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General Education
At some point, you’re going to be asked to write an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay is exactly what it sounds like—an essay in which you’ll be making an argument, using examples and research to back up your point.
But not all argumentative essay topics are created equal. Not only do you have to structure your essay right to have a good impact on the reader, but even your choice of subject can impact how readers feel about your work.
In this article, we’ll cover the basics of writing argumentative essays, including what argumentative essays are, how to write a good one, and how to pick a topic that works for you. Then check out a list of argumentative essay ideas to help you get started.
What Is an Argumentative Essay?
An argumentative essay is one that makes an argument through research. These essays take a position and support it through evidence, but, unlike many other kinds of essays, they are interested in expressing a specific argument supported by research and evidence.
A good argumentative essay will be based on established or new research rather than only on your thoughts and feelings. Imagine that you’re trying to get your parents to raise your allowance, and you can offer one of two arguments in your favor:
You should raise my allowance because I want you to.
You should raise my allowance because I’ve been taking on more chores without complaining.
The first argument is based entirely in feelings without any factual backup, whereas the second is based on evidence that can be proven. Your parents are more likely to respond positively to the second argument because it demonstrates that you have done something to earn the increased allowance. Similarly, a well-researched and reasoned argument will show readers that your point has a basis in fact, not just feelings.
The standard five-paragraph essay is common in writing argumentative essays, but it’s not the only way to write one. An argumentative essay is typically written in one of two formats, the Toulmin model or the Rogerian model.
The Toulmin model is the most common, comprised of an introduction with a claim (otherwise known as a thesis), with data to support it. This style of essay will also include rebuttals, helping to strengthen your argument by anticipating counterarguments.
The Rogerian model analyzes two sides of an argument and reaches a conclusion after weighing the strengths and weaknesses of each.
Both essay styles rely on well-reasoned logic and supporting evidence to prove a point, just in two different ways.
The important thing to note about argumentative essays as opposed to other kinds of essays is that they aim to argue a specific point rather than to explain something or to tell a story. While they may have some things in common with analytical essays, the primary difference is in their objective—an argumentative essay aims to convince someone of something, whereas an analytical essay contextualizes a topic with research.
What Makes a Good Argumentative Essay?
To write an effective argumentative essay, you need to know what a good one looks like. In addition to a solid structure, you’ll need an argument, a strong thesis, and solid research.
An Argument
Unlike other forms of essays, you are trying to convince your reader of something. You’re not just teaching them a concept or demonstrating an idea—you’re constructing an argument to change the readers’ thinking.
You’ll need to develop a good argument, which encompasses not just your main point, but also all the pieces that make it up.
Think beyond what you are saying and include how you’re saying it. How will you take an idea and turn it into a complex and well thought out argument that is capable of changing somebody’s mind?
A Strong Thesis
The thesis is the core of your argument. What specific message are you trying to get across? State that message in one sentence, and that will be your thesis.
This is the foundation on which your essay is built, so it needs to be strong and well-reasoned. You need to be able to expand on it with facts and sources, not just feelings.
A good argumentative essay isn’t just based on your individual thoughts, but research. That can be citing sources and other arguments or it can mean direct research in the field, depending on what your argument is and the context in which you are arguing it.
Be prepared to back your thesis up with reporting from scientific journals, newspapers, or other forms of research. Having well-researched sources will help support your argument better than hearsay or assumptions. If you can’t find enough research to back up your point, it’s worth reconsidering your thesis or conducting original research, if possible.
How to Come Up With an Argumentative Essay Topic
Sometimes you may find yourself arguing things you don’t necessarily believe. That’s totally fine—you don’t actually have to wholeheartedly believe in what you’re arguing in order to construct a compelling argument.
However, if you have free choice of topic, it’s a good idea to pick something you feel strongly about. There are two key components to a good argumentative essay: a strong stance, and an assortment of evidence. If you’re interested and feel passionate about the topic you choose, you'll have an easier time finding evidence to support it, but it's the evidence that's most important.
So, to choose a topic, think about things you feel strongly about, whether positively or negatively. You can make a list of ideas and narrow those down to a handful of things, then expand on those ideas with a few potential points you want to hit on.
For example, say you’re trying to decide whether you should write about how your neighborhood should ban weed killer, that your school’s lunch should be free for all students, or that the school day should be cut by one hour. To decide between these ideas, you can make a list of three to five points for each that cover the different evidence you could use to support each point.
For the weed killer ban, you could say that weed killer has been proven to have adverse impacts on bees, that there are simple, natural alternatives, and that weeds aren’t actually bad to have around. For the free lunch idea, you could suggest that some students have to go hungry because they can’t afford lunch, that funds could be diverted from other places to support free lunch, and that other items, like chips or pizza, could be sold to help make up lost revenue. And for the school day length example, you could argue that teenagers generally don’t get enough sleep, that you have too much homework and not enough time to do it, and that teenagers don’t spend enough time with their families.
You might find as you make these lists that some of them are stronger than others. The more evidence you have and the stronger you feel that that evidence is, the better the topic. Of course, if you feel that one topic may have more evidence but you’d rather not write about it, it’s okay to pick another topic instead. When you’re making arguments, it can be much easier to find strong points and evidence if you feel passionate about our topic than if you don't.
50 Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas
If you’re struggling to come up with topics on your own, read through this list of argumentative essay topics to help get you started!
- Should fracking be legal?
- Should parents be able to modify their unborn children?
- Do GMOs help or harm people?
- Should vaccinations be required for students to attend public school?
- Should world governments get involved in addressing climate change?
- Should Facebook be allowed to collect data from its users?
- Should self-driving cars be legal?
- Is it ethical to replace human workers with automation?
- Should there be laws against using cell phones while driving?
- Has the internet positively or negatively impacted human society?
- Should college athletes be paid for being on sports teams?
- Should coaches and players make the same amount of money?
- Should sports be segregated by gender?
- Should the concept of designated hitters in baseball be abolished?
- Should US sports take soccer more seriously?
- Should religious organizations have to pay taxes?
- Should religious clubs be allowed in schools?
- Should “one nation under God” be in the pledge of allegiance?
- Should religion be taught in schools?
- Should clergy be allowed to marry?
- Should minors be able to purchase birth control without parental consent?
- Should the US switch to single-payer healthcare?
- Should assisted suicide be legal?
- Should dietary supplements and weight loss items like teas be allowed to advertise through influencers?
- Should doctors be allowed to promote medicines?
Government/Politics
- Is the electoral college an effective system for modern America?
- Should Puerto Rico become a state?
- Should voter registration be automatic?
- Should people in prison be allowed to vote?
- Should Supreme Court justices be elected?
- Should sex work be legalized?
- Should Columbus Day be replaced with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?
- Should the death penalty be legal?
- Should animal testing be allowed?
- Should drug possession be decriminalized?
- Should unpaid internships be legal?
- Should minimum wage be increased?
- Should monopolies be allowed?
- Is universal basic income a good idea?
- Should corporations have a higher or lower tax rate?
- Are school uniforms a good idea?
- Should PE affect a student’s grades?
- Should college be free?
- Should Greek life in colleges be abolished?
- Should students be taught comprehensive sex ed?
Arts/Culture
- Should graffiti be considered art or vandalism?
- Should books with objectionable words be banned?
- Should content on YouTube be better regulated?
- Is art education important?
- Should art and music sharing online be allowed?
How to Argue Effectively
A strong argument isn’t just about having a good point. If you can’t support that point well, your argument falls apart.
One of the most important things you can do in writing a strong argumentative essay is organizing well. Your essay should have a distinct beginning, middle, and end, better known as the introduction, body and opposition, and conclusion.
This example follows the Toulmin model—if your essay follows the Rogerian model, the same basic premise is true, but your thesis will instead propose two conflicting viewpoints that will be resolved through evidence in the body, with your conclusion choosing the stronger of the two arguments.
Introduction
Your hook should draw the reader’s interest immediately. Questions are a common way of getting interest, as well as evocative language or a strong statistic
Don’t assume that your audience is already familiar with your topic. Give them some background information, such as a brief history of the issue or some additional context.
Your thesis is the crux of your argument. In an argumentative essay, your thesis should be clearly outlined so that readers know exactly what point you’ll be making. Don’t explain all your evidence in the opening, but do take a strong stance and make it clear what you’ll be discussing.
Your claims are the ideas you’ll use to support your thesis. For example, if you’re writing about how your neighborhood shouldn’t use weed killer, your claim might be that it’s bad for the environment. But you can’t just say that on its own—you need evidence to support it.
Evidence is the backbone of your argument. This can be things you glean from scientific studies, newspaper articles, or your own research. You might cite a study that says that weed killer has an adverse effect on bees, or a newspaper article that discusses how one town eliminated weed killer and saw an increase in water quality. These kinds of hard evidence support your point with demonstrable facts, strengthening your argument.
In your essay, you want to think about how the opposition would respond to your claims and respond to them. Don’t pick the weakest arguments, either— figure out what other people are saying and respond to those arguments with clearly reasoned arguments.
Demonstrating that you not only understand the opposition’s point, but that your argument is strong enough to withstand it, is one of the key pieces to a successful argumentative essay.
Conclusions are a place to clearly restate your original point, because doing so will remind readers exactly what you’re arguing and show them how well you’ve argued that point.
Summarize your main claims by restating them, though you don’t need to bring up the evidence again. This helps remind readers of everything you’ve said throughout the essay.
End by suggesting a picture of a world in which your argument and action are ignored. This increases the impact of your argument and leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
A strong argumentative essay is one with good structure and a strong argument , but there are a few other things you can keep in mind to further strengthen your point.
When you’re crafting an argument, it can be easy to get distracted by all the information and complications in your argument. It’s important to stay focused—be clear in your thesis and home in on claims that directly support that thesis.
Be Rational
It’s important that your claims and evidence be based in facts, not just opinion. That’s why it’s important to use reliable sources based in science and reporting—otherwise, it’s easy for people to debunk your arguments.
Don’t rely solely on your feelings about the topic. If you can’t back a claim up with real evidence, it leaves room for counterarguments you may not anticipate. Make sure that you can support everything you say with clear and concrete evidence, and your claims will be a lot stronger!
