this guide is based on what i’ve learned in ap english this year, and it’s specifically going to focus on 4-paragraph argument essays, although you can adapt it to however many you’d like! it also works well for anything persuasive.
to start off any good argument essay, you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to agree, disagree, or qualify with the prompt. personally, i prefer either agreeing or disagreeing, simply because it tends to make the writing overall a little more cohesive. to decide which side to pick, brainstorm!
draw a t-chart on your paper, labeling one side agree and the other side disagree
depending on the time you have, you might want to limit yourself to just spending ten minutes on this step
go!! write down as many examples as you can think of on each side of the chart. for example, if i were writing about whether or not equality has become more prevalent throughout history, i might put “women’s suffrage” on agree and “pay disparity” on disagree, or “civil rights act” and “police brutality”
when you’ve finished, tally up the number of examples on each side. pick the one with at least four, and that’s what you’ll write on! if both sides have an equal number, you can pick your favourite or qualify.
now, for the outline itself
ok– this might be the bit you’ve been dreading. but really, it’s far easier that you expect!
start by picking your top four examples, two for each body paragraph, and come up with a unifying subject word (always a noun!) for each one
add each of your examples in under those big subjects, and include at least three facts about each, along with one or two points of analysis. the analysis should focus on why that event/fact supports your perspective on the question!!
go back to the beginning, and determine an overall subject for the essay. with my example from earlier, that might be equality. you can then use this to write your thesis– make sure to say “i agree/disagree/qualify” and include both of your paragraph subject words, in order.
next, move on to the intro. now that you have subjects to write about, define each of them, and include both a fact from the past and one from the present (within 5 years) for each topic. this should be good background info for your essay!
the final step is to look at your conclusion. again, divide it down by subject, and for each one, provide the audience you’re targeting, the purpose for targeting each audience and what you want them to understand, and then the hypothetical outcome if they were to accept your points. at the very end, include a closing sentiment just to summarize your thoughts!
first, make sure that everything can link back to your main subject and the supporting subjects of each paragraph, because those subjects are what will make your essay cohesive and logical.
second, be as specific as you possibly can in your examples! if you can do research, then do it. know as much as you can to highlight details and make well-supported points which will provide greater credibility for your essay.
third, know how you work best. write as much or as little as you want on your outline (depending on time limits, of course) and be an on-the-fly writer if it works for you, or a meticulous planner if you find that more effective.
finally, be confident in your writing! you can do it and your essay is going to be wonderful. after outlining, it should all come together, and it will make your essays ten times better. good luck!!
