Argumentative Essay Writing from Pros

Good thinking questions itself, as it has been observed. When you make an argument, you give a thesis offering some reasoning basing on evidence, factual or otherwise, suggesting truth of the thesis. Counter argument example means considering a possible argument against your own thesis. You are probably wondering why that could be necessary. Well, let's look at its relevance:

• It helps you anticipate doubts that a skeptical reader might have hence enabling you to respond to his or her objections before they have finished reading.
  • It shows that you are a reasonable person who considers two sides of a debate.
  • It makes your argumentative essay more persuasive, hence enhancing the writer's chance of wooing the reader.

However important, a counter argument misrepresented, may hinder the writer from achieving his or her goal as far as persuasion is concerned. Therefore, a counter-argument should be expressed thoroughly, fairly and objectively.

Counter argument example can be put anywhere in an essay, however, it mostly appears in the following sections of an argumentative essay.

• Introduction. It is at this point where one acknowledges the existence of a different view and declares the reasons that render them worth writing about them.
• A paragraph just before the introduction. Here, one may lay out his or her expected reaction or standard position before developing his own.
• Within a paragraph in the essay.
• A paragraph just before the conclusion.

In as much as counter-argument sharpens and energizes your argumentative essay, watch not to overdo it as this will paint you as an ambivalent person.

Counter-argument generally starts with certain word, phrases or sentence. This is meant to signal the reader is about to introduce another view different from the argument. This is very important as without them the argument could appear to lack cohesion and at the same time contradictory. These words could be simple ones like 'but', 'however' or complex ones which could be whole sentences. Other ways to achieve this is trough citing other writers who have expressed a view opposite to yours or through asking a question.

To enhance our understanding of counter-arguing let's look at an example that is based on familiar situations that we encounter in our daily lives.

The main aim in life and death decisions as far as the medical field is concerned is that the patient should be the one to make the call .Not the doctor. This is because it is within the patient's constitutional right to terminate their own lives so long as it is a result of his or her consent to do so.

Looking keenly, the patient's decision could be influenced by third parties. That is his or her relatives and friends. As if not enough, their state of health could depress them hence influencing them to making irrational decisions.

There is also another perspective to look at this. Not in all cases are the patients depressed. Besides, depression is manageable. We will be unfair if we generalize the patient's decisions as irrational and null.

Now, imagine that a writer who thinks the patients' decisions should be considered wrote an excerpt concerning this and in his or her excerpt uses counter-argument. In such a case, his argument would be that a patient has a constitutional right to consent to their termination of life. He or she would also bring to our attention depression is manageable and therefore does not qualify as a reason. His argument would read as below.

'It is feared that allowing patients to be responsible for life and death decisions about their own lives could lead to abuse. This is as a result of the patients depression caused by their state of health. It is true that they are prone to depression, but, not all patients succumb to it. We cannot claim fully that depressed patients cannot make rational well judged decisions. Besides, depression is manageable. Therefore think matters of depression should be handled in isolation and not generalization.'

The writer acknowledges that there are factors that could affect the patient's decision making. He however argues that this does not mean the patient's decision is in its entirety is irrational if we cannot fully prove that it's influenced by depression. In summary, he or she at some point counter-argues his argument but in the end still holds to his argument.