When you write an academic essay, it is your chance to make an argument. You state
your thesis, and then you find evidence to support that thesis. One useful tactic when writing an
academic essay is to think about the possible arguments which could be made against your
thesis. These are called counter-arguments. Thinking of counter-arguments yourself is a good
way to test the strength of your thesis. It also allows you to think about the ways a reader may
doubt your thesis, and gives you a chance to anticipate the reader’s skepticism and develop ideas
to rid your argument of its holes or flaws. One of the most effective ways to use counter-
argu ments is to present and confront the counter-argument within your paper. This writing tactic
will make the reader more willing to accept that your argument is not one-sided and slanted, but
rather well thought out. It shows that you, as a writer, are more concerned with presenting a
clear, truthful argument, than simply winning a debate.
Counter-Argument
Not all counter-arguments are important, of course, and it is up to you as the writer to
consider counter-arguments are worth acknowledging. It is not necessary to include a counter-
argument in a paper merely for the sake of having one, however considering views other than
your own or in contradiction to your own is usually an aspect of a quality essay. Instructors are
generally happy to see a counter-argument within an essay, even if they did not specifically ask
for one, because it shows how much the writer has thought about the topic.
The Turn Against
Using a counter-argument within an essay requires two key stages. First you challenge
your own argument by using a counter-argument and then you play down the counter-argument,
thus reaffirming your original argument. To do this, you must imagine a skeptical reader or
source who might counter your original argument by stating:
- A problem with the development of your argument. Perhaps a different conclusion than
your own could be drawn from the evidence given in your essay. Maybe you have taken a
key word or phrase out of context within your paper. Or maybe you have even toned
down or ignored certain points or facts to strengthen your argument.
- Realistic drawbacks to the argument you have proposed.
- A proposal, different than your own, which could make more sense.
The key with presenting counter-argument is to use certain catch phrases such as One might
think instead that… or It could appear that the opposite is true… or even by using an anticipated
challenging question such as But is this the case? Or Can we consider this true? Then you
declare your stance against yourself, briefly but clearly, providing some evidence if possible. Be
sure that your counter-argument is presented with the same clarity as your actual
argument. A poorly presented counter-argument will only hurt your paper!
The Turn Back
Next you must return to your original argument—which you do by using words such as,
but, however, nonetheless, or however—using clear and well thought out reasoning (never a short
