How do I make an argument in an exam?

It's important to take a few minutes to quickly plan your argument in response to a particular question. You do not want to waste too much writing time doing this, but it is crucial to have a rough structure for your answer in mind before you set off writing in order to move into the higher mark bands.WHAT IS AN ARGUMENT???Your argument is the opinion, point or claim that you want to provide evidence for in your answer. You should state it in the first paragraph of your answer. Usually, it can be summarised in a single sentence.HOW DO I COME UP WITH ONE???Think carefully about the keywords in the question. Your argument should be closely related to these key words. Let's look at some examples...Q1: "Explore how Shakespeare presents ambition in Macbeth"You might argue for this question simply that "in Macbeth Shakespeare shows how one person's ambition is damaging for everyone." This argument stays very close to the question and shows a personal, opinionated response to the play. Perfect! From this general starting point you can start thinking about which specific examples from the text and/or extract support your claim.Here's a second example question: "How does Charlotte Bronte portray the position of women in Victorian society in Jane Eyre?"An argument responding to this prompt might be that "In Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë shows that it is not possible for women to be fully independent in Victorian society." The rest of your answer will be about how Brontë shows the dependent position of women: which techniques and ideas she employs. As you develop your answer, make sure that the points you make, whether examples or counterexamples, support your original argument. If you use a counterexample, say why it is less significant than your examples!Remember... Having an argument in mind as you write will mean that your discussion is coherent, answers the question, and is interesting to read.