What’s Next?
No matter what kind of essay you're writing, a strong plan will help you have a bigger impact. This guide to writing a college essay is a great way to get started on your essay organizing journey!
Brushing up on your essay format knowledge to prep for the SAT? Check out this list of SAT essay prompts to help you kickstart your studying!
A bunch of great essay examples can help you aspire to greatness, but bad essays can also be a warning for what not to do. This guide to bad college essays will help you better understand common mistakes to avoid in essay writing!
Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!
Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs.
Melissa Brinks graduated from the University of Washington in 2014 with a Bachelor's in English with a creative writing emphasis. She has spent several years tutoring K-12 students in many subjects, including in SAT prep, to help them prepare for their college education.
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85 Unique Argumentative Essay Topics and How to Choose One
Argumentative essays are a means of proving an argument valid, hence turning theory into fact. It is often visible if the writer has spent time developing their argument. Experienced writers build their own set of principles to maximize clear delivery. The validity of any argument relies on its source material. Simple issues may need a more straightforward approach. When you're tackling controversial matters, it's best to use plenty of sources for backup.
What Is an Argumentative Essay?
An argumentative essay is a type of academic paper that introduces arguments (claims) about both sides of a particular topic. Both teams could be balanced, or one may be dominating. The tone of the paper depends on the writer’s position on the observed issue.
The primary function of an argumentative paper is to introduce a case to the readers in a convincing manner trying to change their opinions if they have a position different from the writer’s. The idea is to show the full picture.
Experts tend to highlight three models of argumentative writing:
- Toulmin model
This paper will need an intro with a thesis statement followed by background information supported by the evidence collected from sources. A writer will have to list the reasons to support the central argument & rebuttals.
- Rogerian model
Unlike the previous one, this model of argumentative paper requires weighing both alternatives, listing the pros & cons of each, and providing a piece of advice after in-depth evaluation.
- Classical model
The writer has to introduce the issue, offer a personal solution, and make an attempt to persuade the audience that this particular solution is the correct one. The idea is to make the readers care about the suggested topic.
If you are having difficulty writing an essay, you can ask us ' do my essay ' and we will fulfill all your requirements. Also, to broaden your horizons, we recommend reading the article about cause and effect essay structure , perhaps it will be useful to you.
How to Pick Out the Good Argumentative Essay Topics
Finding good topics for an argumentative essay isn’t finding a needle in a haystack - as long as you take care to follow a few core principles.
Many controversial argumentative essay topics are prone to prejudice. They often have an unconscious aim to prove already assumed facts. When writing an essay, it is always crucial to understand both sides. Try picking a neutral topic to which you are mostly indifferent.
The basic tips to follow while selecting the ideas to discuss in your work are:
- Think about issues of your interest . Make sure that you possess in-depth knowledge of the chosen theme. Can you express the opinion about it?
- Follow the recent trends . Type some keywords in the search field of Google Trends to find out what issues related to your subject are actively discussed.
- Check access to primary & secondary sources . Surf the web to decide whether you can obtain enough credible sources to use in your piece.
- Avoid themes with a broad/general focus . The number of words or pages limits the research paper, so make the topic narrow & specific.
- Stay away from the emotionally-charged subjects . Argumentative writing is about staying calm and sober with judgments.
- Consider the target audience . Think about people that you plan to reach. Would they accept your point of view or would it result in a debate?
- Brainstorm the final list of ideas . Discuss the final list of the possible topics. Pick the idea the majority will vote for.
- Take a risk . Selecting a debatable issue has certain risks, but if a writer proves a personal position, it will result in the highest grade!
- Take your experience into account . How well do you know the topic? Did you have a relevant experience to share?
Tip from EssayPro Expert: “It is recommended that a writer should possess an interest in the subject they cover, but the argument should not be one that they accept as the truth.”
Be sure to read the article on argumentative essay structure .
Easy Argumentative Essay Topics
There are topics that are discussed and debated daily. It is not uncommon that most of them are banned from classrooms being cliche. If you believe you have some fresh insights on the matter, try to convince your teacher into letting you do it.
- Should students be given time off for mental health purposes?
- Should Vaccination be Mandatory for All Children?
- What are the best ways for parents to teach their kids about race and racism?
- Should Gay Marriage Be Legal?
- Should Boys and Girls Athletic Teams Play in the Same Tournament?
Middle School
Teachers engage middle-schoolers in the debate to give them an insight into high-school level writing. These middle school argumentative essay topics often discuss the fairness of school rules and alternative curriculums.
- Should Schools Have Dress Codes?
- Should Teachers Assign Less Homework?
- Is Music Class Necessary?
- Real School vs. Homeschool.
- How Important Is Arts Education?
High School
Argumentative essays are most rewarding in high school and are a lesson in seeing all sides of the spectrum. Here are some common argumentative essay topics for high school.
- Are High School Students Over-Supervised?
- Banning Classical Literature Containing Offensive Language in School.
- What Is The Greatest Invention of All Time?
- Should Clothes Define Who You Are?
- Should Teachers Observe Students While They Take Online Tests?
Argumentative Essay Topics for College
Did you know that Barack Obama only finished paying his student loans in the second year of his presidency? The value of college degrees is being questioned now more than ever. Argumentative essay topics for college require attention to details of contemporary life.
- When Do Halloween Costumes Become Over-The-Top?
- Should Companies Collect Personal Data of Users?
- When Does Comedy Become Over-The-Top or Offensive?
- What Does the College Admissions Scandal Reveal About Society?
- How Close Are We to the ‘Black Mirror’?
- Are Schools Doing a Good Job at Addressing Cyberbullying?
- Should School Newspapers Get Reviewed Before Publishing?
- Do Schools Help College Students Explore Their Creativity?
- Is Taking Adderall to Study Unfair?
- Has the Internet Made College Education Unnecessary?
- Is It Fair to Judge a Student's Potential by Their SAT Score?
- Are Certain Colleges Overrated Because of Their Historical Significance?
- Should the Cost of College Depend on the Degree?
- Should Admissions Officers Read College Applicants’ Social Media Pages?
Argumentative Essay Topics by Category
We have listed some topics from popular fields of study. Feel free to tackle any subject on the list - or even better - use this list as inspiration and find your topic of interest. If you need more guidance, we have hundreds of essay writers online and ready to help you out.
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If you want to ask us ' write a research paper for me ', just pick a topic, give us your requirements and get a plagiarism-free paper fast.
Social Media
While some may find social media a necessary component of daily life, others struggle with procrastination as a direct result. It has arguably influenced critical political decisions and has made social media a significant and relevant field of study.
- Does Instagram Make People More Narcissistic?
- Why Are Women's Nipples Banned in Social Media?
- Is Fake News Dangerous?
- Must Social Media Play a Role in Education?
- How Should Social Media Networks Tackle Online Bullying?
- Is Anonymous Social Media Dangerous?
- Is Proper Punctuation Important on Social Media?
- Should Social Media Pay Users in Exchange for Their Privacy?
- Should Companies Fire Clients Over Inappropriate Social Media Behavior?
- Should There Be a ‘Dislike’ Button on Facebook?
TV, Movies, Video Games
Hollywood produces heaps of content. It is no surprise that lots of it don’t undergo extensive evaluation before release. This results in students questioning the industry’s promotion of harmful stereotypes. Here you can find plenty of unique essay topics.
- Does American TV Capture the Country's Diversity?
- Should Cybersports Be Considered Sports?
- Is the Gaming World Sexist?
- What Makes a Good Children’s Cartoon?
- Do Hollywood FIlms Promote a Certain Set of Values?
- Can Good Commercials Be Considered Works of Art?
- Why Are There So Few Female Film-Makers?
Music, Literature, Art
Has digitization degraded music into a mere form of entertainment? Music argumentative essay topics have plenty of room for discussion. They touch on issues of authenticity which can also be relevant in the fields of literature and art.
- Modern Pop Music Is Recyclable — Does That Make It Good or Bad?
- In Music — When Does ‘Borrowing’ Become ‘Stealing’?
- Should Explicit Language in Classic Literature Be Filtered Like Explicit Language in Pop Song Lyrics?
- Should We Consider Banksy as an Artist?
- Are Libraries Still Necessary?
- Does Rap Count as Music?
- Is Graffiti An Art?
- Is It Right to Display Art in Public Places?
- Should Society Support Aspiring Artists?
- Is Modern Art Timeless?
- Are Mark Rothko Paintings Worth Their Cost?
Health Argumentative Essay Topics
Abstaining from eating sugar or drinking alcohol can feel like a significant accomplishment. Some people find great pride in living a healthy lifestyle. Online health blogs and web stores take advantage of this trend, so let's check out health care argumentative essay topics.
- Can too much sleep be harmful to the body?
- Is a treatment for diabetes on the horizon?
- Should the Government Review Nutritional Guidelines and Menu Compositions for School Feeding Programs?
- Are Models Abnormally Skinny?
- Should the Government Regulate Sugar in Sugary Products?
Science and Technology
Space exploration has historically led to significant developments in technology. Did you know that velcro and microwaves were invented during the Moon Landing programs? Here are some science and technology argumentative essay topics relevant to daily life.
- Is Human Chipping an Absurd Concept?
- How Concerned Should We Be About Climate Change?
- Should the Development of Nuclear Weapons Be Outlawed Internationally?
- Is It Ethical to Slow Aging with Science?
- Manipulating the Human Body With Technology — When Is It Okay?
Animal testing has led to many developments in fields such as medicine and cosmetics. However, this method is often questioned from a moral standpoint. Argumentative essays about animals and their rights touch on various ethical issues.
- Ethical Questions Concerning Genetically Engineered Animals.
- Should Animal Rights Issues Apply to Insects?
- Should Animal Zoos Be Upgraded or Outlawed?
- Argue for or Against Banning Animals in Circuses.
- Are Safari Parks Better Than Zoos?
- Ethical Questions Concerning Altering Animals or Bugs with Technology.
Sports are crucial to adult development. Young people need to be inspired to exercise and maintain their health. Here are some interesting sports argumentative essay topics for inspiration:
- Why are college players stereotyped as being illiterate?
