argumentative essay about murders

Murder Essay: Examples, Topics, and Killer Tips [2024]

Probably, a murder essay is not a fascinating assignment to complete. Talking about people’s deaths or crazy murderers can be depressing. However, all assignments are different, and you are supposed to work on every task hard.

So, how are you going to deal with a murder essay? You can make it engaging, especially if you can choose exciting ways to get the paper done.

In the article, we’ll show you:

The ways to approach your murder essay.
Examples of successful papers on the subject.
Murder essay topics and prompts to start writing.

Our website ‘s writers are ready to share some short killing ideas so that you could write an outstanding argumentative essay about murders!

🤔 How to Approach Your Murder Essay

There are several options on how to approach and how to start writing an essay on murder. These depend on what interests you and what kind of person you are. We have collected several ideas for different students. Try to approach writing a paper on one of them and check the murder essay examples.

📗 Essays on Murder: Idea 1

If you are a peaceful person who cannot stand anything bloody and cruel, this will be a brilliant option for writing your murder essay. Do you know how many synonyms the word “murder” has? Some of them are homicide, assassination, slaying, parricide, mariticide, thuggee, etc. In your murder essay, you can explain each word’s meaning and briefly tell about their history.

🚔 Essays on Murder: Idea 2

If you are not that sensitive and want to write an earnest and killing essay on murder, we suggest you write about mass killings of people called massacres. There are numerous notorious massacres in human history that you can mention in your essay on murder:

the Nanking massacre,
Babi Yar massacre,
Katyn massacre,
St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre, and some others.

Iranian Revolution and Terrorism: the Rex Cinema Massacre

🕵️ Essays on Murder: Idea 3

Another “gory” way to get your murder essay done is to write about infamous and the most gruesome American murderers of the 20th century. The following people can be the main “characters” of your paper: Edward Gein, Charles Manson, Mary Bell, Andrea Yates.

Criminal Profiling and Police Corruption

⚖️ Essay on Murder: Idea 4

If you are into moral riddles, then you might consider writing an essay about capital punishment, or shortly, the death penalty. In your paper, discuss whether it is ethical and whether humans deserve it. Also, you can list current methods of capital punishment and discuss their moral aspects.

Abolition of Capital Punishment

👮 Essay on Murder: Idea 5

Wondering whether gender influences the severity of the punishment? Maybe, there is an increase in the involvement in the crime? If the gender distribution among criminals interests you, then go ahead, and write about it. Compare and contrast the punishment men and women get for the same crimes. Is it different or similar?

Women Offenders’ Punishment and Treatment

👩‍⚖️ Murder Essay Topics

Coming up with eye-catching titles for your papers can be complicated. That is why we have prepared some topic ideas for your essay on murder.

Is euthanasia murder? Should people who help with euthanasia be convicted of criminal homicide? Write several paragraphs of the argumentative essay supporting your point.
OJ Simpson’s trial: a killer or a victim? Write an argumentative essay about the murder that happened 25 years ago.
The serial killer story. Such stories are often surrounded by mystery. Write about Zodiac , a serial killer whose identity remains unknown. What makes his persona mysterious?
A homicide close to home. Write an essay on the murder case that resonated in your country.
Does extrajudicial killing equal to murder? Present your point on the argument supported by evidence.
Explain the role and effectiveness of the law commission. What are the pros and cons of the law reform conducted by an independent body?
An unsolved crime. Write an essay about a murder that has never been explained. Think about why detectives were never able to solve the case.
Are people born serial killers , or do environmental factors make them? Write a five-paragraph essay, where you’ll present your opinion supported by evidence.
The psychological portrait of a serial killer . Think among the traits shared among serial killers. What are they? Do you think these traits are acquired or inherited?
The intention in criminal law . Can it be direct and indirect? Explain the definition of murder intention in your essay. Provide examples of famous murders.
Causes of murders and school shootings.
What are the causes of mass murders?
The history and medical diagnoses of Menéndez brothers.
Discuss how mental disorders of Richard Kuklinski induced him to become a contract killer.
How John Wayne Gacy became a serial killer.
Analyze the factors that influenced the Chessboard Killer Alexander Pichushkin.
Examine the issues discussed in the documentary Meeting With a Killer .
Does death penalty help to lower crime rates?
Explore how Dave Grossman describes psychology of the killer in his book On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society .
Socioecomonic forces impact on serial killers .
Describe the factors that allow to define a case as attempted murder.
Discuss the use of technology in solving murder cases.
Explain why Kitty Genovese’s murder is the primary illustration of the Bystander Effect.
Three elements of murder in mass shootings in Atlanta.
The role of DNA profiles in solving murder cases.
What causes murder and homicide?
Examine the history of the serial killer Albert Fish.
Analyze the ways media portrays the serial killers.
Can murder in revenge be justified?
Pros and cons of trying children as adults for murder .
The murder of Paul Broussard as an example of a hate crime.
The role of media in Casey Anthony murder trial.
The mystery of Meriwether Lewis death.
Analyze Bruce Chadwick’s attempt to throw light on the murder of George Wythe in his book I Am Murdered .
Cognitive biases and their detrimental effect on the investigation of Robin Adams’ murder case.
Discuss the role of racial prejudices in Emmett Till murder case.
Examine the peculiarities of the trial and punishment for a police officer murder.
Social behavior of Ted Bundy.
Explore the religious motives in terrorism cases.
The specifics of investigative techniques applied to terrorism cases.
Analyze the controversial depiction of murderers in Dahl’s Lamb to the Slaughter and Glaspell’s A Jury of Her Peers .
Discuss the philosophy of John Locke applied to capital punishment .
The history and different types of homicide.
The reasons for people’s fascination with fictional serial killers.
Examine the criminal situation and homicide rates in Puerto Rico.
Explain the importance of forensic evidence in homicide investigation .

Thank you for reading this article! We hope you enjoyed reading it. Don’t forget to comment and share it with your friends.

🔗 References

Essay on Murder: Bartleby
Writing Resources—Persuasive Essays: Hamilton College
Conclusion of Manslaughter and Murder: Cram
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I am a college student and I have to write an argumentative essay and I curious how could I make a cold case into an argumentative topic.

Hi, I’m a grade 11 student, and I need to make a persuasive essay about a murder case. I should convince the judge that I am not the killer. I hope you can help me. Thank you!

Hi there I’m a grade 11 pupil, and I need to write an essay on murder.. I just need a few ideas to write about, I’m thinking about this for my intro. The blood on. My hands almost had a pulse on its own. I stand over a girls body. I don’t know whose blood it is because we both are covered in blood. Please help me with ideas 🙂

Hi, Thanks for stopping by. As to your essay – be creative=) Why not to make an unexpected ending for your paper? Describe all the terrifying thoughts going through your mind as you’re looking at the ‘blood’ on your hands… and then write that all of a sudden you understand that it was only grape juice. The situation is really disappointing, as you’ll have to drink lemonade now=) We hope that this idea helps you. Good luck with your paper!

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Introduction
Historical considerations

Moral arguments

Utilitarian arguments, practical arguments, the abolition movement.

Capital punishment in the early 21st century

Arguments for and against capital punishment

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy - Capital Punishment
Santa Clara University - Capital Punishment: Our Duty or Our Doom?
Cornell Law School - Legal Information Institute - Death penalty
capital punishment - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
capital punishment - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)
Table Of Contents

Capital punishment has long engendered considerable debate about both its morality and its effect on criminal behaviour. Contemporary arguments for and against capital punishment fall under three general headings: moral , utilitarian, and practical.

Recent News

Supporters of the death penalty believe that those who commit murder , because they have taken the life of another, have forfeited their own right to life. Furthermore, they believe, capital punishment is a just form of retribution , expressing and reinforcing the moral indignation not only of the victim’s relatives but of law-abiding citizens in general. By contrast, opponents of capital punishment, following the writings of Cesare Beccaria (in particular On Crimes and Punishments [1764]), argue that, by legitimizing the very behaviour that the law seeks to repress—killing—capital punishment is counterproductive in the moral message it conveys. Moreover, they urge, when it is used for lesser crimes, capital punishment is immoral because it is wholly disproportionate to the harm done. Abolitionists also claim that capital punishment violates the condemned person’s right to life and is fundamentally inhuman and degrading.

Although death was prescribed for crimes in many sacred religious documents and historically was practiced widely with the support of religious hierarchies , today there is no agreement among religious faiths, or among denominations or sects within them, on the morality of capital punishment. Beginning in the last half of the 20th century, increasing numbers of religious leaders—particularly within Judaism and Roman Catholicism—campaigned against it. Capital punishment was abolished by the state of Israel for all offenses except treason and crimes against humanity, and Pope John Paul II condemned it as “cruel and unnecessary.”

Supporters of capital punishment also claim that it has a uniquely potent deterrent effect on potentially violent offenders for whom the threat of imprisonment is not a sufficient restraint. Opponents, however, point to research that generally has demonstrated that the death penalty is not a more effective deterrent than the alternative sanction of life or long-term imprisonment.

There also are disputes about whether capital punishment can be administered in a manner consistent with justice . Those who support capital punishment believe that it is possible to fashion laws and procedures that ensure that only those who are really deserving of death are executed. By contrast, opponents maintain that the historical application of capital punishment shows that any attempt to single out certain kinds of crime as deserving of death will inevitably be arbitrary and discriminatory. They also point to other factors that they think preclude the possibility that capital punishment can be fairly applied, arguing that the poor and ethnic and religious minorities often do not have access to good legal assistance, that racial prejudice motivates predominantly white juries in capital cases to convict black and other nonwhite defendants in disproportionate numbers, and that, because errors are inevitable even in a well-run criminal justice system, some people will be executed for crimes they did not commit. Finally, they argue that, because the appeals process for death sentences is protracted, those condemned to death are often cruelly forced to endure long periods of uncertainty about their fate.

Under the influence of the European Enlightenment , in the latter part of the 18th century there began a movement to limit the scope of capital punishment. Until that time a very wide range of offenses, including even common theft, were punishable by death—though the punishment was not always enforced , in part because juries tended to acquit defendants against the evidence in minor cases. In 1794 the U.S. state of Pennsylvania became the first jurisdiction to restrict the death penalty to first-degree murder, and in 1846 the state of Michigan abolished capital punishment for all murders and other common crimes. In 1863 Venezuela became the first country to abolish capital punishment for all crimes, including serious offenses against the state (e.g., treason and military offenses in time of war). San Marino was the first European country to abolish the death penalty, doing so in 1865; by the early 20th century several other countries, including the Netherlands, Norway , Sweden , Denmark , and Italy , had followed suit (though it was reintroduced in Italy under the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini ). By the mid-1960s some 25 countries had abolished the death penalty for murder, though only about half of them also had abolished it for offenses against the state or the military code. For example, Britain abolished capital punishment for murder in 1965, but treason, piracy, and military crimes remained capital offenses until 1998.

During the last third of the 20th century, the number of abolitionist countries increased more than threefold. These countries, together with those that are “de facto” abolitionist—i.e., those in which capital punishment is legal but not exercised—now represent more than half the countries of the world. One reason for the significant increase in the number of abolitionist states was that the abolition movement was successful in making capital punishment an international human rights issue, whereas formerly it had been regarded as solely an internal matter for the countries concerned.

In 1971 the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution that, “in order fully to guarantee the right to life, provided for in…the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” called for restricting the number of offenses for which the death penalty could be imposed, with a view toward abolishing it altogether. This resolution was reaffirmed by the General Assembly in 1977. Optional protocols to the European Convention on Human Rights (1983) and to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1989) have been established, under which countries party to the convention and the covenant undertake not to carry out executions. The Council of Europe (1994) and the EU (1998) established as a condition of membership in their organizations the requirement that prospective member countries suspend executions and commit themselves to abolition. This decision had a remarkable impact on the countries of central and eastern Europe , prompting several of them—e.g., the Czech Republic , Hungary , Romania , Slovakia , and Slovenia—to abolish capital punishment.

In the 1990s many African countries—including Angola, Djibouti, Mozambique, and Namibia—abolished capital punishment, though most African countries retained it. In South Africa , which formerly had one of the world’s highest execution rates, capital punishment was outlawed in 1995 by the Constitutional Court, which declared that it was incompatible with the prohibition against cruel, inhuman, or degrading punishment and with “a human rights culture.”

Arguments for and Against the Death Penalty

Click the buttons below to view arguments and testimony on each topic.

The death penalty deters future murders.

For years, criminologists analyzed murder rates to see if they fluctuated with the likelihood of convicted murderers being executed, but the results were inconclusive. Then in 1973 Isaac Ehrlich employed a new kind of analysis which produced results showing that for every inmate who was executed, 7 lives were spared because others were deterred from committing murder. Similar results have been produced by disciples of Ehrlich in follow-up studies.

Moreover, even if some studies regarding deterrence are inconclusive, that is only because the death penalty is rarely used and takes years before an execution is actually carried out. Punishments which are swift and sure are the best deterrent. The fact that some states or countries which do not use the death penalty have lower murder rates than jurisdictions which do is not evidence of the failure of deterrence. States with high murder rates would have even higher rates if they did not use the death penalty.

Ernest van den Haag, a Professor of Jurisprudence at Fordham University who has studied the question of deterrence closely, wrote: “Even though statistical demonstrations are not conclusive, and perhaps cannot be, capital punishment is likely to deter more than other punishments because people fear death more than anything else. They fear most death deliberately inflicted by law and scheduled by the courts. Whatever people fear most is likely to deter most. Hence, the threat of the death penalty may deter some murderers who otherwise might not have been deterred. And surely the death penalty is the only penalty that could deter prisoners already serving a life sentence and tempted to kill a guard, or offenders about to be arrested and facing a life sentence. Perhaps they will not be deterred. But they would certainly not be deterred by anything else. We owe all the protection we can give to law enforcers exposed to special risks.”

Finally, the death penalty certainly “deters” the murderer who is executed. Strictly speaking, this is a form of incapacitation, similar to the way a robber put in prison is prevented from robbing on the streets. Vicious murderers must be killed to prevent them from murdering again, either in prison, or in society if they should get out. Both as a deterrent and as a form of permanent incapacitation, the death penalty helps to prevent future crime.

Those who believe that deterrence justifies the execution of certain offenders bear the burden of proving that the death penalty is a deterrent. The overwhelming conclusion from years of deterrence studies is that the death penalty is, at best, no more of a deterrent than a sentence of life in prison. The Ehrlich studies have been widely discredited. In fact, some criminologists, such as William Bowers of Northeastern University, maintain that the death penalty has the opposite effect: that is, society is brutalized by the use of the death penalty, and this increases the likelihood of more murder. Even most supporters of the death penalty now place little or no weight on deterrence as a serious justification for its continued use.

States in the United States that do not employ the death penalty generally have lower murder rates than states that do. The same is true when the U.S. is compared to countries similar to it. The U.S., with the death penalty, has a higher murder rate than the countries of Europe or Canada, which do not use the death penalty.

The death penalty is not a deterrent because most people who commit murders either do not expect to be caught or do not carefully weigh the differences between a possible execution and life in prison before they act. Frequently, murders are committed in moments of passion or anger, or by criminals who are substance abusers and acted impulsively. As someone who presided over many of Texas’s executions, former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox has remarked, “It is my own experience that those executed in Texas were not deterred by the existence of the death penalty law. I think in most cases you’ll find that the murder was committed under severe drug and alcohol abuse.”

There is no conclusive proof that the death penalty acts as a better deterrent than the threat of life imprisonment. A 2012 report released by the prestigious National Research Council of the National Academies and based on a review of more than three decades of research, concluded that studies claiming a deterrent effect on murder rates from the death penalty are fundamentally flawed. A survey of the former and present presidents of the country’s top academic criminological societies found that 84% of these experts rejected the notion that research had demonstrated any deterrent effect from the death penalty .

Once in prison, those serving life sentences often settle into a routine and are less of a threat to commit violence than other prisoners. Moreover, most states now have a sentence of life without parole. Prisoners who are given this sentence will never be released. Thus, the safety of society can be assured without using the death penalty.

Ernest van den Haag Professor of Jurisprudence and Public Policy, Fordham University. Excerpts from ” The Ultimate Punishment: A Defense,” (Harvard Law Review Association, 1986)

“Execution of those who have committed heinous murders may deter only one murder per year. If it does, it seems quite warranted. It is also the only fitting retribution for murder I can think of.”

“Most abolitionists acknowledge that they would continue to favor abolition even if the death penalty were shown to deter more murders than alternatives could deter. Abolitionists appear to value the life of a convicted murderer or, at least, his non-execution, more highly than they value the lives of the innocent victims who might be spared by deterring prospective murderers.

