Arguments 

Review any arguments you have made in your paper. Check that all the parts of an argument are present and well developed.

Claims: 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. Review to be sure that you provide evidence for every claim you make – for example, circle each claim you make in the draft; then for each claim, underline the evidence that you are presenting to support it. If necessary, add sentences to explain the reason why the evidence does actually support the claim.

Counterclaims: Your argument should anticipate the possible criticisms and counterclaims of others who disagree with your claim. Review to be sure that you discuss the counterclaims that others might make in response to your claims and evidence.

Rebuttals: Your argument should provide rebuttals pointing to the weaknesses of any potential counterclaims. Review to be sure that you provide rebuttals where appropriate.

Review the Essay Structure module for information on other types of essays that may not involve arguments.