Hey everyone, lately I've been struggling to formulate strong arguments in my paragraphs. Could someone please suggest a solid example of an argumentative paragraph and explain a bit about its structure? I'm mainly focused on incorporating facts to support my thesis. Thanks in advance!
Absolutely! An argumentative paragraph, like any paragraph, should have a clear topic sentence, supporting evidence, and a concluding sentence that ties it back to the overall thesis. A simple formula might be CLAIM-EVIDENCE-REASONING-TIEBACK. Here's an example related to the topic of social media's impact on mental health:
Topic sentence/Claim: Social media significantly contributes to anxiety and depression among teenagers.
Evidence: Numerous studies have found a correlation between excessive social media usage and mental health problems. For instance, a report by the Royal Society for Public Health in the UK found that Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all harm young people’s mental health, with Instagram being the most damaging, particularly around issues of anxiety, depression, loneliness, bullying, and body image.
Reasoning: Extensive social media interaction drives a continual comparison of oneself with others, often leading to feelings of inadequacy and low self-esteem. Also, the near-constant presence of cyberbullying in these platforms exposes teenagers to negative criticism, further exacerbating anxiety and depression.
Tieback: Thus, the ubiquity and adverse psychological impacts of social media demonstrate its significant role in the escalating prevalence of mental health issues among the young population.
In this paragraph, the claim is straightforward, the evidence is data driven and credible, and the reasoning explains why this evidence supports the claim. The tieback then connects it back to the broader issue and asserts the argument's relevance. Make sure your evidence is strong, credible, and directly tied to your argument, and always demonstrate explicitly how this evidence supports your claim.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.