THE PERSUASIVE ESSAY
Format and Style
Persuasive Essay
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When writing a persuasive essay, your purpose is to
convince your audience to embrace your idea or
point of view. Keeping this purpose in mind is the
key to writing an effective persuasion.
Essential steps for writing a persuasive essay:
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Identify your main idea or point of view. The purpose
will be to persuade your audience to accept your idea
or point of view.
Identify your audience. To write an effective
persuasive essay, try to understand your audience. For
example, are your readers undecided about your issue?
Or are your readers hostile to your point of view?
Considering your audience, identify the strongest
supporting points for your persuasion.
Identify the most significant opposing view.
Explaining and then refuting the opposing view
strengthens the credibility and scope of your essay.
How to organize your persuasive essay:
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Just like any formal essay, your essay will have
three main parts: an introduction, a body, and
a conclusion.
Introduction
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Your introduction should grab your reader's
attention and provide background information on
your topic.
The paragraph should end with a clear statement of
your main idea or point of view.
The “Hook”
The introduction has a "hook” to catch the reader's attention. Some “hooks” include:
1. Opening with an unusual detail: (Manitoba, because of its cold climate, is not thought
of as a great place to be a reptile. Actually, it has the largest seasonal
congregation of garter snakes in the world!)
2. Opening with a strong statement: (Cigarettes are the number one cause of lighter
sales in Canada!)
3. Opening with a Quotation: (Elbert Hubbard once said , "Truth is stronger than
fiction.")
4. Opening with an Anecdote: An anecdote can provide an amusing and attentiongetting opening if it is short and to the point.
5. Opening with a Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis or
interest to your topic. It may be wise to include the item's authoritative source.
6. Opening with a Question. (Have you ever considered how many books we'd read if
it were not for television?)
7. Opening with an Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement. (The whole world watched
as the comet flew overhead.)
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Thesis Statement
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There are three objectives of a thesis statement:
It tells the reader the specific topic of your essay.
It imposes manageable limits on that topic.
It suggests the organization of your paper.
Through the thesis, you should say to the reader:
"I've thought about this topic, I know what I believe
about it, and I know how to organize it."
Example
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Of all the problems facing the environment today,
the one that bothers me the most is global warming.
(Attention Grabber) Some scientists say that the earth is
getting warmer because of the greenhouse effect.
In this paper I will describe the greenhouse effect
and whether the earth's atmosphere is actually
getting warmer. (Thesis Statement)
Your thesis:
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In their film, Disney chose to portray The Adventures
of Huckleberry Finn differently from Mark Twain’s
original version because……..
Body Paragraphs
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The body should consist of at least three paragraphs.
Each paragraph is based on a solid reason to back
your thesis statement.
Since almost all issues have sound arguments on both
sides of the question, a good persuasive writer tries to
anticipate opposing viewpoints and provide counterarguments along with the main points in the essay.
Each body paragraph should focus on one point.
Be sure to provide evidence or examples for each
point.
Elaboration
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Clarifying a position: Think about what needs to be
explained and what can be assumed.
Drawing comparisons: Choose something similar to what is
being explained. Use one of two patterns: Opposing or
Alternating. End with a conclusion. Use cues for the reader.
Making an analysis: You can analyze a problem by looking
at the parts and therefore help the reader to understand.
Drawing an analogy: Use an analogy to explain or
elaborate and idea by identifying significant likenesses
between two objects or ideas when otherwise they are quite
different. This is helpful when the comparison is made to
something that is familiar to the reader.
Conclusion
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A piece of persuasive writing usually ends by summarizing the most important
details of the argument and stating once again what the reader is to believe or do.
Restate your thesis or focus statement.
Summarize the main points: The conclusion enables your reader to recall the main
points of your position. In order to do this you can paraphrase the main points of
your argument.
Write a personal comment or call for action. You can do this:
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With a Prediction: This can be used with a narrative or a cause and effect discussion. The
conclusion may suggest or predict what the results may or may not be in the situation
discussed or in similar situations.
With a Question: Closing with a question lets your readers make their own predictions,
draw their own conclusions.
