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Here are three examples of how to write an argumentative essay.
Two important advices:
1- Try to learn how to take advantage of what you study in comprehension, in literature and in civilization; this needs a lot of practices
2- Try to be imaginative and "artistic"
Topic 1: Nature has a beneficial role in our life.
I was chocked when I read an article about how people had sought to change and to control the natural world so that they harm the environment despite our need to nature. You may think that we only need nature as a source of nourishment and oxygen, but I believe that our need to it exceeds to be simple and vital. It is a haven from monotonous way of life, a source of natural remedies, an opening for artistic contemplation, and a source of both freedom and religious sentiment.
First, nature breaks the monotony of life. It is the suitable shelter from stress and routine; a beautiful world to change habits by enjoying the charming landscape. It helps us to calm ourselves and to take a psychological and physical rest. For example, there is no escaping the fact that nature is the best place where one evades his family and work problems or where we can spend a pleasant time with family and friends after the long boring hours of working. Every summer, after the end of the school year, my family and I visit many bewitching places in Tunisia : beaches, forests, and mountains, where I can release my moroseness.
Moreover, Nature has offered natural means to soothe the mind and the body. Herbal remedies for sleeplessness have been used successfully for centuries. For example, a valerian root or a cup of chamomile tea is sleep producer and a scrumptious rest from hot caffeine drinks. Hops, yellow jasmine, and lady slipper are also relaxing herbs. Apart from that, herbs contain important vitamins and minerals, which benefit your general mental and physical health.
Besides, regardless of being a means of release of pressure and oppression, nature is in the favour of artistic field. It helps artists to contemplate and to construct their own worlds. Through nature, they derive ideas and form ideals; they draw different visions of the world thanks to the diversity of nature. Edgar Allan Poe, as an example, uses frequently the natural terminology/lexis in his poems connecting it with the beauty of poetry and love because he finds that “All Nature Speaks”. He defines poetry as “The Rhythmical Creation of Beauty”, and this beauty, according to him, may be reflected in nature “thrown back from flowers […] - As in those gardens”, as he writes in his poem “Al Aaraaf”.
Furthermore, not only does the contact with nature serve the artistic gift but also become a source of freedom and inspiration, of mystical enthusiasm, and of religious sentiment. The beauty of nature can remind us of the majesty of God. It can represent more than that: the famous poet Wallace Stevens finds that it is possible to derive spiritual pleasure from this beautiful scenery. In his poem “Sunday Morning”, for example, he writes, “Shall [we] not find in comforts of the sun- In pungent fruit and bright, green wings, or else- Things to be cherished?”. According to him, we should understand, feel, smell, and see divinity everywhere in natural world. In nature, freedom, equality, beauty, tolerance, self-reliance, and even divinity are no longer abstract concepts, the trace of God is everywhere. This is because nature, as the historian Walter Webb states, “gives no orders […]; it knows nothing of vengeance or mercy. Before nature all men are free and equal”; they all had to rely on themselves to adjust to whatever circumstances requirement.
In conclusion, we all need nature because not solely is it the suitable refuge from the routine strain of contemporary life but also a source of muse and liberty. That is why, we all should protect and preserve the natural world by not interfering in the environmental order.
Topic 2:The negative aspects of our modern life
It was an interesting lecture when we studied about the Golden Ages of civilizations and how it was characterized by both material and moral developments. The relations between people were more intimate, civil, and humane than today. You may think that our contemporary life is more advantageous thanks to the technological and scientific progress, but I believe that this progress leads to negative aspects in the life of the modern man such as pollution, the depersonalization of human relationships, and the devaluation of spiritual values.
The first disadvantage of our modern life is that we are living in an increasingly polluted environment. In our era, people can never make over the use of cars, buses, and machines despite its negative effects: it causes air pollution since it participates in forming smog. When you see the heaven, for example, especially in big cities, it seems to you grey and cloudy even in summer. Apart from that, nuclear fallout is an other dangerous problem that leads not only to air pollution but also to many health problem and diseases. Take the example of the famous Chernobyl accidents; nuclear fallout has harmed people, animals, and even plants. Besides, what makes things worse is the polluted water caused by chemical wastes from factories such as dead fish and contaminated drinking water supplies. In addition to the raw sewage from cities and oil spills from ships.
Moreover, regardless of pollution, the depersonalization of human relationships is an other inconvenience that faces the modern man. Actually, machines are not only in factories but also in houses and in streets. Machines has limited the direct communication between people: instead of visiting each other people prefer using the telephone or the tape recorded telephone answering besides to the automated vending machines, banks, and the computerized dating services than buying from a shop or a market to avoid talking with the seller or meeting the different acquaintances. They find these means the easiest and the fastest one, all what they must do is to put coins, use the credit card to buy something, and compose a number to call the social security or any other services. This absence of communication breeds the solitude that may unbalance the personality of the individual. It is a destructive power since it makes the human being physically and emotionally impotent. The famous poet T.S. ELIOT emphasizes this idea in his poem “The Hollow Men”; he compares the modern man to empty effigies “filled with straw”. The machines make his voice “quiet and meaningless”; they are “Shape without form, shade without colour, - Paralyzed force, gesture without motion”. The city in which they live is just a “dead land”: “This is the cactus land”.
Furthermore, not solely does the modern man suffer from solitude but also from the weakening of spiritual values. In fact, principles are simple souvenirs of the traditional life. To live in a modern society means to change not only clothes, life style, and thoughts but also principles; this is due to the materialistic culture which devalues the man. Many songs, publicities, and films spread the scientific view of the world so that many people believe in science instead of religion. Take the example of Scepticism, a movement which shows some doubt about religion because of the development of new scientific thoughts. Nietzsche insists that morals and religion are but counterfeits, lies made by the human being to assure his survival. This idea is emphasized by Oscar Wilde in his play “The Importance of Bein Earnest” in which he writes, “We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces”. He mirrors the overturn of principles and ideals in the modern society in which “we should treat all the trivial things of life very seriously, and all the serious things with sincere and studied triviality”, as Wilde states, so that “divorces [, for example,] are made in heaven”.
In conclusion, the most dangerous drawbacks of the modern life are that it engenders the solitude and the decadence of the individual. Therefore, I think the modern man should restore his relations with his surroundings and should learn the lessons from his ancestors.
Topic 3: The beneficial effects of reading
People are not interested in reading. I believe that reading has an advantageous effect on our life because it is a profitable means of entertainment, of knowledge, and of building the human being’s personality.
To begin with, reading is an interesting means of entertainment. It is a beneficial way to profit from the leisure time by relaxation. Besides, it is an elevated refuge from the exhausting world of materialism to amuse ourselves by the arts and the good stories manifested by writings. When tired, annoyed, or angry, I always escape to a book; being attracted by the story, I forget about all the annoying things. A romantic and a beautiful story, for example, can raise one’s morale and confidence in the beauty of life, of love, and of morals. An adventurous story, as an other example, invites us to break the mould and the routine and live extraordinary moments and interesting experiences through imagination. Thus, I can regain my liveliness to work.
Moreover, not solely is reading a means of entertainment but also of diffusing knowledge and culture. Through reading books, we can discover new civilizations, customs, traditions, and life types. In addition, we can know the different myths and stories of countries and its inhabitants through the legacy left by ancient and foreign people such as old letters, stories, and tales. What is more, we can exchange information, science, and arts through other people’s writings and improve our use of language and our writing skills. I remember two stanzas from a poem we studied the previous year in which the speaker says, “There is no Frigate like a book/ To take us lands away/ Nor any coursers like a page/ Of prancing poetry”. The speaker emphasizes the idea that reading allows us to visit different lands; only one page of a book is better than any other course.
Furthermore, regardless of being a means of entertainment and knowledge, reading is an important factor in the construction of human personality. It develops his sensibility through romantic stories, his imagination through adventurous and fictional ones, his aptitude for reflection through scientific books, and his vocabulary. It is the best way to improve one’s thoughts and consciousness; through reading, we will be aware of the dos and the don’ts to get rid of ignorance and to pick up our living conditions. The political philosopher Alan Bloom, as an example, states, “If you touch the heart with one book, it can transform a life. […] A book has opened vistas for [students of mine]”. A book can be influential in shaping the character of the person and mainly the child; a child who reads many fictional books is supposed to be imaginative and creative.
In conclusion, reading is one of the most profitable use of time because not solely is it a source of knowledge but also an influential element in our life. That is why, I recommend that schools and universities should encourage students to read by providing cheap and available books and by facilitating the exchange of books between students.