Deterrence is not altogether decisive for me either. I would favor retention of the death penalty as retribution even if it were shown that the threat of execution could not deter prospective murderers not already deterred by the threat of imprisonment. Still, I believe the death penalty, because of its finality, is more feared than imprisonment, and deters some prospective murderers not deterred by the thought of imprisonment. Sparing the lives of even a few prospective victims by deterring their murderers is more important than preserving the lives of convicted murderers because of the possibility, or even the probability, that executing them would not deter others. Whereas the life of the victims who might be saved are valuable, that of the murderer has only negative value, because of his crime. Surely the criminal law is meant to protect the lives of potential victims in preference to those of actual murderers.”

“We threaten punishments in order to deter crime. We impose them not only to make the threats credible but also as retribution (justice) for the crimes that were not deterred. Threats and punishments are necessary to deter and deterrence is a sufficient practical justification for them. Retribution is an independent moral justification. Although penalties can be unwise, repulsive, or inappropriate, and those punished can be pitiable, in a sense the infliction of legal punishment on a guilty person cannot be unjust. By committing the crime, the criminal volunteered to assume the risk of receiving a legal punishment that he could have avoided by not committing the crime. The punishment he suffers is the punishment he voluntarily risked suffering and, therefore, it is no more unjust to him than any other event for which one knowingly volunteers to assume the risk. Thus, the death penalty cannot be unjust to the guilty criminal.”

Full text can be found at PBS.org .

“Persons who commit murder and other crimes of personal violence either may or may not premeditate their crimes.

When crime is planned, the criminal ordinarily concentrates on escaping detection, arrest, and conviction. The threat of even the severest punishment will not discourage those who expect to escape detection and arrest. It is impossible to imagine how the threat of any punishment could prevent a crime that is not premeditated….

Most capital crimes are committed in the heat of the moment. Most capital crimes are committed during moments of great emotional stress or under the influence of drugs or alcohol, when logical thinking has been suspended. In such cases, violence is inflicted by persons heedless of the consequences to themselves as well as to others….

If, however, severe punishment can deter crime, then long-term imprisonment is severe enough to deter any rational person from committing a violent crime.

The vast preponderance of the evidence shows that the death penalty is no more effective than imprisonment in deterring murder and that it may even be an incitement to criminal violence. Death-penalty states as a group do not have lower rates of criminal homicide than non-death-penalty states….

On-duty police officers do not suffer a higher rate of criminal assault and homicide in abolitionist states than they do in death-penalty states. Between l973 and l984, for example, lethal assaults against police were not significantly more, or less, frequent in abolitionist states than in death-penalty states. There is ‘no support for the view that the death penalty provides a more effective deterrent to police homicides than alternative sanctions. Not for a single year was evidence found that police are safer in jurisdictions that provide for capital punishment.’ (Bailey and Peterson, Criminology (1987))

Prisoners and prison personnel do not suffer a higher rate of criminal assault and homicide from life-term prisoners in abolition states than they do in death-penalty states. Between 1992 and 1995, 176 inmates were murdered by other prisoners; the vast majority (84%) were killed in death penalty jurisdictions. During the same period about 2% of all assaults on prison staff were committed by inmates in abolition jurisdictions. Evidently, the threat of the death penalty ‘does not even exert an incremental deterrent effect over the threat of a lesser punishment in the abolitionist states.’ (Wolfson, in Bedau, ed., The Death Penalty in America, 3rd ed. (1982))

Actual experience thus establishes beyond a reasonable doubt that the death penalty does not deter murder. No comparable body of evidence contradicts that conclusion.”

Click here for the full text from the ACLU website.

Retribution

A just society requires the taking of a life for a life.

When someone takes a life, the balance of justice is disturbed. Unless that balance is restored, society succumbs to a rule of violence. Only the taking of the murderer’s life restores the balance and allows society to show convincingly that murder is an intolerable crime which will be punished in kind.

Retribution has its basis in religious values, which have historically maintained that it is proper to take an “eye for an eye” and a life for a life.

Although the victim and the victim’s family cannot be restored to the status which preceded the murder, at least an execution brings closure to the murderer’s crime (and closure to the ordeal for the victim’s family) and ensures that the murderer will create no more victims.

For the most cruel and heinous crimes, the ones for which the death penalty is applied, offenders deserve the worst punishment under our system of law, and that is the death penalty. Any lesser punishment would undermine the value society places on protecting lives.

Robert Macy, District Attorney of Oklahoma City, described his concept of the need for retribution in one case: “In 1991, a young mother was rendered helpless and made to watch as her baby was executed. The mother was then mutilated and killed. The killer should not lie in some prison with three meals a day, clean sheets, cable TV, family visits and endless appeals. For justice to prevail, some killers just need to die.”

Retribution is another word for revenge. Although our first instinct may be to inflict immediate pain on someone who wrongs us, the standards of a mature society demand a more measured response.

The emotional impulse for revenge is not a sufficient justification for invoking a system of capital punishment, with all its accompanying problems and risks. Our laws and criminal justice system should lead us to higher principles that demonstrate a complete respect for life, even the life of a murderer. Encouraging our basest motives of revenge, which ends in another killing, extends the chain of violence. Allowing executions sanctions killing as a form of ‘pay-back.’

Many victims’ families denounce the use of the death penalty. Using an execution to try to right the wrong of their loss is an affront to them and only causes more pain. For example, Bud Welch’s daughter, Julie, was killed in the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995. Although his first reaction was to wish that those who committed this terrible crime be killed, he ultimately realized that such killing “is simply vengeance; and it was vengeance that killed Julie…. Vengeance is a strong and natural emotion. But it has no place in our justice system.”

The notion of an eye for an eye, or a life for a life, is a simplistic one which our society has never endorsed. We do not allow torturing the torturer, or raping the rapist. Taking the life of a murderer is a similarly disproportionate punishment, especially in light of the fact that the U.S. executes only a small percentage of those convicted of murder, and these defendants are typically not the worst offenders but merely the ones with the fewest resources to defend themselves.

Louis P. Pojman Author and Professor of Philosophy, U.S. Military Academy. Excerpt from “The Death Penalty: For and Against,” (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., 1998)

“[Opponents of the capital punishment often put forth the following argument:] Perhaps the murderer deserves to die, but what authority does the state have to execute him or her? Both the Old and New Testament says, “’Vengeance is mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord” (Prov. 25:21 and Romans 12:19). You need special authority to justify taking the life of a human being.

The objector fails to note that the New Testament passage continues with a support of the right of the state to execute criminals in the name of God: “Let every person be subjected to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore he who resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment…. If you do wrong, be afraid, for [the authority] does not bear the sword in vain; he is the servant of God to execute his wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13: 1-4). So, according to the Bible, the authority to punish, which presumably includes the death penalty, comes from God.

But we need not appeal to a religious justification for capital punishment. We can site the state’s role in dispensing justice. Just as the state has the authority (and duty) to act justly in allocating scarce resources, in meeting minimal needs of its (deserving) citizens, in defending its citizens from violence and crime, and in not waging unjust wars; so too does it have the authority, flowing from its mission to promote justice and the good of its people, to punish the criminal. If the criminal, as one who has forfeited a right to life, deserves to be executed, especially if it will likely deter would-be murderers, the state has a duty to execute those convicted of first-degree murder.”

National Council of Synagogues and the Bishops’ Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops Excerpts from “To End the Death Penalty: A Report of the National Jewish/Catholic Consultation” (December, 1999)

“Some would argue that the death penalty is needed as a means of retributive justice, to balance out the crime with the punishment. This reflects a natural concern of society, and especially of victims and their families. Yet we believe that we are called to seek a higher road even while punishing the guilty, for example through long and in some cases life-long incarceration, so that the healing of all can ultimately take place.

Some would argue that the death penalty will teach society at large the seriousness of crime. Yet we say that teaching people to respond to violence with violence will, again, only breed more violence.

The strongest argument of all [in favor of the death penalty] is the deep pain and grief of the families of victims, and their quite natural desire to see punishment meted out to those who have plunged them into such agony. Yet it is the clear teaching of our traditions that this pain and suffering cannot be healed simply through the retribution of capital punishment or by vengeance. It is a difficult and long process of healing which comes about through personal growth and God’s grace. We agree that much more must be done by the religious community and by society at large to solace and care for the grieving families of the victims of violent crime.

Recent statements of the Reform and Conservative movements in Judaism, and of the U.S. Catholic Conference sum up well the increasingly strong convictions shared by Jews and Catholics…:

‘Respect for all human life and opposition to the violence in our society are at the root of our long-standing opposition (as bishops) to the death penalty. We see the death penalty as perpetuating a cycle of violence and promoting a sense of vengeance in our culture. As we said in Confronting the Culture of Violence: ‘We cannot teach that killing is wrong by killing.’ We oppose capital punishment not just for what it does to those guilty of horrible crimes, but for what it does to all of us as a society. Increasing reliance on the death penalty diminishes all of us and is a sign of growing disrespect for human life. We cannot overcome crime by simply executing criminals, nor can we restore the lives of the innocent by ending the lives of those convicted of their murders. The death penalty offers the tragic illusion that we can defend life by taking life.’1

We affirm that we came to these conclusions because of our shared understanding of the sanctity of human life. We have committed ourselves to work together, and each within our own communities, toward ending the death penalty.” Endnote 1. Statement of the Administrative Committee of the United States Catholic Conference, March 24, 1999.

The risk of executing the innocent precludes the use of the death penalty.

The death penalty alone imposes an irrevocable sentence. Once an inmate is executed, nothing can be done to make amends if a mistake has been made. There is considerable evidence that many mistakes have been made in sentencing people to death. Since 1973, over 180 people have been released from death row after evidence of their innocence emerged. During the same period of time, over 1,500 people have been executed. Thus, for every 8.3 people executed, we have found one person on death row who never should have been convicted. These statistics represent an intolerable risk of executing the innocent. If an automobile manufacturer operated with similar failure rates, it would be run out of business.

Our capital punishment system is unreliable. A study by Columbia University Law School found that two thirds of all capital trials contained serious errors. When the cases were retried, over 80% of the defendants were not sentenced to death and 7% were completely acquitted.

Many of the releases of innocent defendants from death row came about as a result of factors outside of the justice system. Recently, journalism students in Illinois were assigned to investigate the case of a man who was scheduled to be executed, after the system of appeals had rejected his legal claims. The students discovered that one witness had lied at the original trial, and they were able to find another man, who confessed to the crime on videotape and was later convicted of the murder. The innocent man who was released was very fortunate, but he was spared because of the informal efforts of concerned citizens, not because of the justice system.

In other cases, DNA testing has exonerated death row inmates. Here, too, the justice system had concluded that these defendants were guilty and deserving of the death penalty. DNA testing became available only in the early 1990s, due to advancements in science. If this testing had not been discovered until ten years later, many of these inmates would have been executed. And if DNA testing had been applied to earlier cases where inmates were executed in the 1970s and 80s, the odds are high that it would have proven that some of them were innocent as well.

Society takes many risks in which innocent lives can be lost. We build bridges, knowing that statistically some workers will be killed during construction; we take great precautions to reduce the number of unintended fatalities. But wrongful executions are a preventable risk. By substituting a sentence of life without parole, we meet society’s needs of punishment and protection without running the risk of an erroneous and irrevocable punishment.

There is no proof that any innocent person has actually been executed since increased safeguards and appeals were added to our death penalty system in the 1970s. Even if such executions have occurred, they are very rare. Imprisoning innocent people is also wrong, but we cannot empty the prisons because of that minimal risk. If improvements are needed in the system of representation, or in the use of scientific evidence such as DNA testing, then those reforms should be instituted. However, the need for reform is not a reason to abolish the death penalty.

Besides, many of the claims of innocence by those who have been released from death row are actually based on legal technicalities. Just because someone’s conviction is overturned years later and the prosecutor decides not to retry him, does not mean he is actually innocent.

If it can be shown that someone is innocent, surely a governor would grant clemency and spare the person. Hypothetical claims of innocence are usually just delaying tactics to put off the execution as long as possible. Given our thorough system of appeals through numerous state and federal courts, the execution of an innocent individual today is almost impossible. Even the theoretical execution of an innocent person can be justified because the death penalty saves lives by deterring other killings.

Gerald Kogan, Former Florida Supreme Court Chief Justice Excerpts from a speech given in Orlando, Florida, October 23, 1999 “[T]here is no question in my mind, and I can tell you this having seen the dynamics of our criminal justice system over the many years that I have been associated with it, [as] prosecutor, defense attorney, trial judge and Supreme Court Justice, that convinces me that we certainly have, in the past, executed those people who either didn’t fit the criteria for execution in the State of Florida or who, in fact, were, factually, not guilty of the crime for which they have been executed.

“And you can make these statements when you understand the dynamics of the criminal justice system, when you understand how the State makes deals with more culpable defendants in a capital case, offers them light sentences in exchange for their testimony against another participant or, in some cases, in fact, gives them immunity from prosecution so that they can secure their testimony; the use of jailhouse confessions, like people who say, ‘I was in the cell with so-and-so and they confessed to me,’ or using those particular confessions, the validity of which there has been great doubt. And yet, you see the uneven application of the death penalty where, in many instances, those that are the most culpable escape death and those that are the least culpable are victims of the death penalty. These things begin to weigh very heavily upon you. And under our system, this is the system we have. And that is, we are human beings administering an imperfect system.”

“And how about those people who are still sitting on death row today, who may be factually innocent but cannot prove their particular case very simply because there is no DNA evidence in their case that can be used to exonerate them? Of course, in most cases, you’re not going to have that kind of DNA evidence, so there is no way and there is no hope for them to be saved from what may be one of the biggest mistakes that our society can make.”

The entire speech by Justice Kogan is available here.

Paul G. Cassell Associate Professor of Law, University of Utah, College of Law, and former law clerk to Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. Statement before the Committee on the Judiciary, United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Civil and Constitutional Rights Concerning Claims of Innocence in Capital Cases (July 23, 1993)

“Given the fallibility of human judgments, the possibility exists that the use of capital punishment may result in the execution of an innocent person. The Senate Judiciary Committee has previously found this risk to be ‘minimal,’ a view shared by numerous scholars. As Justice Powell has noted commenting on the numerous state capital cases that have come before the Supreme Court, the ‘unprecedented safeguards’ already inherent in capital sentencing statutes ‘ensure a degree of care in the imposition of the sentence of death that can only be described as unique.’”

“Our present system of capital punishment limits the ultimate penalty to certain specifically-defined crimes and even then, permit the penalty of death only when the jury finds that the aggravating circumstances in the case outweigh all mitigating circumstances. The system further provides judicial review of capital cases. Finally, before capital sentences are carried out, the governor or other executive official will review the sentence to insure that it is a just one, a determination that undoubtedly considers the evidence of the condemned defendant’s guilt. Once all of those decisionmakers have agreed that a death sentence is appropriate, innocent lives would be lost from failure to impose the sentence.”

“Capital sentences, when carried out, save innocent lives by permanently incapacitating murderers. Some persons who commit capital homicide will slay other innocent persons if given the opportunity to do so. The death penalty is the most effective means of preventing such killers from repeating their crimes. The next most serious penalty, life imprisonment without possibility of parole, prevents murderers from committing some crimes but does not prevent them from murdering in prison.”

“The mistaken release of guilty murderers should be of far greater concern than the speculative and heretofore nonexistent risk of the mistaken execution of an innocent person.”

Full text can be found here.

Arbitrariness & Discrimination

The death penalty is applied unfairly and should not be used.

In practice, the death penalty does not single out the worst offenders. Rather, it selects an arbitrary group based on such irrational factors as the quality of the defense counsel, the county in which the crime was committed, or the race of the defendant or victim.

Almost all defendants facing the death penalty cannot afford their own attorney. Hence, they are dependent on the quality of the lawyers assigned by the state, many of whom lack experience in capital cases or are so underpaid that they fail to investigate the case properly. A poorly represented defendant is much more likely to be convicted and given a death sentence.

With respect to race, studies have repeatedly shown that a death sentence is far more likely where a white person is murdered than where a Black person is murdered. The death penalty is racially divisive because it appears to count white lives as more valuable than Black lives. Since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, 296 Black defendants have been executed for the murder of a white victim, while only 31 white defendants have been executed for the murder of a Black victim. Such racial disparities have existed over the history of the death penalty and appear to be largely intractable.

It is arbitrary when someone in one county or state receives the death penalty, but someone who commits a comparable crime in another county or state is given a life sentence. Prosecutors have enormous discretion about when to seek the death penalty and when to settle for a plea bargain. Often those who can only afford a minimal defense are selected for the death penalty. Until race and other arbitrary factors, like economics and geography, can be eliminated as a determinant of who lives and who dies, the death penalty must not be used.

