Ways to
Improve your
Persuasive
Paragraph
Use
formal language
– i.e. no slang words;
avoid contractions
(can't, don't)
Do
not use a first person
point of view in your
persuasive writing (“I”), or
any personal pronouns
(“you”, “me”, “we”, “our”,
etc.). This is not an
opinion paragraph!
Avoid
over-generalized
statements – i.e. “As all
readers/viewers would
agree...” (do not assume that
your reader will agree with you
right away, instead, PERSUADE
them that your position is the
most valid or convincing)
 Remember
the topic ‘hook’ at the beginning
of your persuasive paragraph to grab your
reader's attention (a relevant fact, a
quotation, an astute observation, or a
rhetorical question). Introduce your topic of
exploration and draw your reader in...leave
them wanting more!
 Ex:
In the wise words of fiction author,
Conrad Smith, “Characters add humanity to
the written word”, proving that it is the
intensity of universal human emotions that
link readers to stories and their central
conflicts (Smith Quotations.com).
State
your position on
the topic
question/prompt in an
explicit, one-sentence
thesis statement that
guides your entire
paragraph. This is what
you want to prove!
Be
concise and assertive
when stating your thesis.
Use confident language
(diction) – i.e.
undeniable, indisputable,
evident, clear, obvious,
proven, exemplified, etc.
Stay
focused on the
topic prompt…always
keep your thesis in
mind. Only write what
is relevant!
Use
a fully-developed
point, proof, analysis
structure in order to
defend your thesis
statement (2
points/proofs/analyses
will be required for your
evaluation)!
Make
a clear connection
between your point and
your proof in your analysis
sentences. Explain why both
reinforce the position that
you have taken in your
thesis statement!
Be
specific in your proof.
Include a direct quotation
from the text as support and
properly reference it using
correct MLA citation
formatting (in-text
parentheses and a Works
Cited page).
Re-state
your thesis in
your concluding
sentence(s) using
different words than you
initially used, but without
changing your argument
or point of focus.
When
writing the title of a
television show, film, poem or
short story from an anthology, or a
newspaper/magazine article, the
title should be either written in
“quotations” or italicized.
When
writing the title of a novel or
a play, the title should be
underlined or italicized.
Keep
your verb tense consistent in
your writing (present tense rather
than past tense) – i.e. “develops”
rather than “developed” or “says”
rather than “said”. When referring
to the action in a novel, article,
short story, film or television show
in your writing, always use the
present tense.
In
formal writing, do not begin a
sentence with the words “but,”
“and,” or “because.” Although you
will see this in fiction or creative
writing, it is not technically accurate
as these words imply an attachment
to another thought/ idea (likely in
the sentence preceding it), and
therefore this sentence cannot stand
on its own (a sentence fragment).
You
are writing ONE
paragraph…How
many indents (1)?
How many sentences
(12-13)? How many
pages (1)?
Pay
attention to
your sentence
fluency…read your
writing out loud to
help you detect
avoidable errors!
Use
transition words and
phrases to connect your
sentences so that your writing
flows logically and effectively
(i.e. therefore, also, in addition,
for example, for instance, next,
consequently, nevertheless,
nonetheless, furthermore, in
conclusion, finally, etc.)
Your
paragraph
should not address
“what the story is
about” (no
summaries allowed)!
Use
repetition purposefully and
effectively as a rhetorical
technique! There is a
significant difference between
not owning a thesaurus or not
being original/critical/in-depth
in your analysis and using
repetition for emphasis.
Always
be concise
in your writing! Say
exactly what you
mean!
Include
a creative and
relevant title for your
paragraph – do not
simply write a title like
“Persuasive Paragraph
#1” or “Persuasive
Evaluation”
Do
not confuse the terms
“narrator”, “protagonist”,
and “author”…they are not
all the same thing! (For
television or film examples,
reference the characters
and director, not the actors)
Remember
that this is not a
creative piece of
writing…this is a formal
persuasive paragraph. If
you write a creative piece,
you will receive a grade
that is below a level 1 (a
failing grade)
Do
not write, “In
English class we…”.
Do not reference the
class in your
paragraph! Maintain
a formal tone!