Two important advices:
1- Try to learn how to take advantage of what you study in comprehension, in literature and in civilization; this needs a lot of practices
2- Try to be imaginative and "artistic"
Topic 1: Nature has a beneficial role in our life.
I was chocked when I read an article about how people had sought to change and to control the natural world so that they harm the environment despite our need to nature. You may think that we only need nature as a source of nourishment and oxygen, but I believe that our need to it exceeds to be simple and vital. It is a haven from monotonous way of life, a source of natural remedies, an opening for artistic contemplation, and a source of both freedom and religious sentiment.
First, nature breaks the monotony of life. It is the suitable shelter from stress and routine; a beautiful world to change habits by enjoying the charming landscape. It helps us to calm ourselves and to take a psychological and physical rest. For example, there is no escaping the fact that nature is the best place where one evades his family and work problems or where we can spend a pleasant time with family and friends after the long boring hours of working. Every summer, after the end of the school year, my family and I visit many bewitching places in Tunisia : beaches, forests, and mountains, where I can release my moroseness.
Moreover, Nature has offered natural means to soothe the mind and the body. Herbal remedies for sleeplessness have been used successfully for centuries. For example, a valerian root or a cup of chamomile tea is sleep producer and a scrumptious rest from hot caffeine drinks. Hops, yellow jasmine, and lady slipper are also relaxing herbs. Apart from that, herbs contain important vitamins and minerals, which benefit your general mental and physical health.
Besides, regardless of being a means of release of pressure and oppression, nature is in the favour of artistic field. It helps artists to contemplate and to construct their own worlds. Through nature, they derive ideas and form ideals; they draw different visions of the world thanks to the diversity of nature. Edgar Allan Poe, as an example, uses frequently the natural terminology/lexis in his poems connecting it with the beauty of poetry and love because he finds that “All Nature Speaks”. He defines poetry as “The Rhythmical Creation of Beauty”, and this beauty, according to him, may be reflected in nature “thrown back from flowers […] - As in those gardens”, as he writes in his poem “Al Aaraaf”.
Furthermore, not only does the contact with nature serve the artistic gift but also become a source of freedom and inspiration, of mystical enthusiasm, and of religious sentiment. The beauty of nature can remind us of the majesty of God. It can represent more than that: the famous poet Wallace Stevens finds that it is possible to derive spiritual pleasure from this beautiful scenery. In his poem “Sunday Morning”, for example, he writes, “Shall [we] not find in comforts of the sun- In pungent fruit and bright, green wings, or else- Things to be cherished?”. According to him, we should understand, feel, smell, and see divinity everywhere in natural world. In nature, freedom, equality, beauty, tolerance, self-reliance, and even divinity are no longer abstract concepts, the trace of God is everywhere. This is because nature, as the historian Walter Webb states, “gives no orders […]; it knows nothing of vengeance or mercy. Before nature all men are free and equal”; they all had to rely on themselves to adjust to whatever circumstances requirement.
In conclusion, we all need nature because not solely is it the suitable refuge from the routine strain of contemporary life but also a source of muse and liberty. That is why, we all should protect and preserve the natural world by not interfering in the environmental order.
Topic 2:The negative aspects of our modern life
It was an interesting lecture when we studied about the Golden Ages of civilizations and how it was characterized by both material and moral developments. The relations between people were more intimate, civil, and humane than today. You may think that our contemporary life is more advantageous thanks to the technological and scientific progress, but I believe that this progress leads to negative aspects in the life of the modern man such as pollution, the depersonalization of human relationships, and the devaluation of spiritual values.
The first disadvantage of our modern life is that we are living in an increasingly polluted environment. In our era, people can never make over the use of cars, buses, and machines despite its negative effects: it causes air pollution since it participates in forming smog. When you see the heaven, for example, especially in big cities, it seems to you grey and cloudy even in summer. Apart from that, nuclear fallout is an other dangerous problem that leads not only to air pollution but also to many health problem and diseases. Take the example of the famous Chernobyl accidents; nuclear fallout has harmed people, animals, and even plants. Besides, what makes things worse is the polluted water caused by chemical wastes from factories such as dead fish and contaminated drinking water supplies. In addition to the raw sewage from cities and oil spills from ships.
