Argumentative essays are a common assignment for middle school students. To get a good score in the class, the student must submit a strong, well-edited essay. Students who are unfamiliar with this style of writing can use the basic manual below to get help.
This type of writing is designed to make a point. In general, the student will have to pick one side of an argument before they start writing. As they begin writing, the student must use research to support each point that they make. In the best papers, the student is actually able to persuade the reader to see the other side of the situation.
In middle school, the most common writing assignment will be the five paragraph essay. Basically, the paper will start with an introduction, include three body paragraphs and end with a conclusion. The introduction will include the student's thesis statement and a hook to catch the reader's attention. At the end of the document, the student will conclude their writing by restating the thesis and summarizing their argument.
The thesis statement is the most important part of any paper. Within the thesis statement, the student basically states their case. In one sentence, they write about what the paper is about and the argument that they will make. Since the thesis statement is an argument, it cannot be something that is already a fact. Instead, it must be a statement that could be proved or disproved.
Although the introduction is responsible for drawing in the reader, the body paragraphs still matter. Each body paragraph will have a topic sentence. This sentence is essentially a miniature thesis statement. Within the topic sentence, the student makes a point that supports the thesis of their entire paper. The remaining paragraph will include two or three facts that support the topic sentence. Each of the body paragraphs should build on the previous argument until the reader is completely convinced of the writer's viewpoint.
It may not be a Noble Prize winning novel, but this essay still matters. Each document that the student writes will help to prepare them for high school and college writing assignments. In the immediate future, this document will determine the student's grade in their class. To get a high score, the student must make sure that their paper is well-edited. If the student is unable to edit everything alone, they can always ask a parent, teacher or mentor to help them.