Prompt Generator
ChatGPTTemplate, 5 blanks to fill

Help me write an argumentative essay. Build the argument with me first, then draft it, so the thesis and the evidence are mine to approve. Inputs: - The question or topic: [ESSAY QUESTION] - My position, even if rough: [MY POSITION] - Evidence or sources I already have: [SOURCES] - Level and length: [LEVEL AND LENGTH] - Referencing style, if any: [CITATION STYLE] Steps: 1. Turn my position into three possible thesis statements of one sentence each, from cautious to bold. Ask me to pick one. 2. For the chosen thesis, list three supporting points. For each, say which of my sources backs it and what evidence is still missing. 3. Write the strongest counterargument a marker could raise, and a rebuttal that concedes what is true in it. 4. Draft the essay: an introduction that ends on the thesis, one body paragraph per point that opens with a claim and closes by linking back to the thesis, the counterargument paragraph, and a conclusion that adds no new evidence. 5. Use only the sources I gave. Where a claim needs support I have not provided, write [source needed] instead of inventing one. Format: - After step 3, stop and wait for my go-ahead. - The draft with paragraph headings removed, at the requested length. - A list of every [source needed] gap. Quality check: Read each body paragraph's first sentence in order. Together they should state the argument without the rest of the essay.

The words in brackets are the parts you replace with your own details.

What each part of the prompt does

Three thesis strengths
A cautious thesis is easy to defend and dull; a bold one is interesting and harder to support. Seeing both ends side by side helps you choose the claim your evidence can carry.
Evidence mapped to points
Step 2 shows which point rests on which source and which point rests on nothing yet. That gap list tells you what to read next before you write.
Counterargument with a concession
Markers reward essays that take the other side seriously. Admitting what is true in the objection before rebutting it reads as confident rather than defensive.
Topic sentence test
If the first sentences of the body paragraphs read as a summary of the argument, the structure works. If they do not, a paragraph is drifting and needs a sharper claim.

Variations to try

Same idea, one thing changed.

  • Outline only

    Help me write an argumentative essay. Build the argument with me first, then draft it, so the thesis and the evidence are mine to approve. Inputs: - The question or topic: [ESSAY QUESTION] - My position, even if rough: [MY POSITION] - Evidence or sources I already have: [SOURCES] - Level and length: [LEVEL AND LENGTH] - Referencing style, if any: [CITATION STYLE] Steps: 1. Turn my position into three possible thesis statements of one sentence each, from cautious to bold. Ask me to pick one. 2. For the chosen thesis, list three supporting points. For each, say which of my sources backs it and what evidence is still missing. 3. Write the strongest counterargument a marker could raise, and a rebuttal that concedes what is true in it. 4. Do not draft the essay. Instead write a detailed outline: an introduction that ends on the thesis, one body paragraph per point that opens with a claim and closes by linking back to the thesis, the counterargument paragraph, and a conclusion that adds no new evidence. 5. Use only the sources I gave. Where a claim needs support I have not provided, write [source needed] instead of inventing one. Format: - After step 3, stop and wait for my go-ahead. - The outline with one line per paragraph and the source each paragraph will use. - A list of every [source needed] gap. Quality check: Read each body paragraph's first sentence in order. Together they should state the argument without the rest of the essay.

  • Timed exam practice

    Help me write an argumentative essay. Build the argument with me first, then draft it, so the thesis and the evidence are mine to approve. Inputs: - The question or topic: [ESSAY QUESTION] - My position, even if rough: [MY POSITION] - Evidence or sources I already have: [SOURCES] - Level and length: [LEVEL AND LENGTH] - Referencing style, if any: [CITATION STYLE] Steps: 1. Turn my position into three possible thesis statements of one sentence each, from cautious to bold. Ask me to pick one. 2. For the chosen thesis, list three supporting points. For each, say which of my sources backs it and what evidence is still missing. 3. Write the strongest counterargument a marker could raise, and a rebuttal that concedes what is true in it. 4. Draft the essay: an introduction that ends on the thesis, one body paragraph per point that opens with a claim and closes by linking back to the thesis, the counterargument paragraph, and a conclusion that adds no new evidence. 5. Use only the sources I gave. Where a claim needs support I have not provided, write [source needed] instead of inventing one. Format: - Do not stop after step 3; go straight to the draft, written as a strong student could in 45 minutes without notes. - The draft with paragraph headings removed, at the requested length. - A list of every [source needed] gap. Quality check: Read each body paragraph's first sentence in order. Together they should state the argument without the rest of the essay.

If the result isn't right

  • Check your school or course rules on AI help first; many allow planning and feedback but not submitting generated text.
  • Rewrite the draft in your own words paragraph by paragraph. You will remember the argument and it will sound like you in a viva or class discussion.
  • Give exact page numbers in [SOURCES] so citations in the draft point somewhere real.
  • If ChatGPT offers a thesis you like but cannot support, choose the next one down; a modest claim argued well beats a big one argued thinly.