Discretion has always been an essential part of our system of justice. No one expects the prosecutor to pursue every possible offense or punishment, nor do we expect the same sentence to be imposed just because two crimes appear similar. Each crime is unique, both because the circumstances of each victim are different and because each defendant is different. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that a mandatory death penalty which applied to everyone convicted of first degree murder would be unconstitutional. Hence, we must give prosecutors and juries some discretion.

In fact, more white people are executed in this country than black people. And even if blacks are disproportionately represented on death row, proportionately blacks commit more murders than whites. Moreover, the Supreme Court has rejected the use of statistical studies which claim racial bias as the sole reason for overturning a death sentence.

Even if the death penalty punishes some while sparing others, it does not follow that everyone should be spared. The guilty should still be punished appropriately, even if some do escape proper punishment unfairly. The death penalty should apply to killers of black people as well as to killers of whites. High paid, skillful lawyers should not be able to get some defendants off on technicalities. The existence of some systemic problems is no reason to abandon the whole death penalty system.

Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. President and Chief Executive Officer, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Inc. Excerpt from “Legal Lynching: Racism, Injustice & the Death Penalty,” (Marlowe & Company, 1996)

“Who receives the death penalty has less to do with the violence of the crime than with the color of the criminal’s skin, or more often, the color of the victim’s skin. Murder — always tragic — seems to be a more heinous and despicable crime in some states than in others. Women who kill and who are killed are judged by different standards than are men who are murderers and victims.

The death penalty is essentially an arbitrary punishment. There are no objective rules or guidelines for when a prosecutor should seek the death penalty, when a jury should recommend it, and when a judge should give it. This lack of objective, measurable standards ensures that the application of the death penalty will be discriminatory against racial, gender, and ethnic groups.

The majority of Americans who support the death penalty believe, or wish to believe, that legitimate factors such as the violence and cruelty with which the crime was committed, a defendant’s culpability or history of violence, and the number of victims involved determine who is sentenced to life in prison and who receives the ultimate punishment. The numbers, however, tell a different story. They confirm the terrible truth that bias and discrimination warp our nation’s judicial system at the very time it matters most — in matters of life and death. The factors that determine who will live and who will die — race, sex, and geography — are the very same ones that blind justice was meant to ignore. This prejudicial distribution should be a moral outrage to every American.”

Justice Lewis Powell United States Supreme Court Justice excerpts from McCleskey v. Kemp, 481 U.S. 279 (1987) (footnotes and citations omitted)

(Mr. McCleskey, a black man, was convicted and sentenced to death in 1978 for killing a white police officer while robbing a store. Mr. McCleskey appealed his conviction and death sentence, claiming racial discrimination in the application of Georgia’s death penalty. He presented statistical analysis showing a pattern of sentencing disparities based primarily on the race of the victim. The analysis indicated that black defendants who killed white victims had the greatest likelihood of receiving the death penalty. Writing the majority opinion for the Supreme Court, Justice Powell held that statistical studies on race by themselves were an insufficient basis for overturning the death penalty.)

“[T]he claim that [t]his sentence rests on the irrelevant factor of race easily could be extended to apply to claims based on unexplained discrepancies that correlate to membership in other minority groups, and even to gender. Similarly, since [this] claim relates to the race of his victim, other claims could apply with equally logical force to statistical disparities that correlate with the race or sex of other actors in the criminal justice system, such as defense attorneys or judges. Also, there is no logical reason that such a claim need be limited to racial or sexual bias. If arbitrary and capricious punishment is the touchstone under the Eighth Amendment, such a claim could — at least in theory — be based upon any arbitrary variable, such as the defendant’s facial characteristics, or the physical attractiveness of the defendant or the victim, that some statistical study indicates may be influential in jury decision making. As these examples illustrate, there is no limiting principle to the type of challenge brought by McCleskey. The Constitution does not require that a State eliminate any demonstrable disparity that correlates with a potentially irrelevant factor in order to operate a criminal justice system that includes capital punishment. As we have stated specifically in the context of capital punishment, the Constitution does not ‘plac[e] totally unrealistic conditions on its use.’ (Gregg v. Georgia)”

The entire decision can be found here.

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112 Murder Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Inside This Article

Murder is a topic that has long fascinated and horrified people around the world. Whether it be in literature, film, or real life, the act of taking another person's life is a subject that continues to captivate audiences. If you are a student tasked with writing an essay on murder, you may be struggling to come up with a topic that is both interesting and thought-provoking. To help you out, here are 112 murder essay topic ideas and examples to inspire your writing:

The psychological motivations behind serial killers
The role of gender in murder cases
The portrayal of murder in classic literature
The impact of social media on murder investigations
The ethics of capital punishment
The use of forensic science in solving murder cases
The psychology of mass shooters
The phenomenon of murder-suicides
The relationship between mental illness and murder
The influence of childhood trauma on future acts of violence
The role of race in murder trials
The power dynamics in domestic violence situations
The impact of trauma on victims of murder
The portrayal of murder in popular culture
The role of the media in shaping public perceptions of murder cases
The impact of technology on the investigation of cold cases
The history of famous murder cases
The role of religion in justifying acts of murder
The impact of poverty on rates of violent crime
The representation of murder in true crime podcasts
The relationship between drug use and violent behavior
The influence of societal norms on acts of murder
The psychology of cult leaders who commit murder
The role of jealousy in cases of spousal murder
The impact of mental health stigma on access to treatment for potential offenders
The portrayal of murder in horror films
The impact of childhood abuse on future acts of violence
The role of revenge in cases of premeditated murder
The use of murder as a plot device in literature
The influence of peer pressure on acts of violence
The portrayal of murder in reality TV shows
The impact of war on rates of murder and violence
The role of genetics in predisposing individuals to violent behavior
The influence of substance abuse on rates of murder
The portrayal of murder in video games
The impact of mental health stigma on victims of violent crime
The psychology of hitmen and contract killers
The role of infidelity in cases of passion-fueled murder
The use of murder as a political tool
The impact of media coverage on the investigation of murder cases
The representation of murder in art and photography
The influence of peer pressure on acts of gang-related violence
The role of technology in preventing acts of murder
The impact of gun control laws on rates of murder
The psychology of thrill killers
The portrayal of murder in graphic novels
The role of restorative justice in cases of murder
The influence of social class on rates of violent crime
The impact of fame on murder investigations
The portrayal of murder in true crime documentaries
The relationship between mental illness and acts of terrorism
The role of trauma in cases of war crimes
The impact of political corruption on rates of murder
The portrayal of murder in music and lyrics
The role of technology in tracking and preventing acts of murder
The influence of cultural beliefs on attitudes towards murder
The impact of immigration on rates of violent crime
The psychology of school shooters
The portrayal of murder in comic books
The role of religion in cases of honor killings
The influence of social media on public perceptions of murder cases
The impact of mental health stigma on access to support services for victims of violent crime
The psychology of child killers
The portrayal of murder in theater and performance art
The role of politics in shaping public policy on murder
The influence of addiction on rates of violent crime
The impact of organized crime on rates of murder
The portrayal of murder in fashion and design
The role of gender identity in cases of hate crimes
The psychology of cult followers who commit murder
The impact of technology on the investigation of unsolved murder cases
The relationship between domestic violence and future acts of murder
The influence of social norms on attitudes towards murder
The portrayal of murder in fashion and beauty advertising
The role of social media in spreading awareness of murder cases
The impact of mental health stigma on access to resources for victims of violent crime
The psychology of thrill-seeking killers
The portrayal of murder in children's literature
The role of religion in cases of ritualistic murder
The influence of peer pressure on acts of gang violence
The impact of technology on preventing acts of murder
The representation of murder in street art and graffiti
The role of politics in shaping public perceptions of murder cases
The influence of social class on attitudes towards violent crime
The impact of fame on rates of murder
The portrayal of murder in gaming and virtual reality
The psychology of spree killers
The role of social media in solving cold cases
The relationship between mental illness and acts of workplace violence
The influence of cultural beliefs on attitudes towards honor killings
The impact of immigration on rates of hate crimes
The portrayal of murder in street fashion and subcultures
The role of gender identity in cases of transphobic violence
The psychology of mass murderers
The portrayal of murder in street art and murals
The role of religion in cases of religiously-motivated violence
The influence of technology on tracking and preventing acts of terrorism
The impact of mental health stigma on access to treatment for offenders
The psychology of child soldiers who commit murder
The portrayal of murder in street photography
The role of politics in shaping public policy on violent crime
The influence of addiction on rates of hate crimes
The impact of organized crime on rates of terrorism
The portrayal of murder in street music and rap lyrics
The role of social media in spreading awareness of honor killings
The psychology of contract killers
The impact of technology on solving cold cases
The relationship between mental illness and acts of domestic violence
The influence of peer pressure on attitudes towards violent crime
The portrayal of murder in street theater and performance art
The impact of media coverage on public perceptions of murder cases

These 112 murder essay topic ideas and examples cover a wide range of subjects within the realm of murder and violent crime. Whether you are interested in exploring the psychological motivations behind murderers, the impact of technology on solving murder cases, or the role of social media in shaping public perceptions of violent crime, there is sure to be a topic on this list that sparks your interest. Happy writing!

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Top 10 Pro & Con Arguments

Life without Parole

Retribution

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Methods of Execution

Medical Professionals’ Participation

Federal Death Penalty

1. Legality

The United States is one of 55 countries globally with a legal death penalty, according to Amnesty International. As of Mar. 24, 2021, within the US, 27 states had a legal death penalty (though 3 of those states had a moratorium on the punishment’s use).

Proponents of the death penalty being legal argue that such a harsh penalty is needed for criminals who have committed the worst crimes, that the punishment deters crime, and that the US Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty as constitutional.

Opponents of the death penalty being legal argue that the punishment is cruel and unusual, and, thus, unconstitutional, that innocent people are put to death for crimes they did not commit, and that the penalty is disproportionately applied to people of color.

People who view this page may also like:

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History of the Death Penalty
Top Pro & Con Quotes
Historical Timeline
Did You Know?
States with the Death Penalty, Death Penalty Bans, and Death Penalty Moratoriums
The ESPY List: US Executions 1608-2002
Federal Capital Offenses
Death Row Inmates
Critical Thinking Video Series: Thomas Edison Electrocutes Topsy the Elephant, Jan. 4, 1903

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Argumentative essay on The death penalty

2016, Argumentative essay on The death penalty

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Society has always used punishment to discourage would-be criminals from unlawful action. Since society has the highest interest in preventing murder, it should use the strongest punishment available to deter murder, and that is the death penalty. If murderers are sentenced to death and executed, potential murderers will think twice before killing for fear of losing their own life. For years, criminologists analyzed murder rates to see if they fluctuated with the likelihood of convicted murderers being executed, but the results were inconclusive. Then in 1973 Isaac Ehrlich employed a new kind of analysis which produced results showing that for every inmate who was executed, 7 lives were spared because others were deterred from committing murder. Similar results have been produced by disciples of Ehrlich in follow-up studies. Moreover, even if some studies regarding deterrence are inconclusive, that is only because the death penalty is rarely used and takes years before an execution is actually carried out. Punishments which are swift and sure are the best deterrent. The fact that some states or countries which do not use the death penalty have lower murder rates than jurisdictions which do is not evidence of the failure of deterrence. States with high murder rates would have even higher rates if they did not use the death penalty. Ernest van den Haag, a Professor of Jurisprudence at Fordham University who has studied the question of deterrence closely, wrote: "Even though statistical demonstrations are not conclusive, and perhaps cannot be, capital punishment is likely to deter more than other punishments because people fear death more than anything else. They fear most death deliberately inflicted by law and scheduled by the courts. Whatever people fear most is likely to deter most. Hence, the threat of the death penalty may deter some murderers who otherwise might not have been deterred. And surely the death penalty is the only penalty that could deter prisoners already serving a life sentence and tempted to kill a guard, or offenders about to be arrested and facing a life sentence. Perhaps they will not be deterred. But they would certainly not be deterred by anything else. We owe all the protection we can give to law enforcers exposed to special risks." Finally, the death penalty certainly "deters" the murderer who is executed. Strictly speaking, this is a form of incapacitation, similar to the way a robber put in prison is prevented from robbing on the streets. Vicious murderers must be killed to prevent them from murdering again, either in

Meray Maddah

" No crime goes unpunished " ; we are probably familiar with this quote where anyone who is guilty of any committed crime they should be prosecuted for it before the law and be held responsible for the actions that generated such crime. What people are also familiar with is the Universal Deceleration of Human Rights and the number of articles that it calls for, but distinctively the right to liberty, freedom and personal security. This right something that states and their sovereigns, at least most of them, aspire to accomplish in respect to their nationals' own security, well-being and livelihood; because after all what good is a state if it is not able to make its citizens enjoy the type of life that every human being is entitled on the expense of a certain political agenda from the state's part. In this sense, the state in such scenario will be the responsible party for not only distributing these rights but also following up with the citizens' utilization of these rights and making that each one does have the bare minimum of each right; meaning the entire right itself and not to settle with anything less. That said, what if the state in this case was the party that not only did it not allow the enjoyment of the before mentioned right; but also was the reason why that person is no longer alive? Capital punishment or the application of the different methods of death penalty are still part of many states' judiciary systems and are still until the present day categorically practiced based upon the crime committed by the defendant. No matter how heinous a crime maybe or the fact that numerous of these crimes claim other people's lives, but in the process what good and what type of benefit can we justify ourselves with when we are producing the same end result, that is death, through different procedures that fall under the label of " law application " ? Most importantly, how can we distinguish ourselves from these same criminals and why is acceptable to kill in the name of a perceived justice if such death penalty is agreed upon by a judiciary commission, than to reject

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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 July 23, 2023.

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.

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When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, 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.

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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 .

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.

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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.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Ad hominem fallacy
Post hoc fallacy
Appeal to authority fallacy
False cause fallacy
Sunk cost fallacy

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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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146 Murder Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best murder topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on murder, 💡 most interesting murder topics to write about, ⭐ simple & easy murder essay titles, ❓ questions about murder.

