…Or, save some time and see it my way.
Where do I start?
 Decide what you want to write about.
 Look at both sides of the issue.
 Decide which side you can best support.
 Look at the arguments to support your position (side)
and pick three of the best supportive arguments for
your essay.
How to construct a persuasive
essay
The INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH
states the issue and your position on it
Second paragraph: Second Strongest Argument
Reason One with evidence and support
Third paragraph: Weakest Argument
Reason Two with evidence and support
Fourth paragraph: Strongest Argument
State an objection or argument someone from the opposing side could
make and then respond to their objections.
CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
Restates your position and recommends a course of action
Introduction paragraph
 How can you hook your readers and make a lasting
impression? What memorable quotation, anecdote, or
statistic will catch their attention?
Have you ever enjoyed the antics of the orangutans or watch the polar
bears swim at Hogel Zoo? Have your been up to see the Zoo Lights this
season? Unless we make sure that public funding for the zoo continues,
those experiences will be just memories.
HOOK
Example
 Question Have you ever enjoyed the antics of the




orangutans or watch the polar bears swim
at Hogel Zoo?
Anecdote I was living in Arkansas the first time I met
prejudice face to face.
Definition Hyperbole means extreme exaggeration. I
found out it was easier to say than use.
Quotation “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Setting
In a small school, tucked up in hollow in
Kentucky, students are discovering the
power of excellence.
HOOK
 Exaggeration
Example
A billion bikers can’t be wrong.
 A riddle
What do you call an eight-legged
weaver?
 General to
When we talk of honor, we need to
specific statement
start with honesty.
• Name of famous Judy Bloom will never know what
person/place
she started.
• Exclamation
Whew! And you thought the desert
was hot!
Should the Driving Age Be Raised
to 18?
(Begin with your hook)
If your neighbor robs a bank, should you go to jail?
No. If your classmate gets in an accident, should your
driver’s license be taken away? Of course not. Neither
situation is fair. Raising the driving age will punish all
young drives for the mistakes of a few of their peers.
(End the paragraph with your position)
Introduce the issue in an interesting way and end the paragraph by stating
your position on the topic.
First body paragraph
 Tell me the first reason I should support your opinion.
Then support your argument.
WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT
STATISTICS
EXAMPLES
OBSERVATIONS
ANCEDOTES
QUOTATIONS
Facts that are stated in numbers
Specific instances that explain points
Events or situations you have seen firsthand
Brief stories the illustrate your point
Direct statements form authorities
First reason with evidence and support. Begin with a topic sentence followed by
statistics, examples, observations, anecdotes, or quotations.
In this country we live by the principle of innocent
until proven guilty. Those who want to raise the driving
age have labeled teens guilty before they’ve gotten in an
accident or before they’ve even stepped into a car. They
believe that just because of your birth date, you are
dangerous and must be punished by having your ability
to drive taken away from you.
Second body paragraph
 Tell me the second reason I should support your
opinion. Then support your argument.
WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT
STATISTICS
EXAMPLES
OBSERVATIONS
ANCEDOTES
QUOTATIONS
Facts that are stated in numbers
Specific instances that explain points
Events or situations you have seen firsthand
Brief stories the illustrate your point
Direct statements form authorities
Think of another reason lawmaker
should not raise the driving age.
(This is your weakest argument)
Write a topic sentence that introduces your position.
Then write two or three more sentences that support
that argument. Use statistics, examples, observations,
anecdotes, or quotations.
Third body paragraph
 Write an objection or argument someone from the
opposing side could make against you.
 Write your response to their objection. This is your
strongest argument for your position

Those who favor raising the driving age say that statistics show
teenagers are more likely to get into accidents than adults. Raising the
driving age won’t save lives. Studies show that it is inexperience, not
age, that causes accidents. Raising the driving age will just create
inexperienced, accident-prone drivers at 18 instead of 16. What they
don’t say is that statistics also show that men of all ages are 77 percent
more likely to kill someone while driving than women. If people want
to save lives by raising the driving age, then how about saving lives by
allowing only women to drive?
Conclusion paragraph
Begin by restating your position on the topic in the first sentence.
Recommend a course of action.
Teens need the ability to drive just as much as anyone
else—to get to school, to get to work, to get to sports or
band practice, or just to go out with their friends. Cars
are necessary for mobility in this country. Taking that
away is a large disruption to the lives of teenagers—for
no good reason. Keep the law the way it is.