do argumentative essays have counter arguments

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Argumentative Essays: The Counter-Argument & Refutation

An argumentative essay presents an argument for or against a topic. For example, if your topic is working from home , then your essay would either argue in favor of working from home (this is the for  side) or against working from home.

Like most essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction that ends with the writer's position (or stance) in the thesis statement .

Introduction Paragraph

(Background information....)

• Thesis statement : Employers should give their workers the option to work from home in order to improve employee well-being and reduce office costs.

This thesis statement shows that the two points I plan to explain in my body paragraphs are 1) working from home improves well-being, and 2) it allows companies to reduce costs. Each topic will have its own paragraph. Here's an example of a very basic essay outline with these ideas:

• Background information

Body Paragraph 1

• Topic Sentence : Workers who work from home have improved well-being .
• Evidence from academic sources

Body Paragraph 2

• Topic Sentence : Furthermore, companies can reduce their expenses by allowing employees to work at home .
• Summary of key points
• Restatement of thesis statement

Does this look like a strong essay? Not really . There are no academic sources (research) used, and also...

You Need to Also Respond to the Counter-Arguments!

The above essay outline is very basic. The argument it presents can be made much stronger if you consider the counter-argument , and then try to respond (refute) its points.

The counter-argument presents the main points on the other side of the debate. Because we are arguing FOR working from home, this means the counter-argument is AGAINST working from home. The best way to find the counter-argument is by reading research on the topic to learn about the other side of the debate. The counter-argument for this topic might include these points:

• Distractions at home > could make it hard to concentrate
• Dishonest/lazy people > might work less because no one is watching

Next, we have to try to respond to the counter-argument in the refutation (or rebuttal/response) paragraph .

The Refutation/Response Paragraph

The purpose of this paragraph is to address the points of the counter-argument and to explain why they are false, somewhat false, or unimportant. So how can we respond to the above counter-argument? With research !

A study by Bloom (2013) followed workers at a call center in China who tried working from home for nine months. Its key results were as follows:

• The performance of people who worked from home increased by 13%
• These workers took fewer breaks and sick-days
• They also worked more minutes per shift

In other words, this study shows that the counter-argument might be false. (Note: To have an even stronger essay, present data from more than one study.) Now we have a refutation.

Where Do We Put the Counter-Argument and Refutation?

Commonly, these sections can go at the beginning of the essay (after the introduction), or at the end of the essay (before the conclusion). Let's put it at the beginning. Now our essay looks like this:

Counter-argument Paragraph

• Dishonest/lazy people might work less because no one is watching

Refutation/Response Paragraph

• Study: Productivity  increased by 14%
• (+ other details)

Body Paragraph 3

• Topic Sentence : In addition, people who work from home have improved well-being .

Body Paragraph 4

The outline is stronger now because it includes the counter-argument and refutation. Note that the essay still needs more details and research to become more convincing.

Working from home may increase productivity.

Extra Advice on Argumentative Essays

It's not a compare and contrast essay.

An argumentative essay focuses on one topic (e.g. cats) and argues for or against it. An argumentative essay should not have two topics (e.g. cats vs dogs). When you compare two ideas, you are writing a compare and contrast essay. An argumentative essay has one topic (cats). If you are FOR cats as pets, a simplistic outline for an argumentative essay could look something like this:

• Thesis: Cats are the best pet.
• are unloving
• cause allergy issues
• This is a benefit >  Many working people do not have time for a needy pet
• If you have an allergy, do not buy a cat.
• But for most people (without allergies), cats are great
• Supporting Details

Use Language in Counter-Argument That Shows Its Not Your Position

The counter-argument is not your position. To make this clear, use language such as this in your counter-argument:

• Opponents might argue that cats are unloving.
• People who dislike cats would argue that cats are unloving.
• Critics of cats could argue that cats are unloving.
• It could be argued that cats are unloving.

These  underlined phrases make it clear that you are presenting  someone else's argument , not your own.

Choose the Side with the Strongest Support

Do not choose your side based on your own personal opinion. Instead, do some research and learn the truth about the topic. After you have read the arguments for and against, choose the side with the strongest support as your position.

Do Not Include Too Many Counter-arguments

Include the main (two or three) points in the counter-argument. If you include too many points, refuting these points becomes quite difficult.

If you have any questions, leave a comment below.

- Matthew Barton / Creator of Englishcurrent.com

Additional Resources :

• Writing a Counter-Argument & Refutation (Richland College)
• Language for Counter-Argument and Refutation Paragraphs (Brown's Student Learning Tools)

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24 comments on “ Argumentative Essays: The Counter-Argument & Refutation ”

Thank you professor. It is really helpful.

Can you also put the counter argument in the third paragraph

It depends on what your instructor wants. Generally, a good argumentative essay needs to have a counter-argument and refutation somewhere. Most teachers will probably let you put them anywhere (e.g. in the start, middle, or end) and be happy as long as they are present. But ask your teacher to be sure.

Thank you for the information Professor

how could I address a counter argument for “plastic bags and its consumption should be banned”?

For what reasons do they say they should be banned? You need to address the reasons themselves and show that these reasons are invalid/weak.

Thank you for this useful article. I understand very well.

Thank you for the useful article, this helps me a lot!

Thank you for this useful article which helps me in my study.

Thank you, professor Mylene 102-04

it was very useful for writing essay

Very useful reference body support to began writing a good essay. Thank you!

Really very helpful. Thanks Regards Mayank

Thank you, professor, it is very helpful to write an essay.

It is really helpful thank you

It was a very helpful set of learning materials. I will follow it and use it in my essay writing. Thank you, professor. Regards Isha

Thanks Professor

This was really helpful as it lays the difference between argumentative essay and compare and contrast essay.. Thanks for the clarification.

This is such a helpful guide in composing an argumentative essay. Thank you, professor.

This was really helpful proof, thankyou!

Thanks this was really helpful to me

This was very helpful for us to generate a good form of essay

thank you so much for this useful information.

Thank you so much, Sir. This helps a lot!

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• Writing Tips

A Guide to Rebuttals in Argumentative Essays

4-minute read

• 27th May 2023

Rebuttals are an essential part of a strong argument. But what are they, exactly, and how can you use them effectively? Read on to find out.

What Is a Rebuttal?

When writing an argumentative essay , there’s always an opposing point of view. You can’t present an argument without the possibility of someone disagreeing.

Sure, you could just focus on your argument and ignore the other perspective, but that weakens your essay. Coming up with possible alternative points of view, or counterarguments, and being prepared to address them, gives you an edge. A rebuttal is your response to these opposing viewpoints.

How Do Rebuttals Work?

With a rebuttal, you can take the fighting power away from any opposition to your idea before they have a chance to attack. For a rebuttal to work, it needs to follow the same formula as the other key points in your essay: it should be researched, developed, and presented with evidence.

Rebuttals in Action

Suppose you’re writing an essay arguing that strawberries are the best fruit. A potential counterargument could be that strawberries don’t work as well in baked goods as other berries do, as they can get soggy and lose some of their flavor. Your rebuttal would state this point and then explain why it’s not valid:

Read on for a few simple steps to formulating an effective rebuttal.

Step 1. Come up with a Counterargument

A strong rebuttal is only possible when there’s a strong counterargument. You may be convinced of your idea but try to place yourself on the other side. Rather than addressing weak opposing views that are easy to fend off, try to come up with the strongest claims that could be made.

In your essay, explain the counterargument and agree with it. That’s right, agree with it – to an extent. State why there’s some truth to it and validate the concerns it presents.

Step 2. Point Out Its Flaws

Now that you’ve presented a counterargument, poke holes in it . To do so, analyze the argument carefully and notice if there are any biases or caveats that weaken it. Looking at the claim that strawberries don’t work well in baked goods, a weakness could be that this argument only applies when strawberries are baked in a pie.

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Step 3. Present New Points

Once you reveal the counterargument’s weakness, present a new perspective, and provide supporting evidence to show that your argument is still the correct one. This means providing new points that the opposer may not have considered when presenting their claim.

Offering new ideas that weaken a counterargument makes you come off as authoritative and informed, which will make your readers more likely to agree with you.

Summary: Rebuttals

Rebuttals are essential when presenting an argument. Even if a counterargument is stronger than your point, you can construct an effective rebuttal that stands a chance against it.

We hope this guide helps you to structure and format your argumentative essay . And once you’ve finished writing, send a copy to our expert editors. We’ll ensure perfect grammar, spelling, punctuation, referencing, and more. Try it out for free today!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a rebuttal in an essay.

A rebuttal is a response to a counterargument. It presents the potential counterclaim, discusses why it could be valid, and then explains why the original argument is still correct.

How do you form an effective rebuttal?

To use rebuttals effectively, come up with a strong counterclaim and respectfully point out its weaknesses. Then present new ideas that fill those gaps and strengthen your point.

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All About Counterarguments

So, you’ve been assigned a paper about counterarguments....

Or, maybe a paper that just requires you to think about the opposition to your argument. Never fear! Counter-arguments can help you to better understand your own argument. This type of assignment allows you the opportunity to think about the issue or problem as a whole rather than just your piece of the whole.

What is a counterargument?

A counterargument is an argument that goes against your thesis and that expresses the perspective of someone with an opposite point of view from your own. While it may seem that acknowledging your opponent’s argument would undermine your own argument, if done well, a counterargument actually fortifies your point. With a counterargument, you have an opportunity to acknowledge and respond to any objections from the opposition, giving you the advantage since the response comes from you. Usage of a counterargument also demonstrates that you’re a rational and fair arguer who is well-versed in your issue since you acknowledge both sides of the argument.

How to start:

First, start as early as possible. Part of utilizing a counterargument is in knowing your argument well, and knowing any subject well takes time.

To find your subject, think about what you’re interested in, but also something that you’re not necessarily emotionally, politically, or personally tied to. That way, you can consider both points in a fair and unbiased way, allowing for equal arguments for both sides of the issue, even though eventually you’ll only take one side of the issue. Start by looking up information about your topic.

Use online databases, looking up both sides of the issue. Remember to that the library has access to hundreds of online databases housing scholarly articles that you can access for free! The university pays for the resources, so be sure to take advantage of them.

Be open to what you find! Even if you initially take one side of the issue, you might find that your stance has changed. This is not necessarily a bad thing! Consider which side feels more compelling based on the research that you find.

How to present your counterargument:

It may be tempting to just write a sentence or two explaining your opponent’s argument and then spend paragraphs refuting that argument, but a good counter-argument is fair in the assessment of the opponent’s position.

Here are some tips:

Provide a few fair reasons why someone could possibly have the perspective of your opposition.

Communicate the counter-point objectively without bias. Look for any words that communicate feelings specific (especially negative) emotions or feelings concerning the argument. Those probably aren’t fair or unbiased. A reader can usually tell that you’re being unfair and might not want to continue reading.

Consider this: would the person who holds this opposite perspective be okay with your method of explaining their side of the issue? If not, then you’re probably not being fair.

How to actually write and implement a counter-argument:

Identify or explain opposing viewpoints. Use phrases like “on the other hand...” or “it is often perceived that...” or “critics may argue...” or “although...” or “some people may think” or (invoking the viewpoint of an expert/group) “according to...”

Summarize their stance in your own words.

Concede. Explain what aspects of your opponent’s argument have validity (but only if you really feel this way because if you don’t, the reader can tell).

Respond. Bring the reader back to your argument and its strengths. Refute your opponent’s argument by explaining how your point works better, is more logically sound, or makes more sense.

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Counterarguments

A counterargument involves acknowledging standpoints that go against your argument and then re-affirming your argument. This is typically done by stating the opposing side’s argument, and then ultimately presenting your argument as the most logical solution. The counterargument is a standard academic move that is used in argumentative essays because it shows the reader that you are capable of understanding and respecting multiple sides of an argument.

Counterargument in two steps

Respectfully acknowledge evidence or standpoints that differ from your argument.

Refute the stance of opposing arguments, typically utilizing words like “although” or “however.”

In the refutation, you want to show the reader why your position is more correct than the opposing idea.

Where to put a counterargument

Can be placed within the introductory paragraph to create a contrast for the thesis statement.

May consist of a whole paragraph that acknowledges the opposing view and then refutes it.

• Can be one sentence acknowledgements of other opinions followed by a refutation.

Why use a counterargument?

Some students worry that using a counterargument will take away from their overall argument, but a counterargument may make an essay more persuasive because it shows that the writer has considered multiple sides of the issue. Barnet and Bedau (2005) propose that critical thinking is enhanced through imagining both sides of an argument. Ultimately, an argument is strengthened through a counterargument.

Examples of the counterargument structure

• Argument against smoking on campus:  Admittedly, many students would like to smoke on campus. Some people may rightly argue that if smoking on campus is not illegal, then it should be permitted; however, second-hand smoke may cause harm to those who have health issues like asthma, possibly putting them at risk.
• Argument against animal testing:  Some people argue that using animals as test subjects for health products is justifiable. To be fair, animal testing has been used in the past to aid the development of several vaccines, such as small pox and rabies. However, animal testing for beauty products causes unneeded pain to animals. There are alternatives to animal testing. Instead of using animals, it is possible to use human volunteers. Additionally, Carl Westmoreland (2006) suggests that alternative methods to animal research are being developed; for example, researchers are able to use skin constructed from cells to test cosmetics. If alternatives to animal testing exist, then the practice causes unnecessary animal suffering and should not be used.

Harvey, G. (1999). Counterargument. Retrieved from writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/counter- argument

Westmoreland, C. (2006; 2007). “Alternative Tests and the 7th Amendment to the Cosmetics Directive.” Hester, R. E., & Harrison, R. M. (Ed.) Alternatives to animal testing (1st Ed.). Cambridge: Royal Society of Chemistry.

Barnet, S., Bedau, H. (Eds.). (2006). Critical thinking, reading, and writing . Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Contributor: Nathan Lachner

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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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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, 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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See an example

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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21 Argument, Counterargument, & Refutation

In academic writing, we often use an Argument essay structure. Argument essays have these familiar components, just like other types of essays:

• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs

But Argument essays also contain these particular elements:

• Debatable thesis statement in the Introduction
• Argument – paragraphs which show support for the author’s thesis (for example: reasons, evidence, data, statistics)
• Counterargument – at least one paragraph which explains the opposite point of view
• Concession – a sentence or two acknowledging that there could be some truth to the Counterargument
• Refutation (also called Rebuttal) – sentences which explain why the Counterargument is not as strong as the original Argument

Consult  Introductions & Titles for more on writing debatable thesis statements and  Paragraphs ~ Developing Support for more about developing your Argument.

Imagine that you are writing about vaping. After reading several articles and talking with friends about vaping, you decide that you are strongly opposed to it.

Which working thesis statement would be better?

• Vaping should be illegal because it can lead to serious health problems.

Many students do not like vaping.

Because the first option provides a debatable position, it is a better starting point for an Argument essay.

Next, you would need to draft several paragraphs to explain your position. These paragraphs could include facts that you learned in your research, such as statistics about vapers’ health problems, the cost of vaping, its effects on youth, its harmful effects on people nearby, and so on, as an appeal to logos . If you have a personal story about the effects of vaping, you might include that as well, either in a Body Paragraph or in your Introduction, as an appeal to pathos .

A strong Argument essay would not be complete with only your reasons in support of your position. You should also include a Counterargument, which will show your readers that you have carefully researched and considered both sides of your topic. This shows that you are taking a measured, scholarly approach to the topic – not an overly-emotional approach, or an approach which considers only one side. This helps to establish your ethos as the author. It shows your readers that you are thinking clearly and deeply about the topic, and your Concession (“this may be true”) acknowledges that you understand other opinions are possible.

Here are some ways to introduce a Counterargument:

• Some people believe that vaping is not as harmful as smoking cigarettes.
• Critics argue that vaping is safer than conventional cigarettes.
• On the other hand, one study has shown that vaping can help people quit smoking cigarettes.