Infamous Crimes: Laci Peterson’s Murder Even during the war in Iraq, the search for her and the ultimate arrest of Scott Peterson led the news. Her cell phone and purse were still in the house, and a neighbor said she […]
The Murder of Jonbenet Ramsey – Forensic Pathology The case of murder of JonBenet Ramsey is one of most mysterious episodes in the American criminology, and this report is the attempt to bring some light to the case based on the mistakes made […]
The Penny Parker Cold Case of Homicide Finally, despite the high percentage of DNA matching, the investigators would need to interrogate the suspect, which would pose a question of how to act if Jennings requested to have a lawyer.
Murder in the Cathedral: The Constant Battle Between the Two Antipodes Murder in the Cathedral is a tragic theater that explores the conflict between the values of the world as represented by the murderous knights and King Henry II and the values of the spirit.
Chris Watts and His Murder Crimes Watts pleaded guilty to the killings of his children and wife. Watts concluded the interview by saying he was sorry and repented for his actions after seeking refuge in God.
Hamlet & Laertes: Fathers’ Death Reactions King Hamlet’s ghost then informs prince Hamlet of the person who killed him; consequently, Hamlet accepts the ghost’s demands, swears his accomplices to secrecy and reveals to them his intention of killing the king to […]
Ballistics Evidence of John F. Kennedy’s Assassination Kennedy assassination saw the arrest and the subsequent murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, who was the lead suspect in the shooting that took place from the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository’s southeast […]
Symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder in Murder Researchers in psychiatry, psychology, and criminology have devoted a lot of their time to the study of the relationship between crime and psychosis.
Why Do Women Kill? The Causations of Women Who Murder A meta-analysis of 14 studies on women violence done by Honkatukia also found no substantial evidence linking the feminist and liberation movements to a rise in the share of violent offending and homicide perpetrated by […]
Ethics: Should Batman Kill the Joker? It is hard to give a clear answer to the question about the necessity for Batman to kill the Joker, and personal judgments play an important role. He knows that the Joker’s death could minimize […]
Is the Murder in Dostoyevsky’s Novel “Crime and Punishment” Justified? In the same way, the greed and avarice of the old Alyona Ivanovna do not justify the commission of such a violent and severe crime.
Homicide in Butte County, California The trend line shows an increase in the homicide rate: The above chart shows California’s homicide as compared to the national homicide from 1998 2003.
Criminal Law: A Case Study About Charges With Murder Finding the poison that Juan bought to poison his mother-in-law and kept somewhere in his car could be a significant piece of evidence.
Murder of Jabrill Mara by Charncey Daniels First, the retributive theory is a mode of punishment for an offender who breaks the law, and justice requires that a guilty person suffers for the crime they commit with a punishment that is proportional […]
The Concept of First-Degree Murder First-degree murder would require either an intent to kill or intent to cause serious injury together with an awareness of a serious risk causing death.
The Murder of Helen Betty Osborn The second volume is supposed to address various issues that were related to the murder of Helen Osborne and the actions that were taken by the police.
Battered Women’s Syndrome and Excusable Homicide The killing of the abuser by such a woman is often used as an example of justifiable homicide; however, it has a number of negative implications.
Criminological Theories in “Murder on a Sunday Morning” The film chronicles the details of proceedings of the trial of the young African-American. The boy gets arrested and is taken to the scene of crime for questioning by the detectives.
Assessment Guide Book for a Homicide Murder A criminal profile is a well developed psychological sketch of the offender based on the state of the scene of the crime.
The Documentary “Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story” The documentary “Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story” follows the story of Cyntoia Brown, who was accused of killing and stealing from Johnny Allen in 2004.
Role of Sadistic Fantasy in Sexual Murder This paper discusses the role of sadism and sadistic fantasy in sexual murders, with a view to clearly illuminate the psychological and criminal factors that come into play to drive individuals with sadistic fantasies into […]
The Korean Film Studies: Memories of Murder Memories of Murder is one of such movies; by making the ending unclear and the fates of the characters uncertain, the moviemaker managed to relate the content of the movie to the political situation that […]
Murder and Prejudice: “The Butcher’s Tale” by Helmut Smith Events that followed this murder have been debated by different people and this formed the bedrock of Nazi propaganda in a broad way.
Impact of Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 This article examines the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 in light of the child offense issue in the 21st century.
The Murder of Victoria Salazar From a Political Perspective On the one hand, the author focuses on the repercussions of capitalism in society, reconstructing the event as a social murder. Osuna’s argument that the killing of Ms.
Osama Bin Laden: Assassination vs. Trial In my thoughts, I believe that the decision to hunt and kill bin Laden was driven by nationalist sentiments due to the terror war and not the considerations of what was morally and constitutionally right.
Murder vs. Manslaughter: Minnesota Law Second-degree murder is charged a maximum of forty years in prison, depending on the details of the crime. Minnesota law also defines a crime in the third degree, as the murder of an unborn child, […]
Forensic Psychologist’s Role in Homicide Investigation Forensic scientists should ascertain that racial tension exists in society and should not assume each eyewitness is accurately depicting the perpetrators of a crime.
Mass Murder Reduction in Georgia In Georgia, having a policy that allows for the implementation ERPOs will enable the public to take some action through extreme risk laws and assist in the prevention of mass murders.
Natural vs. Moral Evil: Earthquakes vs. Murder This problem demonstrates that such justifications for the problem of evil, such as the fact that suffering exists to improve the moral qualities of a person and thus serve the greater good, are unconvincing.
Lincoln’s Assassination as the Turning Point in American History It is unfortunate to know what the fate of the United States would have been if the president had stayed for the rest of his term, as he was the first president to be assassinated.
Should Abortions Be Illegal as Form of Homicide? When it comes to the difference between my opinion and the status quo, I believe that abortions cannot be considered a form of homicide and cannot be persecuted.
The Murder of a 6-Year-Old Beauty Queen Among the reasons why the prosecutor might not have filed charges in this case, the authors of the article highlight the following.
The Speech About the Assassination of Osama bin Laden by Barack Obama To conclude, we can consider this speech as a good example of weighted but at the same time pompous and threatening speech regarding the issue of national security.
Guns Are Tools That Do Not Kill People Why Guns Do Not Kill People It is possible to provide two examples that support the statement that people are the ones who kill and not guns by showing how they can be used both […]
The Intentional Killing as First-Degree Murder The mens rea around first-degree murder is complex as it depends on the statute of the state. While the state obviously prosecuted as first-degree murder since intent does not matter outside of the intent to […]
The Felony Murder Rule: When Is It Unfair? The felony murder rule should make felons more conscious of the adverse effects of crimes that they engage in and reduce the number of felonies.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Assassination The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.dealt a blow to the ideology of nonviolence and love that underpinned King’s philosophy and which he sought to make basic ideas for the civil rights movement.
Proactive Versus Reactive Approaches to Serial Murder Investigation The reactive investigative approach plays a crucial role in facilitating the seizure of a serial slayer. Proactive and reactive investigative approaches play a crucial role in the capture and detention of serial murderers.
Homicide in Criminal Investigation The cases of criminal homicide are further separated into murder and manslaughter, with the key difference laying in whether the law determines the presence of malice in the act.
Gender-Based Violence and Mass Murder Gender-based and patriarchal cultures determine the relationship between women and men, men and men, and women and women that promote inequality and social status.
The Conspiracy Theories Regarding Assassination of John F. Kennedy At the time of JFK’s death, his relationship with the CIA was strained, which could have possibly led the agency to conspire and eliminate the president.
History of Police Brutality: The Murder of George Floyd Police officers strive to maintain order and ensure adherence to the laws of the state. The standards observed the right to democracy and addressed the need for representation.
Did the Mafia Kill John F. Kennedy? Conspiracy Proved Besides, these theories correlate with one of the latest versions, according to which the murder of JFK was a conspiracy of the CIA and mafia members, including Jack Ruby and Lee Harvey Oswald.
American History Since 1945: Assassination of John F Kennedy This paper discusses on the possibility that the president’s death was a conspiracy and the facts that suggest it could have been the case.
Criminal Justice Research: Homicide It also gains capacity with the regulations and reaction of crime from the society and the government. In homicide research, the characteristics and methods of qualitative research are evident.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s Assassination The characteristics of Godse, the motive, and his actions will be looked at to establish the conditions of the case. On that day, Gandhi was getting prepared to unveil his plans to the congress, and […]
Isla Vista Mass Murder as a Hate Crime It was revealed that his parents tried to intervene and stop the rampage, but Rodger could not hear any of it.
Domestic Violence and Systemic Failures: An Analysis of Key Events The second key event took place in 2012 when after the decision of the social worker to close the case and place the complete responsibility on the victim without the support of the corresponding authorities […]
Attempted Murder Case Mr. Assin Moreover, a prosecutor also needs to prove that the accused had the intent to act, or go through with the plan, and the intent to kill, and not merely maim or disfigure the victim.
Forensic Assessment Tools: Murder of Bill In other words, a psychological assessment of Bill, the person accused of a first-degree murder, is crucial to the fairness of the trial and the feasibility of the verdict to be passed.
O.J. Simpson Murder Trial: The Case Study According to the defense side of the case, the warrant that was obtained by the detectives only covered the investigation on the residence. For instance, they collected the evidence without a search warrant.
Fetal Homicide: Planned Killing of a Fetus According to the fetal homicide law in California, the interests of the mother once a fetus reaches seven weeks and above are not at stake.
Murder of Kitty Genovese In this case, 38 neighbors committed an act of omission by not reporting this ordeal to the police. The main advantage of charging bystanders is to make sure that people do not tolerate crime as […]
O.J. Simpson Guilty of Double Homicide For his “dream team” defense group, he was a re-launch into the limelight as the case of the century for they had after all managed to make names for themselves in the profession and now […]
Establishing the Identity of Murder Victims Identification of murder victims can be instrumental in solving murder cases because much of the information about any murder case is usually found when investigators know the details of the life of the victim.
A Murder Case Involving Sally Thomas The determination will depend on the strengths and weaknesses of the case as presented to the prosecutor by the detectives. Being that Sally and John were in a relationship at the time of her death, […]
The Relation Between Structured Inequality and Homicide The article reports the research conducted by the authors on the geographic pattern of homicide among black and white American males.
Homicide in the White Community The majority of homicide victimization of the whites is done through poison followed by arson and lastly guns. Although the majority of homicides committed are intra-racial, special focus is usually given by juries in inter-racial […]
Types and Degrees of Homicide Proof has to be shown that the conduct of the defendant was the resultant cause of the victims’ death and that it was due to negligence.
Criminal Investigation: The Murder of Brianna Denison There is full adherence to the law in which the police officers are supposed to get in detail the root of the case and be able to have supportive evidence to the accused person.
Ethics in Investigation of Homicide and Arson Studies have shown that, there exist a lot of ethical problems whenever officers are at the task of investigating a particular crime and studies are now geared towards the reduction of such problems to encourage […]
Homicide in “California Criminal Law Concepts” According to Justia Law, in California, the penal code clarifies a murder into two categories comprising of the first degree which is distinguished through the following 3 ways. He was sentenced to death in January […]
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand It is possible to state that the modern world is still suffering from World War I consequences. As for me, I would have prevented the murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand not to let World War […]
Disability and Murder by Caregivers The study of the situation of the family of a person with disabilities in the social structure of society and the possibilities of social mobility is a special section of the disability problem.
Serial Murder and Media Coverage While globalization pushes criminology and forensic practices to move forward, the media tend to decrease the effectiveness of any investigation. Hence the assumption that the mass media activity can often result in the disruption of […]
John F. Kennedy Assassination John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s assassination is considered to be one of the most mysterious events in the history of the United States of America.
The Martin Luther King Assassination Martin Luther King is often regarded as one of the most courageous leaders of the Civil Rights Movement in the history of the USA.
To Maim and Kill Animals on the Basis of Reason Is to Contradict Reason Itself The application of double standards in describing the conscious termination of human life on the one hand and animal life on the other bares the subjectivity of man’s rationalization to justify crimes against animality.
Kennedy’s and Martin Luther King’s Assassination in 1960’s The American history of assassinations in the 1960’s left an indelible mark in the minds of many people. Similar to the assassination of John F.
Criminal Investigations: Homicide and Sex Offense Cases Homicide cases usually take a longer time in the court for them to be completed due to insufficient evidence and the need for advanced investigation to find out the situations that led to the case […]
Importance of Ethics in Homicide Investigation This means that ethics of homicide investigation are a set of values and standards that the investigators must put in consideration in order to facilitate the process of investigation.
The Psychology of Murder in Literature While in all of these cases the deaths are tragic and involve the protagonist, the reader is never left to side with the protagonist in the justification for their actions.
A Murder in Lemberg: Modern Jewish History He undertakes to trace the root cause of the Prime Minister’s murder to underlying issues that have characterized the history of the Jews over the period of time since the murder of Rabbi Abraham Kohn […]
Legal Causation in the Context of Homicide In the medieval doctrine, a question about the causal connection was examined especially in the context of a homicide, and the very concept “of causing”, because of which in particular the tendency to soften the […]
Death Sentence to Muslim Terrorists: Should We Murder People Who Had Done the Same Before? In my opinion, the aim to punish is not the most important in this, but we should try to avoid the same crimes in the future, and that is the aim of Mankind.
Police Psychologist’s Role in Homicide Investigation Some of the roles that I would play as the police psychologist involved in the above investigation include conducting an analysis of the pre-crime scene behavior.
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln The assassination of Abraham Lincoln is one of the most significant events in the history of the United States. C, and was one of the most shocking events of the era, resulting in a long […]
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford The film revisits the story of the gang leader Jesse James and his murder, committed by his friend and gang member Bob Ford for a reward.
Premeditated Murder and New Preventive Techniques The order of detention identifies the crime by the suspect, names the individual, provides suspect’s location, and authorizes the police officer to proceed with the arrest.
Rape, Robbery, Murder, and Aggravated Assault The FBI observed that after two years of declines in violent crimes in the US, in the year 2015, however, an increment of 3.
Assassination: Moral, Legal, Political and Practical Views This paper intends to support the policy of assassination by evaluating the moral, legal, political and practical dimensions of assassination. The immunity theory and consequentialist approach will be revisited to espouse the political dimensions of […]
The Act of Mass Murder by Gregory Johnson At the same time, the initial purpose of the crime as explained by Johnson was the robbery, and the murder of the customers in the supermarket had not been planned.
The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and Its Consequences Abraham Lincoln is remembered as the 16th President of the United States of America and the first president of the country ever to be murdered.
Brady Act Homicide and Suicide Associated Rates The thesis of this paper was to determine whether the enactment of the Brady Act has a significant effect on the rates of homicide and suicide in the USA.
Tarantino’s Films Comparison: Kill Bill and Pulp Fiction It is possible to consider a number of thematic and stylistic devices to understand the essence of Tarantino’s surrealism that is manifested in his characters’ inability to live a real life and to be real […]
The Movie “Memories of Murder” To a great extent, this ending contradicts the conventional canons of detective stories in which the names of the main villain are usually disclosed.
Assassination of Osama Bin Laden Influence The following is a literature review on how the assassination of Osama Bin Laden was an example of how intelligence can make a real contribution to the international justice and the ‘rule of law’.
Public’s Opinion on Alternative Sentencing Due to time constraint and high number of participants involved in the research, the research was vulnerable to counselling where the pollsters made summaries of the responses the participants gave without giving them time to […]
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Drones Kill Innocent Civilians Despite of the criticism and questions raised both on the local and international forums against the validity of the use of drones to perform attacks on other countries’ soil, the US has continued its drone […]
Police Service Transformation: A Critical Evaluation of Implementing Transformational Leadership in the Homicide Division It will evaluate how to integrate transformational leadership into the division and analyse factors that hamper the transformational leadership and critically assess the effectiveness of implementation, analyse the efficiency of Transformational Leadership, its implication on […]
John Wilkes Booth’s Life and His Assassination of Abraham Lincoln Booth was against the abolition of slavery and the right of the former slaves to vote that he wrote a letter criticizing the Union Government for wanting to abolish slavery.
Mise-En-Scene, Shots and Sound: Hitchcock’s Spare Use of Cinematic Repertoire in Sabotage’s Murder Sequence TRANSIT- ION SOUND ADD’L COMMENTS 1: 0 12 sec Long shot Level None Cut Synchronous diegetic Audience is appreciative 2: 12 3 sec Close-up Level None Cut Asynchronous diegetic Reaction shot; Sylvia appears happy 3:15 […]
Killing the Innocence in War, Justified or Murder? The appeal to what would cause outrage in the general sentiments of humanity is a common way to think about the elements of normal moral perception of which each person is thought to be capable.
California Historical Murder Case He clarified that the shot entered the victim through the front part of the body and according to the bullet wound, firing occurred a few inches from the victim.
History of John F. Kennedy Assassination When the Oliver Stone picture, JFK, was released in 1991, it generated enormous interest in the possibility that elements of the federal government and the military-industrial complex, including the CIA, might have been behind the […]
The Writers Who Came in Late: Modern British Murder Mysteries and the Timeless Classics of Fleming and Le Carre, Compared Starting appropriately with the analysis of the main characters, one will have to mention that Fleming was not the first author to introduce the conflicting dynamics between the antagonist and the lead character; the tradition […]
Annotation of Immigration Effects on Homicide Offending for Total and Race/Ethnicity-Disaggregated Populations Third, the studies show that immigrant concentrations had negative effects on homicide victimization rates in totality, and lastly, the studies were ambiguous on homicide victimization on all the ethnic and racial groups.
The Assassination of John F. Kennedy: Conspiracy Theories Investigations that were carried out by to the CIA revealed that Carlos Marcello, a suspected member of the mafia could have organized and implemented the conspiracy.
What Was O.J. Simpson Famous for the Murder?
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Did the Germans Who Voted for Hitler Realize That They Were Voting for War and Mass Murder?
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How Mr. Wright Caused His Murder?
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What Impacts and Consequences Do Murder and Death by Natural Circumstances Have on Those Around It?
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How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay

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You'll no doubt have to write a number of argumentative essays in both high school and college, but what, exactly, is an argumentative essay and how do you write the best one possible? Let's take a look.

A great argumentative essay always combines the same basic elements: approaching an argument from a rational perspective, researching sources, supporting your claims using facts rather than opinion, and articulating your reasoning into the most cogent and reasoned points. Argumentative essays are great building blocks for all sorts of research and rhetoric, so your teachers will expect you to master the technique before long.

But if this sounds daunting, never fear! We'll show how an argumentative essay differs from other kinds of papers, how to research and write them, how to pick an argumentative essay topic, and where to find example essays. So let's get started.

What Is an Argumentative Essay? How Is it Different from Other Kinds of Essays?

There are two basic requirements for any and all essays: to state a claim (a thesis statement) and to support that claim with evidence.

Though every essay is founded on these two ideas, there are several different types of essays, differentiated by the style of the writing, how the writer presents the thesis, and the types of evidence used to support the thesis statement.

Essays can be roughly divided into four different types:

#1: Argumentative #2: Persuasive #3: Expository #4: Analytical

So let's look at each type and what the differences are between them before we focus the rest of our time to argumentative essays.