- Should high school students earn rewards for engaging in sports?
- Are video games considered sports?
- Do you believe that only Americans can play authentic American football?
Argumentative writing and speech are crucial skills to develop if you’re determined to keep the balance in this tumultuous world. Issues of poverty, democracy, infrastructure, foreign policy are among the most discussed in the field. In our times, it would be especially relevant to delve into argumentative essay topics on immigration.
- What Do Countries Owe Their Veterans?
- What Are the Moral Obligations of Political Leaders?
- Does the American Voting System Need to Be Altered?
- Should Rich People Pay More Taxes?
- Should Prostitution Be Legal?
- What Are the Responsibilities of Global Leaders When It Comes To the Refugee Crisis?
Funny Argumentative Essay Topics
The point of the exercise is to practice persuasive writing — therefore it is not necessary to write about something fun. However, let’s face it — some of these topics can be pretty dull to research. A solution would be picking a borderline humorous topic to light up the mood of your readers or audience. Here are some funny argumentative essay topics from our admission essay writing service that will get your audience hooked merely out of curiosity.
- How The Simpsons Illustrate a Typical American Family.
- Does the World Need Superheroes?
- Why Are People Obsessed with Funny Cats Videos?
- Who Would Win In a Fight — Batman or Iron Man?
Give Us Your Task
You are staring at a blank page, not knowing where to start? The essay services EssayPro boasts numerous professional essay writers who are masters in a variety of academic fields. Send us your request whether you're looking for essay ideas or aim to buy argumentative essay .
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- How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips
How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips
Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 6, 2021.
An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.
Table of contents
When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.
You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.
The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.
Argumentative writing at college level
At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.
In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.
Examples of argumentative essay prompts
At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.
Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.
- Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
- Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
- Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
- Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
- Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
- Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.
An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.
There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.
Toulmin arguments
The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:
- Make a claim
- Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
- Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
- Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives
The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.
Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:
- Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
- Cite data to support your claim
- Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
- Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.
Rogerian arguments
The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:
- Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
- Highlight the problems with this position
- Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
- Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?
This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.
Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:
- Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
- Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
- Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
- Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.
You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.
Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .
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See editing example
Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.
Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.
The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.
The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.
In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.
Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.
This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.
Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.
A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.
An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.
No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.
Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.
The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.
An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.
An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.
At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).
Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.
The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .
The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.
In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.
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50 Argumentative Essay Topics
Illustration by Catherine Song. ThoughtCo.
- M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
- B.A., History, Armstrong State University
An argumentative essay requires you to decide on a topic and take a position on it. You'll need to back up your viewpoint with well-researched facts and information as well. One of the hardest parts is deciding which topic to write about, but there are plenty of ideas available to get you started.
Choosing a Great Argumentative Essay Topic
Students often find that most of their work on these essays is done before they even start writing. This means that it's best if you have a general interest in your subject, otherwise you might get bored or frustrated while trying to gather information. (You don't need to know everything, though.) Part of what makes this experience rewarding is learning something new.
It's best if you have a general interest in your subject, but the argument you choose doesn't have to be one that you agree with.
The subject you choose may not necessarily be one that you are in full agreement with, either. You may even be asked to write a paper from the opposing point of view. Researching a different viewpoint helps students broaden their perspectives.
Ideas for Argument Essays
Sometimes, the best ideas are sparked by looking at many different options. Explore this list of possible topics and see if a few pique your interest. Write those down as you come across them, then think about each for a few minutes.
Which would you enjoy researching? Do you have a firm position on a particular subject? Is there a point you would like to make sure to get across? Did the topic give you something new to think about? Can you see why someone else may feel differently?
50 Possible Topics
A number of these topics are rather controversial—that's the point. In an argumentative essay, opinions matter and controversy is based on opinions, which are, hopefully, backed up by facts. If these topics are a little too controversial or you don't find the right one for you, try browsing through persuasive essay and speech topics as well.
- Is global climate change caused by humans?
- Is the death penalty effective?
- Is our election process fair?
- Is torture ever acceptable?
- Should men get paternity leave from work?
- Are school uniforms beneficial?
- Do we have a fair tax system?
- Do curfews keep teens out of trouble?
- Is cheating out of control?
- Are we too dependent on computers?
- Should animals be used for research?
- Should cigarette smoking be banned?
- Are cell phones dangerous?
- Are law enforcement cameras an invasion of privacy?
- Do we have a throwaway society?
- Is child behavior better or worse than it was years ago?
- Should companies market to children?
- Should the government have a say in our diets?
- Does access to condoms prevent teen pregnancy?
- Should members of Congress have term limits?
- Are actors and professional athletes paid too much?
- Are CEOs paid too much?
- Should athletes be held to high moral standards?
- Do violent video games cause behavior problems?
- Should creationism be taught in public schools?
- Are beauty pageants exploitative ?
- Should English be the official language of the United States?
- Should the racing industry be forced to use biofuels?
- Should the alcohol drinking age be increased or decreased?
- Should everyone be required to recycle?
- Is it okay for prisoners to vote (as they are in some states)?
- Is it good that same-sex couples are able to marry?
- Are there benefits to attending a single-sex school ?
- Does boredom lead to trouble?
- Should schools be in session year-round ?
- Does religion cause war?
- Should the government provide health care?
- Should abortion be illegal?
- Are girls too mean to each other?
- Is homework harmful or helpful?
- Is the cost of college too high?
- Is college admission too competitive?
- Should euthanasia be illegal?
- Should the federal government legalize marijuana use nationally ?
- Should rich people be required to pay more taxes?
- Should schools require foreign language or physical education?
- Is affirmative action fair?
- Is public prayer okay in schools?
- Are schools and teachers responsible for low test scores?
- Is greater gun control a good idea?
Watch Now: How to Choose a Position for an Argument Essay
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200+ Argumentative Essay Topics That Will Blow Your Mind
Updated 02 Mar 2023
Argumentative essays are very popular projects in universities, especially in classes such as English composition, history, and political science, etc. Professors like to assign them because they want to see how well you can reason and support an argument. This article will not only show you how to choose argumentative essay topics, but it will also teach you how to write the project, as well!
List of Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics
What are the most controversial topics?
Controversial topics are often the result of such issues as conflicting ethical principles (e.g., euthanasia), going against traditional values (e.g., LGBT rights, gender roles), addressing societal taboos, focusing on delicate or painful issues/collective memories, or the existence of polarized groups in society having different beliefs/stances (e.g., religious groups, atheists, gun ownership supporters). Here are some possible topics for hardworking students who want to achieve the best grades:
Argumentative Essay Topics for College
Argumentative essay writing is a crucial skill for every student. As a college student, you need to find a “controversial” or “gray-area” topic to argue against or for. Your argumentative essay should include deeply researched facts that will support your claims.
- What is the ideal age for obtaining the right to vote?
- Are mobile phones really making people anti-social?
- Why technology-aided learning should be a standard.
- Is socialism bad or have we never implemented it right?
- Equal opportunity or equity: Which one and why?
- Reasons why the modern political structure is ready for a change.
- Money won’t give you happiness in life.
- We are living in the best era so far.
- The ruling elite should be held accountable in greater measure.
Essay Examples Relevant to Argumentative Topics for College
- Mobile Phone
Argumentative Essay Topics for High School
- Are digital technologies a good thing for children?
- Is celebrity culture good or bad & why?
- Is there really a wage gap between men and women?
- Should countries get involved in military conflicts around the world?
- Is global warming really an issue & how?
- What are the effects of sexual education on students?
- Is migration good for the US and in what way?
- Should citizens have the right to own guns?
- Should sexual minorities have their own public bathrooms?
- Is traditional public education outdated and ready for an overhaul?
Essay Examples Relevant to Argumentative Topics for High School
- High School
- Children and Technology
- Gender Wage Gap
- Gun Control
Argumentative Essay Topics about Family
The family is the fundamental unit of society, with direct links to the individual. It influences/dictates many other higher level social processes/structures/hierarchies. Hence, its role for the individual and collective existence of humans is simply monumental. This makes it a topic worth researching and exploring from a sociological, cultural, and psychological perspective.
Moreover, given the current cultural transitions characterizing liberal societies, traditional values on the nature of the family unit have seen a dramatic shift due to a change in gender roles and the recognition of LGBT rights. Thus, families nowadays are facing existential questions; many of the aspects we grew accustomed to are being redefined (e.g., same-sex marriages and parents). Here is a short list of argumentative essay topics related to family:
- Should homosexual partners be allowed to adopt children?
- It is ok for a parent to physically discipline his child?
- Should mothers stay at home and look after children, or should they work like their husbands?
- Are children better off in two-parent households?
- Should someone who has been convicted of a sex crime be allowed to visit his own children?
- Should children be forcibly taken from their parents if the state feels that the parents are incompetent?
- What are the advantages and benefits of reading to children?
- Do you believe that same-sex couples make better or worse parents?
- What positive and negative long-term effects can corporal punishment have on children?
- Should families have a television in the house or not?
Essay Examples Relevant to Family
- Same-sex Marriage
- Single Parenting
- Parent-child Relationship
Society Essay Topics
We are all defined by the society we live in. Whether we are aware of this or not, our culture slowly carves our personalities as we grow up, mature, and age. This influence is exerted through the families who raise us, our friends or romantic partners, our teachers/professors and academic colleagues, our professional contacts, the churches we attend, and any other person we interact with on the street, on the phone, online, etc. One of the fundamental principles by which society functions states, “My liberty ends where your liberty begins.”
While this depicts the general spirit, every individual situation/social relationship is characterized by peculiar circumstances that all need to be considered in order to reach a mutually satisfying solution (or at least a compromise). Societies worldwide are undergoing serious changes nowadays, changes which also need to be addressed. Below is a selection of argumentative essay topics related to society:
- Should abortion be legal or illegal?
- Do you believe that a person who is terminally ill has a right to assisted suicide?
- Should private businesses be allowed to discriminate against their clients based on race, gender, or sexual orientation?
- What should countries do to address the problem of illegal immigration?
- Should the Church play a more active role in government and society?
- Is the death penalty an effective deterrent to criminals?
- Should countries have a social safety net that protects the needy and the disadvantaged?