With Recommendations: A recommendations closing is one that stresses the actions or
remedies that should be taken.
With a Quotation: Since a quotation may summarize, predict, question, or call for action,
you may use a quotation within a conclusion for nearly any kind of paper.
Try to leave your audience even more connected to your topic and persuaded by
your main idea or perspective.
Notes
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As a general guideline, when writing a persuasive
essay:
Have a firm opinion that you want your reader to
accept.
Begin with a grabber or hook to get the reader's
attention.
Offer evidence to support your opinion.
Conclude with a restatement of what you want the
reader to do or believe.
Transitions
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Transitions are words and phrases that connect
ideas and show how they are related.
Examples include:
Types of Transitions
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Transitions between sections—Particularly in longer works, it may be necessary to
include transitional paragraphs that summarize for the reader the information just
covered and specify the relevance of this information to the discussion in the
following section.
Transitions between paragraphs—If you have done a good job of arranging
paragraphs so that the content of one leads logically to the next, the transition will
highlight a relationship that already exists by summarizing the previous paragraph
and suggesting something of the content of the paragraph that follows. A transition
between paragraphs can be a word or two (however, for example, similarly), a
phrase, or a sentence. Transitions can be at the end of the first paragraph, at the
beginning of the second paragraph, or in both places.
Transitions within paragraphs—As with transitions between sections and
paragraphs, transitions within paragraphs act as cues by helping readers to
anticipate what is coming before they read it. Within paragraphs, transitions tend to
be single words or short phrases.
Transitional Expressions
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Similarity also, in the same way, just as ... so too,
likewise, similarly
Exception/Contrast but, however, in spite of, on the one
hand ... on the other hand, nevertheless, nonetheless,
notwithstanding, in contrast, on the contrary, still, yet
Sequence/Order first, second, third, ... next, then, finally
Time after, afterward, at last, before, currently, during,
earlier, immediately, later, meanwhile, now, recently,
simultaneously, subsequently, then
Example for example, for instance, namely, specifically,
to illustrate
Transitional Expressions (cont.)
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Emphasis even, indeed, in fact, of course, truly
Place/Position above, adjacent, below, beyond, here, in
front, in back, nearby, there
Cause and Effect accordingly, consequently, hence, so,
therefore, thus
Additional Support or Evidence additionally, again,
also, and, as well, besides, equally important, further,
furthermore, in addition, moreover, then
Conclusion/Summary finally, in a word, in brief, in
conclusion, in the end, in the final analysis, on the whole,
thus, to conclude, to summarize, in sum, in summary
Sample Outline
I. Introduction:
A. Get the readers attention by using a "hook."
B. Give some background information if necessary.
C. Thesis or focus statement.
II. First argument or reason to support your position:
A. Topic sentence explaining your point.
B. Elaboration to back up your point.
III. Second argument or reason to support your position:
A. Topic sentence explaining your point.
B. Elaboration to back up your point.
IV. Third argument or reason to support your position:
A. Topic sentence explaining your point.
B. Elaboration to back up your point.
V. Conclusion
A. Summary of main points or reasons
B. Restate thesis statement.
C. Personal comment or a call to action.
Peer Revisions
Conferencing with a Peer Ask someone to read your rough draft to see if they understand and can
follow your argument. You may want to put your draft up on the Internet for other students to
respond also. Ask them to consider the following questions. (copy them and paste them at the
end of your essay.) Their answers should show you that your argument makes sense.
1. What is the thesis statement?
2. How is the thesis explained?
3. What are the main points of the argument? (3)
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4. How did the author back up each point?
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5. What are the opposing point(s)?
6. What is the writer's solution?
Rubric
Sources
"Persuasive Writing." Orange Unified School District. Web. 05 Mar. 2010.
<http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba/persuasive_writing.htm>.
Seldess, Jesse. "How to Write a Persuasive Essay." WriteExpress: The #1 Choice
for Sample Letters. Web. 05 Mar. 2010.
<http://www.writeexpress.com/persuasive-essay.html>.