Argumentative Essay

Argumentative essays are what this article is all about, so let's talk about them first.

An argumentative essay attempts to convince a reader to agree with a particular argument (the writer's thesis statement). The writer takes a firm stand one way or another on a topic and then uses hard evidence to support that stance.

An argumentative essay seeks to prove to the reader that one argument —the writer's argument— is the factually and logically correct one. This means that an argumentative essay must use only evidence-based support to back up a claim , rather than emotional or philosophical reasoning (which is often allowed in other types of essays). Thus, an argumentative essay has a burden of substantiated proof and sources , whereas some other types of essays (namely persuasive essays) do not.

You can write an argumentative essay on any topic, so long as there's room for argument. Generally, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one, so long as you support the argumentative essay with hard evidence.

Example topics of an argumentative essay:

"Should farmers be allowed to shoot wolves if those wolves injure or kill farm animals?"
"Should the drinking age be lowered in the United States?"
"Are alternatives to democracy effective and/or feasible to implement?"

The next three types of essays are not argumentative essays, but you may have written them in school. We're going to cover them so you know what not to do for your argumentative essay.

Persuasive Essay

Persuasive essays are similar to argumentative essays, so it can be easy to get them confused. But knowing what makes an argumentative essay different than a persuasive essay can often mean the difference between an excellent grade and an average one.

Persuasive essays seek to persuade a reader to agree with the point of view of the writer, whether that point of view is based on factual evidence or not. The writer has much more flexibility in the evidence they can use, with the ability to use moral, cultural, or opinion-based reasoning as well as factual reasoning to persuade the reader to agree the writer's side of a given issue.

Instead of being forced to use "pure" reason as one would in an argumentative essay, the writer of a persuasive essay can manipulate or appeal to the reader's emotions. So long as the writer attempts to steer the readers into agreeing with the thesis statement, the writer doesn't necessarily need hard evidence in favor of the argument.

Often, you can use the same topics for both a persuasive essay or an argumentative one—the difference is all in the approach and the evidence you present.

Example topics of a persuasive essay:

"Should children be responsible for their parents' debts?"
"Should cheating on a test be automatic grounds for expulsion?"
"How much should sports leagues be held accountable for player injuries and the long-term consequences of those injuries?"

Expository Essay

An expository essay is typically a short essay in which the writer explains an idea, issue, or theme , or discusses the history of a person, place, or idea.

This is typically a fact-forward essay with little argument or opinion one way or the other.

Example topics of an expository essay:

"The History of the Philadelphia Liberty Bell"
"The Reasons I Always Wanted to be a Doctor"
"The Meaning Behind the Colloquialism ‘People in Glass Houses Shouldn't Throw Stones'"

Analytical Essay

An analytical essay seeks to delve into the deeper meaning of a text or work of art, or unpack a complicated idea . These kinds of essays closely interpret a source and look into its meaning by analyzing it at both a macro and micro level.

This type of analysis can be augmented by historical context or other expert or widely-regarded opinions on the subject, but is mainly supported directly through the original source (the piece or art or text being analyzed) .

Example topics of an analytical essay:

"Victory Gin in Place of Water: The Symbolism Behind Gin as the Only Potable Substance in George Orwell's 1984"
"Amarna Period Art: The Meaning Behind the Shift from Rigid to Fluid Poses"
"Adultery During WWII, as Told Through a Series of Letters to and from Soldiers"

There are many different types of essay and, over time, you'll be able to master them all.

A Typical Argumentative Essay Assignment

The average argumentative essay is between three to five pages, and will require at least three or four separate sources with which to back your claims . As for the essay topic , you'll most often be asked to write an argumentative essay in an English class on a "general" topic of your choice, ranging the gamut from science, to history, to literature.

But while the topics of an argumentative essay can span several different fields, the structure of an argumentative essay is always the same: you must support a claim—a claim that can reasonably have multiple sides—using multiple sources and using a standard essay format (which we'll talk about later on).

This is why many argumentative essay topics begin with the word "should," as in:

"Should all students be required to learn chemistry in high school?"
"Should children be required to learn a second language?"
"Should schools or governments be allowed to ban books?"

These topics all have at least two sides of the argument: Yes or no. And you must support the side you choose with evidence as to why your side is the correct one.

But there are also plenty of other ways to frame an argumentative essay as well:

"Does using social media do more to benefit or harm people?"
"Does the legal status of artwork or its creators—graffiti and vandalism, pirated media, a creator who's in jail—have an impact on the art itself?"
"Is or should anyone ever be ‘above the law?'"

Though these are worded differently than the first three, you're still essentially forced to pick between two sides of an issue: yes or no, for or against, benefit or detriment. Though your argument might not fall entirely into one side of the divide or another—for instance, you could claim that social media has positively impacted some aspects of modern life while being a detriment to others—your essay should still support one side of the argument above all. Your final stance would be that overall , social media is beneficial or overall , social media is harmful.

If your argument is one that is mostly text-based or backed by a single source (e.g., "How does Salinger show that Holden Caulfield is an unreliable narrator?" or "Does Gatsby personify the American Dream?"), then it's an analytical essay, rather than an argumentative essay. An argumentative essay will always be focused on more general topics so that you can use multiple sources to back up your claims.

Good Argumentative Essay Topics

So you know the basic idea behind an argumentative essay, but what topic should you write about?

Again, almost always, you'll be asked to write an argumentative essay on a free topic of your choice, or you'll be asked to select between a few given topics . If you're given complete free reign of topics, then it'll be up to you to find an essay topic that no only appeals to you, but that you can turn into an A+ argumentative essay.

What makes a "good" argumentative essay topic depends on both the subject matter and your personal interest —it can be hard to give your best effort on something that bores you to tears! But it can also be near impossible to write an argumentative essay on a topic that has no room for debate.

As we said earlier, a good argumentative essay topic will be one that has the potential to reasonably go in at least two directions—for or against, yes or no, and why . For example, it's pretty hard to write an argumentative essay on whether or not people should be allowed to murder one another—not a whole lot of debate there for most people!—but writing an essay for or against the death penalty has a lot more wiggle room for evidence and argument.

A good topic is also one that can be substantiated through hard evidence and relevant sources . So be sure to pick a topic that other people have studied (or at least studied elements of) so that you can use their data in your argument. For example, if you're arguing that it should be mandatory for all middle school children to play a sport, you might have to apply smaller scientific data points to the larger picture you're trying to justify. There are probably several studies you could cite on the benefits of physical activity and the positive effect structure and teamwork has on young minds, but there's probably no study you could use where a group of scientists put all middle-schoolers in one jurisdiction into a mandatory sports program (since that's probably never happened). So long as your evidence is relevant to your point and you can extrapolate from it to form a larger whole, you can use it as a part of your resource material.

And if you need ideas on where to get started, or just want to see sample argumentative essay topics, then check out these links for hundreds of potential argumentative essay topics.

101 Persuasive (or Argumentative) Essay and Speech Topics

301 Prompts for Argumentative Writing

Top 50 Ideas for Argumentative/Persuasive Essay Writing

[Note: some of these say "persuasive essay topics," but just remember that the same topic can often be used for both a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay; the difference is in your writing style and the evidence you use to support your claims.]

KO! Find that one argumentative essay topic you can absolutely conquer.

Argumentative Essay Format

Argumentative Essays are composed of four main elements:

A position (your argument)
Your reasons
Supporting evidence for those reasons (from reliable sources)
Counterargument(s) (possible opposing arguments and reasons why those arguments are incorrect)

If you're familiar with essay writing in general, then you're also probably familiar with the five paragraph essay structure . This structure is a simple tool to show how one outlines an essay and breaks it down into its component parts, although it can be expanded into as many paragraphs as you want beyond the core five.

The standard argumentative essay is often 3-5 pages, which will usually mean a lot more than five paragraphs, but your overall structure will look the same as a much shorter essay.

An argumentative essay at its simplest structure will look like:

Paragraph 1: Intro

Set up the story/problem/issue
Thesis/claim

Paragraph 2: Support

Reason #1 claim is correct
Supporting evidence with sources

Paragraph 3: Support

Reason #2 claim is correct

Paragraph 4: Counterargument

Explanation of argument for the other side
Refutation of opposing argument with supporting evidence

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Re-state claim
Sum up reasons and support of claim from the essay to prove claim is correct

Now let's unpack each of these paragraph types to see how they work (with examples!), what goes into them, and why.

Paragraph 1—Set Up and Claim

Your first task is to introduce the reader to the topic at hand so they'll be prepared for your claim. Give a little background information, set the scene, and give the reader some stakes so that they care about the issue you're going to discuss.

Next, you absolutely must have a position on an argument and make that position clear to the readers. It's not an argumentative essay unless you're arguing for a specific claim, and this claim will be your thesis statement.

Your thesis CANNOT be a mere statement of fact (e.g., "Washington DC is the capital of the United States"). Your thesis must instead be an opinion which can be backed up with evidence and has the potential to be argued against (e.g., "New York should be the capital of the United States").

Paragraphs 2 and 3—Your Evidence

These are your body paragraphs in which you give the reasons why your argument is the best one and back up this reasoning with concrete evidence .

The argument supporting the thesis of an argumentative essay should be one that can be supported by facts and evidence, rather than personal opinion or cultural or religious mores.

For example, if you're arguing that New York should be the new capital of the US, you would have to back up that fact by discussing the factual contrasts between New York and DC in terms of location, population, revenue, and laws. You would then have to talk about the precedents for what makes for a good capital city and why New York fits the bill more than DC does.

Your argument can't simply be that a lot of people think New York is the best city ever and that you agree.

In addition to using concrete evidence, you always want to keep the tone of your essay passionate, but impersonal . Even though you're writing your argument from a single opinion, don't use first person language—"I think," "I feel," "I believe,"—to present your claims. Doing so is repetitive, since by writing the essay you're already telling the audience what you feel, and using first person language weakens your writing voice.

For example,

"I think that Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States."

"Washington DC is no longer suited to be the capital city of the United States."

The second statement sounds far stronger and more analytical.

Paragraph 4—Argument for the Other Side and Refutation

Even without a counter argument, you can make a pretty persuasive claim, but a counterargument will round out your essay into one that is much more persuasive and substantial.

By anticipating an argument against your claim and taking the initiative to counter it, you're allowing yourself to get ahead of the game. This way, you show that you've given great thought to all sides of the issue before choosing your position, and you demonstrate in multiple ways how yours is the more reasoned and supported side.

Paragraph 5—Conclusion

This paragraph is where you re-state your argument and summarize why it's the best claim.

Briefly touch on your supporting evidence and voila! A finished argumentative essay.

Your essay should have just as awesome a skeleton as this plesiosaur does. (In other words: a ridiculously awesome skeleton)

Argumentative Essay Example: 5-Paragraph Style

It always helps to have an example to learn from. I've written a full 5-paragraph argumentative essay here. Look at how I state my thesis in paragraph 1, give supporting evidence in paragraphs 2 and 3, address a counterargument in paragraph 4, and conclude in paragraph 5.

Topic: Is it possible to maintain conflicting loyalties?

Paragraph 1

It is almost impossible to go through life without encountering a situation where your loyalties to different people or causes come into conflict with each other. Maybe you have a loving relationship with your sister, but she disagrees with your decision to join the army, or you find yourself torn between your cultural beliefs and your scientific ones. These conflicting loyalties can often be maintained for a time, but as examples from both history and psychological theory illustrate, sooner or later, people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever.

The first two sentences set the scene and give some hypothetical examples and stakes for the reader to care about.

The third sentence finishes off the intro with the thesis statement, making very clear how the author stands on the issue ("people have to make a choice between competing loyalties, as no one can maintain a conflicting loyalty or belief system forever." )

Paragraphs 2 and 3

Psychological theory states that human beings are not equipped to maintain conflicting loyalties indefinitely and that attempting to do so leads to a state called "cognitive dissonance." Cognitive dissonance theory is the psychological idea that people undergo tremendous mental stress or anxiety when holding contradictory beliefs, values, or loyalties (Festinger, 1957). Even if human beings initially hold a conflicting loyalty, they will do their best to find a mental equilibrium by making a choice between those loyalties—stay stalwart to a belief system or change their beliefs. One of the earliest formal examples of cognitive dissonance theory comes from Leon Festinger's When Prophesy Fails . Members of an apocalyptic cult are told that the end of the world will occur on a specific date and that they alone will be spared the Earth's destruction. When that day comes and goes with no apocalypse, the cult members face a cognitive dissonance between what they see and what they've been led to believe (Festinger, 1956). Some choose to believe that the cult's beliefs are still correct, but that the Earth was simply spared from destruction by mercy, while others choose to believe that they were lied to and that the cult was fraudulent all along. Both beliefs cannot be correct at the same time, and so the cult members are forced to make their choice.

But even when conflicting loyalties can lead to potentially physical, rather than just mental, consequences, people will always make a choice to fall on one side or other of a dividing line. Take, for instance, Nicolaus Copernicus, a man born and raised in Catholic Poland (and educated in Catholic Italy). Though the Catholic church dictated specific scientific teachings, Copernicus' loyalty to his own observations and scientific evidence won out over his loyalty to his country's government and belief system. When he published his heliocentric model of the solar system--in opposition to the geocentric model that had been widely accepted for hundreds of years (Hannam, 2011)-- Copernicus was making a choice between his loyalties. In an attempt t o maintain his fealty both to the established system and to what he believed, h e sat on his findings for a number of years (Fantoli, 1994). But, ultimately, Copernicus made the choice to side with his beliefs and observations above all and published his work for the world to see (even though, in doing so, he risked both his reputation and personal freedoms).

These two paragraphs provide the reasons why the author supports the main argument and uses substantiated sources to back those reasons.

The paragraph on cognitive dissonance theory gives both broad supporting evidence and more narrow, detailed supporting evidence to show why the thesis statement is correct not just anecdotally but also scientifically and psychologically. First, we see why people in general have a difficult time accepting conflicting loyalties and desires and then how this applies to individuals through the example of the cult members from the Dr. Festinger's research.

The next paragraph continues to use more detailed examples from history to provide further evidence of why the thesis that people cannot indefinitely maintain conflicting loyalties is true.

Paragraph 4

Some will claim that it is possible to maintain conflicting beliefs or loyalties permanently, but this is often more a matter of people deluding themselves and still making a choice for one side or the other, rather than truly maintaining loyalty to both sides equally. For example, Lancelot du Lac typifies a person who claims to maintain a balanced loyalty between to two parties, but his attempt to do so fails (as all attempts to permanently maintain conflicting loyalties must). Lancelot tells himself and others that he is equally devoted to both King Arthur and his court and to being Queen Guinevere's knight (Malory, 2008). But he can neither be in two places at once to protect both the king and queen, nor can he help but let his romantic feelings for the queen to interfere with his duties to the king and the kingdom. Ultimately, he and Queen Guinevere give into their feelings for one another and Lancelot—though he denies it—chooses his loyalty to her over his loyalty to Arthur. This decision plunges the kingdom into a civil war, ages Lancelot prematurely, and ultimately leads to Camelot's ruin (Raabe, 1987). Though Lancelot claimed to have been loyal to both the king and the queen, this loyalty was ultimately in conflict, and he could not maintain it.

Here we have the acknowledgement of a potential counter-argument and the evidence as to why it isn't true.

The argument is that some people (or literary characters) have asserted that they give equal weight to their conflicting loyalties. The refutation is that, though some may claim to be able to maintain conflicting loyalties, they're either lying to others or deceiving themselves. The paragraph shows why this is true by providing an example of this in action.

Paragraph 5

Whether it be through literature or history, time and time again, people demonstrate the challenges of trying to manage conflicting loyalties and the inevitable consequences of doing so. Though belief systems are malleable and will often change over time, it is not possible to maintain two mutually exclusive loyalties or beliefs at once. In the end, people always make a choice, and loyalty for one party or one side of an issue will always trump loyalty to the other.

The concluding paragraph summarizes the essay, touches on the evidence presented, and re-states the thesis statement.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 8 Steps

Writing the best argumentative essay is all about the preparation, so let's talk steps:

#1: Preliminary Research

If you have the option to pick your own argumentative essay topic (which you most likely will), then choose one or two topics you find the most intriguing or that you have a vested interest in and do some preliminary research on both sides of the debate.

Do an open internet search just to see what the general chatter is on the topic and what the research trends are.

Did your preliminary reading influence you to pick a side or change your side? Without diving into all the scholarly articles at length, do you believe there's enough evidence to support your claim? Have there been scientific studies? Experiments? Does a noted scholar in the field agree with you? If not, you may need to pick another topic or side of the argument to support.