- Do you think that those receiving welfare payments should be required to actively seek work?
- What positive and negative effects does globalization have on societies?
- Does diversity in the workplace increase or decrease tension?
Essay Examples Relevant to Society
- Discrimination and Prejudice
- Illegal Immigration
- Globalization
Argumentative Essay Topics on Immigration
Immigration is a controversial topic that has been discussed often over the past decade, which makes it perfect for an argumentative essay. It allows you to give strong reasons behind supporting, rejecting, or changing how immigration is handled.
- How opening all the borders in the world will cause chaos.
- Situations in which illegal immigration should be justified.
- How do countries benefit from immigration?
- Why stopping wars is the best way to prevent immigration.
- Reasons why people want to emigrate to another country.
- Will building walls stop illegal immigration?
- Should refugees running away from conflict be seen as illegals?
- Why are there so many people against immigration?
- What are the effects of immigration on the economy?
- Should governments increase screening of immigrants from the Middle East?
Essay Examples Relevant to Immigration
- Immigration
- Immigration Reform
Law Topic Ideas
To manage the complexity of interactions that occur daily within society (involving individuals or groups of people, ranging from property owners to employers and employees to commercial entities to criminals to foreigners, etc.), a clear and transparent set of rules must be implemented. This is a fundamental prerequisite of every society, even from ancient times.
Writing legislation, however, is an ongoing process; and given the speed with which new technologies appear nowadays and the shifts in mentality we undergo on a regular basis, adopting laws to help manage any problem that may emerge is quite a challenge. In fact, adopting a law might solve one problem but create others, so oftentimes, it is a cycle of trial and error.
- Should federal bureaucracies be allowed to pass regulations that have the same weight as laws passed by legislative bodies?
- Would Great Britain be better off if the House of Lords had veto power over the House of Commons?
- Should judges make their rulings based on the wording of the law, or should they make rulings that benefit society?
- Do you believe that states should be able to nullify federal law and rulings made by the Supreme Court if they believe such laws and rulings violate their rights as sovereign republics in the Union?
- Does the Second Amendment allow for ordinary citizens to own firearms, or does it only relegate these rights to militias?
- Does the Supreme Court of the United States have too much power over the other branches of government?
- Should birthright citizenship be abolished by Congress?
- Is it a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment for states to deny the franchise to criminals?
- Is it a violation of the Fourth Amendment for the NSA to collect meta data?
- Should prosecuting a child as an adult be considered by the Supreme Court to be a violation of the Eighth Amendment?
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Essay Examples Relevant to Law
Ethics argumentative essay topics.
Ethics deals with the challenge of making the right decisions from the standpoint of moral values. Oftentimes, it is involved when discussing conflicting subjects – those in which, at first sight, both conflicting positions seem to have valid reasoning and appear to be driven by high moral principles.
By delving deeper into these problems, it is often possible to see additional layers, to learn about specific circumstances, and typical case scenarios and also to dissect problems and reflect both on their causes and potential solutions. Here are a few argumentative essay topics on some ethically controversial issues:
- Do you believe that a priest or psychologist ought to be required by law to share the contents of their conversations with parishioners and patients with the police?
- Is it ethical for a doctor to deny treatment to a patient who cannot afford an operation?
- Is it right for a college to have racial quotas that benefit minorities while denying entrance to academically gifted white and Asian students?
- Should someone be allowed to use a gun to defend his home from an intruder?
- Should the First Amendment protect speech that might be considered offensive by some?
- Is it ethical to require sex offenders to have their names listed on registries visible to the public?
- Is it morally acceptable to offer a white lie to someone when the truth might hurt their feelings?
- Should prostitution be a legal career?
- Do you think that drug use should be legalized?
- Should hunting be considered cruelty to animals?
Essay Examples Relevant to Ethics
- Medical Ethics
History Argumentative Essay Topics
History can be viewed as the collective memory of humankind. It typically records significant or remarkable events affecting many people or signifying important societal, cultural, or economic changes or transitions. The chief practical motivation for learning history is to avoid repeating past human errors. History also has great intrinsic value since it describes our evolution from hunter-gatherers to individuals living in extremely sophisticated societies.
Some major events on this road include the creation of laws and the rise of capitalism, money, state institutions, constitutions, and the idea of separation of powers in a state. Many recent historical events help us understand current relationships and processes occurring between countries and within societies. Check out the following topics:
- Was colonialism beneficial to the Third World, or was it harmful?
- Was Adolf Hitler right to demand that territory formerly belonging to Germany be returned to it?
- Should President Abraham Lincoln have allowed the Southern states to leave the Union peacefully?
- Do you believe that the United States was justified in expelling the Native Americans from regions inhabited by white settlers?
- Was the Soviet Union justified in occupying Eastern Europe at the end of the Second World War?
- What were the causes of the US-Mexican War, and what effects does it have on the world today?
- What were the primary causes of the Indo-Pak Wars following the dissolution of British India?
- Was Reconstruction of the American South following the American Civil War a success or a failure?
- Why was Prussia successful in unifying Germany into a single nation?
- What effect did the invention of the cotton gin have on American agriculture?
Essay Examples Relevant to History
- Colonialism
Conflict Essay Topics
The majority of conflict essay topics are dealing with challenging subjects like armed conflicts, crises, workplace issues, student debts, bullying, and more. The purpose is to identify a conflict, turn to an existing case study, and provide sources that will support an argument. Here are some conflict essay ideas that you should consider:
- The religious constituent of conflict between Israel and Palestine.
- The role of mediation in multicultural conflicts.
- Parents and teens conflict: psychology vs physiology.
- How do NGOs impact the human rights of females in India?
- Covid-19 and Alitalia workplace conflict.
- Konrad Lorenz and his theory of violence and conflict.
- Peaceful conflict resolution: Gandhi vs Tolstoy.
- Johan Galtung and Norwegian approach to world conflicts.
- Social media conflicts: where do we cross the line?
- An ethical side of religious conflicts and politics.
Essay Examples Relevant to Conflict
- Arab-Israeli Conflict
- Conflict Resolution
Argumentative Essay Topics on Health
Health topics can be very broad in their scope, ranging from a discussion of various medical conditions to arguing in favor of new treatment approaches; revealing new evidence regarding the causes of certain diseases (e.g., allergies); problems faced by the healthcare system and ways to best address them; various medical practices; the influence of modern lifestyle on our health; myths about a healthy lifestyle (and their debunking); and problems with untrustworthy medically related information on the web and how to address said problem.
- Do you believe that healthcare should be free for all?
- Should prisoners in the United States have the same access to healthcare as do free persons?
- Is it ethical to perform medical experiments on animals?
- Should medical knowledge gained from experiments performed on people in Nazi concentration camps be used today?
- Is it better to have a private or public healthcare system?
- How should the United States cope with an increasingly aging population?
- Should people with sexually transmitted diseases, such as HIV/AIDs, be forcibly quarantined?
- Is drug and alcohol addiction a disease?
- Should military service members be allowed to sue military doctors for medical malpractice?
- How are 21st century social conditions affecting people’s health?
- Reasons why child vaccination is mandatory in some countries.
- Objective facts that show how cosmetic surgery is dangerous.
- Medical drugs should be cheaper and available to everyone.
- How to recognize unfactual medical advice that can be encountered online?
Essay Examples Relevant to Health
- Health Care
- Universal Health Care
- Vaccination
- Drug Addiction
Psychology Argumentative Topics Ideas
As a psychology student, you need to find interesting topics that are relevant to the field of psychology. Students need to use their knowledge, research, and analytic skills to write essays with reliable information that supports their claims.
- Why is love often the topic of music lyrics?
- How marketing subconsciously affects our minds.
- Main reasons why kids learn to play instruments faster.
- How emotions affect our actions and behaviour.
- How is cyberbullying harmful to personal development?
- How music rewires our brains and affects our development.
- Why modern people need to prepare themselves for parenthood.
- Why is a sense of humour different depending on the culture?
- How bad experiences can lead to nightmares.
- How social media creates bad values with children.
Essay Examples Relevant to Psychology
- Emotions & Feelings
- Cyber Bullying
Argumentative Essay Topics on Education
Education is vital in the shaping of our future. The current generation of students will one day be in positions of power and manage the future of our society. Accordingly, we should attend to the needs of the current generation and ensure their harmonious and qualitative intellectual, moral, and physical development. We should also help them not only to adapt to the requirements of these times but also to have the skills, wisdom, and determination necessary to progress in the right direction (addressing current global problems).
Here is a list of topics:
- Should children with special needs be taught separately from normal children?
- Should standardized test scores be used to determine whether or not a student graduates?
- Do you believe that Common Core will benefit the American education system?
- Should the curriculum in public schools be determined by local communities or by the state?
- Which system is better: teacher-centered or student-centered education?
- Should schools include athletics as part of school life, or should school be solely for academic purposes?
- What are the benefits and drawbacks of a classical education?
- Compare and contrast learning methodologies of the 19th and 20th centuries.
- How can parents facilitate learning in the classroom?
- Should teachers be friends with their students?
- Should middle-school students choose their subjects?
- How to balance free speech and regulations on campus.
- How the COVID-19 pandemic made distance learning mainstream.
- Why are younger generations ready to switch to online learning?
Essay Examples Relevant to Education
- Special Education
- Standardized Testing
Topics on Foreign Policy
The topics below address international diplomacy, discussing such issues as armed conflicts, frozen conflicts, commercial treaties and commercial wars, military alliances or cooperation, weapons commerce, peace-keeping operations, and traditional and emerging ties between countries.
The foreign policy of a country is often determined by politics, national interests, economic circumstances, social issues (e.g., low tolerance against immigrants), values, and traditions as well as any history of diplomatic ties. Feel free to check the options below for inspiration:
- Should the United States engage in rapprochement with Russia?
- Do you believe that the European Union is beneficial to Europe?
- Is it a good policy for the EU and NATO to expand in Eastern Europe?
- Should the United States guarantee the security of South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan against China, Russia, and North Korea?
- Is Great Britain justified in leaving the European Union?
- What should Ukraine’s foreign policy be as a result of American and Russian interference in her domestic affairs?
