In Cold Blood:
Persuasive Essay
What is an Opinion/Persuasive
Essay?
An opinion essay gives the writer's
opinion, a view or belief that can't be
proven as a fact.
 The opinion appears as part of an opinion
statement in the beginning paragraph.
 The opinion is supported by main reasons,
which appear in the topic sentences of
middle paragraphs.

Format
Question:
Television news shows many
scenes of disasters and violence. What effect can
this have on individuals and society?
“ It’s almost
Paragraph 1:
impossible to avoid
Introduction
seeing images of
 Capture the readers
famine, war, natural
attention and
disasters, and violence
introduce the topic.
on our screens. These
 Give an opinion
graphic images can,
statement. In this
encourage us to act , or
statement outline
leave us cold, and in
this essay I will discuss
what it is you will be
the effects of these
discussing in your
constant powerful
essay.
pictures.”
Paragraph 2: Body Paragraph
 Start each paragraph with a topic
sentence that states one main reason or
side of the argument.
 Add supporting details.
 Use transitions to connect ideas.
 Provide an ending sentence.
“ It is natural to respond to other people’s suffering.
When we see hungry children or frightened refugees on
our televisions, we want to send money or support.
Huge relief efforts such as Live Aid or Action for Haiti
have resulted from ordinary people’s reactions (Mumford
3). Another natural response is anger. We ask our
leaders to act to change the political or economic
situation that causes the pain. Some people also take
action themselves. They volunteer time in their home
communities to raise funds, or even work or fight in the
affected region.”
Paragraph 3: Body Paragraph
 State opposing views and give arguments
against them.
“However, the frequency of these painful and
violent scenes can also have opposite effects. First
of all, it doesn’t seem right to watch tsunamis or
other disasters while we are eating breakfast. Some
people become obsessed with bad news on the
television or internet. Second, it’s also natural to
protect yourself and those around you. To reduce
the impact on ourselves or our families, we change
the television channel or make a joke about the
conflict or continent affected. Finally, because the
images seem never-ending, we get fed up sending
money, which does not seem to have any effect.
Many people feel powerless and therefore do
nothing, until an even more powerful image is
forced on them.”
Paragraph 4:Conclusion
 Restate the opinion.
 Summarize main
reasons.
 Give a call to action.
“In conclusion,
these scenes on
television can
motivate us to act
and help others, or
they can discourage
and depress us . It’s
probably better to
think carefully about
what we watch and
our reasons for
watching.”
Essay Question: Dialectical Journal
Why is our society so fascinated by crime?
Use examples from both the article and
text to support your argument. Also, use
MLA format for bibliography and in-text
citations.
Mumford, Lewis. The Culture of Cities. New
York: Harcourt, 1938. Print.
