Argumentative Paper Format
INTRODUCTION o 1-2 paragraphs
PURPOSE: To set up and state one’s claim
Make your introductory paragraph interesting. How can you draw your readers in?
Provide brief explanation or your of issue/theory.
STATE your claim at the end of your introductory paragraph
BACKGROUND Section: 1-2 paragraphs
PURPOSE: Lays the foundation for proving your argument. Will often include:
Summary of works being discussed
Definition of key terms
Explanation of key theories
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE PARAGRAPH #1
PURPOSE: To prove your argument. Usually is one paragraph but it can be
longer.
Topic Sentence: What is one item, fact, detail, or example you can tell your
readers that will help them better understand your claim/paper topic? Your
answer should be the topic sentence for this paragraph.
Explain Topic Sentence: Do you need to explain your topic sentence? If so,
do so here.
Introduce Evidence
State Evidence: What supporting evidence (reasons, examples, facts,
statistics, and/or quotations) can you include to prove/support/explain your
topic sentence?
Explain Evidence: How should we read or interpret the evidence you are
providing us? How does this evidence prove the point you are trying to make
in this paragraph? Can be opinion based and is often at least 1-3 sentences.
Concluding Sentence: End your paragraph with a concluding sentence that
reasserts how the topic sentence of this paragraph helps up better
understand and/or prove your paper’s overall claim.
SUPPORTING EVIDENCE PARAGRAPH #2, 3
o Repeat above
COUNTERARGUMENT PARAGRAPH: 1-2 Paragraphs
PURPOSE: To anticipate your reader’s objections; make yourself sound more
objective and reasonable.
What possible argument might your reader pose against your argument
and/or some aspect of your reasoning? Find a specific source that opposes your argument; Insert one or more of those arguments here and refute them.
WARNING: you can’t refute a counterargument with the points you have already made in your supporting evidence paragraphs. Instead, you need to consider
something that your opponent might be missing, such as a logical error, missing facts, the weight of the problem that you pose.
End paragraph with a concluding sentence that reasserts your paper’s claim
as a whole.
CONCLUSION PART 1: SUM UP PARAGRAPH
PURPOSE: Remind readers of your argument and supporting evidence
Conclusion you were most likely taught to write in High School
Restates your paper’s overall claim and supporting evidence
CONCLUSION PART 2: YOUR “SO WHAT” PARAGRAPH
PURPOSE: To illustrate to your instructor that you have thought critically
and analytically about this issue.
Your conclusion should not simply restate your intro paragraph. If your
conclusion says almost the exact same thing as your introduction, it may
indicate that you have not done enough critical thinking during the course of
your essay (since you ended up right where you started).
Your conclusion should tell us why we should care about your paper. What is
the significance of your claim? Why is it important to you as the writer or to
me as the reader? What information should you or I take away from this?
Your conclusion should create a sense of movement to a more complex
understanding of the subject of your paper. By the end of your essay, you
should have worked through your ideas enough so that your reader
understands what you have argued and is ready to hear the larger point (i.e.
the “so what”) you want to make about your topic.