Your paragraph would then go on to explain more about this position; you would give evidence here from your research about the point of view that opposes your own opinion.

Here are some ways to begin a Concession and Refutation:

• While this may be true for some adults, the risks of vaping for adolescents outweigh its benefits.
• Although these critics may have been correct before, new evidence shows that vaping is, in some cases, even more harmful than smoking.
• This may have been accurate for adults wishing to quit smoking; however, there are other methods available to help people stop using cigarettes.

Your paragraph would then continue your Refutation by explaining more reasons why the Counterargument is weak. This also serves to explain why your original Argument is strong. This is a good opportunity to prove to your readers that your original Argument is the most worthy, and to persuade them to agree with you.

Activity ~ Practice with Counterarguments, Concessions, and Refutations

A. Examine the following thesis statements with a partner. Is each one debatable?

B. Write  your own Counterargument, Concession, and Refutation for each thesis statement.

Thesis Statements:

• Online classes are a better option than face-to-face classes for college students who have full-time jobs.
• Students who engage in cyberbullying should be expelled from school.
• Unvaccinated children pose risks to those around them.
• Governments should be allowed to regulate internet access within their countries.

Is this chapter:

…too easy, or you would like more detail? Read “ Further Your Understanding: Refutation and Rebuttal ” from Lumen’s Writing Skills Lab.

Note: links open in new tabs.

reasoning, logic

emotion, feeling, beliefs

moral character, credibility, trust, authority

goes against; believes the opposite of something

ENGLISH 087: Academic Advanced Writing Copyright © 2020 by Nancy Hutchison is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write a Counter Argument (Step-by-Step Guide)

Have you been asked to include a counter argument in an essay you are writing? Unless you are already an experienced essay writer, you may have no idea where to even start. We're here to help you tackle your counter argument like a pro.

What Is a Counter Argument?

A counter argument is precisely what it sounds like — an argument that offers reasons to disagree with an essay's thesis statement. As you are writing your essay, you will likely pen multiple supporting arguments that outline precisely why readers should logically agree with the thesis. In a counter argument paragraph, you show that you also understand common reasons to believe differently.

In any given essay, you may write one or more counter arguments — and then, frequently, immediately refute them. Whether you are required to include a counter argument or you simply want to, always include:

• A simple statement explaining the counter argument. As it will likely follow paragraphs in which you fleshed out your argument, this can start with words like "Some people are concerned that", or "critics say", or "On the other hand".
• Then include further reasoning, data, or statistics.
• Following this, you will want to discredit the counter argument immediately.

Why Include a Counter Argument?

Including a counter argument (or multiple, for that matter) in an essay may be required, but even in cases where it is not, mentioning at least one counter argument can make your essay much stronger. You may, at first glance, believe that you are undermining yourself and contradicting your thesis statement. That's not true at all. By including a counter argument in your essay, you show that:

• You have done your research and are intimately familiar with each aspect of your thesis, including opposition to it.
• You have arrived at your conclusion through the power of reason, and without undue bias.
• You do not only blindly support your thesis, but can also deal with opposition to it.

In doing so, your essay will become much more reasoned and logical, and in practical terms, this likely means that you can count on a higher grade.

How To Write a Counter Argument (Step-by-Step Guide)

You have been laboring over your essay for a while, carefully researching each aspect of your thesis and making strong arguments that aim to persuade the reader that your view is the correct one — or at least that you are a solid writer who understands the subject matter and deserves a good grade for your efforts.

If you are passionate about the topic in question, it can be hard to decide how to incorporate a counter argument. Here's how to do it, step-by-step:

1. Brainstorm

You have already researched your topic, so you know on what grounds people most frequently oppose your argument. Write them down. Pick one, or a few, that you consider to be important and interesting. Formulate the counter argument as if you were on the opposing side.

2. Making the Transition

Your counter argument paragraph or paragraphs differ from the rest of your essay, so you will want to introduce a counter argument with a transition. Common ways to do this are to introduce your counter argument with phrases like:

• Admittedly, conversely, however, nevertheless, or although.
• Opponents would argue that...
• Common concerns with this position are...
• Critics say that...

3. Offering Evidence

Flesh the counter argument out by offering evidence — of the fact that people hold that position (where possible, quote a well-known opponent), as well as reasons why. Word your counter argument in such a way that makes it clear that you have carefully considered the position, and are not simply belittling it. This portion of your counter argument will require doing additional research in most cases.

4. Refute the Counter Argument

You are still arguing in favor of your main thesis. You will, therefore, not just want to describe the opposing side and leave it at that — you will also thoughtfully want to show why the opposing argument is not valid, in your opinion, and you will want to include evidence here, as well.

5. Restate Your Argument

After refuting your counter argument, you can go ahead and restate your argument. Why should people believe what you have to say, despite any opposition?

How To Write A Good Counter Argument

As you're writing a counter argument, you might run into some difficulties if you fervently believe in the truth of your argument. Indeed, in some cases, your argument may appear to you to be so obvious that you don't understand why anyone could think differently.

To help you write a good counter argument, keep in mind that:

• You should never caricature the opposing viewpoint. Show that you deeply understand it, instead.
• To do this, it helps if you validate legitimate concerns you find in an opponent's point of view.
• This may require quite a bit of research, including getting into the opposing side's mindset.
• Refute your counter argument with compassion, and not smugly.

Examples of Counter Arguments with Refutation

Still not sure? No worries; we have you covered. Take a look at these examples:

• Many people have argued that a vaccine mandate would strip people of their individual liberties by forcing them to inject foreign substances into their bodies. While this is, in a sense, true, the option of remaining unvaccinated likewise forces other people to be exposed to this virus; thereby potentially stripping them of the most important liberty of all — the liberty to stay alive.
• The concern has been raised that the death penalty could irreversibly strip innocent people of their lives. The answer to this problem lies in raising the bar for death penalty sentences by limiting them to only those cases in which no question whatsoever exists that the convicted party was truly guilty. Modern forensic science has made this infinitely easier.

In short, you'll want to acknowledge that other arguments exist, and then refute them. The tone in which you do so depends on your goal.

What is a counter argument in a thesis?

A counter argument is one that supports the opposing side. In an essay, it shows that you understand other viewpoints, have considered them, and ultimately dismissed them.

Where do I place the counter argument in an essay?

Place the counter argument after your main supporting arguments.

How long should the counter argument be?

It may be a single paragraph or multiple, depending on how important you believe the counter argument to be and the length of the essay.

What is the difference between a counter argument and a rebuttal?

A counter argument describes the opposing side in some detail before it is refuted. In a rebuttal, you may simply oppose the opposition.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how to approach writing an argumentative essay with a counter argument.

Hey everyone! I've been assigned an argumentative essay for my AP English class and we're required to include a counter argument. I'm a bit stumped on how to go about this and was hoping y'all could share some examples, or tips on how to approach it? Also, any do's or don'ts that I should be aware of? Thanks in advance!

In writing an argumentative essay with a counter-argument, developing a clear thesis, crafting your argument, and recognizing opposing viewpoints are key steps.

To start, clearly define your thesis statement—this is the main viewpoint you're arguing for. For example, if your argument is "Physical books are better than e-books," your thesis could be something like: "Due to their tactile nature, no need for power, and the physical pleasure of turning a page, physical books provide a superior reading experience compared to e-books."

Next, support your position using solid arguments and evidence. Make sure to provide context, use logical reasoning, and support your claims with reliable sources to give your argument weight. In our example, you might discuss how physical books have a comforting weight and texture that e-books cannot replicate, or how people are more likely to fully absorb information from physical books compared to reading on screens.

Here's where the counter-argument comes into play—you should anticipate and preemptively address the opposing viewpoint(s) to your argument, this shows your understanding of the topic's complexity. Following our example, you might mention how e-books are more portable and can hold numerous books, but then rebut that point by mentioning the health implications of staring at screens for long periods, or the problem of devices running out of battery.

Ending off, reaffirm your thesis in the conclusion, summing up your arguments and counter-arguments, and why your argument is more convincing.

- Do acknowledge the opposing viewpoint honestly and treat it fairly to establish your credibility.

- Do use reliable and factual sources for your evidence.

- Do use logical reasoning and facts to support your points.

Don'ts:

- Don't use personal attacks or unfounded claims to discredit the counter-argument.

- Don't ignore strong counter-arguments, tackle them head-on.

- Don't over-claim, keep your arguments within the evidence that supports them.

Taking these steps should certainly help you in crafting a compelling argumentative essay! Good luck with your assignment!

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4.5 Identifying Concessions and Counter Arguments

Learning objectives.

• Identify the parts of a reasonable concession
• Evaluate paragraphs for concessions
• Apply concession format to a series of sentences

Let’s take some time to learn how to concede logical points and then counter them appropriately. These skills are INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. Oftentimes, only the strongest and most confident writers can write in a concession style. Your use of concession-style thesis statements and concessions throughout a response signals to your readers that you are a confident and capable writer and critical thinker. Concessions are invaluable to DISCOURSE and DIALOGUE, the two most important parts of responsible argumentation.

The purpose of this chapter and its activities is to teach you how to concede strong points and, more importantly, how to counter them effectively.  Students new to writing arguments often think that including concessions will weaken their argument or that a reader will be more likely to agree with them if they pretend that no weaknesses exist in the argument. This assumption is untrue. In fact, your willingness to admit where the prompt writer’s argument has value and either present an extension of that argument or move it in a different direction is really impressive.

What is more, you will be learning to grow comfortable in conceding that your own argument might have limitations. All arguments have limitations, whether they belong to a prompt writer or to you. Remember the final instruction given to you before all prompt responses (Goal #3)?

Your Task:  compose a critical response essay—including, ideally, an introduction, at least three body paragraphs, and a conclusion—to the text below

Goals:  your essay should include the following:

• A brief summary of the author’s argument
• mostly agree with the author  and  provide your own persuasive assertions that  extend support for the author’s position
• mostly disagree with the author  and  provide your own persuasive assertions that  defend your counter-position
• Your refutation of  at least one  objection a reader might have to  your  argument (or any point therein)

At a very basic level, the purpose behind learning counter-arguments is because the prompt instructions on each prompt ask you to do so.  The goal of that instruction is to teach you how to strengthen your argument.  Acknowledging weaker points (or strong points from your opposition) makes your writing more compelling because it demonstrates to your reader that 1) you have actually considered the topic without making snap judgments, and 2) you are not hiding the weaknesses of your argument from your reader, hoping that they will miss them.

More importantly, it creates an honest relationship between you and your reader, which is essential because some audiences will know something about the topic of your argument already, and they could have oppositions to offer.  Ultimately, you need to learn how to concede and counter in writing because you cannot respond to a reader’s objections verbally, as you might in a conversation.  The greater challenge is to anticipate the objections and respond to them before they come up. This strategy is akin to an artist writing a diss track in which they not only identify faults in their rival but also in themselves. What ammunition is left for their rival in response? When you “anticipate and defend,” there is little left for the opposition. It is a proven strategy.

To begin the process, we need to understand how to make reasonable concessions first.  It’s likely that you may have already learned how to make one of these two types of concessions early in your WRIT course, but let’s look over them again.

First, read the following prompt below.  You can also Download a PDF version (68.7 KB) if you prefer.

Drink Your Way to Success by Randolph Hennepin

The following editorial appeared in the May/June 2024 issue of Today’s Student

     Success in just about any profession often depends on a person’s ability to network, and to develop contacts. A prime way to network is over drinks. In fact, a person who does not drink is less likely to be successful than one who does . Students who spend time drinking rather than studying are ensuring their eventual success.

     Facts are facts. A recent study “found drinkers earn between 10 and 14 percent more than non-drinkers.” Further, according to the same study, men who go to a bar at least once a month earn an additional 7 percent. The reason for the success of drinkers, according to the author of the study, is that “Social drinking builds social capital. Social drinkers are networking, building relationships and adding contacts to their [phones] that result in bigger paycheques.”

     Perhaps this study is not good news for people who do not drink. Perhaps these people feel that there are other ways to develop contacts, such as getting involved in charitable organizations or meeting colleagues for breakfast instead of in a bar after work. While these strategies do have merit, neither is as effective as the social networking that occurs while drinking.

     In fact, a reasonable conclusion from this study would be to encourage students to learn how to drink. Knowing how to drink without embarrassing oneself is a key skill in business, as the above study proves. Therefore, students should not feel guilty about spending evenings drinking instead of working or studying, since drinking will lead to their eventual success. Students should not focus on school other than to do well enough to pass; otherwise, they are doomed to earn less than their peers who put their study time to good use by hitting the bottle.

Now, look at these straightforward responses to the prompt and determine which one uses a  general concession and which one uses a  specific concession .

• Introduction: Version 1

In “Drink Your Way to Success,” Randolph Hennepin argues that students need to focus more on drinking than studying in order to be successful in their future professions and careers.  Hennepin justifies this position by suggesting that social drinkers tend to be better at social networking and, because of this, tend to build better social capital with others in their professions, as well as earn more money over their careers.   Although Hennepin makes some good points, his argument is flawed.   If students focus more on drinking than studying, as Hennepin suggests, they will likely never do well enough in their courses to get into their profession in the first place.  Focusing on drinking rather than studying will lead to students who are less likely to graduate and less likely to achieve success in the workplace.

• Introduction: Version 2

In “Drink Your Way to Success,” Randolph Hennepin argues that students need to focus more on drinking than studying in order to be successful in their future professions and careers.  Hennepin justifies this position by suggesting that social drinkers tend to be better at social networking and, because of this, tend to build better social capital with others in their professions, as well as earn more money over their careers.  While it may be true that building up social capital is important for some professions, stating that students should focus on drinking instead of studying will not necessarily lead to eventual success . If students focus more on drinking than studying, as Hennepin suggests, they will likely never do well enough in their courses to get into their profession in the first place.  Focusing on drinking rather than studying will lead to students who are less likely to graduate and less likely to achieve success in the workplace.

Activity 1: Identifying Concessions

Which introduction in the above example uses a more specific concession? Vote on your choice below and then view the results. Click the accordion below to learn more.

The purpose behind the concession is two-fold:

• It provides your reader with a clear indication that you are shifting from your summary of the author’s position to your argument or response to the position.
• It is the first indication of a possible concession and counter-argument that you might make in your body paragraphs.

Now, while the first paragraph offers a modicum of concession (“the author makes some good points”), it doesn’t acknowledge what good points the author might have made, which makes it a weaker concession. Remember that the point here is to acknowledge that, even though you might not agree with the author, you clearly understand the reasonable elements of the argument. The second option offers a much clearer concession.

The next section includes practice activities for concessions and counterarguments.

Putting the Pieces Together Copyright © 2020 by Andrew M. Stracuzzi and André Cormier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How To Write A Counter Argument In An Essay

Steps of how to effectively design and write a counter argument.

Has your professor asked you to include a counterargument in your next assignment? Are you puzzled about where to start and what to write? If you wonder how to write a counter argument essay, worry not. Many students struggle to come up with the right standpoints in their papers, so we’ve decided to lend you a hand.

Expressing conflicting positions on a hot topic is a critical skill in the academic world. In short, you need a well-grounded contradicting stance with supporting facts to refute the opponent’s opinion. Keep reading to find out how.

What Is A Counterargument In An Essay – The Definition

Counter arguments should clear any doubts readers might have about your positions. Moreover, the purpose of an opposing argument is to offer a reason to disagree with the thesis statement. Whether you include it in the introduction or dedicate an entire paragraph to it, your counter argument shows that you’re aware that various views exist.

Addressing claims against your main standpoints makes you savvier, and your paper well-structured and substantiated. Since your  argument essay outline will urge your readers to agree with your claim, it’s advisable to mention a reason to believe differently.

