The argumentative essay argues for a particular opinion. Your goal is to persuade the reader to agree with your viewpoint. This approach involves presenting evidence, facts, and logic to support your claims. Unlike the discussion essay, which is more balanced, the argumentative essay actively seeks to convince the reader.
Structure
In an argumentative essay, you should aim for at least six paragraphs, including the introduction and conclusion. If your topic is complex, you may need more paragraphs to cover all your arguments thoroughly. When presenting a counterargument, it is essential to refute it (meaning you will demonstrate why it is incorrect). Most argumentative essays conclude with a call to action, a compelling statement encouraging readers to act or adopt a perspective based on your presented arguments.
- Introduction
- Argument 1
- Argument 2
- Counterargument (that you refute)
- Argument 3
- Conclusion (with a call to action, urging the reader to act or reflect on your discussion)
Example
Bring Knowledge Back to School
What is the purpose of school? Is it to help students feel confident, to develop practical skills, or to prepare them to understand and shape the world around them? In recent years, many schools have shifted their focus from academic knowledge to skills like creativity, collaboration, and digital literacy. While these abilities are valuable, they are often taught at the expense of deep subject knowledge. The question is: can students truly develop meaningful skills if they lack the knowledge to support them?
One central reason to focus on knowledge is that it builds the foundation for all thinking. As education expert Elizabeth Rata points out, academic subjects like science, history, and literature develop our ability to doubt, question, and reason. These are not just school skills – they are life skills, essential for participating in society. Without background knowledge, students cannot think critically or form independent opinions, no matter how good their skills might be. As Daisy Christodoulou argues, “You can’t look it up on Google when you don’t know what you’re looking for.” Accordingly, far from being old-fashioned, content knowledge remains the cornerstone of meaningful education.
I struggled with writing essays until I learned how to structure an argument properly. Once I understood how to use examples and evidence, writing became easier and more meaningful. This experience showed me how knowledge shapes clear thinking. Improving my paragraphs mattered, but what truly made a difference was learning how to shape my thinking and express it clearly. At that moment, I realised that subject knowledge doesn’t limit creativity. It makes it possible.
Furthermore, knowledge-based education promotes fairness. Every student deserves access to powerful ideas, not just those whose parents can provide books, tutors, or rich conversations at home. When schools replace content with vague 21st century skills, they leave students to figure things out on their own. This approach often benefits those already privileged and harms the students who rely on school the most. It allows every student to rise above their circumstances and pursue goals they once thought were out of reach.
However, critics argue that traditional academic teaching is boring or irrelevant. Some believe students should spend more time exploring their interests rather than memorising facts. Canadian teacher Shelley Wright, for instance, believes students should “learn how to learn” and discover their passions through hands-on projects. While this sounds exciting, it risks leaving students without the tools to understand the world. We should allow space for creativity and curiosity, but we must also ensure students have the knowledge to turn curiosity into deeper understanding.
On the contrary, skills and knowledge should not be seen as opposites. When students are taught well, content and skills go hand in hand. As Christodoulou demonstrates in her book Seven Myths About Education, memorisation supports understanding, not the other way around. Learning multiplication tables helps students solve more challenging math problems. Studying grammar makes it easier to write creatively. The idea that knowledge kills creativity is a myth. In reality, knowledge gives students the confidence to be creative, solve problems, and contribute to society.
Ultimately, if we want students to become thoughtful, confident, and capable citizens, we must start by giving them the tools to think for themselves. Skills matter, but they are not enough on their own. School’s real purpose is not to make students feel comfortable, but to challenge them, to teach them what they do not already know, and to open doors they did not know existed. It is time we stop asking if knowledge still matters and start asking why we doubted it in the first place. After all, how can we expect students to change the future if we never give them the knowledge to understand the present?