#2: Pick Your Side and Form Your Thesis

Now's the time to pick the side of the argument you feel you can support the best and summarize your main point into your thesis statement.

Your thesis will be the basis of your entire essay, so make sure you know which side you're on, that you've stated it clearly, and that you stick by your argument throughout the entire essay .

#3: Heavy-Duty Research Time

You've taken a gander at what the internet at large has to say on your argument, but now's the time to actually read those sources and take notes.

Check scholarly journals online at Google Scholar , the Directory of Open Access Journals , or JStor . You can also search individual university or school libraries and websites to see what kinds of academic articles you can access for free. Keep track of your important quotes and page numbers and put them somewhere that's easy to find later.

And don't forget to check your school or local libraries as well!

#4: Outline

Follow the five-paragraph outline structure from the previous section.

Fill in your topic, your reasons, and your supporting evidence into each of the categories.

Before you begin to flesh out the essay, take a look at what you've got. Is your thesis statement in the first paragraph? Is it clear? Is your argument logical? Does your supporting evidence support your reasoning?

By outlining your essay, you streamline your process and take care of any logic gaps before you dive headfirst into the writing. This will save you a lot of grief later on if you need to change your sources or your structure, so don't get too trigger-happy and skip this step.

Now that you've laid out exactly what you'll need for your essay and where, it's time to fill in all the gaps by writing it out.

Take it one step at a time and expand your ideas into complete sentences and substantiated claims. It may feel daunting to turn an outline into a complete draft, but just remember that you've already laid out all the groundwork; now you're just filling in the gaps.

If you have the time before deadline, give yourself a day or two (or even just an hour!) away from your essay . Looking it over with fresh eyes will allow you to see errors, both minor and major, that you likely would have missed had you tried to edit when it was still raw.

Take a first pass over the entire essay and try your best to ignore any minor spelling or grammar mistakes—you're just looking at the big picture right now. Does it make sense as a whole? Did the essay succeed in making an argument and backing that argument up logically? (Do you feel persuaded?)

If not, go back and make notes so that you can fix it for your final draft.

Once you've made your revisions to the overall structure, mark all your small errors and grammar problems so you can fix them in the next draft.

#7: Final Draft

Use the notes you made on the rough draft and go in and hack and smooth away until you're satisfied with the final result.

A checklist for your final draft:

Formatting is correct according to your teacher's standards
No errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation
Essay is the right length and size for the assignment
The argument is present, consistent, and concise
Each reason is supported by relevant evidence
The essay makes sense overall

#8: Celebrate!

Once you've brought that final draft to a perfect polish and turned in your assignment, you're done! Go you!

Be prepared and ♪ you'll never go hungry again ♪, *cough*, or struggle with your argumentative essay-writing again. (Walt Disney Studios)

Good Examples of Argumentative Essays Online

Theory is all well and good, but examples are key. Just to get you started on what a fully-fleshed out argumentative essay looks like, let's see some examples in action.

Check out these two argumentative essay examples on the use of landmines and freons (and note the excellent use of concrete sources to back up their arguments!).

The Use of Landmines

A Shattered Sky

The Take-Aways: Keys to Writing an Argumentative Essay

At first, writing an argumentative essay may seem like a monstrous hurdle to overcome, but with the proper preparation and understanding, you'll be able to knock yours out of the park.

Remember the differences between a persuasive essay and an argumentative one, make sure your thesis is clear, and double-check that your supporting evidence is both relevant to your point and well-sourced . Pick your topic, do your research, make your outline, and fill in the gaps. Before you know it, you'll have yourself an A+ argumentative essay there, my friend.

What's Next?

Now you know the ins and outs of an argumentative essay, but how comfortable are you writing in other styles? Learn more about the four writing styles and when it makes sense to use each .

Understand how to make an argument, but still having trouble organizing your thoughts? Check out our guide to three popular essay formats and choose which one is right for you.

Ready to make your case, but not sure what to write about? We've created a list of 50 potential argumentative essay topics to spark your imagination.

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Homicide Argumentative Essays Samples For Students

14 samples of this type

No matter how high you rate your writing skills, it's always a worthy idea to check out a competently written Argumentative Essay example, especially when you're handling a sophisticated Homicide topic. This is exactly the case when WowEssays.com collection of sample Argumentative Essays on Homicide will come in handy. Whether you need to brainstorm an original and meaningful Homicide Argumentative Essay topic or survey the paper's structure or formatting peculiarities, our samples will provide you with the required data.

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Free The Death Penalty Argumentative Essay Sample

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Free Argumentative Essay On Should Juvenile Offenders Be Tried And Punished As Adults?

Introduction.

The given assay seeks to illustrate whether young criminals should be tried and punished as adults. In particular, the paper studies a current legislative position pertaining to a judicial treatment of juveniles and a prosecution of their offenses. Typical instances of referring adolescents to adult courts will be discussed, as well as real stories requiring that a criminal be sent to an adult court. THESIS: Juvenile offenders should be tried and punished as adults in cases where they have committed serious crimes (homicide, rape) and pose a serious threat to society.

Procedures of Transferring an Adolescent to an Adult Court and Protections Granted

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Morality can be defined as “The quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct.” (thefreedictionary).

The morality of capital punishment is an heavily contested issue and one that often polarises people’s views. However, in 2011 and in a leading civilised nation such as the U.S. it is arguable that there can be no circumstances in which sentencing a person to death is acceptable. America is known around the world as being a well-respected, leading democracy. The act of punishing people by death is an ancient one; it is also one that no longer has place in society.

Argumentative Essay On Should The Death Penalty Be Abolished

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Is Our True-Crime Obsession Doing More Harm Than Good?

By Phoebe Lett

Ms. Lett is a podcast producer in Opinion.

This article is part of the Debatable newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

To properly celebrate spooky season , our Opinion debate podcast, “ The Argument ,” took on the question of just how guilty the host, Jane Coaston, should feel about her guilty pleasure, the nonfiction genre of true crime. Today’s edition of Debatable is written by Phoebe Lett, who helped produce the episode.

Take a look at the most popular podcasts or the most-watched documentaries on Netflix, and you might notice a pattern: A lot are about murder. Over the past few years, true crime — that once niche genre of storytelling that spins real-life crimes into entertainment — has become a national obsession.

But is all this true-crime content, and its tendency to romanticize the art of the scam and to sensationalize grisly murder, bad for us? Or does the genre shine a light on the horrors visited on society’s vulnerable and the flaws of America’s criminal justice system?

These are some of the questions I asked when I set out to find experts, enthusiasts and critics to debate with our self-professed true crime fanatic, Jane Coaston, on our latest episode of “ The Argument. ” Here’s what they had to say.

The rise of true crime

In the American context, many point to Truman Capote’s journalistically questionable “nonfiction novel” “In Cold Blood,” as the origin of the modern true-crime era, and the hit 2014 podcast “Serial” as the most proximate cause for the genre’s current boom. But the historian Joy Wiltenburg says the public has been fascinated by crime stories for centuries.

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Murder - List of Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

Murder, the unlawful killing of another human being with intent, is a grave crime that elicits extensive legal, moral, and social discourse. Essays could delve into the different classifications of murder, from first-degree to manslaughter, and explore the psychological, social, and economic factors that might contribute to such violent behavior. They might also discuss the legal frameworks for adjudicating and punishing murder, and the impact of murder on families and communities. Discussions might further extend to the exploration of prevention strategies, the portrayal of murder in media and popular culture, and the ongoing debates surrounding capital punishment and rehabilitation. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Murder you can find in Papersowl database. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

The Murder of Innocence

Abortion is a new generation's way of shrugging off accountability of their action at the cost of human life agreeing to the first revision to the structure that says we have the proper way to give of discourse. Me personally for one beyond any doubt that most of us would agree to the reality that ready to say and do what we need and select. For it is our choice to control of speech our conclusions. In connection, moms at […]

Murder in in “The Cask of Amontillado”

In “The Cask of Amontillado,” by Edgar Allan Poe, the setting is used extensively to draw suspense and create a particular feeling for the reader. The author uses the setting to convey plans and images. He uses the darkness of the night, walking through the catacombs, and the scent of niter, to paint the gloomy picture. The setting establishes a mood that foreshadows future events, giving a distinct movement from freedom to confinement. The setting in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The […]

Main Reasons of Seperation from Great Britain

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Who is more to Blame for the Murder of King Duncan?

Macbeth was a play introduced in the early 1600. It took place in England where Macbeth was to become future king, or so he thought. Quickly, he realized that everything he imagined he would become wasn't going to happen. The crown would be passed down to one of Macduffs sons. So in order to obtain the crown he decided to start killing of the his sons heirs. This play has exposed a few symbols, one including blood. The symbol of […]

Murder in the Womb

The reason I am pro-life is because God is in charge of life and death. He did not create us to do this to each other for he should have full control. In the Ten Commandments, it is a sin to kill.But still a large amount of unborn babies are killed every year worldwide. Pro-Choice advocates believe that abortion should be legalized because they feel it is essential to empower women with a choice. They have strong beliefs that women […]

Creation of Serial Killers – Nature Versus Nurture

There is a difference between a serial killer and a murderer. What exactly defines a serial killer? According to The National Museum of Crime and Punishment, “A serial killer is conventionally defined as a person who murders three or more people in a period of over a month, with ‘cooling down’ time between murders. For a serial killer, the murders must be separate events, which are most often driven by a psychological thrill or pleasure.” Psychologists have tried to figure […]

The Mass Murder of Six Million Jews

By May 8, 1945, the world lost around eleven million humans consisting of men, women, and children. The years of 1933 to 1945 were known as the Holocaust. If you don't know already, the Holocaust was the mass murder of six million Jews, along with millions of others. It was lead by a blood-thirsty leader known as Adolf Hitler. Who was Adolf Hitler? What was the Holocaust? Who were the victims during the Holocaust? With the masterminds and an army […]

O.J. Simpson Murder Case and the Evidences

Besides the blood evidence that was collected to be presented at the trial, another keypiece of evidence used to tie Simpson to the murders were the hair and fibers that were foundat the crime scene. Not to mention that this was the last of the evidence collected to useagainst Simpson in the trial. However, the use of this evidence would not help in findingSimpson guilty for committing the double murder. As a result, this evidence was alsomishandled during the investigation […]

Charles Manson’s Impact on Cults in American Society

I believe one of the legal implications of this case is that Charles Manson and his "family" influenced the ideas of cults in American society. Jeffrey Toobin stated, "In the decade that followed the Manson murders, the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst, in Berkeley, and Jim Jones's People Temple, in San Francisco, transfixed supporters, more than 900 of whom committed mass suicide." Charles Manson showed the world that people could become criminals, just by influencing their lives. Toobin also […]

Capital Punishment: Solving Murder with Murder

In the year of 2018, 2,738 people were killed by the death penalty marked by July 1st. Majority of the executions since 1976 have been primarily white defendants with a number of 55.7% amongst another race. In our country the death penalty was set in motion by 30 states by October 11th, 2018; having Texas leading with a total of 560 executions by 2019. In a world where we completely ban murder from even happening in the first place, we […]

The Unsolved Enigma of the Bear Brook Murders

In the quiet New Hampshire woods, an eerie secret lay buried for years. It was only in the late 20th century that a chilling discovery in Bear Brook State Park would thrust it into the spotlight, leaving the community and law enforcement perplexed. The Bear Brook murders, a series of cold cases, would go on to baffle investigators for decades, becoming one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries in American history. Bear Brook State Park is expansive, spanning over 10,000 […]

Insanity in the Short Story Tell Tale Heart

The Tell Tale Heart is a short story about the murder of an elderly man. In this story the narrator who is also the murderer is insane. This of course, is not everyone's belief. Some believe the murderer is a calculated killer. The point of this essay, is to prove that the Murderer is insane. This story is not clear as to weather the narrator is convincing himself or another individual that he is not mad. Our narrators argument only […]

The Shadow over Hollywood: Reflecting on the Sharon Tate Murder

The Hollywood of the late 1960s shimmered with a blend of glamour, innovation, and a countercultural spirit. As the film industry sought to redefine itself amidst societal changes, one tragic event in the summer of 1969 cast a long and dark shadow over Tinseltown, permanently altering its landscape. This event was the shocking and gruesome murder of actress Sharon Tate and four others at her Beverly Hills home. Sharon Tate, with her ethereal beauty and promising acting career, represented the […]

Echoes of Tragedy: Unraveling the Clutter Family Murders

The Clutter family murders, a harrowing episode that shook the small town of Holcomb, Kansas in 1959, continue to resonate in the annals of American crime history. This brutal crime, involving the merciless killing of four members of the Clutter family, has been the subject of extensive discussion, analysis, and even artistic interpretation. Its impact is not only rooted in the sheer horror of the act but also in how it reflects certain facets of American society and the nature […]

The Labianca Murders: a Dark Chapter in the History of True Crime

Introduction The Labianca Murders stand as a chilling testament to the dark underbelly of human nature and the realm of true crime. This essay delves into the harrowing events surrounding the Labianca Murders, shedding light on the heinous crimes, their impact on society, and the enduring fascination they hold in the annals of criminal history. The Labianca Murders Unfold On the night of August 10, 1969, the Manson Family, a cult led by the enigmatic Charles Manson, unleashed a wave […]

The Helter Skelter Saga: Examining the Infamous Murder Spree of 1969

One of the most horrifying and well researched incidents in American criminal history is the Helter Skelter murders, which Charles Manson and his associates carried out in the summer of 1969. This string of vicious murders not only stunned the country but also permanently altered the collective American psyche, signifying the end of the peaceful, romantic 1960s. This article delves into the history, circumstances, and fallout of the Helter Skelter killings, illuminating their significance and the unsettling impulses that led […]

Euthanasia and Death Penalty

Euthanasia and death penalty are two controversy topics, that get a lot of attention in today's life. The subject itself has the roots deep in the beginning of the humankind. It is interesting and maybe useful to learn the answer and if there is right or wrong in those actions. The decision if a person should live or die depends on the state laws. There are both opponents and supporters of the subject. However different the opinions are, the state […]

The Heartbreaking Murder of Kyle Dinkheller: a Law Enforcement Tragedy

The tragic reminder of the risks that law enforcement personnel confront in the course of their work is provided by the narrative of Deputy Sheriff Kyle Dinkheller, which strikes a deep chord across the community. The circumstances behind Dinkheller's unfortunate encounter, its effect on law enforcement procedures, and the wider ramifications for police and community relations are all examined in this article. On January 12, 1998, Kyle Dinkheller, a deputy in Laurens County, Georgia, tragically lost his life after a […]

Delving into the Dark: Understanding Mass Murderers

Mass murder, a horrifying act that results in the death of multiple victims at a single point in time or over a short period, has left indelible marks on societies throughout history. Mass murderers, individuals or groups who commit such heinous acts, have been the subject of numerous studies, films, and books, as society attempts to understand the motivations behind their unfathomable actions. While it is a challenging topic, discussing it is vital to learn, understand, and potentially prevent such […]

Abortion on Teens should be Abolished

Am sure we have all heard of the girl meets boy story, where the girl falls in love with the boy despite receiving plenty of warnings and criticism from any person who has ever mattered in the girl's life. Everything is merry and life is good for the girl until one day she realizes she has missed her period and rushes to her man's home telling herself that everything will be okay. Reality checks in, hard, when the boy declines […]

Why the Death Penalty is Unjust

Capital punishment being either a justifiable law, or a horrendous, unjust act can be determined based on the perspective of different worldviews. In a traditional Christian perspective, the word of God given to the world in The Holy Bible should only be abided by. The Holy Bible states that no man (or woman) should shed the blood of another man (or woman). Christians are taught to teach a greater amount of sacrifice for the sake of the Lord. Social justice […]

The Death Penalty and People’s Opinions

The death penalty is a highly debated topic that often divided opinion amongst people all around the world. Firstly, let's take a look at our capital punishments, with certain crimes, come different serving times. Most crimes include treason, espionage, murder, large-scale drug trafficking, and murder towards a juror, witness, or a court officer in some cases. These are a few examples compared to the forty-one federal capital offenses to date. When it comes to the death penalty, there are certain […]

About Opinion Towards Abortion

Abortion is a really sensitive matter. It is a subject that you ca not talk about with just anybody and the reason being is that everyone has their own point of view for it. Everyone has their own opinion towards abortion. Whether it is to ban abortion or whether to allow it. Fact is, there is no right or wrong answer regarding this matter. Abortion can go both ways good or bad, sometimes it all depends in the situation a […]

Types and Causes of Criminal Homicide and Sexual Violence

Guys who, under certain conditions, utilized power, may have had more prominent reproductive success in the ancestral environment than males who did not use force. Sociobiological theories of rape are theories that explore to what degree, if any, evolutionary adaptations influence the psychology of rapists. Such theories are highly controversial, as traditional theories typically do not consider rape to be a behavioral adaptation. Some object to such theories on moral, religious, political, as well as scientific grounds. Boys are raised […]

The Problematics of Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is a universal problematic ideology under constant debate. Those that oppose the death penalty often agree that it is immoral for the government to take the life of an individual. They frequently state that the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment, but our Constitution would never allow such punishments. It states in the eighth amendment, “Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted,” (Martin and Jackson) which protects […]

Race and Ethnicity in the United States

The lives of black people, specifically black men in the United States of America have long been affected adversely by racism. In most cases, black people have turned away from jobs since they are not considered the right fit. Consequently, in the public places and on the streets, black men are often considered by the security officers as potential criminals, therefore they are the main target of stop-and-frisk. The negative media portrayals are strongly connected to the fact that people […]

The Constitution of America and Laws

The constitution of America established fundamental laws and guaranteed certain rights for its citizens. It was written in 1787 that replaced the Articles Of Confederation which had been governing character of the United States. The law of the United States was predominantly gotten from the precedent based law arrangement of English Law. Nonetheless, U.S. law was drawn significantly from its English ancestors both as far as substance and method. It has fused various common law developments. It had proven a […]

Death Penalty is Politically Just?