Why Are Counterarguments Important

By incorporating a contradicting standpoint in your assignment, you demonstrate that:  

•       You are knowledgeable about the topic and know how to back up your thoughts.
•       You have researched the subject matter well and can tackle alternative views.
•       You don’t underestimate opinions that clash with yours.
•       You don’t stick to your perspectives blindly but are ready to discuss opposing ideas.
•       You aren’t biased but have come to the ultimate standpoint through reasoning.
•       You solidify your arguments and give them credibility.

How To Start A Counterargument

This segment will alert readers that a different stand from the thesis follows. So how to write a counterargument paragraph? The beginning of the denial section should explicitly or implicitly tell whoever’s reading to prepare for a contradiction. Omitting hints about the rebuttal in the paper will make it look one-sided and blunt.

So, how do you start the segment containing the counter argument? When you write your argumentative essay , ensure you include relevant starters and transitions. These may be a single word, a phrase, or an entire sentence supporting the overall statement.  

Counter Argument Starters

Let’s discuss the possible phrases you can use to introduce the counter argument. Here are a few starters that inform whoever’s reading to expect a change of direction:

•       However, yet, but
•       Even though/although
•       In spite of/despite the fact that
•       On the contrary
•       On the other side/hand
•       A possible concern/problem is
•       Conversely, in contrast

Another approach that arouses interest is to use a rhetorical question. For instance, try the following starting phrases:

•       Wouldn’t it be better if…?
•       But, what if…?
•       Nonetheless, how can this be true…?

Similarly, you may take an indirect stance and present the counterviews of others to express your opinion. For example, say this:

•       However, scientists claim that
•       Yet, many people believe that
•       On the other hand, students stand for
•       Critics say that

Transition Words

Choosing the right counter argument starter is just a part of the equation. A coherently written assignment requires you to use transitions that make the argument flow smooth. Even the best custom essay writing service will fail its purpose if it lacks linking phrases.

Coordinating transitions ease the reading process by linking ideas into a cohesive whole. These phrases show that two things are alike or that you add extra information along the same lines. Here are a few relevant examples:

•       What is more
•       Not to mention
•       Likewise
•       Then again
•       On top of that
•       Not only
•       Additionally
•       Furthermore

Why Include A Counterargument In An Argumentative Essay?

Including a counter argument in your essay will make your written piece more convincing. Though you may think this approach will weaken your position or undermine your claim, this isn’t true. On the contrary, by doing so, you respectfully acknowledge evidence or standpoints that differ from your argument.

Some students believe a counter argument will lead the readers away from the main claim. However, any top-notch argumentative essay writer service will include it because it demonstrates the issue was elaborated from multiple perspectives. Finally, you enhance critical thinking by presenting both sides of the problem.

Example Of Counter Argument Paragraph

Below, we share a relevant example of an argument on a specific topic with guidance on avoiding writing an irrelevant counter argument.

The argument:

Many students prefer to smoke on college campuses. They often argue that authorities can’t ban smoking on campus if it isn’t illegal.

Ineffective counter argument:

However, the college management is the ultimate decision-maker and can prohibit whatever they deem harmful on campus.

This counter argument is useless because even if the college management has the right to impose bans, it can’t disregard students’ requirements on all grounds.

So, how to write an argumentative essay with a relevant counter argument? Check the suggestion below.

Effective counter argument:

Yet, second-hand smoke can harm people in the vicinity that suffer from conditions like asthma, thus putting them at risk of health deterioration.

This example will achieve its primary purpose – discuss the other perspective openly. You may disagree with this view but demonstrate you’re aware that some people might take a different standpoint. And they have every right to because no issue is one-sided. In the second example, the reader can see how students smoking on campus might harm those around.

How To Respond To A Counterargument: The Refutation

Among other things, you must address the counterviews in your written piece with a rebuttal . Stating and refuting the contradicting idea is critical if you want to give credence to your standpoint . No matter how and where you incorporate the rebuttal, do it objectively by maintaining a formal and scholarly tone.

The best approach is to oppose the counter opinion logically by considering these questions:

•       Will you discredit the different perspectives by bringing in contradictory research?
•       Will you say that the other point is valid but that your argument is more relevant by means of comparison?

Responding to these questions and taking a specific route will refine your stance and clarify the issues considered. Moreover, if you suddenly agree with the counter opinion, revise your statement and main points to reflect your new thinking.

Common Mistakes And Fallacies To Avoid While Writing Opposing Arguments

Keep these things in mind when you write argumentative essays, and avoid them as much as possible:

•       You haven’t done research on the multiple perspectives on the topic.
•       You don’t include supporting ideas for the positions against your thesis.
•       You dedicate too much space and attention to contradicting reasons.
•       You don’t bring up a different perspective in the introduction but keep to your opinion only.
•       Your line of thought is incoherent, and you constantly switch standpoints throughout the paper.
•       You use offensive or biased language to refute the opponent’s viewpoint.
•       You believe the opponent’s stance is wrong and don’t give it credit.
•       Besides having a strong argument , you make the counterview weak and ineffective.
•       You can’t explain how your position responds to the contradicting idea.
•       If you aren’t a rhetoric expert, avoid using sarcasm and satire.

Bottom Line

When writing your work, you might decide to include a sentence or a whole segment that presents a denial statement. Whatever your choice, use a specific layout to express your views clearly and accurately. It is important to remember that for urgent essay writing , the need for incorporating counterargument examples is even more critical to ensure a well-substantiated and persuasive written piece. Therefore, it is essential to consider both sides of the argument when constructing your response.

Hopefully, this post helps you understand what is a counterargument and how to write a counterargument. Provided you follow the tips outlined above, it won’t take long to polish your work. If you have any concerns about your writing assignment, always ask your teacher for support.

Do Synthesis Essays Need A Counter Argument?

Yes, ensure you include a counter argument and oppose it to justify your viewpoint. It’s best to place it in the first body segment of your synthesis essay. By doing so, you show your capacity to appreciate different opinions than yours.

Does An Argumentative Essay Need A Counter Argument?

Yes, argumentative papers should contain a well-presented contradicting idea than the one expressed in the thesis. Taking a single standpoint doesn’t add value to your work because readers with a different opinion will see it as biased and unfair.

Where Does The Counterargument Go In An Essay?

One idea is to write it in the introduction to create a contrast for the main claim. Alternatively, you may explain the contradictory opinion in one section that acknowledges the idea and then discredit it. It is often better to place it before your opinion to end the paper on a positive note that supports your perspective.

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• 6 Step Process for Essay Writing
• How to Write an Appendix for a Research Paper: Step-by-Step Guide
• How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay
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Essay Writing Advice: Do we need a counter-argument in every essay?

Travis Dixon January 18, 2019 Revision and Exam Preparation

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Do we need a counter-argument in every essay? This is a common question that has different answers depending on who you ask, so I want to make my position on this question very clear. In my advice to students I say that yes,  they should have a counter-argument in every essay. In fact, they should aim for three counter-arguments to show their full range of critical thinking abilities. If you don’t like the term counter-argument, then you can say “critical thinking point;” I am using these terms synonymously and I’ll explain why that is below.

If using counter-arguments in every essay doesn’t sound right to you then it might be because we have different opinions on what constitutes a “counter-argument,” and that’s fine. 

Let’s first establish what a counter-argument is. To quote the Harvard writing center: “ When you write an academic essay, you make an argument: you propose a thesis and offer some reasoning, using evidence, that suggests why the thesis is true. When you counter-argue, you consider a possible argument against your thesis or some aspect of your reasoning.”

In an IB Psychology essay, for every topic you should develop a thesis, a central argument, that shows your conceptual understanding of the topic. This is then followed by one or two studies that support your thesis (i.e.your central argument). For example, you might be asked to “Discuss the effect of one or more neurotransmitters on human behaviour.” Your central thesis could be that a serotonin deficiency could affect antisocial behaviour and explain why this occurs by looking at the links between serotonin, the PFC, and antisocial behaviour. You support this with studies like Passamonti et al.’s (read more here ). This is showing your conceptual understanding of how neurotransmitters can influence behaviour.

• Research design and methodologies:  e.g. Are the studies you’ve used valid and reliable?
• Triangulation: e.g. Was this used to improve validity of the studies you’ve used?
• Assumptions and biases:  Are you making assumptions in your argument? Did bias influence the research process? Are your own biases affecting your argument or your interpretation of the evidence?
• Areas of uncertainty:  Are there gaps in your central argument, things you’re not sure about?
• Contradictory evidence or alternative theories or explanations:  Is there evidence that contradicts your argument or another explanation for the phenomenon you’re explaining?

To use our example above regarding serotonin and antisocial behaviour, to ensure you are showing critical thinking you need to argue against your thesis that serotonin deficiencies cause antisocial behaviour. You could do this by:

• …critiquing the research methodologies by explaining limitations of using Passamonti et al.’s study to explain antisocial behaviour (e.g. they never measured this in the study) or that the effects of serotonin depletion in this study were only studied in the short-term, not the long-term.
• …offering an alternative explanation by showing that it’s not just serotonin that affects antisocial behaviour, but damage to the brain, childhood experiences and other variables could be factors…
• …explaining that an area of uncertainty is why some people have serotonin deficiencies in the first place, but maybe you could offer some hypotheses (e.g. diet or genetics).

All of the above are excellent and relevant critical thinking points that are arguing against some aspect of the central thesis or reasoning, which is why I lump them all together under the umbrella term of “counter-arguments.”

There’s enough for students to have to learn in IB Psychology in order to prepare for their exams that the subtle nuances of what is expected in essay writing is one thing I don’t want to have to worry about. This is why I use the term “counter-argument” to simply guide students towards getting in the habit of critically reflecting upon their knowledge and understanding and arguing against it in essays. I also aim to develop this habit in my students – to continually critically reflect upon their knowledge and understanding. The term “counter-argument” encapsulates nicely how I want them to do this in essays.

The advice in this blog post is simply what I do and it’s important to note that there are alternative approaches and advice – the key thing is to find what works for you and your students and don’t be afraid to try different approaches if something’s not working.

Please post questions if you want further advice or clarification.

Some more essay writing tips…

Travis Dixon is an IB Psychology teacher, author, workshop leader, examiner and IA moderator.

25 Counterargument Examples

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A counterargument is a response, rebuttal, or refutation of an argument with your own argument. Its purpose is to oppose and disprove a theory that someone else has put forward.

We use counterarguments extensively in debates as well as argumentative essay writing.

When teaching essay writing, I teach my students to always present counterarguments to their opponents’ points of view. This helps them to strengthen their own argument and demonstrate awareness of potential rebuttals.

Below are some methods, with examples, that could be used – be it in essay writing, debates, or any other communication genre.

Counterargument Examples

1. empirical challenges.

An empirical challenge is, simply, a rebuttal that challenges the facts presented by the opponent, showing that their facts are wrong and yours are right.

To undermine your opponent’s set of facts, it will be your job to present facts that show that the opponent’s supposed facts are wrong, perhaps due to misreading data or cherry-picking.

Then, you would need to present concrete information, data, or evidence that negates the claim or conclusion of an opponent’s argument.

The core strength of empirical challenges is in their reliance on hard facts and numbers, which are difficult to refute without equally credible opposing data.

Example of Empirical Challenge: If your opponent argues that global warming isn’t a serious issue, an empirical challenge would be to provide scientific data or research studies showing the increase in global temperatures and the harmful effects.

See Also: Empirical Evidence Examples

2. Challenging the Relevance

Challenging the relevance means questioning whether your opponent’s argument or perspective is applicable to the discussion at hand.

This sort of counter-argument seeks to destabilize your opponent’s view by showing that, while their facts or arguments might be sound in isolation, they do not bear any relation to, or are unfit for, the topic at hand, making them irrelevant.

The power of relevance challenge lays in its ability to destabilize your opponent’s argument without needing to directly dispute the truth of their claims.

Example of Challenging the Relevance: You will often find this argument when comparing the usefulness of various research methodologies for a research project. Multiple research methods may be valid, but there’s likely one that’s best for any given study.

See Also: Relevance Examples

3. Reductio ad absurdum

Reductio ad absurdum is a latin term that means reducing to the absurd . This method involves demonstrating the absurdity of an opponent’s argument by showing its illogical or extreme consequences.

The goal is to show that if the argument were valid, it would inevitably lead to senseless or ridiculous outcomes.

The application of reductio ad absurdum is especially effective in debates or discussions where flawed logic or hyperbolic statements are used to influence the audience’s opinion, as it discredits the credibility of the other person’s argument.

Example of Reductio ad absurdum : Consider a scenario where someone argues for the total removal of all regulations on vehicle speed to improve the efficiency of transportation. You can counter this argument through reductio ad absurdum by stating, “By that logic, let’s allow cars to travel at 200 miles per hour down residential streets. After all, it would make the mail delivery much faster!” It becomes evident that permitting extremely high speeds could lead to dangerous conditions and potential for disastrous accidents.

4. Pointing Out Logical Fallacies

The strategy of pointing out logical fallacies involves identifying and highlighting flaws in your opponent’s reasoning.

In a debate or discussion, logical fallacies are often subtle errors that lead to invalid conclusions or arguments.

By identifying these fallacies, you avoid being swayed by flawed reasoning and instead promote cognizant, logical thought.

Successful use of this strategy requires a good understanding of the different kinds of logical fallacies , such as straw man fallacies, ad hominem attacks, and appeals to ignorance.

Example of Pointing Out Logical Fallacies: Consider an argument where your opponent asserts, “All cats I’ve ever seen have been aloof, so all cats must be aloof.” This is a hasty generalization fallacy, where a conclusion about all members of a group is drawn from inadequate sample size.

5. Counterexamples

A counterexample is an example that opposes or contradicts an argument or theory proposed by another.

The use of a counterexample is a practical and powerful means of rebutting an argument or theory that has been presented as absolute or universally applicable.

When you provide a singular example that contradicts your opponent’s proposed theory, it demonstrates the theory isn’t universally true and therefore, weakens their argument.

However, this tactic requires sound knowledge and a good command of subject matter to be able to identify and present valid exceptions.

Example of Counterexamples: Consider an argument where someone states that “Mammals can’t lay eggs.” A solid counterexample would be the platypus, a mammal that does lay eggs. This single example is sufficient to contradict the universal claim.

6. Using Hypotheticals

Hypothetical situations, in essence, are imagined scenarios used to refute your opponent’s point of view. It’s, in essence, an example that is plausible, but not real.

Using hypotheticals assists in clarifying the ramifications of a particular argument, policy, or theory. When a hypothetical scenario effectively illustrates the flaws or shortcomings of your opponent’s viewpoint, it can completely unsettle their position.

However, care must be taken to frame the hypotheticals reasonably and realistically, lest they distort the argument or derail the conversation.

Example of Using Hypotheticals: If someone argues that raising the minimum wage will lead to job loss, you could counter with a hypothetical that if businesses paid their employees more, those employees would have more spending power, bolstering the economy and creating more jobs.

7. Comparison and Contrast

Comparison and contrast entails directly comparing your argument to your opponent’s, showing the strength of your perspective and the weakness of the opponent’s.

This tool allows you to support your arguments or disprove your opponent’s by using existing examples or situations that illustrate your point clearly.

The technique relies heavily on the logical thinking of comparing two or more entities in a manner that is informative, convincing, and significant to the argument.

Example of Comparison and Contrast: Let’s say, for instance, you are arguing against privatization of public utilities. You could compare the rates and services of private utilities to those of public ones showing that private companies often charge more for the same services, thereby supporting your argument against privatization.

See More: Compare and Contrast Examples

8. Challenging Biases

Challenging biases involves questioning the objectivity of your opponent’s argument by pointing out the predispositions that may influence their perspective.

Biases can greatly affect the validity and reliability of an argument because they can skew the interpretation of information and hinder fair judgement.

By challenging biases, you can expose the partiality in your opponent’s argument, thereby diminishing its credibility and persuasiveness.

However, it’s important to respectfully and tactfully challenge biases to prevent the discussion from turning into a personal attack.

