Argument

Argumentative essays typically begin with a claim, usually in the form of a thesis statement. This claim should be something that is truly debatable, and a good portion of the essay should be organized around laying out the evidence in favour of the claim. 

Each paragraph in the essay should be clearly related in some way to the primary claim; for example, there will likely be paragraphs in which the author explains the reason why the evidence introduced does actually support the claim. Sometimes neglected by students, but of great importance in an argumentative essay, are paragraphs devoted to introducing counterclaims.

The best arguments anticipate possible criticisms and provide rebuttals to them. The overall structure of this type of paper should be based in asking what your readers need to know in order to be convinced that your claim is important, accurate, and can be defended against its critics.