Moreover, regardless of pollution, the depersonalization of human relationships is an other inconvenience that faces the modern man. Actually, machines are not only in factories but also in houses and in streets. Machines has limited the direct communication between people: instead of visiting each other people prefer using the telephone or the tape recorded telephone answering besides to the automated vending machines, banks, and the computerized dating services than buying from a shop or a market to avoid talking with the seller or meeting the different acquaintances. They find these means the easiest and the fastest one, all what they must do is to put coins, use the credit card to buy something, and compose a number to call the social security or any other services. This absence of communication breeds the solitude that may unbalance the personality of the individual. It is a destructive power since it makes the human being physically and emotionally impotent. The famous poet T.S. ELIOT emphasizes this idea in his poem “The Hollow Men”; he compares the modern man to empty effigies “filled with straw”. The machines make his voice “quiet and meaningless”; they are “Shape without form, shade without colour, - Paralyzed force, gesture without motion”. The city in which they live is just a “dead land”: “This is the cactus land”.
Furthermore, not solely does the modern man suffer from solitude but also from the weakening of spiritual values. In fact, principles are simple souvenirs of the traditional life. To live in a modern society means to change not only clothes, life style, and thoughts but also principles; this is due to the materialistic culture which devalues the man. Many songs, publicities, and films spread the scientific view of the world so that many people believe in science instead of religion. Take the example of Scepticism, a movement which shows some doubt about religion because of the development of new scientific thoughts. Nietzsche insists that morals and religion are but counterfeits, lies made by the human being to assure his survival. This idea is emphasized by Oscar Wilde in his play “The Importance of Bein Earnest” in which he writes, “We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces”. He mirrors the overturn of principles and ideals in the modern society in which “we should treat all the trivial things of life very seriously, and all the serious things with sincere and studied triviality”, as Wilde states, so that “divorces [, for example,] are made in heaven”.
In conclusion, the most dangerous drawbacks of the modern life are that it engenders the solitude and the decadence of the individual. Therefore, I think the modern man should restore his relations with his surroundings and should learn the lessons from his ancestors.
Topic 3: The beneficial effects of reading
People are not interested in reading. I believe that reading has an advantageous effect on our life because it is a profitable means of entertainment, of knowledge, and of building the human being’s personality.
To begin with, reading is an interesting means of entertainment. It is a beneficial way to profit from the leisure time by relaxation. Besides, it is an elevated refuge from the exhausting world of materialism to amuse ourselves by the arts and the good stories manifested by writings. When tired, annoyed, or angry, I always escape to a book; being attracted by the story, I forget about all the annoying things. A romantic and a beautiful story, for example, can raise one’s morale and confidence in the beauty of life, of love, and of morals. An adventurous story, as an other example, invites us to break the mould and the routine and live extraordinary moments and interesting experiences through imagination. Thus, I can regain my liveliness to work.
Moreover, not solely is reading a means of entertainment but also of diffusing knowledge and culture. Through reading books, we can discover new civilizations, customs, traditions, and life types. In addition, we can know the different myths and stories of countries and its inhabitants through the legacy left by ancient and foreign people such as old letters, stories, and tales. What is more, we can exchange information, science, and arts through other people’s writings and improve our use of language and our writing skills. I remember two stanzas from a poem we studied the previous year in which the speaker says, “There is no Frigate like a book/ To take us lands away/ Nor any coursers like a page/ Of prancing poetry”. The speaker emphasizes the idea that reading allows us to visit different lands; only one page of a book is better than any other course.
Furthermore, regardless of being a means of entertainment and knowledge, reading is an important factor in the construction of human personality. It develops his sensibility through romantic stories, his imagination through adventurous and fictional ones, his aptitude for reflection through scientific books, and his vocabulary. It is the best way to improve one’s thoughts and consciousness; through reading, we will be aware of the dos and the don’ts to get rid of ignorance and to pick up our living conditions. The political philosopher Alan Bloom, as an example, states, “If you touch the heart with one book, it can transform a life. […] A book has opened vistas for [students of mine]”. A book can be influential in shaping the character of the person and mainly the child; a child who reads many fictional books is supposed to be imaginative and creative.
In conclusion, reading is one of the most profitable use of time because not solely is it a source of knowledge but also an influential element in our life. That is why, I recommend that schools and universities should encourage students to read by providing cheap and available books and by facilitating the exchange of books between students.