Example of Challenging Biases: If your opponent is a staunch supporter of a political party and they provide an argument that solely favors this party, you could challenge their bias by questioning whether their support for the party is unduly influencing their viewpoint, hence the need for them to consider the opposing perspectives.

See More: List of Different Biases

9. Ethical Dispute

Ethical disputes involve challenging your opponent’s argument based on moral values or principles.

Ethics play a crucial role in shaping people’s beliefs, attitudes, and actions. Therefore, ethical disputes can serve as powerful counterarguments, especially in debates concerning sensitive or controversial topics.

If your opponent’s position contradicts generally accepted ethical norms or values, you can point this out to weaken their argument.

Just remember, ethics can occasionally be subjective and personal, so it’s important to approach ethical disputes with sensitivity and respect.

Example of Ethical Dispute: If your opponent supports factory farming based on economic benefits, you could challenge their argument by pointing out the ethical issues related to animal welfare and the environment.

10. Challenging the Source

Challenging the source is a tactic used to question the credibility or reliability of the information used by your opponent in their argument.

This technique focuses on examining the origin of the evidence presented, probing whether the source is credible, trusted, and free from bias.

To do this, I recommend using this media literacy framework .

If the source used by your opponent is flawed, biased or unreliable, their argument loses credibility, making your position stronger.

Example of Challenging the Source: If your opponent uses an obscure blog as their primary source of their argument on a scientific topic, you could challenge the source by questioning its credibility and offering information from reputable scientific journals instead.

See More: Good Sources for Essay Writing

A Full List of Methods for Counterargument

• Empirical challenges
• Challenging the relevance
• Reductio ad absurdum
• Pointing out logical fallacies
• Counterexamples
• Using hypotheticals
• Comparison and contrast
• Challenging biases
• Ethical dispute
• Challenging the source
• Questioning assumptions
• Slippery slope argument
• Challenging a false dichtomy
• Historical Precedent
• Anecdotal Evidence
• Challenging the Definition
• Socratic Questioning
• Highlighting Unintended Consequences
• Appeal to Emotion
• Challenging the Frame
• Highlighting Inconsistencies
• Challenging Completeness
• Temporal Challenge
• Offering alternative explanations
• Exposing oversimplifications
• Appeal to authority

Counterargument is an essential skill for debaters and essay writers. You need to be able to know and understand strategies for countering the arguments of your opponents to position your argument in the best light possible. To do this, we have to vectors of attack: First, you can undermine their arguments and demonstrate the flaws. Second, you can present your argument as stronger.

The key, however, is to ensure your arguments are as airtight and foolproof as possible to prevent effective rebuttals to your own counterarguments!

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
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When should I make a counter-argument?

Apr 18, 2019

This post will clarify what I mean when I advise band 6.5 candidates to ‘discuss both sides’, and help you to understand when and where to write a counter-argument.

I often find my advice about ‘discussing both sides’ being misunderstood or misinterpreted. Some people mistakenly believe that when I say that ‘ you must always discuss both sides of the question ‘ that this means ‘ You must always give a counter-argument .’ This is not at all what I mean, especially as I know that the latter  can  be bad advice for people stuck at band 6.5 in writing.

In writing task 2, we can a lways talk about ‘ two sides ‘ of the question, but t here are times when  it is not a good idea to write a whole parag raph presenting a counter-argument .   To understand this, let us begin by understanding the key terms we are using.

Understanding the terms

1  what is ‘a side’.

The word ‘side’ has several different meanings in English. The image below, from the Cambridge online dictionary, shows the two most relevant meanings here.

As you can see, the word  ‘side’ does not always mean ‘opinion.’   It can be used to refer to ‘one opinion’ in an argument  but it can also be used to mean ‘ one part ‘ of an issue. We can only understand the precise meaning of a word from the context it is being used in.  So, only when I am talking about a question with two opinions, should you interpret ‘both sides’ to mean ‘both opinions.’

2  What is a ‘counter-argument’

To fully understand what a ‘counter-argument’ is we need to also understand the verb ‘to counter’:

So, a ‘counter-argument’ is an argument made ‘against’ an opinion. The main problems arise when this idea is mistakenly interpreted as:

  ‘I must always write a paragraph that argues against the opinion in the question.’

In my experience, this mistaken belief stops many people from reaching band 7 because they often alter the question or task in some way in order to force what they see as a ‘counter-argument’ into their answer, no matter what the question asks.

Consider this question from Cambridge test book 10:

‘ Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products everywhere in the world. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development ?”

As you can see, there is no clear ‘opinion’ in the first statement, so candidates who mistakenly believe that they must always write a paragraph that gives a counter-argument will struggle here. Remember, you must be able to show ‘flexibility’ in your writing – this means reacting and responding to the very specific task you are given. The two ‘sides’ of this issue that need to be discussed are whether this is 1) a negative development or 2) a positive development.

Let us try to interpret this idea of ‘discussing both sides’ in the context of more essay questions.

What  do you  mean by ‘the different sides’ to a question?

Writing task 2 can take several different forms. There may be one view, or there may be two views on an issue. There may be extra information included in the question to give you a clear context for the issue you need to discuss (and to make sure you fully understand it). There may be a description of an issue or of a development. These prompts are followed by one or two questions such as ‘To What extent do you agree or disagree?’; ‘Discuss the advantages and disadvantages / problems and solutions etc.’;  ‘Discuss both views and give your own opinion.’ ; Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?”

The Task response descriptor tells us that band 6 candidates ‘address all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others .’ This is not a problem at band 7. So, if you want to score band 7, you MUST cover all parts of the question equally. This is what I mean when I refer to ‘discussing both sides’ of the question. If you have read Chapter 7 of The Key to IELTS Success , you will know why so many people follow bad advice and ignore parts of the question altogether.

Your argument must represent a balanced discussion of the issue like this:

Not an unbalanced one like this:

This means that, if you are given two differing opinions and asked to ‘Discuss both views and give your own opinion,’ you must discuss both opinions equally . In this case, Side A = one argument and Side B = the counter-argument you are given.

Similarly, if you are asked to say whether an issue ‘has more benefits than problems’, then Side A = the benefits and Side B = the problems. If you are asked whether the topic ‘is a positive or a negative development’  then Side A = the positives  and Side B = the negatives and so on.

The main problems seem to arise with questions where you are given one viewpoint and asked, ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree?’  The two ‘sides’ of a question like this will always depend on 1) the issue raised and 2) your own views on it. However, your language ability also plays a part in how you respond. Band 9 candidates (and the invisible band 10 writers I sometimes refer to) are capable of responding to these questions in a very subtle and skilful way,  which creates problems for the candidates at band 6 and below who try to emulate it. For example, the higher level candidates are able to explain their complete agreement on an issue in a way that is not at all repetitive. At the end of their essay, they may also refer to a possible counter-argument, without discussing it in detail but also without making their position confusing or unclear. Examples like this can be found in Practice test book 10 on pages 162 and 166. Such examples are very difficult for candidates at band 6 and below to learn from.

So, how should I respond if I am band 6 and aiming for band 7?

This is my advice for candidates aiming for band 7:  For questions where you are given one viewpoint and asked ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree?’ (or in GT, ‘Do you agree or disagree?’) I always give the advice to ‘discuss both sides.’ This helps band 6 candidates to avoid writing in a repetitive way.  What these ‘2 sides’ are will depend on your views and the issue you are given. Often, there are two clear ‘sides’ within the question. Look at the following example:

“ In many places, new homes are needed, but the only space available for building them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not build new homes there. To what extent do you agree or disagree ?”

There are 2 clear sides to this issue: Side  A =  building houses in the countryside Side  B  = protecting the countryside and not building there.  In organising your answer this way you will ‘discuss both sides’ of the issue while also (hopefully) making your complete agreement or disagreement clear.  You can also apply the same balanced discussion of the two ‘sides’ if you neither completely agree nor completely disagree.

The ‘two sides’ are less clear in a question like this:

‘ Some people say that it is possible to tell a lot about a person’s culture and character from their choice of clothes. Do you agree or disagree?”

For a question like this, a band 8 or 9 candidate can easily argue that they completely agree ( or completely disagree) and explain exactly why. For a band 6.5 candidate trying to reach band 7, this is not so easy; often they will simply repeat the same ideas in both body paragraphs and so remain stuck at band 6.5.

An easy way to see the ‘other side’ of an issue is to think of the opposite . In this case: Side A = You can tell a lot about a person from their clothes and Side B = You cannot tell a lot about a person from their clothes. This immediately gives you two clear main ideas for each body paragraph and helps to make your essay less repetitive.

In my experience, when band 6.5 candidates follow the advice to ‘ always give a counter-argument, ‘ they tend to interpret this in a very narrow way as Side A = I completely agree  Side B = I completely disagree. This creates problems that keep them stuck at band 6.5.  Instead, look for ‘ the other side ‘ of the issue or argument by considering the ‘opposite’ – this can help you to write in a way that is balanced but not repetitive and yet still make your position very clear throughout.

When should I write a counter-argument?

For me, a counter-argument is most appropriate in the following situations:

• When you are given a view that you completely disagree with.  (Side A = the view in the question Side B = your counter-argument.)
• When you are given an argument and a counter-argument and asked to discuss them both (Side A = one argument, Side B = the counter-argument)
• you feel confident that you can write only  about your agreement without repeating your ideas , and
• you are a confident band 8 or 9 candidate and want to show that you have considered both sides , and
• you are confident that you have the language skills to mention a logical counter-argument   without making your overall position unclear .

Learn more about different types of questions in The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS

Learn how to write a band 7+ essay in my new book:   The Key to IELTS Writing Task 2

Once you understand how to answer, you need to build the right language so that you can write confidently about any topic., learn the right vocabulary for bands 7 and above with my ielts vocabulary books….

…and my  IELTS Vocabulary teaching apps

170 Comments

Couldn’t be clearer, thanks for taking the time to do this.

Thanks, Behrooz! I really appreciate your support, as always.

Hi Ms. Cullen, thank you very much, so writing about both sides doesn’t necessarily mean writing a counterargument?

That’s right. Let me know if there is anything in the post that you can’t understand -it’s a very complex issue and difficult to make clear.

This is great, thank you always Pauline

Hi Pauline, thank you very much, your site has a problem, I tried a lot. So I can achieve 7 without counter argument?

This happens when I write a new post on a very popular topic. You should be able to access it now.

Thank you. I got 6.5 in writing and I need 7, can I get 7 with balanced view or I should always write strong view?

Hi Negin, read The Key to IELTS Success to answer that – it’s my free book and there is a link at the bottom of this post.

Hi pauline, thank you very much, I tought when I write counter, it helps my score, it is not right?

Hi Maryam, if you read the post all the way through you will see at the end the only times when a counter-argument will help your score.

?? can I write a middle view in an opinion essay?

I did mention this in the post. As I have always said, write about what you actually think and feel – if you believe in a middle view, then explain it.

But my teacher say middle view is not clear, for 7 you should have strong view

I can’t answer for your teacher or for why your teacher believes that. I can only answer for myself. If you believe that both sides have their merits, and you are able to make this clear, then this is a strong view. If you believe that, but then force yourself to lie (and condemn a viewpoint that you actually support) then I don’t believe you will succeed in making your position clear. It’s more than likely that your argument against something you partly agree with will be confusing and unconvincing. Write what you think and feel.

Thank you so much, this is a relief because it is easier to write about other side than counter argument

Thank you for your writing, it is very helpful

Hi pauline,

Could you please cite examples for the post you have shared on counter agreement .This will help in understanding the main idea easily.I shall be thankful to you.

I’m not sure what you mean by citing examples? I did give page references for some example materials. What sort of information are you looking for?

This is fabulous thank you ☺️

Thanks, Ehsan!

Thanks pauline, this is awesome. My question is about a discussion question (discuss both these views), when I agree with one opinion/side completely, should I show my disagreement with the other opinion when I represent it, or should I present both opinions fairly without taking one side in the body paragraphs and say my opinion in the conclusion. In that case how can I have a clear position throughout?

You can still show your lack of agreement while discussing an issue – in fact, this is exactly what is meant by ‘making your position clear throughout’. Even when you are discussing a view that you disagree with, we should know that you disagree with it because of the language you use. Reread the chapters on Grammar, vocabulary and on Task 2 in The Key to IELTS Success to see how to do this.

Also, N.D, if you read chapter 7 of The Key to IELTS Success you will see why every task 2 question should be seen as both ”a discussion and an opinion essay” – these ‘types’ actually have no meaning in IELTS.

Thanks Ms. Cullen. It was very clear and thorough, like always. I think the gist of all your posts is: “Be yourself, write about the raised question” I always try to answer the question in a way that a friend of mine is asking about that issue; Simple and Precise.

Yes, that’s exactly right 🙂

Thank you Pauline, can you send the download link to your free book?

The link is at the bottom of the post.

thank you pauline, I tried many many times but it says invalid download link, can I download it from somewhere else? also there’s something wrong with your website, I couldn’t reach it for 2 hours

When there is a lot of traffic I’m afraid this happens.

Hi Pauline, thank you very much for your valuable information. I have a question when the question is cause and solution, my causes and solutions should be related?

Thats’ a good question! Yes, the ‘solutions’ must be linked to the ‘problems’ you have outlined. If they weren’t, your ideas would not be logically connected and your argument would not develop.

Dear Pauline! First of all thanks a lot for your valuable advice for us 6.5 “stuckers”. My question is if we are asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of ,say, advertisements then can make one paragraph for advantage side, one for disadvantage and one for our opinion like how to regulate them etc? It is is better to mention our opinion in the conclusion breafly? Thanks in advance!

What you are describing would be a plan for an essay that has 2 questions (e.g. What are the advantages and disadvantages? What is the best way to regulate them?) In which case, yes, your plan is the same as I would use.

Many thanks for the clarity on this. Your books and apps are really helpful. Now, I can easily recall vocab while writing and speaking. I cannot wait for your book on writing.

That’s great to hear, Ashish

Hi Pauline, After reading and understanding this post and your book The Key to IELTS Success I have produced an essay. Kindly provide feedback on the second body paragraph whether it makes sense in regards to counter-argument or not. I’m posting the whole essay as I don’t think the only paragraph in isolation would make sense. Thanks for your generosity. Some people say it is important to keep your home and your workplace tidy, with everything organized and in the correct place. What is your opinion about this? Having a place for everything and keeping them on their designated places are keys to efficient management. Those who value these skills manage to utilize their time in appropriately, whereas others being disorganized waste their time and energy. Organizing your belongings is important, be it your home or office. It gives us an opportunity to utilize our time diligently rather than wasting on finding things which might be lost due to untidiness. If we know exactly where our things are, we can locate them easily without squandering time. Consequently, an organized and neat workplace provides peace of mind which ultimately extracts the best out of us, and we manage to make better decisions. Additionally, when we organize our important things, we also separate the stuff which is not in use anymore, hence it can either be discarded or recycled. In either way it reduces our burden of handling unnecessary items thereby reducing our workload. On the other hand, people leave things haphazardly as they think keeping them in order is just a waste of time. They are reluctant to clean their surroundings, as they believe it is a never ending process, and they will be messy again, somehow. They do not realize that a little time spent on organizing them could save their precious hours of finding things in an otherwise dirty and unsystematic place. Such disorientation could lead to wastage of both time and energy, ultimately preventing people to excel in their endeavors. In conclusion, organizing and managing our homes and workplaces, and keeping them clean are of uttermost importance as they save time and energy, and help us to give our best towards things which matter the most. Although it’s a cyclic process, it ultimately leads to efficient and smart working.

