Student Name:________________ Period:_____________ Date:________
Directions: Pick three of the following situations. For each situation write
one persuasive paragraph for a total of three paragraphs. Be sure EACH and
every paragraph includes all three appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos.
Situation 1: Your parents want you to do all your chores every Friday night. Write a one paragraph
proposal to your parents that convinces them of a better, different way that you can help around
the house.
Situation 2: You friend is about to text your other friend some horribly mean insults. Write a one
paragraph text/email to convince your friend that it is a bad idea to send the text.
Situation 3: Your parents are going to drop you off at a family friend’s house while they are out of
town for a week. Write a one paragraph script of what you would say to convince them that you
will do just fine on your own at home.
Situation 4: Lately, there has been a lot of bad publicity about teenagers doing terrible things. You
are writing a paragraph to the newspaper trying to convince adults that high school students can be
a powerful force for positive change.
Situation 5: You are 1% away from the next highest grade in one of your classes. Write a one
paragraph request to your teacher to raise your grade 1% before the end of the grading period.
Helpful Hints:
 Ethos – Show that you are an authority, can be trusted, and/or
know what you are talking about.
 Logos – Use facts, statistics, numbers, and information to prove
you are correct.
 Pathos – Show how you feel about it or suggest how others
should feel about it in order to persuade your audience.
Student Name:________________ Period:_____________ Date:________
Persuasive Paragraphs Essay Rubric

96-100
Exceptional use of all three appeals in all three paragraphs, persuasive and realistic ideas,
supporting details, and correct conventions. Ideas are exceptionally clear, authentic and
accurate. Topic sentences are supported with details. Paragraphs are proofread and corrected.
 Details are relevant, carefully selected and unique
 Paragraphs are original, complex and insightful
 All paragraphs include all three types of appeals

90-95
Good proofreading and good examples are used. All three paragraphs are clear, focused, and
interesting throughout. All three appeals are used.
 Details are relevant and support the topic sentences well
 Persuasion is thoughtful
 There are three paragraphs which each use ethos, logos, and pathos

80-89
Ideas are clear and organization is apparent. Supporting detail may be limited but is adequate.
Some common spelling/usage errors.
 Details are relevant, but some may be overly general or limited
 All three paragraphs are developed and on topic
 All three appeals are attempted in each paragraph
 Some use of appeals is a little unclear

70-79
Ideas are overly broad or simplistic, and supporting detail is limited and/or inadequate. Several
obvious proofreading/organization errors.
 Details may be irrelevant and are limited in scope
 There are three paragraphs, but paragraphs may be short and contain limited details
 All three appeals are attempted in each paragraph with limited success
OR
 One or two appeals seem to be missing

65-69
Ideas are unclear or somewhat simplistic, or development and supporting detail are minimal.
Organization is minimal or missing key components. May contain multiple convention errors.
 Details are often irrelevant and are insufficient
 Development/persuasion is minimal
 Paragraphs are mostly on topic, but whether or not they use the appeals is unclear.

0-64
Ideas are lacking or overly simplistic, or there are not enough or no supporting details. Little to
no organization. Convention errors may interfere with text comprehension.
 Details are irrelevant, inappropriate, unclear and/or confusing
 Organization is minimal or non-existent
 May be missing one or more of the paragraphs
 May be missing one or more of the appeals
Overall Score: ____________