Argumentative essays are similar to persuasive essays but the main difference is that a persuasive essay uses more emotional appeals to change the view of the reader whereas an argumentative essay relies more on facts and logic. Argumentative essays are more formal than persuasive essays.
Argumentative essays are assigned to test the students’ research and analytical skills. You have to know the pros and cons of your position and be able to highlight the strengths and mitigate the weaknesses. Argumentative writing is useful in anything that relies on being persuasive through hard facts.
Learning to write a good argumentative essay will teach you to critically analyze a position and how to defend your point from attacks. It's a skill that will be useful all through life, whether it's at work, or in an argument with friends. Have a look at the argumentative essay samples below to see how they are written.