Hi Hamza, I don’t have time ti give detailed feedback at the moment. Your main problem here is that you do not make it clear when you are giving your own opinion. Your ideas are good and your counter argument is handled very well, but we need to know what you consider fact and what is your opinion. E.g, it would be better to being the second sentence of your introduction with: “In my view…’ Similarly with the conclusion, tell us what you think – after all, this is what the question has asked you for. In terms of language, your have used some very nice language, though there are errors: “Having a place for everything and keeping everything in ITS designated place…’ ‘rather than wasting IT on…’ ‘could save THEM precious hours’ ‘preventing people FROM excelLING..’ ‘disorientation’ doesn’t work here (confusion would be better) and ‘wastage’ is not a word that we use with time – we would say ‘waste of time and energy’. Again, to make your opinion clear, it would be better to say: ‘ In fact, I believe that working surrounded by such confusion can cause people to waste time and energy…’

Ma’am you have pointed out some very technical issues of mine. I will definitely work on them. Maybe these are the little but critical issues which are keeping me away from band 7. Thank you very much.

Not answering the very specific question you’re given is the main thing that will keep you below band 7. Always focus on that and keep going back to the question to check you ARE answering it.

Many thanks

Hi Pauline, Could you please also explain how to handle the language of low certainty. I’ve heard that, in discus both views or to what extent essays, if a candidate wants to present a counter argument then he or she needs to use various degrees of certainty and present information from “other people’s point of view” with phrases like: it seems, some people believe that, it seems to be the case and etc. Whereas your own position must be clear and presented with “however, from my point of view”. How far do you agree with that? Could you please tell us more? Unfortunately, I can’t find trustworthy source of how to present info. Apparently, you can also make a mistake by presenting info as a fact. Thank you so much for your help!

I am dealing with this in my next book (which will not be ready for a few months). Until then, read the grammar chapter of The Key to IELTS Success – I do deal with this there.

Thank you Pauline. You are the best!

Hi Pauline, thank you for the great thing you are doing online for many people. I read this essay and your feedback, I understand that your feedback is not detailed but you said that the counter argument here is handled well, don’t you think this essay lacks progression, maybe because same ideas are repeated in both paragraphs? The first body paragraphs says “It gives us an opportunity to utilize our time diligently rather than wasting on finding things”, and repeats this same idea for 5 or 6 more lines. The second paragraphs is also mainly about saving time: “They do not realize that a little time spent on organizing them could save their precious hours of finding things”. So I think one of the reasons this essay is not a 7 is because there is no progression throughout, am I right in thinking that?

Hi Naser, you have identified the main idea in both paragraphs, which is exactly what you should be able to do as a reader. The rest of the paragraph explains and supports this main idea. I don’t see any repetition here. The progression comes from making a point and developing the argument so that the reader fully understands the point and can be persuaded about the argument. AS you said, I don’t have time for detailed feedback at the moment.

Thank you Pauline, but in your previous post you wrote that when we have only one idea, it usually leads to repetition, and the problem is that the main idea in both paragraphs is the same, you can save time if you are tidy and organized, isn’t it?

Again, I don’t have time to give detailed feedback and I don’t agree that the paragraphs have the same main idea.

Hi Pauline, I read this reply. So can you please explain how progression in CC is different from development in TR?

There is overlap between the two and I think TR and CC are more connected than people realise. TR is looking at how all of your ideas work together to create your answer overall while CC looks at how you organise, connect and explain those ideas within your essay.

Thanks Paulin The argument on the difference between a “counter-argument” and “both sides” was not clear to me. Am I right if I interpret that counter-argument means just writing about a view without giving my own opinion, while “both sides” means giving my view on both sides?

A counter-argument is an argument against what you believe. It isn’t connected to giving your own opinion. It is just showing you understand the argument of the people who hold an opposite view. You may disagree with neither (i.e. the argument on one wise and its counter-argument.) Interpret ‘both sides’ as discussing everthing in the question equally.

Hi Pauline, I have read it on your blog that when he question asks whether it is a positive or negative development we should talk about both the positives and the negatives of something. I took the IELTS test today and the question was about shops being open late and whether this a positive or negative development for shoppers and the local community. (I know you don’t share recent exam questions so I expect that you might edit it (PC – I did!), I have read all your posts and books about writing, but I wasn’t sure how to answer this question, according to what you said I need to talk about both positives and negatives, I should also talk about both shoppers and the local community. This means positives and negatives for shoppers, and positives and negatives for the community, which makes the essay very long. Can you please tell me if there is another way I can answer this question? Thank you so much.

Hi Mehrdad, the 2 sides of this question are ‘the shoppers’ and ‘the local community’. If you can see only positives for both, then you only need to write about those. If you can see negatives, then discuss those too. As I explained in the above post, a band 8 -9 candidate will mention the possible negatives even if they believe there are only positives (and vice versa), but this does not need to be discussed at length. TO answer it, think about your local community and local shops – do they benefit from shops being open late at night? How? (think of the convenience etc.) if not, why not? (think of noise at night etc). Does this helP?

Thanks a lot Pauline, it was very helpful

Hi Pauline, To ensure that we have understood the issue completely, we need to look into it from all sides, exploring it essentially. I do write only 4 paragraphs for my essays (Intro, 2 BPs, Conclusion). With this approach, considering that there should be only one idea to focus on in a single paragraph, if my second Body Para is for the opposing side (=the side I disagree with, and find reasons for its rebuttal). This limits my ideas for each paragraph for the side I agree with.(First BP) This would mean that if I fully develop my argument in the first BP, thats going to be more than enough for the sake of word count and the development of argument, which would not allow me to write on many reasons (if I have more than one).

Do you think I am looking at it too mechanically in this way??

Hi, the issue here is that you are trying to be as inflexible as possible, but the test requires you to be flexible. By this I mean that you appear to be trying to find one single rule that can be applied to all writing task questions. There is only one ‘rule’ that can and does apply to all, and I explained what this is in chapter 7 of The Key to IELTS Success. To show the problems in your thinking, below I have added comments or questions in response to your ‘plan’:

1) ‘ considering that there should be only one idea to focus on in a single paragraph ‘ My comment: To clarify, there should be one MAIN idea. This is not the same as one idea.

2) ‘ if my second Body Para is for the opposing side (=the side I disagree with, and find reasons for its rebuttal). This limits my ideas for each paragraph for the side I agree with .(First BP)’ My comment: I don’t understand why the contents of your second paragraph will limit what you write in your first paragraph, or how you can generalise about this without seeing a question. Creating a ‘rule’ like this means you cannot respond to each individual question in an individual way.

3) This would mean that My comment: Your conclusion here is based on the assumption that the previous statement is true – which it isn’t.

4) ‘ if I fully develop my argument in the first BP My comment: your argument develops over the entire essay – your rebuttal of a point IS a part of your argument.

5)’ thats going to be more than enough for the sake of word count and the development of argument, which would not allow me to write on many reasons (if I have more than one). My comment:Again, this conclusion follows on from the previous limitations you have set, which will not be ‘true’ for every essay question.

You may not be aware of it, but you have presented an argument here which echoes the most common problems in the arguments I find in essays, and which make conclusions unclear. I am writing about this very topic at the moment in The Key to IELTS Writing Workbook – before you ask, it will not be ready for several more months. For the moment, don’t try to limit your planning, respond naturally to each writing task.

Thank you for the detailed response. Allow me to explain what leads me to this thinking. Consider this that I have read your book and your posts as well. The reason for this inflexibility is following:

• I have a habit of producing 4 paragraphs (self-imposed)> the reason of this inflexible approach is that I believe most of the essays can get their job done, if written effectively, in 4 paragraphs, otherwise, and I have felt this while practicing, I wonder around the ideas just to fill the body paragraphs somewhere in my mind not sure on the number of paragraphs (an added burden to think of). While staying with the 2 Body paragraphs ensures that I stay on topic and fully develop my arguments.

I know that all of your advice is about flexibility and spontaneity and being natural on the test day breaking free any rules, structures, and ready-made approaches, may be it is the lack of confidence in my own writing that I fall for these limitations.

I agree that 4 paragraphs should be sufficient in many essays – I use the same approach myself in that I plan my ideas to fit into those two main paragraphs. Try to see it this way and not the other way around. Having said this, there are questions where 3 body paragraphs may be better – for example when you are asked 2 questions.

Great. One more thing, I was preparing for the GRE some time ago, and I felt it has the Analytical Writing Assessment – Issue Essay which is very similar to the IELTS WT2. Do you think reading those sample essays would be useful for general understanding of how to frame your arguments and the approach? The IELTS has very few authentic samples written by examiners.

I don’t know that exam so it would completely depend on 1) the criteria used to assess writing in it 2) the style of questions and 3) the writing skills of the people writing the samples. My writing workbook will have lost of samples.

Thank you ❤️

Hi Pauline, I have a question about this topic from cambridge books. Please help me because I really can’t find a solution. ‘Some people believe that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others argue that it is better to try and improve such situations. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.’ I really can’t understand the first view in the question and why some people should believe it is better to accept a bad situation than to try and improve. Why do you think some people might think this? I’m really desperate for need, thank you so much Pauline.

Can you tell me which book it is from?

Hi, I saw it in my school library. It was either book 12 or 14.

It was actually book 14 Academic.

Can you please help me?

I am confused about which of the above comments are yours.

I’m sorry for the trouble. I didn’t know I need to write my name, the comments are all mine, the question is from book 14, test 1. Thank you for your help.

Ok, I just thought I was getting messages from 2 different people! 🙂 To answer your question, you need to either think about people you know or put yourself in the position of someone who has this issue. It can be difficult if you have never had a job yourself, but think about all of the people in your family – I am sure someone you know has held a job that they did not enjoy or that was unsatisfactory – why do you think they accepted this? Perhaps they accepted it for a while until they could change their job? Perhaps they really needed the money or there was a shortage of good jobs? Or perhaps they were studying and so needed extra money until they could graduate and get a better job? I am sure If you think about it, you can think of people like that and the reasons they perhaps needed to accept something. If not, then you are completely disagreeing with the first view, and you just need to explain why it is never ok to accept a bad situation.

Thank you so much Pauline, the problem with the question is that it does NOT say that it is better to accept a bad situation FOR A WHILE or that accepting a bad situation is the first step in order to improve, it simply says that it is better to accept a bad situation and this is hard to argue for (because the question has asked us to discuss both views). To me the only reason people may think it is better to accept a bad situation is because they are not willing to risk the little things that they have and are afraid to lose what they have, which may not be much. Do you think my line of argument makes any sense?

Yes, this is exactly the type of explanation that you must provide. Why you think this would be wrong?

Thank you Pauline, I’ve been checking the website for the past several days, I assume you are very busy, thank you for answering my question. Honestly, the main reason for my confusion is the sample answer at the back of the book that has received a 7. It generally says that people need to first accept a bad situation in order to improve. To me it sounds like the argument for the other side that says it is better to improve a bad situation instead of accepting it.

Yes, I am travelling for work at the moment and preparing for a conference talk. I think the issue here is that you are trying to fond one answer from a single sample answer – even if that answer was a band 9, it would still only show you one person’s way of answering – no single answer can show you more than that. It isn’t possible to show every way of answering, because your answer will always be personal to you. My question is why you think your plan / ideas are ‘wrong’ – what do you think the problem is? I am asking this to try to understand your area of doubt.

Hi Pauline, I have a question about the band descriptors for task 2. In the descriptors for band 7 it is written that supporting ideas may lack focus, what does it mean by supporting ideas, and more importantly what does lack focus mean? Can you give an example to help me understand it better? I really appreciate your help.

Have you read my free book, The Key to IELTS Success? I do try to explain this in chapter 7 with examples. A lack of focus often means the candidate is using examples (often learned) that are not related to the question or the main idea in the paragraph.

Thank you for the response. I have read your book thoroughly and thank you for that. But my question is that when I present the main idea and then I give an example that does not help the development of my idea, is this a feature of band 5, 6 or 7? Because in band 5 it says that there may be irrelevant detail, in band 6 it says that the main idea is inadequately developed, and in band 7 it says that the supporting ideas may lack focus. So what band is it when our examples do not help the development of main ideas? Thank you again.

Hi Java What those descriptors are attempting to describe are 3 different ‘shades’ of the same issue – imagine if we represented Task response as a colour, then the deepest colour would be at band 9, and the shade of this colour would become lighter and lighter until we can barely see it by band 1. It isn’t possible to say just how the shade is acheived by each candidate, their reasons for arriving at that band will be varied (some may use irrelevant examples, some may have none etc) what matters is the extent to which their overall task response is affected (ei†her positively or negatively) – †hat is what will result in the band 6 or 7 etc. The truth is, that you cannot single out short phrases from the descriptors – they have †o be seen as working together. So, for example, with band 7, it matters that it says ‘ presents, extends and supports main ideas , but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus’ While a band 5 candidate ” presents some main ideas but these are limited and not sufficiently developed; there may be irrelevant detail.”

It’s also important to note that not all ‘supporting ideas’ are ‘examples’ as I pointed†ed out in chapter 7.

Task response is really assessing how all of the ideas work together to form a complete, effective response to the question. At band 5, the ideas generally don’t always work together, while at band 7, they do. Though there are still issues at band 7 that prevent these responses from reaching band 8 etc.

I hope this helps.

Perfect, Pauline ?

Thank you Pauline for your posts, can you please give us an example in which supporting ideas may lack focus? I appreciate it.

Generally this is an idea or an example which is not clearly linked to the previous ideas within the paragraph.

Hi Pauline, I’m an IELTS teacher and I have been teaching IELTS for almost 10 years. I have had this question for many years but I have never found the answer. The problem is when I’m dealing with essays that have almost no grammar mistakes, but there are serious problems with the task response and especially with the position. And I can’t say what band score the grammar is, because there is a wide range of structures and the majority of sentences are error-free except for occasional errors and according to the band descriptors the GRA should be an 8, but at the same time these grammatically accurate sentences do not help develop a position. One of my knowledgeable trainers always says that grammar and vocabulary should always be used to help develop a position. So my question is whether we should rate grammar on its own based on how grammatically correct and varied the sentences are or should we assess grammar on the basis of how much it helps the task response and the development of ideas? Thank you so much for your help.

Hi Reza, that’s a really goor question. The main issue for me would be where this band 8 level grammar comes from if the Task response and coherence and cohesion are lacking. Could you send me an example? If the band 8 grammar comes from learned patterns, showing no / little understanding of meaning, this would be a different matter to an an answer that simple misinterpret the question. In some cases, the grammar can be rewarded while the other scores are reduced, but in other cases, if a candidate is effectively saying ‘I can’t write on the topic you have given me, but I can write this’ the we cannot say that they have shown the flexibility and range required of a higher band. If you can send me an example id be happy to try and be more helpful.

Hello Pauline, I’m sorry to take up your time, I have a question about writing task 2 band descriptors. In band 4, it says that the candidate ‘responds to the task only in a minimal way or the answer is tangential’, what does it mean by a minimal way or tangential? Is it different from being off-topic? Thank you for your help.

“off-topic’ refers to some parts of the answer, while tangential describes an answer about something else completely.

Thank you, but it sounds strange, you mean if a candidate writes about a completely different topic, they can still get a 4 for task response? Also the band descriptors for band 1 says ‘answer is completely unrelated to the task’, so wouldn’t that be a 1?

Another thing is that band 4 says ‘in a minimal way’, does it mean parts of the answer is related to the question and parts of it are unrelated? Thank you.

I don’t mean the it is impossible to see any connection – tangential could be seen as related to the phrase ‘going off on a tangent’ – which means moving away from the original discussion of something. The question gives you a very specific issue to discuss, at band 4, either through misunderstanding or through an inability to discuss the issue, a candidate may aim to write 250 words but, in doing so, will move away from the original issue so much that it seems unrelated. This is not the same as, for example, writing about fashion when you are given a topic about traffic. It is closer to being given a topic about traffic but going on to write about pollutions caused by planes. It isn’t really possible to make it clear without an example.

Thank you so much, I understand. I also have a question about speaking descriptors. In speaking we have fluency and coherence and there is no mention of cohesion, can you tell me if coherence in speaking is the same as coherence in writing and why is cohesion not mentioned in the descriptors for speaking? Thank you so much.

