Persuasive
Writing
Intro Part I
What is Persuasive Writing
 Persuasive
writing is a style of writing.
 The purpose of a persuasive paper is to
gain support for a cause.
 You want to convince your audience (the
reader) that your side of an argument is
the right side!
 You are being graded on: Focus, Support,
Organization, Integration, & Conventions.
For Example…
 You
all have experience with persuasion!
 Think about a time when you wanted to
convince your parents to let you do
something.
 How did you convince them to listen to
you?
 What was your argument to your parents?
 What was the reason they changed their
mind in the end?
Persuasion in practice





Think back to the video clip we saw on
Jordan being the youngest boy to climb
mount Everest.
Do you think the reporter agreed with
Jordan’s parents in allowing their son to climb
this Mountain?
How do you know?
Do you think Jordan should have been
allowed to climb?
Why or why not?
Ethos

Ethos is the ethical appeal, means to convince an
audience of the author’s credibility or character.


An author would use ethos to show to his audience that
he is a credible source and is worth listening to. Ethos is
the Greek word for “character.” The word “ethic” is
derived from ethos.
Example


"As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of
treatment will likely generate the best results."
"My three decades of experience in public service, my
tireless commitment to the people of this community, and
my willingness to reach across the aisle and cooperate
with the opposition, make me the ideal candidate for
your mayor."
"The veterinarian says that an Australian shepherd will be
the perfect match for our active lifestyle."
Pathos

Pathos is an emotional appeal. It means to persuade
an audience by appealing to their emotions.


Authors use pathos to invoke sympathy from an audience;
to make the audience feel what what the author wants
them to feel. A common use of pathos would be to draw
pity from an audience.
Examples


"If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die! Can’t you
see how dangerous it would be to stay?"
"I’m not just invested in this community – I love every
building, every business, every hard-working member of
this town."
"There’s no price that can be placed on peace of mind.
Our advanced security systems will protect the well-being
of your family so that you can sleep soundly at night."
Logos

Logos is the appeal to logic. It means to convince an
audience by use of logic or reason.


To use logos would be to cite facts and statistics, historical
and literal analogies, and citing certain authorities on a
subject. Logos is the Greek word for “word”
Examples

"The data is perfectly clear: this investment has consistently
turned a profit year-over-year, even in spite of market
declines in other areas."
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we have not only the
fingerprints, the lack of an alibi, a clear motive, and an
expressed desire to commit the robbery… We also have
video of the suspect breaking in. The case could not be
more open and shut."
A quick clip
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4tTu
gqBkJU
Organizing
Your Paper
Part II
How to organize your paper
 1.


 2.

Choose your position.
Which side of the issue or problem are you
going to write about, and what solution will
you offer?
Know the purpose of your essay.
Analyze your audience.
Decide if your audience agrees with you, is
neutral, or disagrees with your position.
How to organize your paper

3. Research your topic.




A persuasive essay must provide specific and
convincing evidence.
Often it is necessary to go beyond your own
knowledge and experience.
You might need to go to the library or interview
people who are experts on your topic.
4. Structure your essay.


Figure out what evidence you will include and
in what order you will present the evidence.
Remember to consider your purpose, your
audience, and your topic.
Essential criteria for an
effective paper

Be well informed about your topic. To add to
your knowledge of a topic, read thoroughly
about it, using legitimate sources. Take notes.

Disprove the opposing argument. Give
reasons why your argument is the best
argument!

Support your position with evidence.
Remember that your evidence must appeal
to reason.
Justify your opinions

The body paragraphs are where you justify your
opinions and lay out your evidence. Remember that if
you don't provide evidence, your argument might not
be as persuasive.

For example, don't just say: "Dolphins are very smart
animals. They are widely recognized as being incredibly
smart.”

Instead, say: "Dolphins are very smart animals. Multiple
studies found that dolphins worked in tandem with
humans to catch prey. Very few, if any, species, have
developed mutually symbiotic relationships with humans."
Writing your
paper
Part III
Making sure you know your
points
 Remember
your end goal is to gain support for
your side of the argument.
 You need to have strong evidence and support!
 Before you choose a “side” for your paper, you
need to:




Research: find out what you are talking about. You
need to have an understanding of your topic.
Evidence: Look for examples, articles, reports on your
“side” and see if you have enough evidence to
prove your ideas.
Choose 2 MAIN ideas you will try to prove.
Choose 2 forms of evidence you have for each idea
to prove you are right.
Hooking the reader
 Just
like in the novel Peak it is important to
grab your readers attention with a strong
hook and real them in!
 There are many effective ways to hook
your reader, but you must choose the
best hook for your specific paper.
Evidence



Your paper must be based on some kind of
factual evidence. You cannot make up facts or
statistics.
To influence your reader, choose one or two facts
to build your case upon.
Consider other non-fiction text we read.
Acceptable forms of evidence may include:





Statistics
Quotes
Numbers
Articles supporting your ideas
Case studies
Giving Credit
 You
can directly quote:
 You can paraphrase & include author’s
name in your sentence.
 You can paraphrase and cite at the
information.
 You must give credit to any ideas that are
not your own!
Thesis Statement
A
thesis statement is a one sentence
statement that tells the reader your
opinion on a topic.
 A thesis statement is the last sentence of
your introduction paragraph.
 It basically tells the reader what your
paper will be arguing.
Conclusion
 Remember:
conclusions make or break a paper. If
the ending of a movie stinks, no one cares about
what happened in the beginning.
 Transition
phrases are your friends! These are
important to bring your thoughts together! Recall:
FACT: Statement pattern.
 Use
your vocabulary!
 Techniques
to use: Compare and contrast,
rhetorical questions, make statements, explain your
reasons (…because…)
Sample Outline
Persuasive Outline:
Introduction: Includes background info, purpose, and position
of your paper. DO NOT USE “This paper will talk about..”
Simplified: Tell me what I need to know, what we are
talking about, what you think and why you think that.
1.
2.
3.
Background: Tell me what I need to know about the topic
in order to understand your ideas.
What is the topic/question we are talking about?
What are your opinions to the question and give 2 reasons
why.
Body: First point of your position.
Give a specific example or “proof” for your opinion.
Explain your thoughts.
1.
2.
Make a statement or give your reason for your opinion.
Give your proof or support for that statement you made.
Body: Second point for your position.
Same as part II, only make sure to transition your
thoughts and give concrete examples.
Conclusion:
Summarize your MOST important points and add
make your final appeal to your reader. Think: What
do you do if there is something you want and
you’ve got 1 minute to convince me?
1.
2.
3.
What are the most important points you made?
What do you want your reader to think about
before they finish reading your paper that they
might not have realized before?
What are your own personal closing thoughts on this
matter?