Being wrongfully accused is unimaginable, but think if you were wrongfully accused and the ultimate punishment was death. Death penalty is one of the most controversial issues in today's society, but what is politically just? When a crime is committed most assume that the only acceptable consequence is to be put to death rather than thinking of another form of punishment. Religiously the death penalty is unfair because the, "USCCB concludes prisoners can change and find redemption through ministry outreach, […]

Crime Cases in Canada

Generally, crime cases are on the rise in Canada despite repeated confirmations from the leadership of the nation that they are on top of the matter. While in most cases these crimes involve robbery with violence, murder, attempted suicide and theft, the mainstream media has never published a paper without either of such crimes. However, as usual police rushes to the scene of the crime collects evidences but with very minimal arrests made for the culprits for most of the […]

Criminal Profiling

The crime I chose was robbery, and those aged 18 to 24 are most likely to commit this crime. I feel this age range is very accurate, especially in today's society, as the crimes being committed are often by offenders within these age groups. Robbery is more likely to be committed by males than females. In my opinion, males aren’t as disciplined as females, which I believe makes them more at risk for committing crimes. Factors stimulating this type of […]

Essay on Murder: Killing Ideas for Your Essay

Murder, as well as a massacre, is an unlawful act in our country, like in many different ones and the justice system likely will protect anyone from the evil people. This crime is the worst kind of the crimes and leads to the capital punishment. In some states, even the euthanasy is applied as a punishment for the person who can kill another human. There are different degrees murder. The justice systems in different countries or states define murders differently as well as the murderers, jury can make various decisions according to the criminal code. The first degree murder leads to the hardest punishment, when third-degree murders are not punished as hard. If you need to accomplish an essay on this sophisticated topic, make a research first.

An essay about the one who kills another person is one of the most complicated topics , especially for the people who are very emotional and supportive in life. Even if you are not very sensitive, writing an essay about the case where another person is dead likely cause a special approach. Even for the police making an investigation and writing reports on murders is really complicated sometimes. Talking about persons killing someone leads to the depression if you are not ready for it. But when it comes to exams and tasks, you need to work really hard in order to receive the highest possible grade, and you also need to accomplish every task on the list. Otherwise, you will be one of the losers in the class, tell yourself, do you need such kind of reputation within your classmates? We bet you want to be the star when it comes to the grades and pages research.

So, how to discuss the different murders in your paperwork if you are absolutely not ready for it? Sorry for making you upset, but you will face some research on the topic and spend a couple of hours diving deeply into things causing the death anyway. If you find researching murders inappropriate, start with how the judge stated. Describe all their policies and how do you understand it because an essay is always about sharing your opinion about a particular topic even if you are not a professional. This approach will be perfect if you study Justice, but what do you need to do if the murder essay is not for your Law class but, for example, for Philosophy? Use another approach and become a storyteller! Well, it seems to be a bit more complicated, but you can learn some excellent ways to get it done. It sounds pretty simple to become a storyteller, but not everyone can obtain this ability within a short timeframe. Start with an idea and tell the story that explains your idea within a couple of examples. Don’t worry, you can get help here!

Below we will provide you with many different cases to accomplish an essay on this complicated topic and achieving the highest grade.

Idea 1. Dive Deeply Into the Philology.

This way to deal with the murder essay will be for the peaceful persons who don’t like to tell about the one who wants the death and loss self control. We understand that talking about blood and people kill others is hard for various reasons if so, explain it in your essay. Be sure that your position really matters as well as explaining it will be the perfect start that will lead you to the task accomplishment. The personal approach will make your essay unique and understandable for everyone at the same time. Don’t be a just a student, try to become a real writer and obtain your own style. After explaining your position about the murders and murderers, you might explain some synonyms of the words “murder” or “murderer” as well as definition death. This might be interesting if you are making your essay for the Language class. Google the synonyms, find the definitions; briefly explain the meaning of each word. We bet during the research you will discover many interesting language tricks which you can use in the future. And also you can explain the difference in the context of each word, this is a wonderful way to accomplish your essay without diving deeply into the biographies of the killers.

Idea 2. Telling About the Massacres.

If writing about persons who killed someone is totally OK for you, start writing about some really loud mass murder cases; you can also google it or ask your teacher some interesting information and niceties. You can take the information about the famous killings of many people as a basis. Massacres are the most violent crimes and each massacre leads to the noise in the press; the history of Mankind has a lot of really remarkable examples of mass killings of people. The information about someone kills another people can easily be found in Google or books and historical research papers. You will need some information relative to the history and people killed someone; if you are a history-lover and a bookworm, creation of an essay will be an easy and pleasant task for you. You can take some wars as an example. This is the topic that is full of information in various sources; you can become an investigator and give your own versions about the reasons for wars and other massacres. Or you can just describe some existing versions, giving references to famous researchers. Mass killings, done by Hitler or Stalin can also be a good start. There is a plenty of information about them in various sources, you can read all the versions in order to be confident enough in your position. In order to take some up-to-date information as a basis, you can make a research and tell about the terrorist actions in France or London within a couple of past years.

Idea 3. Researching the Biographies of Serial Killers.

And another way to make your murder essay really interesting is not for sensitive people as well. In this case, we offer you to dive deeply into the murderer’s history. You can tell about the most terrible murderers of the previous century; there are a lot of terrible and interesting people who are waiting to be the topic of your essay. You can describe their lives and crimes as well. This direction in writing can also be taken for the Law class. Investigation of the crimes made and the punishment they received can be interesting for those who want to become a lawyer. You can take the biographies of Charles Manson ( the serial killer ), Mary Bell, Thomas Becket, Ted Bundy and others. Their many different kinds of crimes are as terrible as interesting, so an information research seems to be a long and complicated journey that can become an adventure if you really love making logical conclusions about how may murder affect the history of Mankind.

Idea 4. Murder Abortion, are They the Same?

We bet, after you will start researching some information according to the topic, it will definitely help you to come up with some other ideas and you will find your own way to accomplish your essay. You’ll find the way out and even some interest in the topic after a couple hours of the deep research.

If you are still stuck on writing and don’t know what to do next, or if you just got no time for making a quality research, someone else can do it for you, for example, our professional writers! You can order an academic paper and forget about the long research hours. If you do not find the research process interesting in any case, you can simply order a ready-made paper, accomplished by the professional writers. You can write some suggestions, but if you do not have any ideas, you can rely on us. Be ready to receive the highest grade in class without spending long working hours. Enjoy your life and receive a ready-made paperwork, done by professionals.

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Argumentative Essay Examples & Analysis

July 20, 2023

Writing successful argumentative or persuasive essays is a sort of academic rite of passage: every student, at some point in their academic career, will have to do it. And not without reason—writing a good argumentative essay requires the ability to organize one’s thoughts, reason logically, and present evidence in support of claims. They even require empathy, as authors are forced to inhabit and then respond to viewpoints that run counter to their own. Here, we’ll look at some argumentative essay examples and analyze their strengths and weaknesses.

What is an argumentative essay?

Before we turn to those argumentative essay examples, let’s get precise about what an argumentative essay is. An argumentative essay is an essay that advances a central point, thesis, or claim using evidence and facts. In other words, argumentative essays are essays that argue on behalf of a particular viewpoint. The goal of an argumentative essay is to convince the reader that the essay’s core idea is correct.

Good argumentative essays rely on facts and evidence. Personal anecdotes, appeals to emotion , and opinions that aren’t grounded in evidence just won’t fly. Let’s say I wanted to write an essay arguing that cats are the best pets. It wouldn’t be enough to say that I love having a cat as a pet. That’s just my opinion. Nor would it be enough to cite my downstairs neighbor Claudia, who also has a cat and who also prefers cats to dogs. That’s just an anecdote.

For the essay to have a chance at succeeding, I’d have to use evidence to support my argument. Maybe there are studies that compare the cost of cat ownership to dog ownership and conclude that cat ownership is less expensive. Perhaps there’s medical data that shows that more people are allergic to dogs than they are to cats. And maybe there are surveys that show that cat owners are more satisfied with their pets than are dog owners. I have no idea if any of that is true. The point is that successful argumentative essays use evidence from credible sources to back up their points.

Argumentative essay structure

Important to note before we examine a few argumentative essay examples: most argumentative essays will follow a standard 5-paragraph format. This format entails an introductory paragraph that lays out the essay’s central claim. Next, there are three body paragraphs that each advance sub-claims and evidence to support the central claim. Lastly, there is a conclusion that summarizes the points made. That’s not to say that every good argumentative essay will adhere strictly to the 5-paragraph format. And there is plenty of room for flexibility and creativity within the 5-paragraph format. For example, a good argumentative essay that follows the 5-paragraph template will also generally include counterarguments and rebuttals.

Introduction Example

Now let’s move on to those argumentative essay examples, and examine in particular a couple of introductions. The first takes on a common argumentative essay topic —capital punishment.

The death penalty has long been a divisive issue in the United States. 24 states allow the death penalty, while the other 26 have either banned the death penalty outright or issued moratoriums halting the practice. Proponents of the death penalty argue that it’s an effective deterrent against crime. Time and time again, however, this argument has been shown to be false. Capital punishment does not deter crime. But not only that—the death penalty is irreversible, which allows our imperfect justice system no room for error. Finally, the application of the death penalty is racially biased—the population of death row is over 41% Black , despite Black Americans making up just 13% of the U.S. population. For all these reasons, the death penalty should be outlawed across the board in the United States.

Why this introduction works: First, it’s clear. It lays out the essay’s thesis: that the death penalty should be outlawed in the United States. It also names the sub-arguments the author is going to use to support the thesis: (1), capital punishment does not deter crime, (2), it’s irreversible, and (3), it’s a racially biased practice. In laying out these three points, the author is also laying out the structure of the essay to follow. Each of the body paragraphs will take on one of the three sub-arguments presented in the introduction.

Argumentative Essay Examples (Continued)

Something else I like about this introduction is that it acknowledges and then refutes a common counterargument—the idea that the death penalty is a crime deterrent. Notice also the flow of the first two sentences. The first flags the essay’s topic. But it also makes a claim—that the issue of capital punishment is politically divisive. The following sentence backs this claim up. Essentially half of the country allows the practice; the other half has banned it. This is a feature not just of solid introductions but of good argumentative essays in general—all the essay’s claims will be backed up with evidence.

How it could be improved: Okay, I know I just got through singing the praises of the first pair of sentences, but if I were really nitpicking, I might take issue with them. Why? The first sentence is a bit of a placeholder. It’s a platitude, a way for the author to get a foothold in the piece. The essay isn’t about how divisive the death penalty is; it’s about why it ought to be abolished. When it comes to writing an argumentative essay, I always like to err on the side of blunt. There’s nothing wrong with starting an argumentative essay with the main idea: Capital punishment is an immoral and ineffective form of punishment, and the practice should be abolished .

Let’s move on to another argumentative essay example. Here’s an introduction that deals with the effects of technology on the brain:

Much of the critical discussion around technology today revolves around social media. Critics argue that social media has cut us off from our fellow citizens, trapping us in “information silos” and contributing to political polarization. Social media also promotes unrealistic and unhealthy beauty standards, which can lead to anxiety and depression. What’s more, the social media apps themselves are designed to addict their users. These are all legitimate critiques of social media, and they ought to be taken seriously. But the problem of technology today goes deeper than social media. The internet itself is the problem. Whether it’s on our phones or our laptops, on a social media app, or doing a Google search, the internet promotes distracted thinking and superficial learning. The internet is, quite literally, rewiring our brains.

Why this introduction works: This introduction hooks the reader by tying a topical debate about social media to the essay’s main subject—the problem of the internet itself. The introduction makes it clear what the essay is going to be about; the sentence, “But the problem of technology…” signals to the reader that the main idea is coming. I like the clarity with which the main idea is stated, and, as in the previous introduction, the main idea sets up the essay to follow.

How it could be improved: I like how direct this introduction is, but it might be improved by being a little more specific. Without getting too technical, the introduction might tell the reader what it means to “promote distracted thinking and superficial learning.” It might also hint as to why these are good arguments. For example, are there neurological or psychological studies that back this claim up? A simple fix might be: Whether it’s on our phones or our laptops, on a social media app, or doing a Google search, countless studies have shown that the internet promotes distracted thinking and superficial learning . The body paragraphs would then elaborate on those points. And the last sentence, while catchy, is a bit vague.

Body Paragraph Example

Let’s stick with our essay on capital punishment and continue on to the first body paragraph.

Proponents of the death penalty have long claimed that the practice is an effective deterrent to crime. It might not be pretty, they say, but its deterrent effects prevent further crime. Therefore, its continued use is justified. The problem is that this is just not borne out in the data. There is simply no evidence that the death penalty deters crime more than other forms of punishment, like long prison sentences. States, where the death penalty is still carried out, do not have lower crime rates than states where the practice has been abolished. States that have abandoned the death penalty likewise show no increase in crime or murder rates.

Body Paragraph (Continued)

For example, the state of Louisiana, where the death penalty is legal, has a murder rate of 21.3 per 100,000 residents. In Iowa, where the death penalty was abolished in 1965, the murder rate is 3.2 per 100,000. In Kentucky the death penalty is legal and the murder rate is 9.6; in Michigan where it’s illegal, the murder rate is 8.7. The death penalty simply has no bearing on murder rates. If it did, we’d see markedly lower murder rates in states that maintain the practice. But that’s not the case. Capital punishment does not deter crime. Therefore, it should be abolished.

Why this paragraph works: This body paragraph is successful because it coheres with the main idea set out in the introduction. It supports the essay’s first sub-argument—that capital punishment does not deter crime—and in so doing, it supports the essay’s main idea—that capital punishment should be abolished. How does it do that? By appealing to the data. A nice feature of this paragraph is that it simultaneously debunks a common counterargument and advances the essay’s thesis. It also supplies a few direct examples (murder rates in states like Kentucky, Michigan, etc.) without getting too technical. Importantly, the last few sentences tie the data back to the main idea of the essay. It’s not enough to pepper your essay with statistics. A good argumentative essay will unpack the statistics, tell the reader why the statistics matter, and how they support or confirm the essay’s main idea.

How it could be improved: The author is missing one logical connection at the end of the paragraph. The author shows that capital punishment doesn’t deter crime, but then just jumps to their conclusion. They needed to establish a logical bridge to get from the sub-argument to the conclusion. That bridge might be: if the deterrent effect is being used as a justification to maintain the practice, but the deterrent effect doesn’t really exist, then , in the absence of some other justification, the death penalty should be abolished. The author almost got there, but just needed to make that one final logical connection.

Conclusion Example

Once we’ve supported each of our sub-arguments with a corresponding body paragraph, it’s time to move on to the conclusion.

It might be nice to think that executing murderers prevents future murders from happening, that our justice system is infallible and no one is ever wrongly put to death, and that the application of the death penalty is free of bias. But as we have seen, each of those thoughts are just comforting fictions. The death penalty does not prevent future crime—if it did, we’d see higher crime rates in states that’ve done away with capital punishment. The death penalty is an irreversible punishment meted out by an imperfect justice system—as a result, wrongful executions are unavoidable. And the death penalty disproportionately affects people of color. The death penalty is an unjustifiable practice—both practically and morally. Therefore, the United States should do away with the practice and join the more than 85 world nations that have already done so.