Coherence means ‘being understood’ which applies in writing and speaking. Cohesion is the logical connecting and linking of ideas to form paragraphs – we don’t naturally speak in that way.

Dear Pauline,

You have said:

“When should I write a counter-argument?

When you are given one statement with one viewpoint that you completely agree with and… 1.you feel confident that you can write only about your agreement without repeating your ideas, and 2.you are a confident band 8 or 9 candidate and want to show that you have considered both sides, and 3.you are confident that you have the language skills to mention a logical counter-argument without making your overall position unclear.” Since I am trying to attain 7 score in writing and I prefer to avoid any risk, I am a bit confused as to whether in what cases writing a counter argument is not compulsory if the candidate is a 7 band one? As you have mentioned when it comes to the third case, which I have rewritten above, the candidates who are band 8 or 9 could write a counter-argument. Therefore, I would like to know what means the third case exactly. Would you please give some examples?

Thanks in advance, Saeed

Actually, you have changed what I said. I gave 3 separate descriptions of when it is appropriated / necessary to make a counterargument, and the third of these has these 3 bullet points. So, the 3rd point I makes is: – if you are given a question with only one viewpoint and asked ‘to what extent do you agree or disagree?” – and you completely agree with †he view in the question you could reach band 7 in TR without mentioning the counterargument

only mention the counterargument if you can make it clear that you do not agree with it.

Hi Pauline, So how about when I am given a question with only one viewpoint and I completely agree with it, is it possible to achieve an 8 or 9 without mentioning a counterargument or is counterargument a must for higher scores in these questions? Thank you.

I talk in terms of what is generally true – with skilled native speaker writers, there is always a possibility that they can break rules and still achieve the main aim of the question. If you read the bottom of the post, I give all of the times when a counterargument is used and one of these is exactly what you describe here.

Thank you very much Pauline, so is this a rule that we MUST use a counterargument in the situations that you have described at the bottom of your post in order to score 8 or above?

There is no ‘must’ (as I said in my previous answer skilled professional native speaker writers might find a way to answer without doing that) We can only generalise and state that, in general, what makes band 8 and 9 answers different is that they manage to completely agree while also making their dismissal of the counterargument clear.

Hi Pauline, Thank you for this wonderful post. I have read the samples that you have written for the topic of recycling from Cambridge book 11, in the version that you said you completely disagree, you first mentioned the reasons why people do not recycle their domestic waste (lack of time, confusion) and in the next paragraph you concluded that if these are the reasons, making it a legal requirement does not work, and instead we should make the process simpler and also educate the people. But here in the post you have said that writing a counter-argument is what candidates at bands 8 or 9 will do. The other point that has confused me is that I took the test 4 weeks ago, and before I took the test IDP arranged an online webinar with an IELTS examiner for those who had registered for the test. I asked the examiner if a counter-argument is needed for bands 8 or 9, and she said the exact words as you did, she said that it is possible to EVEN achieve a 9 without writing a counter-argument, and that candidates at band 7 do not need to do it AT ALL, but only those at bands 8 or 9 can do it well. And she also said that if candidates at lower bands attempt to do it, they may fail to do it well and this might affect their score negatively. And my last point is that one of my friends took the test with me 4 weeks ago and she scored 8 in writing, but she said that she hadn’t included a counter-argument. So my question is, as I saw in your sample and according to the examiner and also my friend, it is not necessary to include a counter-argument for band 8 when the question asks to what extent do you agree or disagree? Thanks so much for your support.

Hi Armin, I’m afraid I don’t see the problem – can you explain this sentence to me: ‘But here in the post you have said that writing a counter-argument is what candidates at bands 8 or 9 will do.” Are you saying that I didn’t give a counterargument? or that I should not have given a counterargument? I don’t understand the issue with this.

I completely. agree with what you say the examiner said to you, I have also made exactly the same points myself on many occasions. If you want to ignore the advice of the examiner, and myself, and the IDP course you took, and instead follow a comment made by someone else, that is entirely your choice. Just understand that candidates are not experts on why they achieved the score they did. People often send me writing samples and add comments in the margin saying ‘Here, in this sentence, I am giving the main idea, and here, I am adding evidence’ And I will then have to say to them that, actually, these sentences are not doing this. Your friend is giving you their own opinion about what they wrote and how they achieved their score, you are both drawing a conclusion about counterarguments from that. It is absolutely up to you if you want to do that, but my advice will continue to be the same.

Hello again, Thank you for the comment, I think you misunderstood what I meant. What I said about your recycling sample was that you haven’t included a counter-argument in the ‘I disagree’ version. I also said that the examiner said that a counter-argument is optional and we don’t have to include one for band 8 or 9. My friend who took the test also told me that she didn’t include a counter-argument in her essay but she scored an 8. So I think all these (what you have done in your sample, what the examiner said, and what my friend did in her test) show that a counter-argument is optional and not necessary even for bands 8 or 9, am I right in thinking that?

Hi Armin The only reason you can find a post about counterarguments on my website or anywhere in my books is because people outside of the test keep on bringing it up. People want to pin down writing to make it into a science, when in fact this is not possible. I talk about counterarguments not because they are essential but because someone (I do not know who) has made them into a confusing and controversial issue. This post was written because of the many questions I was being asked about it, not because I felt it was important. A counterargument is just one way of making a point, it is not always essential, but many people believe that it is and so attempt to make one in their essay. In doing so, they create problems for themselves. My problem is that, as you see here, when trying to help those who have trained themselves to think about counterarguments and to make the ideas clear, there will always be someone who tried to find an example when the advice does not fit. Writing is a skill – it is both science and art and cannot be pinned down to absolute rules. There are questions when you MUST discuss the counterargument (see the post) and there are also times when you CAN discuss a counterargument. I don’t know how to make it clearer really – the point of writing this post was to make it clear for those stuck at band 6.5 and aiming for band 7.

With the recycling model answers, I wrote those around 3 years ago and did not memorise them so I do not know whether I included a counterargument or not. Can you send me a link to the essay you are referring to?

I think I got my answer, I have also heard a lot about writing a counter-argument maybe for the reasons that you mentioned (somebody must have been looking for a short cut), so when I read your post I thought including a counter-argument must be important for the test that’s why you have written a separate post about it. But with the explanation that you gave I now understand why you have written this post. By the way, I saw the recycling model answer on your facebook page and I saved the image. I don’t have the link, but I can type it here if you want. Thanks again for clarifying the point, it was a great help.

No problem! It’s been made into a very complex issue (much more than it needs to be!) My main concern is that if I say ‘you do not need to write a counterargument’ then people will also do this ‘discuss both views’ essays, where they mustn’t just choose one side to write about. Don’t worry about the recycling essay – it may be an old version of it anyway – I was going to rewrite them at one point I’ll see if I can find the post about it.

This is the latest version of those answers: https://keytoielts.com/making-your-position-clear-throughout/

Thank you so much for your support Pauline, it means a lot to all of us candidates.

No problem 🙂

Thanks for the link Pauline.

Hi Pauline, I have a question about this topic from book 14:

‘Some people believe that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others argue that it is better to try and improve such situations. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.’

In this topic there are 2 examples for what it means by accepting a bad situation. Should a stick to those examples or can I think of another bad situation? If it is okay to think of another bad situation, should it be related to money like the examples or can it be for instance losing a loved one? Because in the second part of the question it says it is better to improve the bad situation, but a bad situation such as losing a loved one cannot be improved. Thank you for your support.

Hi Rima, when examples are given in a question, the aim is to help you understand exactly what is meant by ‘a bad situation.’ As with all tests, topics that are too upsetting are avoided as it can be difficult for people to write about. It is fine to come up with your own types of bad situation, but I would avoid talking about losing a loved one for the reasons I have mentioned. You could use it as just one example of a case where not all bad situations can be improved on, but I do think the question is really asking you to talk about situations where you can make the choice to act or not to act, so this would not be a main point of a paragraph.

Hi Pauline, I am an IELTS candidate from Iran, my IELTS teacher told me that recently IELTS has changed the rule for the minimum number of words and it is no longer necessary to write 250 words for task 2 or 150 words for task 1. Is this true that? Because I took the test today and in my task 2 it was written write at least 250 words. Can you tell me what the rule is? Thank you

When it is no longer written on the page, then it will be a reality. It is under discussion, I know, but I don’t know when it will be implemented. Personally, I don’t see this as a benefit for non-native speakers. It is only skilled native speakers who can generally answer fully in less than the recommended number of words. I intend to continue advising people to aim for a minimum of 250 words and not much more than 300 if possible.

Thank you, but in my test it was written ‘write at least 250 words’. So this change has not yet implemented?

Hello Pauline. I have a question about speaking, is it important that the information I give in my speaking is factually true? For example if I say that my favourite city to visit is Tokyo because of the Eiffel tower and the Pyramids. So will I lose marks for this, and if so in which speaking criteria will I lose marks? Thanks a lot.

Hi Ditri, I recommend you read the speaking chapter of The Key to IELTS Success. I talk there about the problems with giving invented information like this. You can find the link to the free book on my website.

Hi, Thanks for the reply, I have read your book and I know that you advise against inventing examples in both speaking and writing, but my question is specifically about giving information which is not factual, I don’t mean inventing examples but this could be because might not know this or might mix up information about different cities, so the question is that if this happens will the candidate lose marks, and if so in which criteria? Thank you for taking the time to help us.

The candidate wouldn’t lose marks for incorrect facts.

Hi Pauline, There is a very helpful discussion about position in your book, but after reading the writing chapter several times I still cannot fully understand the difference between a relevant position in band 6 and a clear position in band 7? In what ways are they different and what determines this difference? Thank you so much for your support.

It isn’t possible to separate out phrases – they ideas expressed work together. So, at band 7, the main difference is that the candidate ”presents a clear position throughout the response ” and band 6 candidates may state their opinion but the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive . It is the word ‘throughout’ used together with the word ‘clear’ that makes the difference.

Hi Pauline, I’ve read all your posts and they have helped me so much. I’m going to take an IELTS soon, so could you please do me a favor, giving me some comments and band scores for each of the 4 criteria on my writing below (I wrote this without timing, and lots of time proofreading it, so on test day I might perform much less than this). Thank you so much and hope to have your feedback!

“In many countries today, people in cities either live alone or in small family units, rather than in large, extended family groups. Is this a positive or negative trend?”

In many cities nowadays, families in are small, usually having only one to four people from one to two generations. This seems to be a result of modern societies where many people leave their home towns for urban areas to pursue their study or careers. Although this trend has a major benefit, I believe it is a negative development.

Perhaps the main positive side of this is that conflicts related to age gaps can be avoided. In extended families with multiple generations, habits of grandparents might be totally different from those of their grandchildren. For example, my grandfather tends to go to bed early, whereas I usually go home late and stay up until 1 am. As a result, sometimes I make noises at night and disturb his sleeps, causing us to have arguements about whether I should be at home earlier. If I stayed in a separate place, this conflict would be less likely to occur. However, despite this advantage, not being surrounded by many family members might have negative effects on individuals.

I believe the biggest impact on nuclear families is the lack of child care support. For households with children, looking after children is one of the most important tasks of their daily life. Without grandparents or relatives around, parents have to find alternative ways to take care of their children, such as sending them to day care centers or leaving them alone at home. Day care classes are expensive, while leaving children at home can limit their interaction with the outside world, and can even bring them bad habits such as video game addiction. These long-term impacts, in my opinion, far outweigh the short-term benefit discussed above.

In conclusion, while living in small families can bring some benefits, I believe this overal development is negative. Because this trend appears to be inevitable in modern life, one should adapt to it and minimize its impacts to have a more comfortable life.

Hi Cuong, I’m afraid I don’t have time to give detailed feedback on your 3 task 2s at the moment. I will try to take a look at some stage in the next few weeks.

Thank you Pauline. My test is on September 7,so I would really appreciate if you could give me some feedback whenever you can. By the way, I have only 1 writing, not 3.

My apologies, someone else also sent me 3 different versions of one essay.

Given the fact that my test date is on September 7th, after all my preparation I feel a bit confused. I am going to take a GT. I was wondering whether you could kindly see the question below and the two options and let me know if the 2nd option would be what you consider as both sides of the question?

Moreover, would you mind telling me if the 1st option is considered off-topic?

“Students from disadvantaged families and rural areas are finding it difficult to get a university education. Some people believe that universities should help them. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer and include examples from your experience.”

1st option :

My position: I agree with the idea that universities should help but not solely their responsibility.

Paragraph A: Why the poor students in rural areas find it difficult to obtain post-secondary education? I wrote about the reasons behind this problem.

Paragraph B: Why it should be the government and universities effective collaboration to deal with this issue? I depicted how the university and government can collaboratively tackle this problem.

2nd option:

My position: I agree these students should be helped by the universities but not solely.

Paragraph A: Why people think this is solely the universities responsibility? The reasons why people in the question think this should happen.

Paragraph B: Why this is not only the universities responsibility?

I explain why I think this responsibility should not be shouldered only by universities.

Hopefully, I could be able to hear from you sometimes this week before my exam date. Many thanks, Ali

Hi Ali, first of all, be very wary of trying to reach conclusions about IELTS using shared test questions (if that is where this question comes from). Secondly, I think your best solution is a combination of these 2 approaches – I am not sure why you think a different approach is needed for each as your overall position appears to be the same. Paragraphs A in your first approach seems a logical start, then Paragraph B of your second plan (or a combination of the two paragraph Bs) The most important point is to make your argument clearly and make it clear that you are answering the main question of ‘to what extent do you agree or disagree?” You appear to agree that something should be done but that universities alone are not responsible. I would expect to see an explanation of why you think the universities are responsible and what they could do and why you think governments should also help followed by ways that they can do this.

In paragraph A of your second plan you propose something I see attempted a lot and that often causes problems: an attempt to state why the unknown people who hold the view in the question believe what they do. We can only guess at this, we cannot know it, and there is enough to write about in your proposed plan without this.

Hi Pauline, thank you so much for the time you spent replying me, I do appreciate it.

A little clarification, in fact, the first option is my way of dealing with this question before reading your book (the key to IELTS success) and this post, and the second option is what I came up with as the main paragraph ideas after reading those materials.

The confusion is coming from tons of materials for IELTS that made a huge mess outside of British Council, for instance, I had the following question and I was told that I have written off-topic while I was mainly trying to explain my position to answer that:

“Some governments say how many children a family can have in their country. It is sometimes necessary and right for a government to control the population in this way. Do you agree or disagree?”

Suppose that I disagree with this statement and in fact, I argue that the government has no right to officially limit the number of children in a family.

Paragraph A: Why the government has no write to officially curb the number of children in each family? In my essay, answering this question I also breifly explained why some people may sypport the official limitation to consider the other side of the argument. Paragraph B: Instead of such limitation being enforced to the public, the government should introduce incentives to encourage parents to have fewer children so that they could decide freely.

My essay was commented as “In agree/disagree writing: Do not give alternative solutions. Just give arguments for or against the statement. ” Do you agree with this quoted comment? I am aware taht you do not accept any categorization for the essays such as opinion, and discussion, I was wondering if giving such alternatives to the topic is considered off-topics?

Now that I put your essay written in your books as the actual references alongside other practice books, and yor answer to my post I feel a lot more confident and I suggest the others to only focus on the official materials and that is indeed enough.

Many thanks, Ali

Hi Ali, I can’t really comment without seeing the full answer – for me, it would really depend on how and when you present the alternative solutions. For example, you could argue that: 1) overpopulation is creating serious problems around the world – unsurprisingly many governments want to find a solution 2) some governments try to control this through ABC – I completely disagree with this because XYZ 3) controlling people in this way goes too far and governments need to find another way – (e.g DEF)

In that essay, the main discussion would be 1) the issue itself and 2) the reasons for my complete disagreement. Only at the end would I suggest another possibility. This means the main discussion is still about my complete disagreement and, in fact, the alternative solutions are support for the idea that governments do not need to control people in this way. Does that help?

