book?
• Other Subject Agreement

a – Double – title Subject Concord

When two subjects are joined together by ‘and’ but refer to only one person or thing (i.e. refer to the same entity) the verb to be used should be singular

The professor and head of literature  department is a public figure. The founder and CEO of Rise Group is Mrs Toyosi

When two nouns refer to the same person or thing, the verb is in the singular form.

• Correct: The owner and manager of the store  is  my friend. Incorrect: The owner and manager of the store  are  my friend.
• Correct: My friend and neighbour  has  been a magician for many years. Incorrect: My friend and neighbour  have  been a magician for many years.

When two nouns refer to the same person, the article ‘the’ is used only once and the verb is in the singular.

• Correct: The nurse and sister of the patient  cares  deeply for him. (Nurse and sister are the same person, singular verb  cares  is used.) Incorrect: The nurse and sister of the patient  care  deeply for him.
•  Correct: The owner and occupant of the mysterious house  was   never seen again.

Incorrect: The owner and occupant of the mysterious house  were  never seen again.

When two different persons are referred to, the article ‘the’ is repeated and the verb is in the plural.

• The owner and the occupant of the house  are  very good friends.
• The teacher and the father of the student  are  talking about him.

When two nouns are treated as one entity, the verb is in the singular.

• Bread and butter  was  his daily breakfast. (Bread and butter stand for one item of food, so a singular verb is used.)
• Milk and cornflakes  is  a good diet.
• Time and tide  waits  for no man.

As a general rule, use a plural verb with two or more subjects when they are connected by  and.

Example:   A  car  and a  bike   are  my means of transportation.

But note these exceptions:

Exceptions: Breaking and entering   is  against the law. The  bed and breakfast   was   charming.

In those sentences,  breaking and entering  and  bed and breakfast  are compound nouns.

b –  “A – pair- of” Agreement

When the phrase “a – pair – of” is used as a subject, it is treated as singular and it attracts a singular verb

Example: A pair of shoes is under my bed. A pair of slippers is missing

c  – Rule of Proximity

The rule of proximity states that ‘when there is a list of nouns or pronouns acting as the subject with an ‘or’ a ‘nor’, it is the nearest noun or pronoun to the position of the verb that will determine the choice of the verb.

Examples: If the boy dies, the parents, his friends or  the doctor  is to blame. If the boy dies; the doctor, his friends or  his parents  are to blame.

Neither Tunde nor  his friends  were around for the party Neither his friends nor  Tunde  was around for the party

The verb in an  or, either/or,  or  neither/nor  sentence agrees with the noun or pronoun closest to it.

Examples: Neither the  plates   nor  the serving  spoon   goes  on that shelf. Neither the serving  spoon   nor  the  plates   go  on that shelf.

This rule can lead to bumps in the road.

For example, if  I  is one of two (or more) subjects, it could lead to this odd sentence:

Awkward :   Neither she, my friends, nor I am going to the festival.

If possible, it’s best to re-word such grammatically correct but awkward sentences.

Better: Neither she, I, nor my friends are going to the festival. OR She, my friends, and I are not going to the festival.

d –  “Collective Noun” Concord

A collective noun is a noun which stands for many units constituting a single word, e.g, congregation, which stands for worshipers. A collective noun functioning as the subject of a sentence usually takes a singular verb.

(i)   The congregation sits behind the choir.  (singular verb) (ii)  Their band is poor (singular verb)

However, in notional terms a collective noun functioning as the subject of a sentence may take a plural verb.

(ii) The group meet once in a year (takes plural verb) (iii) The police are now up to the task of protecting lives in Nigeria (Plural verb)

e –  Indefinite Pronoun Concord

Indefinite pronouns such as everyone, everything, everybody, nobody, anyone, someone, somebody, something, etc. always attract singular verbs

Go to the kitchen, someone  is  in there No one  knows  what he can do till he tries Somebody  has  taken  my pen The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone  gets  out of it alive

f –  Phrase Concord

Phrases beginning with ‘with’, ‘as well as’, ‘together with’, etc do not mean the same as ‘and’, and the verb is therefore in the singular.