- Should South and North Korea unify, or should they remain separate countries?
- What foreign policy objectives should the Biden administration pursue?
- How can Russia and the United States achieve a lasting peace in Syria that is beneficial to both nations and Syria?
- How has terrorism affected the foreign policies of the United States and Russia?
Save your time with free essay samples on Terrorism
Economics argumentative essay topics.
A strong economy is essential for the well-being of a nation since it serves as the engine for individual prosperity, infrastructure projects benefiting millions, well-financed medicine, education, and the military—which, in turn, is the guarantor of national safety.
Argumentative essay topics related to the economy may deal with policies regarding economic development (tax cuts versus increased taxation for big corporations/small and medium enterprises; protectionism versus joining free-trade treaties), socio-economic doctrine (socialism/communism/capitalism), the investigation of reasons behind economic crises, indices of a strong economy, and how to solve economic problems in developing countries.
- Should developed nations adopt socialism?
- Which economic system is better for society: capitalism or socialism?
- What are some of the reasons why communism failed in the Soviet Union?
- Is buying shares speculation or is it investing?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of an economy oriented towards exporting commodities?
- What were the causes of the recession of 2008, and how might such an economic downturn be avoided in the future?
- Did President Roosevelt’s New Deal policies help to end the Great Depression, or did they protract America’s economic woes?
- What economic policies should Third World countries adopt to improve their global status?
- Should countries adopt protectionist or free-trade policies?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages to being in a customs union?
Essay Examples Relevant to Economics
- The New Deal
Military Science Topic Ideas
According to a popular saying, “if you don’t want to feed your own army, be prepared to feed the enemy’s army” – this summarizes the role played by the military for any given nation. While, according to the statistics of the last decades, we seem to be moving away from wars, these still occur and given the weaponry of today, they can be very destructive.
Nowadays, military science is not only concentrated on the use of strategies and tactical maneuvers but also on the mastery of a number of advanced technologies (nuclear weapons, drones, AI-powered devices, lasers, satellites).
- Can wars be won solely by strategic bombing, or are ground forces necessary to achieve victory?
- Can mechanized units be used to take urban areas, or is light infantry, supported by artillery and aircraft, better suited for this role?
- When waging a counterinsurgency in another country, should reprisals be taken against civilians in order to deter them from aiding the opposition force?
- Is it morally acceptable to use chemical and biological munitions as area denial weapons?
- What role did sea power play in the emergence of Great Britain as the premier superpower of the 19th century?
- Why, despite arguably having the best army in the world, did Germany still lose the Second World War?
- In a total war, where the objective is to replace the enemy’s government and completely occupy his country, do the means justify the ends?
- Are aircraft carriers still useful on the modern battlefield, or have they been rendered obsolete by recent developments in air and submarine warfare?
- Should the United States military seek to weaponize space?
- Can artificial intelligence and machines replace soldiers on the battlefield?
Essay Examples Relevant to Military
- Artificial Intelligence
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Sports Argumentative Essay Topics
Are you a sports fan? Even if you are not, you can still pick relevant and interesting subjects to discuss and explore in your upcoming assignment. First, you will have to choose your position and make sure you have a clear idea of your thesis statement. Then, you will have to come up with relevant evidence to support both sides of the argument. Check this list of controversial essay topics in relation to sports:
- Stereotyping for college athletes: Is playing sports going to affect your academic level?
- Cheerleading is a real sport: Are cheerleaders shamed for what they like to do the most?
- Colleges spend too much money on sports programs.
- Animal sports should be banned and criminalized.
- The types of ads broadcast during sports events watched by children and teenagers should be controlled.
- Betting on all kinds of sports contradicts with the main purpose of practicing them.
- Male and female athletes should be given the same salaries and chances.
- Chess is a real sport that trains the most important organ in the body: the brain.
- Is American football too dangerous for players?
- Do elite athletes really deserve their enormous income?
Essay Examples Relevant to Sports
- Paying College Athletes
- Women in Sports
6th-Grade Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas
For a middle-school student, picking the right topic for your upcoming essay can be a real challenge. Although you might think that you are better off when your teacher assigns the topic, it can be fun to make the choice on your own. Here are some topics that are appropriate for hardworking students who want to achieve the best grades.
- Should education be free for everyone?
- Why are children becoming more obese?
- Current academic grading system: Is it fair?
- What are the negative effects of following a nutritional diet?
- Getting enough sleep: Is it receiving enough attention?
- Should children and teens be playing dangerous sports?
- Should violent video games be prohibited by law?
- What is the effect of mobile phones on children and teens?
- Parents should have no control over the lives of their children once they turn 16.
- Are children and teens doing what they have to do to overcome globalization?
Essay Examples Relevant to 6th-Grade
- Middle School
- Childhood Obesity
- Violence in Video Games
8th-Grade Argumentative Essay Topic Ideas
- Smokers should avoid smoking when non-smokers are nearby.
- Why taking care of your diet is important.
- What makes pop culture so appealing to the younger population?
- How is reality tv actually different from reality?
- Why people in important positions make more money.
- Why teachers shouldn’t add students on social media.
- Why everyone should have access to the internet.
- How the environment affects our growth as a person.
- Differences in social pressure girls and boys face.
Essay Examples Relevant to 8th-Grade
- Pop Culture
- Peer Pressure
Argumentative Essay Topics on Technology
Technology plays a crucial part in our lives, and this role keeps on growing every single day. Our technological breakthrough is currently improving the quality of life for millions of people, but it is also changing life as we know it. Here are some controversial topics to write about:
- Is technology turning us into present-day zombies?
- Is technology making people feel lonely?
- Online dating: Is it replacing the real thing?
- Is technology limiting creativity in young people?
- Do you think that humanity will reach a point where there is no chance for any technological advancement?
- Spending money on exploring space: the cost and the benefits.
- The effect of technology on education.
- Is technology making people smarter or dumber?
- Can technology be used to treat human problems related to feelings?
- Should cloning be allowed or banned?
Essay Examples Relevant to Technology
- Impact of Technology
Social Media Argumentative Topics
The rise in popularity of different social media platforms has caused a lot of changes across the globe. For starters, memes and trends spread too fast that one single meme can be viewed and shared by millions of people in one hour. Privacy, safety, and social responsibility are becoming extremely important as more people are relying on social media to communicate, study, work, and affect the lives of others.
- What is the right age to allow children to have their own private social media accounts?
- Does spending too much time on social media ruin family and personal relationships?
- Social media pranks and challenges: Are they really dangerous?
- Social media platforms can change someone’s point of view and bias.
- Should social media platforms be monitored and controlled?
- Are funny memes ethical?
- Reporting offensive social media content: Is it really worth it?
- International trends and how they affect the way we behave.
- Are YouTubers responsible for comments their fans publish on their posts?
- Making money off social media.
Essay Examples Relevant to Social Media
- Social Media
- Effects of Social Media
Funny Argumentative Essay Topics
Who said that education shouldn’t be fun? Picking the right funny topics will spice up the atmosphere in class and stir up a few laughs. Here are some ideas to think about before you decide on the topic of your next paper.
- Why do people like to watch funny cat videos?
- The reason why more people are interested in watching funny pranks.
- Our world would be different if dogs ruled it.
- Why are clowns frightening?
- Pretending that you are actually working: Is it good or bad?
- Teenagers have the worst pay for the worst jobs.
- Reasons to love and hate your last name.
- How to get rejected on a date.
- Annoying your parents: Is it worth it?
- Telling lies and getting away with them.
Essay Examples Relevant to Funny Argumentative Topics
Rogerian argument essay topics.
When a college professor asks you to come up with a Rogerian argument essay, it means that you should provide an essay with argumentation where both sides win. It may seem quite complex as it takes a great share of analysis, persuasion, debates, and study of the counter-arguments that are often contradictory or go against the most common logic. The solution is to choose a Rogerian argument where your audience should see at least two examples of an issue or the same idea like it has been done below:
- Should Bitcoin be made a fully legal currency as a way to maintain the world's economy?
- Should more skilled people be provided with better job positions?
- Are current school examination systems fair to determine a child's success?
- Should college athletes be paid more because they represent an educational institution?
- Is Internet censorship an advantage since it provides control?
- Marketing on children's television: is it a correct or a totally wrong approach?
- Should school uniforms be permitted as a way to achieve equality?
- Does automation help us as we become fully dependent on technology?
- Is punishment of children a way to bring up well-behaved personalities?
- Should boarding schools still exist as a way to let students communicate and live in a restricted learning environment?
Essay Examples Relevant to Rogerian Argument
- Rogerian Argument
- Internet Privacy
- School Uniform
- Corporal Punishment
These lists provide amazing ideas that you can use in your upcoming assignment. Browse them and make sure you choose a relevant topic to discuss in your writing.
What are good topics for college essays?
Good college essays may explore problems or challenges faced by students or youth, career choices, educational opportunities, and inspiring people; they may also address global or local challenges faced by the current generation of students, the dangers and potential they will be exposed to, and the change they need to bring to this world.
These topics can also serve as very good argumentative speech topics, too!
The Principles of Formatting Academic Papers
Academic papers are normally required to abide by a specific formatting style that is characteristic to the field (APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, etc.). This preference for a given formatting style is primarily dictated by the nature of the content and the type of in-text citations, bibliography, and formatting of the page header and/or footer that works best with such content.
MLA uses the author-page number format for in-text citations and lists the first names of the authors in the bibliography section. This is better suited for precisely referencing information in humanitarian subjects, characterized by long works written by one or few authors.
In contrast, APA uses an author-year format and is thus better suited for sciences. Mentioning the year as part of in-text citations makes it easy to visualize the chronology of the research cited in the paper. At the same time, APA collapses first names in the bibliography section to initials, which is very handy when the number of authors involved is large, a frequent scenario in scientific publications. Finally, providing page numbers, in this case, makes less sense given that scientific publications are typically short and often published in online documents without explicit numbering.
To take a shortcut and save lots of time, you could download and use templates for the appropriate formatting styles. The most basic elements required by a given format would be accounted for in these templates: margins, font size, page headers, indentation, first level and second level headings, the format of bibliography sources, page numbering, footnotes and endnotes, title pages, etc. It’s often a good idea to check an essay format example before you start working on your own.