Hi, Pauline Two quick questions here. First, the equality of two sides means the equal length. Is this correct? For example, two paragraphs are of the same size or similar size. Second, what about questions that require you to talk about causes and solutions. So “two sides” here refer to causes and solutions and they must be of the equal length. Is this correct?

Thank you for your education on “two sides”.

Th two sides would be discussed in a balanced way if they have been discussed in the same depth – this will not always result in exactly the same number of words in each paragraph, but there would be a similar amount of discussion involved and so they would be of a similar length. With causes and solutions you would equally discuss 1) the causes and 2) the possible solutions.

OK. I get it, thank you. But that sentence should be “this does not always result in…”, correct?

I was aiming for ‘this will not’ but yours works too! I have edited my response.

Hi Pauline, I have a question about cause and solution essay. Should the solutions we offer be directly related to the causes or can we offer general solutions? For example if I say that one of the causes that children behave badly these days is the influence of celebrities who behave badly in society. And then for the solution I say that parents need to increase their supervision on children and teach them good manners from an early age. Thank you.

If the causes you raise are not addressed, and the solutions are not clearly related to them then I think that would be odd. You should find a way to link the two e.g by saying: One way for parents to try to minimise the impact this has on their children is to supervise them more. For example,…

Sorry for the previous comment which I accidentally posted. It is incomplete. Kindly read this one.

Hey tutor Pauline Hope you are in the pink of your health

Learners are adversely affected by the improper learning, wrong guidelines from websites, private people, wrong feedback and structuring of essays. A new student started following you would become successful in a minimum amount of time but the misguided ones like me are actually confused about writing.

I have a few questions for you dear tutor.

You said it is better for an average writer: 6.5 level to write the opposite side of the argument to avoid repetitive ideas. Well, great advice. You said we should not completely disagree when writing the opp side, and a balanced approach would be good. How?

In a discussion model essay ( means to discuss two views ), suppose if we are supporting one side, what should we talk about the opp side ( other people’s view?). Should we say they are wrong ( in that body paragraph or just talk about the benefits, seeing through their eyes )? If so then we are also supporting them!

What if we talk about our side( talked about the benefits ) and criticize the other side( other people’s opinion ) in 2nd body para? Is that ok?

An example body para

I do not support the idea of implementing struct rules to reduce the crime rate in society ( my side ). Just imagine I explained.

Now I’m talking about the opp side

However, others vouch for implementing stringent rules that can bring down violence in society. People who are into dreaded crimes and those making troubles very often are now afraid of being caught and put in jail which can deter them from committing crimes. ( see, I explained why they want struct rules). Here is my doubt. Shouldn’t we counter them in the same paragraph? What if I write this following their view. Nevertheless, I think that imprisoning someone for long periods for their crimes actually causes repercussion since jail life can make the person more insane and cruel due to mingling with other criminals.

Then I’m going to a conclusion.

Is that ok?

I think it is better if you post a few of your essays on the website so that people can learn and follow the right structure.

Best Regards.

Hi Ajeesh, I will try to answer your questions and respond to your comments (numbered below). The main problem appears to be that you are trying to apply my advice for ‘To what extend do you agree or disagree?” with questions that ask you to ‘Discuss both views and give your own opinion.’

1) You said we should not completely disagree when writing the opp side, and a balanced approach would be good. How? My answer: Can you tell me where you believe I have said this? My advice is always this: if you agree, show it, if you disagree, show it. You show it through your language and ideas (read The Key to IELTS Success – especially the chapters on vocabulary and grammar).

2) In a discussion model essay ( means to discuss two views ), suppose if we are supporting one side, what should we talk about the opp side ( other people’s view?). Should we say they are wrong ( in that body paragraph or just talk about the benefits, seeing through their eyes )?

My Answer: If you are asked to ‘Discuss both views and give your own opinion.’ Then you need to do exactly that. Notice that you are not asked to ‘choose one side to agree with and only write about that’ (which some people believe). Always answer the question you are given. Here you are asked to ‘discuss’ each of the views in the question – i.e. look objectively at each viewpoint and what it means. The way that you do that should help the reader understand why you fully support only one side, or neither side. If you discuss the side you eventually say you disagree with using language that is very supportive, then the reader will be confused.

3) What if we talk about our side( talked about the benefits ) and criticize the other side( other people’s opinion ) in 2nd body para? Is that ok?

My Answer: As I explained above, this would only happen in a different question – one where you are given one viewpoint and asked ‘To What extent do you agree or disagree?” Always respond to the question you are given. If you are asked to discuss both views, do that. If you are given one viewpoint to discuss, do that. As I explain in the post above your comment, my advice for this type of question is, if you are stuck for ideas, consider the opposite point of view or the opposite side (what if we DIDN’T have or do this?”)

4) An example body para – I do not support the idea of implementing struct rules to reduce the crime rate in society ( my side ).

My Comment: Just to be clear, I assume this is a question where you are given one viewpoint and asked ‘Do you agree or disagree?” etc. Not a question where you are given 2 viewpoints to discuss (as in your first question).

Just imagine I explained. Now I’m talking about the opp side ‘’However, others vouch for implementing stringent rules that can bring down violence in society. People who are into dreaded crimes and those making troubles very often are now afraid of being caught and put in jail which can deter them from committing crimes.’’ ( see, I explained why they want struct rules).

My comment: Actually, you DIDN’T explain ‘why THEY want strict rules’ Your position is unclear here because your second sentence tells the reader that YOU believe this. It is your language that is creating the problem. (NB there are also vocabulary problems here as you are trying to use as many different words as possible to talk about punishment or crime.)

5) Here is my doubt. Shouldn’t we counter them in the same paragraph? My Comment: If this is an idea you disagree with, then you must show this disagreement throughout. You must make it clear 1) what you believe 2) what others believe 3) how you feel about others’ opinions. Your problem is that you are not making it clear which views are yours and which belong to others. E.g. When you write ‘People who are into dreaded crimes and those making troubles very often are now afraid of being caught and put in jail which can deter them from committing crimes.’ You are telling the reader that you believe that strict punishments are effective in reducing crime – in other words, showing support for strict punishment. (NB again there are problems with vocabulary here)

6) What if I write this following their view. Nevertheless, I think that imprisoning someone for long periods for their crimes actually causes repercussion since jail life can make the person more insane and cruel due to mingling with other criminals. Then I’m going to a conclusion. Is that ok?

My answer: Writing this after the previous sentence will mean that your position is not clear ‘throughout’ because you are saying 1) strict punishments can reduce crime 2) I think strict punishments make things worse. Which part of your second sentence (‘People who are into dreaded crimes and those making troubles very often are now afraid of being caught and put in jail which can deter them from committing crimes.’) shows that you do not hold this view?

7) I think it is better if you post a few of your essays on the website so that people can learn and follow the right structure.

My comment: Like most people, I cannot afford to work only for free. Sadly, too many people simply look for free downloads of my books. Until sales of my books improve, I can’t add more free content like that.

Hi Pauline, I would like to know whether the tense(s) used in the overview has to correspond to that or those of the data. For example , in a sample answer(unit23-Vocab for IELTS Advanced) you’ve used the present perfect in the overview, whereas the barcharts show a past period(1950-2010).

I can’t find the sentence you mean but you shouls definitely be conscious of the tense you use when there is a change over time being showman the data

Hi Pauline, I have a question about writing a brief counter-argument in the conclusion paragraph of the essay without discussing it in detail (as you have mentioned in the post). I read it on an IELTS blog that in such cases we cannot begin the final paragraph with “in conclusion”, because here we are referring to a possible counter-argument that is not mentioned in the body paragraphs, so it can’t be a conclusion of our arguments, and therefore we cannot use “in conclusion” or “to sum up” at the beginning of this paragraph, do you think it’s true? Thanks for your support.

There is no rule like this, Soheil. I can certainly imagine a band 9 writer referring to a counterargument in the conclusion.

Hi again, I don’t think I could make myself understood. The blog post didn’t say that we cannot write a counter-argument in the conclusion, it said that when we write the counter-argument in the conclusion we cannot begin the conclusion paragraph with “in conclusion” or “to sum up”. Would you say this is accuarate?

Oh, I see, well, I think it would be unconventional but not impossible to do that (there are conventions but no rules like this) The result would probably be a longer paragraph than usual because you would need to summarise all of your points, refer to a counterargument, and then find a way to finish. I would not rule out a native speaker being able to do this, but I am sure the blog was trying to make life easier for learners. The only reason I say that it is possible is that you may find examples like this in the wider world. It is best to see this not as a fixed rule but as ‘good advice’ for what to aim for.

Thank you Pauline, but allow me to explain more; the post in the blog was not concerned about a long paragraph, the only concern was about the use of the phrase “in conclusion”. It said it would be perfectly fine to write a brief counter-argument in the conclusion, but just that we must not use the discourse marker “in conclusion”. The exact post from the blog said the following: “If you want to write a counter-argument in your conclusion, do not write ‘in conclusion’ at the beginning of the paragraph, because you are not just concluding from your body paragraphs, but including a counter-argument as well.” So I imagine the advice was not given to avoid a long paragraph, it simply said write a brief counter-argument, summarise your main points, but just don’t use “in conclusion” at the beginning of it. Honestly I found the advice rather odd, so I wanted to know your opinion. Thanks you so much for your help.

I think there are many people trying to impose ‘rules’ like this, but the reality is actually much more complicated. When teaching the lower levels, (bands 5 or lower) we new present language with very strict rules, but as the learners become more advanced, they learn that language is less structures and much more complicated. I don’t know the bog post or the writer, but it is very difficult to give advice that suits every level at the same time.

Hi Pauline, My name is Barry and I’m a native speaker. I’ve been following your blog for some time now and thank you for the amazing content. I’m planning to take the IELTS test and I’m aiming for a 9 in writing. To my experience, the biggest challenge is planning. I came across this example question from a recent Cambridge book and I’m not sure how to plan for it, do you think you could help me with it? ‘Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?’ I was thinking of writing a paragraph about how music helps bring people of different ages together, and another paragraph about how it can bring different cultures together. Do you think this plan is good for a 9? Or do you think I need a more considered position (maybe by offering a counter-argument)? (honestly I’m not sure how and if a counter-argument fits here). I really appreciate it.

Hi Barry You are correct in thinking that one of the greatest problems (in my view) for native speakers is a lack of planning – aim to spend 5-10 minutes thinking about the issue and about how to explain your own feelings about it before you begin writing anything. The suggested organisation of your paragraphs (what you have written here is an outline and not a plan) could work for someone who is confident that they have sufficient ideas to support these views. It all comes down to what you think about believe about music and its ability to unite people. For me, I would find it easier to write about either of these: A) how music can unite people of different cultures and ages B) ways music doesn’t always unite people of different cultures and ages If the question said ‘Some people think that music is the best way to unite people of different ages and cultures’ Then I would write organise my answer like this: A) ways music does and doesn’t unite people B) other ways of uniting people of different ages and cultures.

The main issue is having ideas that actually do support your main ideas and being able to clearly explain them and logically organise them. Feel free to send a practice essay and I will give some feedback.

Hi Pauline, In your comment to Barry, you said that what he has written is an outline, and not a plan. Can you explain how a plan is different from an outline, and which one do we need for the test,an outline or a plan? Thank you so much.

A plan is far more detailed – I am showing this as a step by step process in my next book, which will be available next month.

Hi Pauline! Can I just clarify your advice to discuss both sides in a ‘to what extent do you agree or disagree’ essay?

Is this advice simply to help candidates avoid repetition?

Is it to help candidates to “address all parts of the task”? Because you seem to equate “sides” with “parts”, then you say that a ‘to what extent’ essay can have 2 sides, thus implying that candidates MUST address both “sides” in a ‘to what extent’ essay in order to get Band 7.

Hi Charlie, yes, it is to help candidates address all parts of the task , but it is also to help in getting extra ideas and avoiding repetition.

The ‘sides’ refers to different sides of an argument, while ‘parts’ relates to ‘parts’ of the question – often these are the same thing (e.g. if there are 2 viewpoints in the question then the ‘parts’ are also ‘sides’ of an argument. Where there is one viewpoint, the different parts can be within the topic itself. E.g, in a question like this: ‘Some people think parents should teach children how to behave so that teachers don’t have to.’ The two ‘parts’ are 1) ‘parents teaching children to behave’ and 2) teachers teaching children to behave’ – which is also, again, 2 different sides of the argument.

Hi, Pauline. This post is of extreme importance to me. Really appreciate your effort! Just to confirm: If we aim for 7 or higher, we need to cover both sides whether we completely agree or disagree, is this correct? I mean, we don’t have to agree with the other side but we need to give it due attention. So we arrive at our conclusion with equal consideration of both sides. This is my understanding of “discuss”. Correct me if I am wrong. Much appreciated!

Yes, that’s exactly right, Thomas.

Dear Ms. Cullen , I am really glad to find this great and helpful site with a great and skilful IELTS teacher . I would like to say that I read some of your points . They are really amazing .

Hi most are the counter-argument essay have unclear conclusions how can we write a counter argument and come to logical conclusion?

I’m explaining this in detail in my new book – it isn’t something you can explain briefly.

Hi, dear Pauline, I remember in your reply to my question last year (which is also on this page), you agreed that if a question has two parts, the discussion of each part should be of an equal amount. However, in the Official Guidance book, the sample for Test 2 (which I know is not written by you) clearly gives more paragraphs to the second question than to the first question. This really confuses me. If the task has two questions, we should answer both in the same or similar length. Is that correct?

Another question is, how do you understand “How true do you think the statement is”? Can I understand it as “to which degree do you agree with it”? The sample does not give me a clear answer. So I am here to bother you again. I really appreciate your time and attention!

Hi Thomas, I am planning on writing new models for the questions in the Official Guide once I have completed my writing book. There is no rule on how much of your essay to devote to different questions when there are 2 – sometimes there is naturally more to say about one than the other, sometimes the second question is there to prompt you so that you have enough to talk about. In my new book I show you how to make sure you address each issue in a balanced way. The question ‘How true do you think the statement is?” should definitely be ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Thanks again for your clarification and I am eager to know when your new book will be available.

Thank you very much Ms. Cullen. I just came across your website and found it really helpful. And now I was wondering if you could find the time to answer my question. As someone who has recently started preparing students for IELTS, do you think I should categorize what I want to teach to students with different target band scores? I mean, for someone who, for example, needs to get a 6 in writing, should I just tell them to take one side (in a TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE essay question) and try to develop it using some certain structures?

Hi Morteza, I address this idea a little in my new course – I am sure you will find it helpful. I have aimed the course at bands 6.5 at the moment but I plan to write a lower level version when I can. There is advice for teachers as well as self-study students. It is a 20-lesson course that could be done in 20 days, or 20 weeks, depending on the time you have. There are printable worksheets too. I’ll be sharing a link soon.

Hi, Paullen. A quick question for you: When “discussing both views”, must I say explicitly that “some people believe”? In other words, is it a must that I should distinguish the views I discuss from my own views, even though I might totally agree with one of them?

Hi Thomas, you need to make it clear 1) when you are addressing the question and 2) what your position is. So, you would need to show through the way that you discuss the opinion you agree with, that you also support it. You do that explicitly (by saying that you do!) and also through the ideas and language you use. The main problem people have is when discussing the idea they disagree with (they tend to show too much support for that idea!) I discuss both of these in my new book and show you how to address it. The ‘counterargument’ chapter is the longest!

Oh, thank you. Cannot wait to buy that book.

So is it a must that I say explicitly that “some people believe…”? Or I just directly discuss the view I agree with?

It’s impossible to give a rule like that – there are many ways to do this, and it will always depend on the individual situation. This is certainly one way and it is a way that I recommend in the book.

