The Problem With ‘Presenting Both Sides’
You’ve probably been told to consider multiple perspectives in your writing. That’s good advice — but it’s often misunderstood. Many students interpret it as ‘describe side A, then describe side B, and leave the reader to decide.’ That’s not an argument. That’s a summary.
A genuine academic argument takes a position and defends it with evidence, while also engaging seriously with counterarguments. You’re not avoiding controversy — you’re handling it with rigour.
Everything Starts With Your Thesis Statement
Your thesis is the claim your entire essay exists to prove. It should be specific, debatable, and answerable within the scope of your paper. ‘Climate change is a problem’ is not a thesis. ‘Current Malaysian climate policy prioritises economic development over long-term environmental stability’ is a thesis — it’s specific, it takes a position, and someone could reasonably disagree with it.
Write your thesis before you write anything else. Then keep checking back against it as you write. If a paragraph doesn’t contribute to proving your thesis, it probably shouldn’t be there.
Building the Body: Evidence and Reasoning
Each body paragraph should do three things: make a claim (your point), support it with evidence (your source), and explain why the evidence proves the claim (your reasoning). This third step is where most students fall short. They quote or cite a source and then move on, leaving the reader to connect the dots.
Spell out the connection explicitly. ‘This suggests that…’ ‘This supports the argument that…’ ‘The implication here is…’ — these linking phrases do real work in an academic essay.
Dealing With Counterarguments
Don’t avoid counterarguments — introduce them and then rebut them. This actually strengthens your position, because it shows you’ve considered the opposition and found it wanting. A simple structure: ‘Some scholars argue X. However, this overlooks Y, which suggests Z instead.’
Coherence: The Thing That’s Hard to Teach
A well-argued essay flows. One paragraph leads naturally to the next. The reader always knows where they are in the argument and where you’re taking them next. This coherence doesn’t happen by accident — it comes from planning.
Before you write, map out your argument in point form. Make sure each point follows logically from the last. If you can’t explain the logical link between two consecutive sections, you might need to rethink your structure.
A Note on Tone
Academic writing should be formal, but not robotic. Overly complex sentences and unnecessary jargon don’t make you sound smarter — they make you sound like you’re trying to hide that you don’t fully understand the topic. Write in plain, precise English. If you can’t explain an idea clearly, there’s a good chance you don’t fully understand it yet.