• Correct: The woman with her daughter  is  selling ofada rice. Incorrect: The woman with her daughter  are  selling ofada rice.
• Correct: Bobola as well as his brother  was  selected to play at the U-17 world cup final last year. Incorrect: Bob as well as his brother  were  selected to play at the U-17 world cup final last year.

For those prepositions and the nouns that follow them ( objects  of the prepositions), these are prepositional phrases. Therefore,  Objects  of prepositions cannot be  subjects . Examples: The letter (singular)  to the editors  is(singular to agree with letter) ready. The copiers(plural)  in Operations  are(plural to agree with copiers) better than those in our area.

g –  Plural Number Concord

Amounts or units such as “four hundred times”, ‘ten percent’, ‘three hundred days’, etc are generally treated as singular subjects when in the nominative case, and should take singular verbs, e.g.,

Ten percent is too small for me. One million naira is a lot of money

When a quantity or an amount is treated as a whole, the verb used is singular.

• The N1000.00 you lent me  was  not enough.
• Two hundred dollars nowadays  is  not a lot of money.
• How many kobos  is  equal to one naira?
• He said eighty – two kilograms  was  her weight.
• Twenty kilometers  is  a long distance to walk.
• Other Rules

i – Words indicating Portions

With words that indicate portions—e.g.,  a lot, a majority, some, all  are guided by the noun after  of . If the noun after  of  is singular, use a singular verb. If it is plural, use a plural verb.

Examples: A lot  of the  pie  has disappeared . A lot  of the  pies   have disappeared .

A  fraction  of  Nigeria’s Youth   is   unemployed. A  fraction  of  Nigeria’s Youths   are  unemployed.

All  of the  potato   is  gone. All  of the  potatoes   are   gone.

Some  of the  pie   is  missing. Some  of the  pies   are  missing.

ii – Gerunds

When gerunds are used as the subject of a sentence, they take the singular verb form of the verb; but, when they are linked by  and , they take the plural form.

Example: Standing  in the water  was  a bad idea. Swimming  in the ocean and  dancing   are  my hobbies.

iii. Movie/Book Titles

Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

The Burbs   is  a movie starring Tom Hanks. The Three Musketeers  is my favourite book

• An analytical essay should have the following except————–? (A. An introduction B. Analysis of the text C. Personal response D. What the villagers said E. Conclusion)
• List and explain the various tips for writing a good analytical essay.
• What is an argumentative essay?
• The following are the right words to use when refuting an argument excerpt———-? (A. Also B. However C. On the other hand D. This notwithstanding)
• Briefly discuss what you understand by concord in English language.

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• Grades 6-12
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100 Thought-Provoking Argumentative Writing Prompts for Kids and Teens

Practice making well-reasoned arguments using research and facts.

Writing a strong argumentative essay teaches students to make a case for their own point of view without relying on emotion or passion. These argumentative essay topics provide options for kids of all ages, including controversial subjects and some that are just for fun.

School and Education Argumentative Essay Topics

Science and history argumentative essay topics, life and ethics argumentative essay topics, social justice and civics argumentative essay topics, more argumentative essay topics, what’s the difference between argumentative and persuasive essays.

These two types of essays are similar, but there are some subtle and important differences .

• Author’s purpose: In an argumentative essay, your job is to simply convince the reader that the point of view you’re presenting is valid, even if it doesn’t change their mind. Persuasive essays seek to sway the reader to adopt your point of view over any others.
• Method: Argumentative essays rely heavily on well-researched facts and logical assertions. In a persuasive essay, the writer may use a blend of emotion and facts to win over the reader.
• Audience: Persuasive essays require a specific audience, since the writer must acknowledge and attempt to overcome their potential objections. The writer of an argumentative essay is simply making a statement, so knowing their audience is less important.
• Viewpoint: A persuasive essay writer should believe their point of view is the only correct one, and try to persuade the reader to agree. Argumentative essays acknowledge other points of view, but use reason and logic to argue that the writer’s point of view is best.