How to Prepare Your Essay
There are multiple steps you should take in order to write an essay of excellent quality:
- Research your argumentative essay ideas
Whatever topic you choose, you are going to have to do some reading up on it because chances are that you don’t know as much about the subject as you think you do.
The best research strategy is to find five reputable sources that support your argumentative essay ideas and read each of them while taking down notes on the sections you find relevant. For each source you use, write down the title of the book, the name of the author, and the publishing information as well as the page numbers where you took the information. This will come in handy when you put together your bibliography.
- Brainstorming
To organize your thoughts, you should engage in a brainstorming exercise called pre-writing. Get out a piece of paper and a pen and start scribbling down every thought related to your project. Go through this list you’ve created and eliminate any idea that you believe won’t help you while keeping those you can use. Eventually, you will have a list of words and sentences that you can use to formulate the text of your essay.
Outlining is the process where you organize your text before you begin writing. On a blank piece of paper, write your thesis statement down; underneath it, write short sentences that summarize what you want to say for each paragraph in your main body. For your conclusion, write a short sentence in plain language that restates your argument, demands a call-to-action, or leaves a warning. When you have a completed argumentative essay outline , you will have a step-by-step guide that you can follow.
Once you begin writing your argumentative research paper topic or social issues essay topic , follow the structure you wrote down as best as you can—but at the same time, don’t be a slave to it. You are the master of your work, and if you believe that you should try something different in your paper than what you have written in your outline, by all means, do it.
Do not do all of your writing on the same day. Work on your project a little bit at a time so you don’t have to cram to get everything done at the last minute. If you have to write your entire essay in one day, do your best to give yourself breaks so you don’t burn out.
- Proofreading
When you are done with your essay, check it not only for grammatical errors but also for logical fallacies as well. Useful note: aside from buying college essays , you can also contact an editing service. Alternatively, consider showing the final version of the essay to a family member or friend.
To sum up, when writing your argumentative essay, you should follow these guidelines: identify reliable sources addressing the topic and write down all relevant bibliographic details to identify the sources later; research your question, search for evidence supporting your arguments and refuting or supporting your counterarguments; take notes throughout the process; brainstorm ideas to be included in the paper; outline the structure of the essay; do the writing, and proofread the final product.
Every professor pays attention to the structure of the submitted essay, especially the argumentative one. This is why you should master it and be confident while writing. Here is a basic argumentative essay structure for you to follow:
- Introduction
The introduction is where you introduce your topic to the reader. Here you should write your thesis statement, a one- to two-sentence statement that summarizes the position you will take in your essay. Be logical. Narrow down your thoughts and be straightforward. Your thesis statement is the most important part of your essay as it shows your position regarding the topic. Demonstrate your attitude towards the topic and support it with arguments in the body paragraphs.
Here you must present valid evidence to support whatever claim you made in your thesis statement. Place this information in the body of your composition in a manner that seems logical to you. Make sure you present your supporting facts in a way your audience can understand. Start every paragraph with a topic sentence that supports the thesis. Continue with the evidence you found in outside sources. You can provide a direct quotation or paraphrase. Remember to cite it properly in order to avoid any plagiarism accusations. Later on, interpret this piece of evidence; show how you understand it and how it relates to the topic. Finish the paragraph with a concluding sentence, providing a short summary of the paragraph along with a transition to the next passage of the essay.
After presenting the evidence for your argumentative essay topic and backing up your claims, you must then refute opposing arguments. Use evidence such as statistics and expert opinion that contradicts and disproves the position of your opponent. Do not be afraid that it will worsen your own position regarding the chosen topic. On the contrary, it will help you demonstrate your ability to contradict your opponents’ arguments and stick to your opinion.
Once you have presented your evidence and have refuted the positions of your opponents, it is time to write your conclusion. You can do several things with your conclusion. You can restate your argument, which is a very common practice amongst essayists. You might also consider calling on your audience to engage in a specific action or behavior—a call-to-action. Also, you can leave your audience with a warning, telling them that there might be dire consequences if they do not take your arguments seriously.
What are the five parts of an argumentative essay?
A standard argumentative essay consists of five paragraphs: one paragraph containing the thesis (the claim); two paragraphs with supporting arguments/evidence; a paragraph listing potential counterarguments along with their rebuttal; and a paragraph with a persuasive conclusion.
Tips for Choosing Good Argumentative Essay Topics
Which idea should you go for? Theoretically speaking, we could say that the sky's the limit; however, you should follow certain guidelines when deciding your next brilliant writing idea for your upcoming essay or paper.
- It should be interesting:
The idea of your next piece of writing should be subject to debate. In other words, you should be able to do the necessary research to find differing opinions regarding the idea you have chosen. It also should be interesting to you, your professor, and the audience who will most likely read or listen to your essay. It is difficult to write about a topic that you personally find boring or dull. Since you have the opportunity to choose your topic, choose wisely. The more interesting your idea is, the better you will be able to write about it. You should also make sure you have the knowledge needed to work on your writing. Being able to choose your own idea gives you an excellent chance to excel.
- Avoid using pure facts:
An interesting argumentative essay should be controversial. You shouldn’t depend purely on facts because the purpose of your assignment is to express an opinion. Students might be tempted to rely on facts only; but to make a good argument, you should also be able to state what you think. Researching to find appropriate argumentative essay ideas will take some time, but it is totally worth it. You should also do some brainstorming to come up with relevant evidence to include in your paper.
- Your topic shouldn’t be too wide:
When you look for controversial topics, you might be tempted to choose subjects that are way too broad to discuss. This can be a real problem when you are writing because you will get lost or overwhelmed. The more specific your essay or paper is, the better the quality of your writing will be. A very wide topic is going to be confusing for you as well as for your audience.
- You shouldn’t be biased:
There are many issues that may interest you. But when you pick one, make sure you don’t have extremely strong feelings about it. When you are working on the proposal of your writing, try to choose a subject that is not too sensitive and touches you on a personal level. The purpose of your writing is to provide your audience with a persuasive piece of writing. By picking the right subject and working on your thesis statement, your essay will have relevant evidence that makes it worth reading.
- Work on your evidence:
Just because you believe in something doesn’t necessarily mean that it is good enough to be included in your writing. It is crucial to back yourself up with sufficient supportive pieces of evidence to validate your viewpoint. Spend time to do adequate research to provide enough evidence for your opinion and the opposing opinion at the same time. This proves that you have worked hard to support your argument by using reliable information.
- You can take the risk:
Topics for argumentative essays should be special and unique. This is your chance to stand out and pick something that others might have tried to avoid. Don’t be scared to take the risk if it is properly calculated. Common themes are way too boring and will not deliver the message you mean to send to your audience. But if you are going to choose a unique and controversial topic, you should make sure you can provide enough information. Include enough data to argue for both sides of the argument.
Read also: 60 Narrative Essay Topics for Students
Use Our Argumentative Essay Ideas and Tips to Get Higher Grades
With the help of our random essay topics generator and our interesting list of topics, you are guaranteed to get a high grade! But if time is running out and you have better things to do than write boring essays, the professional writers of EduBirdie can provide you with high quality argumentative essay writing help, or they can do your paper for you! Contact our customer service representatives today and get prompt answers to your questions.
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Written by David Kidwell
David is one of those experienced content creators from the United Kingdom who has a high interest in social issues, culture, and entrepreneurship. He always says that reading, blogging, and staying aware of what happens in the world is what makes a person responsible. He likes to learn and share what he knows by making things inspiring and creative enough even for those students who dislike reading.
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70 Argumentative Essay Topics That Will Put Up a Good Fight
You’ve spent quite a bit of time in your English classes writing argumentative essays . You’ve even gotten pretty good at writing on the topics your instructor assigns. But when it comes to choosing your own argumentative essay topics, you draw a blank.
It’s not that there aren’t any good topics to choose from. It’s that you start over-thinking it, wondering if each topic is too cliche, overdone, or just not good enough.
Chances are, all you need to do is relax and find a topic you’re passionate about and, of course, one that’s debatable.
Why Pick Debatable Argumentative Essay Topics?
The name of the essay says it all— argumentative . It would be a lot easier to write an essay on something that people generally agree on, certainly. But that’s not really the point of an argumentative essay.
It’s important to choose debatable argumentative essay topics. You need opposing points that you can counter with your own points.
The world isn’t black and white—there are a lot of gray areas. This is good because it means there are a lot of topics you can choose from.
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I’ve listed 70 argumentative essay topics below, phrased as questions, to help get you started. I’ve separated the topics into five categories—legal, moral, social, media, and family. And I’ve even included a helpful link for each topic.
Feel free to use the topics for your own essay or as inspiration to create your own original topic.
14 Legal Argumentative Essay Topics
Argumentative essay topics about legal matters are a popular choice. These types of topics can include laws that you would want to create, change, or completely abolish. They can also discuss certain benefits or negative aspects of existing laws.
You don’t have to get super technical with legal argumentative essays. But you do need to do your research on what the current laws about your chosen topic actually say.
After all, you don’t want to suggest a changing a law that’s already been changed in the way you want.
- Should cigarettes and other tobacco products be outlawed?
- Should prostitution be legal?
- Do the benefits of medical marijuana justify its legality?
- Is the drinking age appropriate (should it be lower, higher, or stay the same)?
- Should nuclear weapons be outlawed worldwide?
- Should the United States put more restrictions on gun ownership and use ?
- At what age should girls have access to birth control without the consent of their parents?
- Should cellphone use be banned while driving ?
- Does outlawing controlled substances only create a larger black market?
- Should corporations be granted personhood ?
- Should juveniles be sentenced to life in prison ?
- In what situations, if any, does a woman have a right to an abortion ?
- Should restaurants be required to include calories on all menu items ?
- Should an added tax be placed on sugary drinks , such as sodas?
14 Moral Argumentative Essay Topics
Moral argumentative essay topics are some of the easiest to get carried away with. They can cover a variety of moral dilemmas, from animal testing to the death penalty .
