It includes an original example from our teachers and the mistakes that weaken an argument.
What an argumentative essay is
An argumentative essay takes one clear side on a question people disagree about. In IGCSE English it is one of the writing options. You get a topic and must argue a view on it.
A discursive essay weighs both sides before it leans one way. An argumentative essay chooses its side in the first paragraph. Every paragraph after that gives the reader another reason to agree.
Think of a reader who does not agree with you yet. A weak essay ignores this reader and repeats the writer’s feelings. A strong essay gives reasons this reader cannot easily reject.
Structure and tone
Use a formal, controlled tone. Show your strong opinion through good reasons, not capital letters or exclamation marks. Exact, confident words work better than exaggeration.
A simple structure works well:
- Open with your position in one or two clear sentences.
- Give one reason per paragraph, each with evidence or an example.
- Include at least one opposing view, then answer it.
- Close by showing why your case still stands.
The opposing view is what lifts an essay from fine to convincing. State it honestly, then explain why it does not change your position. Task wording differs by board, so check the current rules on our qualification pages.
A worked example, written by our teachers
This is our own original writing, made for teaching. The task was: “Should schools teach cooking as seriously as mathematics?”
Schools should teach cooking as seriously as they teach mathematics. People say there is “no room in the timetable”, but that mistakes a choice for a limit.
We make room for what we value, so the timetable shows our priorities. It is not a law of nature.
Think about what the skill gives a young person. A student who can cook a decent meal from cheap ingredients is protected from poor health for life. They also avoid paying too much for food that is worse than what they could make.
Critics will say cooking belongs at home, not at school. That assumes every home has the time, knowledge and equipment to teach it, and many do not. A school cooking class is not a luxury.
It gives every child the same chance.
What makes this work? The first sentence states the side at once. The second paragraph gives a concrete reason.
Then the writer raises the strongest objection (“belongs at home”) and answers it. This pattern of reason, objection and answer is the core of the essay.
If this is where marks are going missing, a trial hour with an experienced teacher can work on it one-to-one.
What a strong essay includes
- A clear position, stated early and kept to the end.
- One separate reason in each paragraph.
- Evidence or a realistic example for each reason.
- A fair statement of one opposing view, followed by a firm answer.
- A formal tone that persuades through reasons.
- A conclusion that adds a final thought, not just a copy of the introduction.
Common mistakes
The biggest mistake is repeating your opinion in new words instead of giving reasons. The second is ignoring the other side, which makes the essay one-sided.
The third is over-claiming, for example “everyone knows” or invented figures. A careful reader stops trusting you.
The fourth mistake is a tone that turns into a rant, where loud words replace logic. Check your last essay for these four and fix the worst one first.
How this helps your other writing
The same skill helps in a literature essay, where you argue an interpretation and support it from the text. Answering the other side also improves discursive writing. For more, read our skills guides, see the format in our annotated model responses and try our practice tasks.
Next steps
Read the annotated model response for argumentative essay, then try the argumentative essay practice tasks. The skill guide structuring an argumentative essay shows the paragraph plan step by step. If your essay is for coursework, read our guide to the First Language English coursework assignment.
Students often get stuck at the same point. They have a strong opinion but give only one weak reason, and they skip the opposing view.
In 1-to-1 lessons, our teachers ask the student to explain each reason aloud, then rebuild the paragraph with a better example. This is part of our First Language English tuition, which starts from RM70/hr.
Bring a recent essay to a paid one-hour trial lesson. The teacher who would continue will mark it with you and show you what to fix first.