Persuasive and argumentative essay topics often overlap. The difference is in how the writer approaches the topic. When you assign one of the topics below as an argumentative essay, remind students to use research, reason, and logic to make a strong but dispassionate argument.

• Should physical education be part of the standard high school curriculum?
• Schools should require recommended vaccines for all students, with very limited exceptions.
• Should all students have the ability to attend college for free?
• What one class should all high schools students be required to take and pass in order to graduate?

• Do you think homework should be required, optional, or not given at all?
• Students should/should not be able to use their phones during the school day.
• Should schools have dress codes?
• If I could change one school rule, it would be …
• Is year-round school a good idea?
• Which is better, private schools or public schools?
• Should every student have to participate in athletics?
• Do you think schools should ban junk food from their cafeterias?
• Should students be required to volunteer in their communities?
• What is the most important school subject?
• Are letter grades helpful, or should we replace them with something else?

• Should schools be allowed to ban some books from their libraries?
• Which is better, book smarts or street smarts?
• Are single-gender schools better or worse for students?
• Are computers making teachers obsolete?
• Students who fail a test should be given a chance to take it again.
• Is it acceptable to use animals for experiments and research?
• Vaping is less harmful than smoking tobacco.
• Do we really learn anything from history, or does it just repeat itself over and over?
• Is it OK to keep animals in zoos?
• Should we ban plastic bags and bottles?
• Should we still consider Pluto a planet?

• It’s important to spend tax dollars exploring space, instead of on other things.
• Is there life on other planets?
• Who was the best/worst American president?
• Should vaccines be mandatory?
• Are GMOs more helpful than harmful?
• Is animal cloning ethical?
• Should human cloning be legal?
• Should we use stem cells from human embryos for scientific research?
• Is it better to provide drug addicts with treatment instead of punishment?

• Should we ban the use of fossil fuels?
• Can we truly do anything about human-caused global warming?
• Are electric vehicles better than gas-powered ones?
• Was life really better “back in the day”?
• Choose a foreign conflict (e.g., Vietnam or Afghanistan) and argue whether or not the United States was justified in getting involved.
• The most important challenge our country is currently facing is … (e.g., immigration, gun control, economy)
• Does social media do more harm than good?
• The best country in the world is …
• Are men and women treated equally?
• Is it better to be vegetarian/vegan than to eat meat?
• Should little kids be allowed to play competitive sports?
• Who faces more peer pressure, girls or boys?
• Should kids have set bedtimes or just go to bed whenever they’re sleepy?

• Which is better, artificial Christmas trees or real ones?
• Playing violent video games is bad for kids and teens.
• Parents should track their kids using their cell phones.
• Are paper books better than e-books?
• All kids should play on the same sports teams, regardless of gender.
• All paper documents should be replaced with electronic versions.
• Is conflict necessary for change?
• Is war ever justified?
• A strong middle class is vital to the economy.

• Is the local minimum wage truly a living wage?
• Should we do away with gender-specific public bathrooms?
• Is a progressive income tax better than a flat tax?
• Capital punishment does/does not deter crime.
• Would it be better to legalize, tax, and regulate all drugs (including alcohol and cigarettes) instead of banning them?
• Parents should be punished for their minor children’s crimes.

• The government should provide free internet access for every citizen.
• Is democracy the best form of government?
• Is capitalism the best form of economy?
• Should all Americans be required to vote?
• Should we change the minimum driving age in the United States?
• Do you think the government should find a way to provide free health care for everyone?
• School-age children should be allowed to vote.
• We should/should not abolish the electoral college.
• Are “Stand Your Ground” laws effective?
• Supreme Court judges should be appointed for fixed terms.

• Does segregation still exist in the United States?
• We should/should not continue building a wall between the United States and Mexico.
• Will stricter gun control laws help control mass shootings?
• Should we make the path to American citizenship easier?
• Is the American justice system inherently racist?
• Should we redirect some or all police force funding to social services?
• Should the United States implement a universal basic income?
• Choose a fictional character and explain why they should be the next president.
• What animal makes the best pet?
• Who is the world’s best athlete, present or past?
• Which is better, reading books or watching TV?
• Is a taco a sandwich?
• Should kids be allowed to stay up as late as they want?