These topics tend to be very debatable because people have different opinions—and justifications for those opinions—on what they think is right or wrong.
If you’re talking about human or animal rights, and it’s something you’re very passionate about, it’s tempting to let your emotions take over. While it’s good to be passionate in an argumentative essay, remember to keep your thoughts focused and organized.
It’s definitely worth your time to create an outline. It helps ensure you don’t stray off topic. If you need help crafting an outline, review these two resources:
- How to Create a Powerful Argumentative Essay Outline
- 7 Essay Outline Templates to Get Your Essay Going
- Is animal testing necessary?
- Should consumers buy items from countries that endorse child labor ?
- Do patients have a right to die ?
- Are nude photographs appropriate in museums that are open to the public?
- Should schools and businesses give more incentives for people to do volunteer work ?
- Are atheists less moral than theists?
- Does freedom of speech give people the right to use hate speech ?
- Do people who commit heinous crimes deserve the death penalty ?
- Do pre-employment drug tests infringe on personal privacy rights?
- Should employees be able to have visible tattoos in the workplace ?
- Are cameras in public places an invasion of privacy?
- Should teens be allowed to have cosmetic surgery ?
- Should Dreamers be allowed to stay in the United States?
14 Social Argumentative Essay Topics
Social argumentative essay topics tend to overlap with legal and moral topics. But argumentative topics deal more about how individuals act within society and what kinds of pressures society puts on individuals or groups of people.
This is a pretty broad category. There are a lot of topics to choose from and even more that you could create on your own. If you get stuck on which topic to write about, consider something that personally affects you or someone close to you.
This should make writing about that topic come more naturally. Just be sure to rely on facts and not on personal anecdotes. Such anecdotes are more appropriate to the narrative essay realm.
Remember, even though you may be writing about something that affects you personally, the argument essay isn’t usually the place for first person point of view. Most argumentative research papers require you to use third person .
- Is there too much pressure on teenagers to go to college?
- At what age should citizens be allowed to vote in the United States?
- Should more rights be given to immigrants ?
- Can heterosexual men and women truly be friends with no hopes or expectations of anything more?
- In what case(s) could it be considered fair for a company to not hire a candidate who smokes cigarettes ?
- Should the United States make English the official national language ?
- Should women wear less-revealing clothing in order to curb men’s catcalling ?
- Do prisoners deserve the right to vote ?
- Should there be a legal curfew for minors?
- Can online dating replace meeting a person in real life?
- Does social media create isolation ?
- Should welfare recipients be required to submit to drug tests ?
- Should adoptive parents be given some form of maternity leave ?
- Can video games be a useful learning tool?
14 Advertising and Media Argumentative Essay Topics
Advertising and the media have become nearly inseparable from society as a whole. Essays written on these topics can include various angles.
For instance, you could look at how media (television, news, movies, magazines, social media, etc.) affects society. But you could also look at what should be allowed to be seen or heard through media and advertisements.
Inspiration to create your own advertising or media argumentative essay topics isn’t hard to find. Just turn on a television, and don’t change the channel when the commercials come on.
Pay close attention to all things electronic. You’ll be sure to find something debatable about what you see.
- Should sex be allowed to be portrayed on prime time television ?
- Where should networks draw the line for violence on television ?
- Should news shows talk about celebrities ?
- Do journalists have a duty to eliminate as much bias as possible?
- Is it acceptable for companies to advertise in schools?
- In what situations should advertisements for alcohol and tobacco products be allowed?
- Should warnings and side effects be made more clear in advertisements?
- Is print advertising obsolete?
- Do TV shows and movies have the responsibility of being more diverse ?
- Are public service announcements effective?
- Do reality shows , such as Teen Mom , glorify teen pregnancy?
- Does the media create unrealistic expectations of relationships and marriage ?
- Does the media attempt to create hype to influence or scare the public?
14 Family Argumentative Essay Topics
Argumentative essay topics covering family life and values are abundant. That’s because every family is different. Rules in families vary on a case-by-case basis, contrary to laws that govern a state or nation.
Because each family is different, it’s hard to generalize in this type of essay.
However, there’s a ton of research on child development and psychology, marital psychology, and personal stories from parents and their children. You can get enough information to make an argument for any of the topics below (or for a topic of your own).
Not sure where to find sources? Check out 5 Best Sources to Help With Writing a Research Paper .
- At what age should parents talk to their children about sex ?
- Do children deserve/need an allowance ?
- Is it okay for parents to monitor teens’ Internet use ?
- Should parents be able to spank their children ?
- Is it acceptable for women to breastfeed in public ?
- Should parenting classes be compulsory?
- Should parents push their kids into extracurricular activities , such as music or sports?
- Are children’s rooms really theirs, or do the rooms “belong” to parents’?
- Should single people be able to adopt children as easily as couples?
- Which parenting style is most effective?
- Should parents pay children for good grades ?
- How does helicopter parenting harm (or help) kids?
- At what age should children be allowed to have a cellphone ?
Final Thoughts on Choosing Argumentative Essay Topics
As you can see, there are a lot of debatable argumentative essay topics you can choose from (way more than are on this list).
For more ideas, read these posts:
- 20 Persuasive Essay Topics to Help You Get Started
- 15 Excellent Topics for Persuasive Essays
- 15 Good Persuasive Essay Topics to Start Your Essay Right
Need to narrow down a broad topic into something more manageable? Read How to Narrow a Topic and Write a Focused Paper .
And if you’d like a few more argument essay tips, take a look these posts:
- How to Write a Winning Argument Essay
- Writing an Argumentative Essay Made Easy (Infographic)
Once you’re ready to come up with a thesis, check out these argumentative thesis statement examples .
Not sure what a completed argument essay should look like? Read 2 Argumentative Essay Examples With a Fighting Chance .
When picking your topic, keep in mind that it’s much easier to write about something that you already have interest in. In fact, that’s true even if you don’t know a whole lot about it. Researching the topic will allow you to learn more about what fascinates you.
And if you pick something you actually like , writing the essay will be more enjoyable.
If you’ve wrapped up your argument but think there may be a few holes in your logic, send your essay over to the Kibin editors . They’ll help give you the winning edge in whatever you’re debating.
Psst... 98% of Kibin users report better grades! Get inspiration from over 500,000 example essays .
About the Author
Eden Meirow is a full-time copywriter and part-time freelance writer. Along with her BS in marketing from Florida State University and MA in museum studies from Johns Hopkins University, she has spent the past 7 years learning how best to reach and teach people using the power of words. When she's not working, she's constantly trying to expand her creativity through music, writing, art, and animation.
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Argumentative Essay Guide
Argumentative Essay Topics
Best Argumentative Essay Topics Recommended by Essay Experts
14 min read
Published on: Feb 7, 2018
Last updated on: Feb 23, 2023
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An argumentative essay is commonly assigned to high school and college. Professors assign these essays because it allows them to analyze the student’s ability to support a certain argument. However, without a proper argumentative essay writing guide , it is difficult for students to craft a perfect argumentative essay.
The first step to writing an argumentative essay is to choose a good topic. Here we have presented some good argumentative essay topics to help you get started.
Choosing an Interesting Argumentative Essay Topic
Interesting argumentative essay topic ideas are those that intrigue the reader and are attention grabbers. While choosing a topic to write an argumentative essay, keep the following things in mind. Your argumentative essay topic should be:
- Researchable
The topic you choose for your academic paper should allow you to express your knowledge about a particular issue.
Argumentative Essay Topics For Middle School Students
- First aid and medical advances
- Role of teachers in building the kids’ personality
- Is phone and internet regulation necessary for kids?
- Parents should be a child’s best friend. How far is this statement correct?
- Violent video games affect a child’s mental health and stability.
- Boys and girls do not have equal opportunities, Agreed?
- Schools should be in a session year-round.
- Religious conflicts have caused wars.
- The government should provide health care facilities.
- Is homework helpful or harmful to students?
Argumentative Essay Topics For High School Students
- Are SATs effective?
- The Pros and Cons of doing an MBA
- What secondary languages are worth studying nowadays?
- Causes of Obesity in the US.
- Is NCAA participation negatively impacting academic performance?
- Should forest destruction become a punishable act?
- Monarchy and its Pros and Cons.
- Should there be a ban on violent video games?
- How important is a high school in a student’s life?
- What does it take to become a politician?
Argumentative Essay Topics For College Students
- Is a College degree worth its price?
- College professors are paid more than they should.
- Not everyone needs to go to College.
- College students shouldn’t live at home.
- College is a way to make money.
- Social media usage should be regulated in young adults.
- Children should be given the freedom to design their own curriculum.
- Real-life skills should be added to the college syllabus.
- Students should be taught to grow their food.
- Medical marijuana has proven positive effects on many diseases.
Argumentative Essay Topics For Kids
- Are uniforms essential for public school students?
- Do curfews keep kids out of trouble?
- Schools should include a game period for kids.
- Is cheating out of control in schools?
- Parents love the younger child more
- Test scores are important to impress the teacher
- Tom and Jerry are the best cartoons
- How a toy changed my life
- Lunch break should be 1 hour long.
- Are boys too dominating?
Funny Argumentative Essay Topics
- Things that your driving instructor never told you.
- The reason why the customer is not always right
- Why do people have an abundant amount of mismatched socks?
- Why do cats act so entitled?
- Do dogs really smile? Explain that expression in detail.
- What makes Charlie Chaplin an iconic figure?
- Why do nice girls date morons?
- Why social media friends are better than real-world friends
- How to get rejected on a first date?
- CEOs paid too much
Sports Argumentative Essay Topics
- Should College Athletes be paid?
- How do tennis players stay fit?
- Student-athletes and their struggle with time management
- Is football dangerous for the players?
- Can football fans become obsessive?
- Involvement in extracurricular activities is a key to academic success.
- The foundation of female athletes.
- Female athletes are equally capable as their male counterparts.
- Bullfighting should be banned and made illegal everywhere.
- Being a great athlete and being a great coach are different things.
Best Argumentative Essay Topics
- The use of marijuana should be illegal.
- The regulation of alcohol drinking.
- YouTube channel owners should edit foul language in the comments.