Do students get marked down in a question that asks for advantages/disadvantages if they just talk about one in a paragraph? Is it the same for problems/causes and solutions? If they develop one solution really well, would that just be ‘partial’ and limit them to band 6?

Hi Ming, the following post will help: https://keytoielts.com/do-the-advantages-outweigh-the-disadvantages/ There is also information about this in my new book.

hi Mrs, thanks for the useful explanation. I have just purchased your latest book. Love it! for this post, I checked the practice test book 10 page 162 and 166. Why do they only have a counter argument paragraph but no conclusion. So can I not write a conclusion or can I include the counter argument into the conclusion?

Hello, I suggest you read the lessons in my new book in order – they explain everything step by step. If you are still confused by the end then let me know. If you read the introduction you will understand why the sample answers in test practice books are not always helpful.

Hi Thanks for amazing tips. One small question. Is this a good plan for a discussion question. BP1: discussing side A BP2: discussing Side B briefly (in two sentences). + refuting the ideas of side B. Concluding that side A is good.

What I mean is can we discuss one side only briefly? and does it need to be refuted?

That isn’t a ‘plan’ for an essay, it is a very basic description of what an essay looks like. The counterargument needs to be refuted so that you make your own position clear. My task 2 book shows you how to plan your essay and there is a lesson on when and how to write a counterargument: https://keytoielts.com/product/the-key-to-ielts-writing-task-2-course/

Hi Paullen,

When you say Side A and Side B, do you mean one body paragraph should talk about Side A and the other about Side B. I have seen a sample answer in Cambridge IELTS book 10. It is a response to an ‘ is it a positive or negative development’ question. But the sample essay only talks about why the writer thinks it is a negative development. Could you explain why?

That’s the way that I recommend you write so as to get the highest score you can in the test. I refer to the sample answers in the test books as an ‘invisible band 10’ because they are not produced in test conditions and are generally edited professionally. The result is often more subtle, so it will cover all that you need to cover but not in a way that is helpful for candidates. My Writing Task 2 book has over 20 models that were all written in 40 minutes, were assessed as being band 9, and are helpful models for you to follow: https://keytoielts.com/product/the-key-to-ielts-writing-task-2-course/

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The Key to IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Part 3 Video worksheet

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Abortion – Should abortion be legal?

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American Socialism – Should the U.S. become socialist?

Animal Dissection – Should K-12 students dissect animals in science classrooms?

Animal Testing – Should animals be used for scientific or commercial testing?

Artificial Intelligence – Is artificial intelligence good for society?

Banned Books – Should parents or other adults be able to ban books from schools and libraries?

Binge-Watching – Is binge-watching good for you?

Cancel Culture – Is cancel culture (or callout culture) good for society?

CBD for Pets – Is CBD good for pets?

Cell Phone Radiation – Is cell phone radiation safe?

Cheerleading – Is cheerleading a sport?

Churches & Taxes – Should churches (including mosques, synagogues, etc.) remain tax-exempt?

College Education – Is a college education worth it?

Congressional Term Limits  – Should term limits be imposed on U.S. Senators and Representatives?

Constitutional Carry of Handguns – Should permitless, “constitutional carry” of guns be legal?

Corporal Punishment – Should corporal punishment be used in K-12 schools?

Corporate Tax Rate – Should the federal corporate income tax rate be raised?

Cuba Embargo – Should the United States maintain its embargo against Cuba?

DACA & Dreamers – Are DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and the DREAM Act good for America?

Daylight Saving Time – Should the United States keep daylight saving time?

DC AND Puerto Rico Statehood – Should Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico be granted U.S. statehood?

Death Penalty – Should the death penalty be legal?

Defund the Police – Should police departments be defunded, if not abolished?

Dress Codes – Should dress codes be implemented and enforced?

Drinking Age – Should the drinking age be lowered from 21 to a younger age?

Drone Strikes – Should the United States continue its use of drone strikes abroad?

Drug Use in Sports – Should performance-enhancing drugs be accepted in sports?

Election Day National Holiday – Should the election day be made a national holiday?

Electoral College – Should the United States use the electoral college in presidential elections?

Employer Vaccine Mandates – Should employers be able to mandate vaccinations?

Felon Voting – Should people who have completed felony sentences be allowed to vote?

Fighting in Hockey – Should fighting be allowed in hockey?

Filibuster – Should the U.S. Senate keep the filibuster?

Fracking – Should the United States continue fracking

Free College – Should public college be tuition-free?

Fur Clothing Bans – Should fur clothing be banned?

GMOS – Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be grown?

Gold Standard – Should the United States return to a gold standard?

Golf – Is golf a sport and are golfers athletes?

Gun Control – Should more gun control laws be enacted?

Historic Statue Removal – Should historic statues be taken down?

Homework – Is homework beneficial?

Illegal Immigration – Should the U.S. government provide a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants?

Internet – Is the internet “making us stupid?”

Kneeling during the National Anthem – Is kneeling during the national anthem an appropriate form of protest?

Mandatory National Service – Should the United States have mandatory national service?

Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) – Should medical aid in dying be legal?

Medical Marijuana – Should medical marijuana be legal?

Milk – Should humans consume dairy milk?

Minimum Wage – Should the federal minimum wage be increased?

Net Neutrality – Should the U.S. have net neutrality laws?

Obesity – Is obesity a disease?

Olympics – Are the Olympic games an overall benefit for their host countries and cities?

OTC Birth Control Pills – Should birth control pills be available over-the-counter (OTC)?

Penny – Should the penny stay in circulation?

Pit Bull Bans – Should breed-specific legislation (“pit bull bans”) be enacted?

Pokémon – Is Pokémon Go good for our society?

Police Body Cameras – Should police officers wear body cameras?

Prescription Drug Costs – Should the U.S. federal government regulate prescription drug prices?

Presidential Election, 2024 – 2024 Presidential Election Site

Private Prisons – Should prisons be privatized?

Recreational Marijuana – Should recreational marijuana be legal?

Reparations for Slavery – Should the federal government pay reparations to the descendants of slaves?

Right to Healthcare – Should all Americans have the right (be entitled) to health care?

Sanctuary Cities – Should sanctuary cities receive federal funding?

Santa Claus – Is there really a Santa Claus?

Saturday Halloween – Should Halloween be moved permanently to Saturday?

School Uniforms – Should students have to wear school uniforms?

Single-use Plastics Ban – Should single-use plastics be banned?

Social Media & Digital Addiction – Does social media spur digital addiction and other social ills?

Social Security Privatization – Should social security be privatized?

Space Colonization – Should humans colonize space?

Standardized Tests – Do standardized tests improve education in America?

Student Loan Debt – Should student loan debt be eliminated via forgiveness or bankruptcy?

TikTok Bans – Should TikTok be banned?

Uber & Lyft – Are ride-sharing companies a benefit to society?

Universal Basic Income (UBI) – Should the United States implement a universal basic income?

U.S. Supreme Court Packing – Should packing the U.S. Supreme Court ever be considered?

Vaccines for Kids – Should states be allowed to mandate vaccines for school attendance??

Vaping E-Cigarettes – Is vaping e-cigarettes safe?

Vegetarianism – Should people become vegetarian?

Video Games & Violence – Do violent video games contribute to youth violence?

Voting Age – Should the voting age be lowered to 16?

Voting Machines – Are electronic voting machines the best method for voting?

Zoos – Should zoos exist?

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ACLU – Is the ACLU good for America?

Big Three Bailout – Should the big three car manufacturers be bailed out by the U.S. government?

Born Gay – Is sexual orientation determined at birth?

Climate Change – Is human activity primarily responsible for global climate change?

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200+ Transition Words for Argumentative Essay

Transition words are linking words or phrases that connect ideas, sentences, or paragraphs, ensuring a smooth flow of information. They help improve coherence and guide readers through the text.

In this article, let’s talk about what good transition words for argumentative essays are, why they matter so much in argumentative essays, and how to use them effectively. You'll get a clear idea of how these words can make your writing more convincing and easier to read. Plus, we’ll provide you with plenty of examples so you can see how to use them in your own essays.

And if you finish reading and still feel like you could use a hand with your essay, DoMyEssay is here to help. We can assist with any part of your writing process, whether it’s refining your arguments or polishing the final draft.

How to Use Transition Words for Argumentative Essays?

Let’s say you’re in the middle of crafting your argumentative essay. You’ve got great points, and everything makes sense in your head, but when you read it back, it feels a bit disjointed. That’s where transition words come in. When used right, the appropriate transition words can act as a hook for argumentative essay, keeping your readers engaged.

Here’s how to use them effectively:

• Give Each Transition Word a Job Every transition word has a specific role in your essay. Some introduce a new idea, like "firstly" or "to begin with." If you’re adding more info, you might use "also" or "in addition." Then there are those that contrast ideas, like "however" or "on the other hand." Knowing what each word is meant to do helps you pick the right one for the right moment.
• Use Them Where They Count You want to place transition words where they’ll have the most impact (usually at the start of a new paragraph or when you’re shifting to a new point). For example, if you’ve just argued that renewable energy is good for the environment, you could say, "For instance," before giving a specific example. 
• Keep Your Essay Smooth The whole point of using transition words is to keep your essay coherent and flowing naturally. For example, after discussing one advantage of a policy, you might use "similarly" to transition smoothly to the next point, making sure your essay feels connected and logical.
• Mix It Up Using the same transition word over and over can get boring fast. So, try to vary them: use "moreover" instead of always saying "also," or "on the flip side" instead of "however." This keeps your writing interesting and shows that you have a good range of vocabulary. But don’t overdo it: too many transitions can make your essay feel forced.
• Play with Placement Well, transition words don’t always have to go at the beginning of a sentence. Sometimes, they work in the middle or even at the end. For example, you could start a sentence with "Therefore" to show a conclusion. Or, you could use it in the middle: "The policy is effective, therefore reducing costs." This gives your writing a nice rhythm!

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Types of Argumentative Essay Transition Words

Transition words connect your ideas in an argumentative essay, helping your reader follow along without getting lost. They’re small tools that can make your already persuasive writing clearer and more persuasive. Let’s break down some different types of transition words you can use.

Starting a New Point

When you’re starting a new idea or argument, you want your reader to know you’re shifting to something new. Transition words for essays like "initially" are great for signaling this. These phrases help set the stage for the new point you’re about to make, letting your reader know what’s coming next:

• "To start with, renewable energy is a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels."
• "Firstly, social media has changed how we interact with each other."

Adding More Information

Sometimes you need to pile on additional info to back up your argument. Transition words like "besides" help you do just that and make it easy to add layers to your argument, giving it more depth:

• "Furthermore, renewable energy sources can create new jobs in the economy."
• "Also, social media platforms are becoming key tools in education."

Giving Examples

When you want to make your point more concrete, you’ll need to throw in some examples. Words like "for example" help you introduce these examples smoothly. These transitions show your readers that you’re about to give them something real to back up your claim:

• "For instance, countries like Germany have heavily invested in solar power."
• "To illustrate, many businesses use social media to connect directly with customers."

Showing Contrast

Not all points will be in agreement with each other, and that’s okay. When you need to highlight differences or opposing ideas, words like "in contrast" can be your go-tos. These phrases help you present complex ideas with a balanced view by acknowledging other perspectives:

• "However, some argue that renewable energy is still too expensive to implement widely."
• "On the other hand, social media can sometimes lead to misinformation spreading quickly."

Explaining Cause and Effect

When you need to show that one thing leads to another, transition words like "therefore" help make that connection clear. These transitional words help you link your ideas, showing how one thing influences another:

• "Because of the increase in renewable energy, carbon emissions have significantly decreased."
• "As a result, social media has become a powerful tool for activism."

Backing Up with Evidence

When you’re supporting your argument with facts or research, transition words like "according to" or "as shown by" help you introduce this evidence clearly and lend credibility to your argument:

• "According to recent studies, renewable energy could power 80% of the U.S. by 2050."
• "In fact, social media use has been linked to increased engagement in political activities."

Addressing the Other Side

A good argumentative essay doesn’t ignore opposing views. Transition words like "despite" help you address these counterarguments and show that you’ve considered the key point from all angles, which strengthens your argument:

• "Although renewable energy has a higher initial cost, the long-term benefits outweigh it."
• "Even though social media has its downsides, its benefits cannot be ignored."

Wrapping It All Up

Finally, when you’re ready to conclude your essay, use words like "to sum up" to bring everything together and signal to your reader that you’re wrapping things up and summarizing your main points:

• "In conclusion, shifting to renewable energy is not just an option, but a necessity for a sustainable future."
• "All in all, social media's impact on society is profound, offering both opportunities and challenges."

List of Transition Words for Argumentative Essays

Introduction.

• To begin with
• In the first place
• First and foremost
• At the outset
• To start with
• As an introduction
• Before anything else
• Let’s start by
• The first point is
• It all starts with
• To introduce the topic
• To open the discussion
• In the beginning
• To set the stage
• Starting with
• In the first instance
• To lay the foundation
• As we start
• To kick things off
• The first thing to address is
• As a starting point
• Let’s first consider
• Additionally
• Furthermore
• In addition
• Not to mention
• What’s more
• On top of that
• Equally important
• Another point is
• Beyond that
• To further elaborate
• Coupled with
• For example
• For instance
• To illustrate
• As an example
• Specifically
• To give you an idea
• Take the case of
• Consider the following
• As illustrated by
• In particular
• In this case
• To demonstrate
• As shown by
• One example is
• To put it in perspective
• An illustration of this is
• A good example is

Contradiction

• On the other hand
• Nevertheless
• Nonetheless
• In contrast
• On the contrary
• Despite this
• In spite of
• Even though

Cause and Effect

• As a result
• Consequently
• Because of this
• For this reason
• Accordingly
• As a consequence
• This leads to
• Resulting in
• In response to
• With this in mind
• As evidence
• According to
• As demonstrated by
• In support of this
• Research shows
• To back this up
• As confirmed by
• As indicated by
• As corroborated by
• Studies reveal
• As evidenced by
• Data suggests
• As supported by
• Undoubtedly
• It is evident that
• There is no denying that
• It is clear that
• It is certain that
• To emphasize
• As a matter of fact
• Unquestionably
• This suggests that
• It stands to reason that
• In light of this
• This demonstrates
• This proves

Counterargument

• It is true that
• One might argue
• Some may say
• While it is true
• Although it is often believed
• On the one hand
• This may be true, but
• There is some truth to
• In conclusion
• All things considered
• To conclude
• As a final point
• Taking everything into account
• In the final analysis
• Upon reflection
• In retrospect
• To summarize
• Considering these points
• As has been demonstrated

Clarification

• In other words
• To put it simply
• That is to say
• In simpler terms
• To put it another way
• What this means is
• For clarity
• To rephrase
• Put differently
• To be clear
• More specifically
• In plain language
• To put it clearly
• Stated differently
• To break it down
• To put things into perspective
• Without a doubt
• Significantly
• Particularly
• Most importantly
• Emphatically
• It should be emphasized
• It is worth noting
• Importantly
• Subsequently
• Following this
• Simultaneously
• In the meantime
• In the same way
• In a similar manner
• In like manner
• By the same token
• In a similar fashion
• Correspondingly
• In parallel
• Comparable to
• In the same vein
• Analogous to
• In the same spirit
• Along similar lines
• In much the same way

Simple Help for Better Essays

Want to improve your essay’s flow and impact? We’re here to help with easy-to-follow advice and edits.

Wrapping Up

We’ve discussed what the different transition words are, why they matter, and how to use them effectively, complete with examples and tips.

To help you even further, here’s a handy table summarizing the best transition sentences and words to use for each part of your body paragraphs, with some more examples:

On the flip side, Conversely, That said, From a different perspective, On the contrary

But if you’re still scratching your head after reading this, wondering how to add these transitions into your essay, DoMyEssay can help with any part of your writing process. Whether you need assistance with transitions, crafting strong and convincing arguments, or polishing your final draft, we’ve got you covered.