• What’s the best video game system?
• Kids shouldn’t have to go to school on their birthdays.
• Is video gaming a sport?
• Are beauty pageants sexist?
• Should kids get participation trophies for sports?
• Are stereotypes ever right?
• Is there any benefit to teaching proper grammar and spelling, or should we allow language to be descriptive instead of prescriptive?
• All teenagers should have part-time jobs.
• Should kids have limits on screen time?
• Is it better to read fiction or nonfiction?
• Should kids have to eat everything on their plate, even if they really don’t like something?

• Is it better to spend an hour a day reading or exercising?
• Is graffiti an act of vandalism or an art form?
• Should society hold celebrities to a high moral standard?

What are your favorite argumentative writing prompts? Come share your thoughts in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Also check out 100 intriguing cause and effect essay topics for students ..

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The Big List of Essay Topics for High School (120+ Ideas!)

Ideas to inspire every young writer! Continue Reading

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Writing Argumentative Essay

Back to: ENGLISH LANGUAGE JSS3

Welcome to Class !!

We are eager to have you join us !!

In today’s English Language class, We will work on our Writing as we look into   Arguementative Essays . We hope you enjoy the class!

WRITING: Argumentative Essay

• The definition of an argumentative essay.
• Reasons for argumentative essays.
• Things to know about argumentative essays:

An argumentative essay is one that requires a student to present a subject with a view to persuading his/her reader to agree with his/her own point of view against another one. However, we should note that all forms of debate are argumentative essays but not all argumentative essays are debates. In a debate, the writer knows the audience as well as the setting.

On the other hand, in argumentative essays (that are not debates) the writer just writes out the topic, underlined it and presents his/her view without addressing anybody.

An argument may be developed for the following reasons:

• to prove a point
• to present a viewpoint
• to balance the two sides of an issue.

• A vocative is compulsory in a debate, i.e. the writer should recognize the presence of the members of the audience e.g. The Chairman; Panel of Judges; Co-debaters; Ladies and Gentlemen e.t.c.
• In an ordinary argumentative essay (not a debate), no audience is indicated and no vocative is necessary.

Evaluation: You have been invited to participate in an Inter-School debate Competition to speak for or against the topic “Corruption is Worse than Armed Robbery”. Write out your Contribution.

Reference: Countdown English by Ogunsanwo

Reading Assignment: Read Creative and Guided Composition for Senior Classes by C.O. Odetola, page3 -14.

GENERAL EVALUATION/REVISION QUESTIONS

Use a better word to replace the words ‘got’ and ‘walked’ in the following expressions.

She got a bad cold yesterday.

Hannah got a prize.

They got married at last.

The angry little girl walked out of the room.

The thief walked into the house through the unlocked door.

Weekend Assignment : Do practice exercise fourteen, question 2 (1-20) on pages 64 and 65 of English Grammar by P.O. Olatunbosun.

We have come to the end of this class. We do hope you enjoyed the class?

Should you have any further question, feel free to ask in the comment section below and trust us to respond as soon as possible.

In our next class, we will be reading the Comprehension: From the Jero Play by Wole Soyinka.  We are very much eager to meet you there.

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How would you outline the introductory section ... - JSS2 English language week two- summary passage, tense, drama, argumentative essay Question

How would you outline the introductory section of an argumentative essay?

Introductory Section of an Argumentative Essay The introductory section of an argumentative essay typically includes the following components:

Hook: This is an engaging opening sentence designed to capture the reader’s attention. It could be a quote, a question, a bold statement, or an interesting fact.

Background Information: This provides context for the argument by briefly explaining the topic at hand.

Thesis Statement: This is the most crucial part of the introduction. It clearly states the writer’s position on the topic and outlines the main arguments that will be presented in the essay.

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