- Social media plays an important role in business communication.
- When it comes to news, Twitter is more beneficial than Facebook.
- The effects of Instagram on today’s youth
- Does freedom of speech give people the license to say hateful things?
- Can competitive behavior lead to issues in the long run?
- Should criminals get second chances?
- Ignorance is a blessing. How far is it true?
Psychology Argumentative Essay Topics
- A good diet means good health
- Hygiene is key to health
- Is there a need for better health policies?
- Does therapy help in the long run?
- Having a pet makes us mentally and physically fit.
- Fad diets are effective in fast weight loss.
- Good sleep is important for good health.
- Bedtime storytelling is a dying art.
- Playing outdoors helps in building a kid’s immunity system.
- Psychologists should not share the details of their patients.
Medical Argumentative Essay Topics
- How is type 2 diabetes related to foot ulcers?
- The impact of diet on type 2 diabetes patients
- Issues surrounding organ donation.
- The problems associated with organ donation in the black market
- Plastic and its linkage with Cancer
- The issues associated with obesity.
- Herbal medicine is better than mainstream medicine.
- Doctors should be given the authority to end their terminally ill patient’s life.
- Euthanasia should be legal for patients in vegetative states.
- Junk food should be banned for kids up to 18 years
Good Argumentative Essay Topics
- Are punctual people more successful?
- Why is time money?
- Is knowledge power?
- Everything is fair in love and war.
- Hunger is a tragedy.
- How to help children maintain a healthy weight
- Is sugar bad for you?
- Middle school students should be given less workload.
- How can colleges encourage recycling?
- How much time does a commercial movie take to complete?
Argumentative Essay Topics On Technology
- Technological advancement has made people's life easier.
- The advent of smartphones has turned us into digital nomads.
- Is technology causing isolation amongst students?
- Pros and cons of electronic voting
- The evolution of cell phone
- Advancement in technology making people lazy
- Technology advancement causing the unemployment
- We are reaching a point where there is no advancement in technology left.
- Young people lives are totally dependent on computer and google
- What will the world look like in the event of a technological explosion?
Argumentative Essay Topics On Social Media
- Should social media usage be limited?
- Is the world more focused on material happiness after the introduction of social media?
- Social media, a place of great awareness
- Social media in the United States
- Social media platforms are great for small and medium-sized businesses.
- Facebook and other social media platforms give unwanted access to child abusers.
- Pros and cons of allowing kids to use social media
- The increase in drugs and substance abuse is partly due to social media.
- Social media has become a significant part of people's life
- People are earning money from social networks
Easy Argumentative Essay Topics
- The problems associated with global warming
- Was Ted Bundy an influencer?
- Is sleep necessary to regulate health issues?
- Is swimming an overall exercise?
- Is there a possibility of someone being above the law?
- Capital punishment should be ended for juvenile prisoners.
- Why are funny cat videos so popular?
- A house is a child’s first institute. Discuss the claim with factual proof.
- Strict mothers have well-behaved children. Discuss.
- Human beings caused depletion in the ozone layer.
Music Argumentative Essay Topics
- Music helps the students to study better. Support your answer with proven facts.
- The mafia controls the music industry.
- Which music genre is most loved by youngsters?
- Why does rock music lose its credibility?
- Can a blend of different music genres be termed music?
- Music is a medicine to the mind, soul, and body.
- ‘Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’ the famous international celebrity
- Music and psychology have a strong relationship.
- Why do people listen to sad songs when they are depressed?
- Why do people become addicted to music?
Argumentative Essay Topics About Animals
- Animal testing for beauty products should be banned
- Do dogs understand what we are saying?
- How does watching funny cat videos affect our brains?
- There is no need for animal medical experimentation.
- How do emotional support animals help in releasing stress?
- Why are dogs so loyal?
- The restriction on hunting should be dependent on environmental areas.
- Aggressive animals should not be allowed as pets
- There should be a law for animal protection
- Bunnies are the most beautiful creature
Controversial Argumentative Essay Topics
- Like pregnancy tests, HIV tests should also be made available in drugstores.
- Social media leads to isolation.
- Dating in the workplace is ethically wrong.
- There should be a death sentence for sex offenders.
- Dating in the workplace should be discouraged.
- Women are less healthy than men.
- Women should be given the right to abort.
- Journalism has reduced money-making games.
- Thoughts on same-sex marriage.
- Should there be a restriction on the sales and production of tobacco?
American History Argumentative Essay Topics
- Civil rights movement in America
- American foreign policy for the 21st century
- Donald Trump has become the most hated president in the history of the united states
- The effects of the Great Depression on American people
- How was the North American continent discovered?
- Will there be a 3rd World War?
- The winners write history, and this makes it biased.
- End of slavery in America
- Why was Barack Obama the best American president?
- Discuss the key causes of the American revolution
Argumentative Essay Topics About Education
- Education should be free of cost for everyone.
- Education is considered a business now. How far is this statement true?
- Boys and girls should be given equal education and job opportunities.
- The link between technology and education
- The Education board should review the college syllabus on an annual basis.
- Different methods of coaching and the issues associated with them
- Jails should have a developed educational and skills training system for prisoners.
- A college education is a base for future career success.
- There are many success stories of college dropouts. Analyze these examples and discuss if college education really is useless.
- Shakespeare is the greatest poet of all time. Discuss the reasons behind it.
Unique Argumentative Essay Topics
- Can we live without the internet and cell phone?
- The issues related to gambling in sports
- Is technology turning people into zombies?
- Children should be educated about the dangers of smoking in schools.
- Why is it so frustrating when the computer freezes?
- Women still suffer from the glass ceiling effect.
- Are obesity and hunger both malnutrition problems?
- Student-athletes should be given financial support in colleges.
- Can drinking milk regularly make the bones stronger?
- Discuss the elements of tragedy and whether the Shakespearean tragedy comes close to it.
Argumentative Research Essay Topics
- Early to bed and early to rise, make a man healthy, wealthy, and wise
- Every student should have the right to pick the discipline they are interested in.
- The aftermath of the Tsunami.
- Kids learn more in Smart schools than in traditional schools.
- Is censorship on the internet necessary?
- Hockey is a dangerous sport and should be played in a controlled environment.
- Young adults must be given equal rights as far as their decision related to the military is concerned.
- Can gun control help in regulating crime? Discuss your point of view.
- MBA is not as effective as it used to be.
- Learning multiple languages should be added to the college syllabus.
Argumentative Persuasive Essay Topics
- Parents should have no control over the life of their adult kids.
- Kids should be allowed to sleep 10 hours a day.
- Video games are dangerous for kids’ health.
- Should there be a ban on energy drinks?
- At what age should individuals be given the right to vote?
- Is justice present for everyone out there?
- At what age can people start drinking and smoking?
- Medical marijuana prescriptions should be allowed to all doctors.
- Parents should not give smartphones to their college children.
- Religion and politics should be kept separate.
Check out these argumentative essay examples to get an idea of what kind of topics make strong argumentative essays.
Tips to Write an Argumentative Essay
Argumentative essays are like persuasive essays where you have to persuade the reader by presenting the facts and logic.
The following tips from expert writers will help you craft a perfect argumentative essay:
- Choose focused and debatable essay topics
- Go for a controversial topic and avoid any obvious argumentative topic
- Avoid sensitive topics like; race, religion or politics
- Do research to collect updated information from the most credible sources
- Decide between the types of argument structure you want to follow.
- Create an outline. An argumentative essay outline will help you organize your thoughts.
- Pay attention to the beginning and start your essay with a compelling hook
- Write a convincing introduction paragraph
- Provide a brief background that is necessary to understand the argument
- Come up with a thesis statement that presents a strong argument
- Craft a conclusion that provides a call to action
- Proofread, edit and revise
Our essay writers’ tips on how to write an argumentative essay will surely help you make your essay flawless.
However, if you still feel like you need more guidance, you can seek help from our argumentative essay writers .
MyPerfectWords.com is a professional essay writing service with a team of experienced writers who are experts in crafting high-quality and 100% original papers.
Your dedicated essay writer online will take care of everything from research to composing a thesis statement to text citations.
Feel free to contact our argumentative essay writing service whenever you want. Our customer support representatives are available 24/7 to assist you in all of your academic writing queries.
Nova A. (Literature, Marketing)
Nova Allison is a Digital Content Strategist with over eight years of experience. Nova has also worked as a technical and scientific writer. She is majorly involved in developing and reviewing online content plans that engage and resonate with audiences. Nova has a passion for writing that engages and informs her readers.
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There are two key components to a good argumentative essay: a strong stance, and an assortment of evidence. If you’re interested and feel passionate about the topic you choose, you'll have an easier time finding evidence to support it, but it's the evidence that's most important.
Consider this list of 125 argumentative essay topics by type to consider: Science Should the U.S. allow fracking? Should doctors be allowed to genetically modify unborn children at the parents' request? Technology Should social media platforms be banned from collecting their users' data?
Easy Argumentative Essay Topics There are topics that are discussed and debated daily. It is not uncommon that most of them are banned from classrooms being cliche. If you believe you have some fresh insights on the matter, try to convince your teacher into letting you do it. Should students be given time off for mental health purposes?
An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion. There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.
In an argumentative essay, opinions matter and controversy is based on opinions, which are, hopefully, backed up by facts. If these topics are a little too controversial or you don't find the right one for you, try browsing through persuasive essay and speech topics as well. Is global climate change caused by humans? Is the death penalty effective?
Your argumentative essay should include deeply researched facts that will support your claims. What is the ideal age for obtaining the right to vote? Are mobile phones really making people anti-social? Why technology-aided learning should be a standard. Is socialism bad or have we never implemented it right?
Argumentative essay topics about legal matters are a popular choice. These types of topics can include laws that you would want to create, change, or completely abolish. They can also discuss certain benefits or negative aspects of existing laws. You don’t have to get super technical with legal argumentative essays.
Your argumentative essay topic should be: Debatable Passionate Researchable Up to date The topic you choose for your academic paper should allow you to express your knowledge about a particular issue. Argumentative Essay Topics For Middle School Students First aid and medical advances Role of teachers in building the kids’ personality