Planning Your Persuasive Essay—Arguable Thesis & the Three Appeals
First, your thesis has to be arguable, meaning that you need to make a statement that takes a position on the issue at hand.
Think of this as your answer to the questions “so what?” or “who cares?” Your thesis statement should include both the
subject and your point of view—what the essay is about and what you have to say about it. Your thesis should explain your
position on your subject by asking readers to consider an old or familiar idea in a new way, question an existing idea or point
of view, and/or offer a new or different perspective on the subject. Review pp. 37-38 in Discovering Arguments for more
details regarding thesis statements.
Your Subject:
Your Point of View:
In the space provided below, draft some possible thesis statements for your persuasive essay.
To craft a successful argument, a writer must create a blend of the three persuasive appeals—logos, pathos, ethos. Now
that you have a thesis statement, and an idea of what kind of evidence you want to include (which you have outlined in your
proposal for paper 1), brainstorm how you can use and create the three appeals in your persuasive essay (use the
“Guidelines” on pp. 18, 23, and 31 to help you). Remember, too, what we have discussed in class regarding “showing” not
“telling” in writing. (For more details on using specific evidence—showing not telling—see pp. 63-65 in Discovering
Arguments.)
Logos:
Pathos:
Ethos: