guidelines for writing a persuasive essay

Writing a persuasive essay is like being a lawyer arguing a case before a jury. The writer takes a stand on an issue—either “for” or “against”—and builds the strongest possible argument to win over the reader. In a persuasive essay, it’s the writer’s job to convince the reader to accept a particular point of view or take a specific action. Persuasive essays require good research, awareness of the reader’s biases, and a solid understanding of both sides of the issue. A good persuasive essay demonstrates not only why the writer’s opinion is correct, but also why the opposing view is incorrect. Persuasive writing is a fixture of modern life—found in advertising, newspaper editorials, blogs, and political speeches. Often persuasive writing assignments and test prompts concern contemporary issues, for example: “The school board is debating on whether or not to ban cell phone use in school. Write an essay convincing the board to adopt your position.” As shown in this persuasive writing prompt, the main purpose is not to inform, but to “persuade” or “convince” an audience (the school board) to think or act a certain way. The Five-Step Writing Process for Persuasive Essays At Time4Writing, we believe the five-step writing process is the best approach to learning how to write a persuasive essay. Here are persuasive essay tips for each phase of the writing process. 1. Prewriting for the Persuasive Essay The prewriting phase of writing a persuasive essay is extremely important. During this phase, students should plan every aspect of the essay: Choose a position. Students should think about the issue and pick the side they wish to advocate. Understand the audience. In order to write an effective persuasive essay, the writer must understand the reader’s perspective. Is the reader undecided or inclined to favor one side or the other? Do the research. A persuasive essay depends.
I. Identify an Issue To have an argument in a formal sense, you must begin with an issue, a subject about which there are at least two clearly differing opinions. For example, “drunk driving” is not an issue for debate. However, reasonable people disagree about which policies are most likely to discourage people from driving while intoxicated. Use the following questions to determine whether you have chosen an issue worth pursuing in your writing: 1. Is the issue clearly debatable? 2. Can you explore the issue with something more than pure speculation? (Claims that can’t be verified often make for interesting philosophical discussion, but they don’t lend themselves fully to argument.) 3. Is the issue more than a matter of pure taste or preference? (An author’s own values and beliefs need to be supported in argumentative writing with sound reasoning or evidence.) 4. Does the issue avoid assumptions that are so deeply or universally held that they cannot be argued? II. Articulate Your Stance An argument is an attempt to resolve disagreement, not to defeat everyone who has an opinion other than yours. A good argument is positive: you attempt to persuade people to accept your opinion, but you don’t attack them for having another point of view. In order to argue effectively, you first need a clear idea of your own opinion and the reasons why you hold it. Identify particularly emotional opinions you may have about the issue(s). Rather than basing your arguments and wording on these emotional opinions, be sure you have logical reasoning, facts, examples, etc. to express and support your standpoint. III. Focus on a Purpose and a Thesis Try to limit the scope of your argument. If your issue is too broad, you will have a hard time covering it in a reasonable space and an equally difficult time persuading readers to agree with you. To construct an effective argument, you need.
Summary: The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the wide spread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them. Contributors:Jack Baker, Allen Brizee, Elizabeth AngeliLast Edited: 2013-03-10 11:46:44 What is an argumentative essay? The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Please note: Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are similar, but the argumentative essay differs from the expository essay in the amount of pre-writing (invention) and research involved. The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a capstone or final project in first year writing or advanced composition courses and involves lengthy, detailed research. Expository essays involve less research and are shorter in length. Expository essays are often used for in-class writing exercises or tests, such as the GED or GRE. Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning. The structure of.
This is a video on how write a persuasive essay. It has all the tips and tricks you will.
© Damen, 2002 24. Introduction and Conclusion. These represent the most serious omission students regularly make. Every essay or paper designed to be persuasive needs a paragraph at the very outset introducing both the subject at hand and the thesis which is being advanced. It also needs a final paragraph summarizing what's been said and driving the author's argument home. These are not arbitrary requirements. Introductions and conclusions are crucial in persuasive writing. They put the facts to be cited into a coherent structure and give them meaning. Even more important, they make the argument readily accessible to readers and remind them of that purpose from start to end. Think of it this way. As the writer of an essay, you're essentially a lawyer arguing in behalf of a client (your thesis) before a judge (the reader) who will decide the case (agree or disagree with you). So, begin as a lawyer would, by laying out the facts to the judge in the way you think it will help your client best. Like lawyers in court, you should make an opening statement, in this case, an introduction. Then review the facts of the case in detail just as lawyers question witnesses and submit evidence during a trial. This process of presentation and cross-examination is equivalent to the body of your essay. Finally, end with a closing statement —that is, the conclusion of your essay—arguing as strongly as possible in favor of your client's case, namely, your theme. Likewise, there are several things your paper is not. It's not a murder mystery, for instance, full of surprising plot twists or unexpected revelations. Those really don't go over well in this arena. Instead, lay everything out ahead of time so the reader can follow your argument easily. Nor is a history paper an action movie with exciting chases down dark corridors where the reader has no idea how things are going to end. In.
The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader to agree with your viewpoint or to accept your recommendation for a course of action. For instance, you might argue that the salaries of professional athletes are too high. Or you might recommend that vending machines be banned from your school cafeteria. A successful persuasive essay will use evidence to support your viewpoint, consider opposing views and present a strong conclusion. Some people worry that adopting a school uniform policy would be too expensive. However, there are ways to lessen the cost. For example, in Seattle, Washington, local businesses help to pay for uniforms at South Shore Middle School. In Long Beach, California, graduating students donate or sell their old uniforms. Use evidence to support your viewpoint. Statistics, facts, quotations from experts and examples will help you to build a strong case for your argument. Appeal to the reader’s sense of logic by presenting specific and relevant evidence in a well-organized manner. Consider opposing views. Try to anticipate the concerns and questions that a reader might have about your subject. Responding to these points will give you the chance to explain why your viewpoint or recommendation is the best one. Present a strong conclusion. All your evidence and explanations should build toward a strong ending in which you summarize your view in a clear and memorable way. The conclusion in a persuasive essay might include a call to action. TIP: Use a pleasant and reasonable tone in your essay. Sarcasm and name-calling weaken an argument. Logic and fairness will help to keep it strong.