Why this conclusion works: It concisely summarizes the points made throughout the essay. But notice that it’s not identical to the introduction. The conclusion makes it clear that our understanding of the issue has changed with the essay. It not only revisits the sub-arguments, it expounds upon them. And to put a bow on everything, it restates the thesis—this time, though, with a little more emotional oomph.

How it could be improved: I’d love to see a little more specificity with regard to the sub-arguments. Instead of just rehashing the second sub-argument—that wrongful executions are unavoidable—the author could’ve included a quick statistic to give the argument more weight. For example: The death penalty is an irreversible punishment meted out by an imperfect justice system—as a result, wrongful executions are unavoidable. Since 1973, at least 190 people have been put to death who were later found to be innocent.

An argumentative essay is a powerful way to convey one’s ideas. As an academic exercise, mastering the art of the argumentative essay requires students to hone their skills of critical thinking, rhetoric, and logical reasoning. The best argumentative essays communicate their ideas clearly and back up their claims with evidence.

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Dane Gebauer

Dane Gebauer is a writer and teacher living in Miami, FL. He received his MFA in fiction from Columbia University, and his writing has appeared in Complex Magazine and Sinking City Review .

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What is an Argumentative Essay? How to Write It (With Examples)

We define an argumentative essay as a type of essay that presents arguments about both sides of an issue. The purpose is to convince the reader to accept a particular viewpoint or action. In an argumentative essay, the writer takes a stance on a controversial or debatable topic and supports their position with evidence, reasoning, and examples. The essay should also address counterarguments, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the topic.

What is an argumentative essay?

Argumentative essay outline
Types of argument claims

How to write an argumentative essay?

Argumentative essay writing tips
Good argumentative essay example

How to write a good thesis

How to Write an Argumentative Essay with Paperpal?

Frequently Asked Questions

An argumentative essay is a type of writing that presents a coherent and logical analysis of a specific topic. 1 The goal is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or opinion on a particular issue. Here are the key elements of an argumentative essay:

Thesis Statement : The central claim or argument that the essay aims to prove.
Introduction : Provides background information and introduces the thesis statement.
Body Paragraphs : Each paragraph addresses a specific aspect of the argument, presents evidence, and may include counter arguments. Articulate your thesis statement better with Paperpal. Start writing now!
Evidence : Supports the main argument with relevant facts, examples, statistics, or expert opinions.
Counterarguments : Anticipates and addresses opposing viewpoints to strengthen the overall argument.
Conclusion : Summarizes the main points, reinforces the thesis, and may suggest implications or actions.

Argumentative essay structure

Aristotelian, Rogerian, and Toulmin are three distinct approaches to argumentative essay structures, each with its principles and methods. 2 The choice depends on the purpose and nature of the topic. Here’s an overview of each type of argumentative essay format.

)
: Introduce the topic. Provide background information. Present the thesis statement or main argument.	: Introduce the issue. Provide background information. Establish a neutral and respectful tone.	: Introduce the issue. Provide background information. Present the claim or thesis.
: Provide context or background information. Set the stage for the argument.	: Describe opposing viewpoints without judgment. Show an understanding of the different perspectives.	: Clearly state the main argument or claim.
: Present the main argument with supporting evidence. Use logical reasoning. Address counterarguments and refute them.	: Present your thesis or main argument. Identify areas of common ground between opposing views.	: Provide evidence to support the claim. Include facts, examples, and statistics.
: Acknowledge opposing views. Provide counterarguments and evidence against them.	: Present your arguments while acknowledging opposing views. Emphasize shared values or goals. Seek compromise and understanding.	: Explain the reasoning that connects the evidence to the claim. Make the implicit assumptions explicit.
: Summarize the main points. Reassert the thesis. End with a strong concluding statement.	: Summarize areas of agreement. Reiterate the importance of finding common ground. End on a positive note.	: Provide additional support for the warrant. Offer further justification for the reasoning.
		Address potential counterarguments. Provide evidence and reasoning to refute counterclaims.
		Respond to counterarguments and reinforce the original claim.
		Summarize the main points. Reinforce the strength of the argument.

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Argumentative essay outline

An argumentative essay presents a specific claim or argument and supports it with evidence and reasoning. Here’s an outline for an argumentative essay, along with examples for each section: 3

1. Introduction :

Hook : Start with a compelling statement, question, or anecdote to grab the reader’s attention.

Example: “Did you know that plastic pollution is threatening marine life at an alarming rate?”

Background information : Provide brief context about the issue.

Example: “Plastic pollution has become a global environmental concern, with millions of tons of plastic waste entering our oceans yearly.”

Thesis statement : Clearly state your main argument or position.

Example: “We must take immediate action to reduce plastic usage and implement more sustainable alternatives to protect our marine ecosystem.”

2. Body Paragraphs :

Topic sentence : Introduce the main idea of each paragraph.

Example: “The first step towards addressing the plastic pollution crisis is reducing single-use plastic consumption.”

Evidence/Support : Provide evidence, facts, statistics, or examples that support your argument.

Example: “Research shows that plastic straws alone contribute to millions of tons of plastic waste annually, and many marine animals suffer from ingestion or entanglement.”

Counterargument/Refutation : Acknowledge and refute opposing viewpoints.

Example: “Some argue that banning plastic straws is inconvenient for consumers, but the long-term environmental benefits far outweigh the temporary inconvenience.”

Transition : Connect each paragraph to the next.

Example: “Having addressed the issue of single-use plastics, the focus must now shift to promoting sustainable alternatives.”

3. Counterargument Paragraph :

Acknowledgement of opposing views : Recognize alternative perspectives on the issue.

Example: “While some may argue that individual actions cannot significantly impact global plastic pollution, the cumulative effect of collective efforts must be considered.”

Counterargument and rebuttal : Present and refute the main counterargument.

Example: “However, individual actions, when multiplied across millions of people, can substantially reduce plastic waste. Small changes in behavior, such as using reusable bags and containers, can have a significant positive impact.”

4. Conclusion :

Restatement of thesis : Summarize your main argument.

Example: “In conclusion, adopting sustainable practices and reducing single-use plastic is crucial for preserving our oceans and marine life.”

Call to action : Encourage the reader to take specific steps or consider the argument’s implications.

Example: “It is our responsibility to make environmentally conscious choices and advocate for policies that prioritize the health of our planet. By collectively embracing sustainable alternatives, we can contribute to a cleaner and healthier future.”

Types of argument claims

A claim is a statement or proposition a writer puts forward with evidence to persuade the reader. 4 Here are some common types of argument claims, along with examples:

Fact Claims : These claims assert that something is true or false and can often be verified through evidence. Example: “Water boils at 100°C at sea level.”
Value Claims : Value claims express judgments about the worth or morality of something, often based on personal beliefs or societal values. Example: “Organic farming is more ethical than conventional farming.”
Policy Claims : Policy claims propose a course of action or argue for a specific policy, law, or regulation change. Example: “Schools should adopt a year-round education system to improve student learning outcomes.”
Cause and Effect Claims : These claims argue that one event or condition leads to another, establishing a cause-and-effect relationship. Example: “Excessive use of social media is a leading cause of increased feelings of loneliness among young adults.”
Definition Claims : Definition claims assert the meaning or classification of a concept or term. Example: “Artificial intelligence can be defined as machines exhibiting human-like cognitive functions.”
Comparative Claims : Comparative claims assert that one thing is better or worse than another in certain respects. Example: “Online education is more cost-effective than traditional classroom learning.”
Evaluation Claims : Evaluation claims assess the quality, significance, or effectiveness of something based on specific criteria. Example: “The new healthcare policy is more effective in providing affordable healthcare to all citizens.”

Understanding these argument claims can help writers construct more persuasive and well-supported arguments tailored to the specific nature of the claim.

If you’re wondering how to start an argumentative essay, here’s a step-by-step guide to help you with the argumentative essay format and writing process.

Choose a Topic: Select a topic that you are passionate about or interested in. Ensure that the topic is debatable and has two or more sides.
Define Your Position: Clearly state your stance on the issue. Consider opposing viewpoints and be ready to counter them.
Conduct Research: Gather relevant information from credible sources, such as books, articles, and academic journals. Take notes on key points and supporting evidence.
Create a Thesis Statement: Develop a concise and clear thesis statement that outlines your main argument. Convey your position on the issue and provide a roadmap for the essay.
Outline Your Argumentative Essay: Organize your ideas logically by creating an outline. Include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each body paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis.
Write the Introduction: Start with a hook to grab the reader’s attention (a quote, a question, a surprising fact). Provide background information on the topic. Present your thesis statement at the end of the introduction.
Develop Body Paragraphs: Begin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that relates to the thesis. Support your points with evidence and examples. Address counterarguments and refute them to strengthen your position. Ensure smooth transitions between paragraphs.
Address Counterarguments: Acknowledge and respond to opposing viewpoints. Anticipate objections and provide evidence to counter them.
Write the Conclusion: Summarize the main points of your argumentative essay. Reinforce the significance of your argument. End with a call to action, a prediction, or a thought-provoking statement.
Revise, Edit, and Share: Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and consistency. Check for grammatical and spelling errors. Share your essay with peers, friends, or instructors for constructive feedback.
Finalize Your Argumentative Essay: Make final edits based on feedback received. Ensure that your essay follows the required formatting and citation style.

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Argumentative essay writing tips

Here are eight strategies to craft a compelling argumentative essay:

Choose a Clear and Controversial Topic : Select a topic that sparks debate and has opposing viewpoints. A clear and controversial issue provides a solid foundation for a strong argument.
Conduct Thorough Research : Gather relevant information from reputable sources to support your argument. Use a variety of sources, such as academic journals, books, reputable websites, and expert opinions, to strengthen your position.
Create a Strong Thesis Statement : Clearly articulate your main argument in a concise thesis statement. Your thesis should convey your stance on the issue and provide a roadmap for the reader to follow your argument.
Develop a Logical Structure : Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point of evidence that contributes to your overall argument. Ensure a logical flow from one point to the next.
Provide Strong Evidence : Support your claims with solid evidence. Use facts, statistics, examples, and expert opinions to support your arguments. Be sure to cite your sources appropriately to maintain credibility.
Address Counterarguments : Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and counterarguments. Addressing and refuting alternative perspectives strengthens your essay and demonstrates a thorough understanding of the issue. Be mindful of maintaining a respectful tone even when discussing opposing views.
Use Persuasive Language : Employ persuasive language to make your points effectively. Avoid emotional appeals without supporting evidence and strive for a respectful and professional tone.
Craft a Compelling Conclusion : Summarize your main points, restate your thesis, and leave a lasting impression in your conclusion. Encourage readers to consider the implications of your argument and potentially take action.

Good argumentative essay example

Let’s consider a sample of argumentative essay on how social media enhances connectivity:

In the digital age, social media has emerged as a powerful tool that transcends geographical boundaries, connecting individuals from diverse backgrounds and providing a platform for an array of voices to be heard. While critics argue that social media fosters division and amplifies negativity, it is essential to recognize the positive aspects of this digital revolution and how it enhances connectivity by providing a platform for diverse voices to flourish. One of the primary benefits of social media is its ability to facilitate instant communication and connection across the globe. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram break down geographical barriers, enabling people to establish and maintain relationships regardless of physical location and fostering a sense of global community. Furthermore, social media has transformed how people stay connected with friends and family. Whether separated by miles or time zones, social media ensures that relationships remain dynamic and relevant, contributing to a more interconnected world. Moreover, social media has played a pivotal role in giving voice to social justice movements and marginalized communities. Movements such as #BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and #ClimateStrike have gained momentum through social media, allowing individuals to share their stories and advocate for change on a global scale. This digital activism can shape public opinion and hold institutions accountable. Social media platforms provide a dynamic space for open dialogue and discourse. Users can engage in discussions, share information, and challenge each other’s perspectives, fostering a culture of critical thinking. This open exchange of ideas contributes to a more informed and enlightened society where individuals can broaden their horizons and develop a nuanced understanding of complex issues. While criticisms of social media abound, it is crucial to recognize its positive impact on connectivity and the amplification of diverse voices. Social media transcends physical and cultural barriers, connecting people across the globe and providing a platform for marginalized voices to be heard. By fostering open dialogue and facilitating the exchange of ideas, social media contributes to a more interconnected and empowered society. Embracing the positive aspects of social media allows us to harness its potential for positive change and collective growth.

Clearly Define Your Thesis Statement: Your thesis statement is the core of your argumentative essay. Clearly articulate your main argument or position on the issue. Avoid vague or general statements.
Provide Strong Supporting Evidence: Back up your thesis with solid evidence from reliable sources and examples. This can include facts, statistics, expert opinions, anecdotes, or real-life examples. Make sure your evidence is relevant to your argument, as it impacts the overall persuasiveness of your thesis.
Anticipate Counterarguments and Address Them: Acknowledge and address opposing viewpoints to strengthen credibility. This also shows that you engage critically with the topic rather than presenting a one-sided argument.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay with Paperpal?

Writing a winning argumentative essay not only showcases your ability to critically analyze a topic but also demonstrates your skill in persuasively presenting your stance backed by evidence. Achieving this level of writing excellence can be time-consuming. This is where Paperpal, your AI academic writing assistant, steps in to revolutionize the way you approach argumentative essays. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use Paperpal to write your essay:

Upgrade your essays with Paperpal

Sign Up or Log In: Begin by creating an account or logging into paperpal.com .
Navigate to Paperpal Copilot: Once logged in, proceed to the Templates section from the side navigation bar.
Generate an essay outline: Under Templates, click on the ‘Outline’ tab and choose ‘Essay’ from the options and provide your topic to generate an outline.
Develop your essay: Use this structured outline as a guide to flesh out your essay. If you encounter any roadblocks, click on Brainstorm and get subject-specific assistance, ensuring you stay on track.
Refine your writing: To elevate the academic tone of your essay, select a paragraph and use the ‘Make Academic’ feature under the ‘Rewrite’ tab, ensuring your argumentative essay resonates with an academic audience.
Final Touches: Make your argumentative essay submission ready with Paperpal’s language, grammar, consistency and plagiarism checks, and improve your chances of acceptance.

Paperpal not only simplifies the essay writing process but also ensures your argumentative essay is persuasive, well-structured, and academically rigorous. Sign up today and transform how you write argumentative essays.

The length of an argumentative essay can vary, but it typically falls within the range of 1,000 to 2,500 words. However, the specific requirements may depend on the guidelines provided.

You might write an argumentative essay when: 1. You want to convince others of the validity of your position. 2. There is a controversial or debatable issue that requires discussion. 3. You need to present evidence and logical reasoning to support your claims. 4. You want to explore and critically analyze different perspectives on a topic.

Argumentative Essay: Purpose : An argumentative essay aims to persuade the reader to accept or agree with a specific point of view or argument. Structure : It follows a clear structure with an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs presenting arguments and evidence, counterarguments and refutations, and a conclusion. Tone : The tone is formal and relies on logical reasoning, evidence, and critical analysis. Narrative/Descriptive Essay: Purpose : These aim to tell a story or describe an experience, while a descriptive essay focuses on creating a vivid picture of a person, place, or thing. Structure : They may have a more flexible structure. They often include an engaging introduction, a well-developed body that builds the story or description, and a conclusion. Tone : The tone is more personal and expressive to evoke emotions or provide sensory details.

Gladd, J. (2020). Tips for Writing Academic Persuasive Essays.  Write What Matters .
Nimehchisalem, V. (2018). Pyramid of argumentation: Towards an integrated model for teaching and assessing ESL writing.  Language & Communication ,  5 (2), 185-200.
Press, B. (2022).  Argumentative Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide . Broadview Press.
Rieke, R. D., Sillars, M. O., & Peterson, T. R. (2005).  Argumentation and critical decision making . Pearson/Allyn & Bacon.

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How to Write an A+ Argumentative Essay

What Is an Argumentative Essay? How Is it Different from Other Kinds of Essays?

Argumentative Essay

Persuasive Essay

Expository Essay

Analytical Essay

A Typical Argumentative Essay Assignment

Good Argumentative Essay Topics

Argumentative Essay Format

Paragraph 1: Intro

Paragraph 2: Support

Paragraph 3: Support

Paragraph 4: Counterargument

Paragraph 5: Conclusion

Paragraph 1—Set Up and Claim

Paragraphs 2 and 3—Your Evidence

Paragraph 4—Argument for the Other Side and Refutation

Paragraph 5—Conclusion

Argumentative Essay Example: 5-Paragraph Style

How to Write an Argumentative Essay: 8 Steps

#1: Preliminary Research

#2: Pick Your Side and Form Your Thesis

#3: Heavy-Duty Research Time

#4: Outline

#7: Final Draft

#8: Celebrate!

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