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This article was co-written by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an assistant professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 35,893 times.
A persuasive essay is a piece of writing with the purpose of persuading the reader to agree with a certain point of view or statement, usually one that the writer believes. Your essay can be based on any issue on which you stand or have a clear opinion. Whether it’s protesting unhealthy food at school or asking a business owner for a raise, writing persuasive essays is an important skill everyone should have.
Steps
Prepare the foundation
- Look for cue words that indicate whether you need to write a simple persuasive essay or an argumentative essay. For example, if there are words like “personal experience” or “personal observation” in the text, you will know that you can use that to support your argument. [1] X Research Source
- On the other hand, words like “defend” or “reflect” imply that you should write argumentative essays, which often require objective and less personal evidence.
- If you are not sure what to write, ask your instructor.
- Try to get to work as soon as possible. That way, if something unexpected happens like a computer failure, you still have enough time to complete the essay.
- Try applying equilibrium theory to a rhetorical situation. Accordingly, you will look at the facts, definition (meaning or nature of the problem), quality (problem importance) and resolution (problem action plan).
- To look at events, try asking: What happened? What events are known to everyone? How did this problem start? What can one do to change the situation?
- As for the definition, ask: What is the essence of this problem? What kind of problem is this? Which category or category would this issue be most relevant to?
- When looking at quality, ask: Who does this issue affect? How serious is it? What can happen if it is not resolved?
- To consider a workaround, you should ask yourself: Should someone take action? Who needs to act and what should they do?
- For example, when protesting unhealthy school lunches, you can take very different approaches, depending on who you want to convince. If targeting school administrators, you should raise the issue of how student receptivity is related to healthy food. If you are targeting parents of students, you can mention the health of their children and the cost of treating illnesses caused by inappropriate eating. And if you want to “launch a movement” among students, you can make an appeal based on your personal opinion.
- The thesis statement will also introduce the layout of the essay. Do not list ideas in this order but then present them in another order.
- For example, a thesis statement might look like this: Prepared foods are cheap but not good for students. It is important for schools to provide hot and healthy meals, even if the cost is higher. School lunches can make a huge difference to a student’s life, and the lack of healthy meals can be detrimental to them.”
- Note that this thesis statement is not a three-part thesis. You don’t have to state every sub-point to include in your essay (unless you’re asked or given to do so). You need to convey exactly what you are going to argue about.
- A mind map can help you in this step. Let’s start with the central subject and draw a box around it. Next is to arrange other ideas in smaller bubbles around. Connect the bubbles to complete the diagram and identify relationships between ideas. [5] X Research Sources
- You don’t have to implement the whole idea in this step yet. The most important thing here is to come up with ideas.
- For example, in your persuasion essay about healthy school lunches, you might suggest that fresh and natural foods taste better. This is a personal opinion and no proof is required. However, if you want to argue that raw foods have more vitamins and nutrients than processed foods, you will need to cite a reliable source to support that argument.
- If you go to the library, ask the librarian there! They are an extremely helpful resource to help you find reputable materials.
Draft essay
- Introduction. You should have a “bait” sentence to grab the reader’s attention. You also need to present a thesis, a clear statement of what you will argue or try to convince the reader.
- The body. In a 5-paragraph essay, you will have 3 paragraphs in the body. In other essays, you can write as many paragraphs as you want to fully support your point. No matter how many body paragraphs there are, each paragraph must focus on one main idea and provide evidence to support that idea. This is also a place for you to refute any objections you discover.
- Conclusion. The conclusion section is where you summarize the entire content of the article. It can include a sentence that evokes an emotion, reiterates the most convincing evidence, or extends the relevance of the original idea to a broader context. Since your aim is to convince the reader to believe or do something, end with a call to action. Connect your focus topic to the wider world.
- For example, you might start a convincing essay about the need to pursue alternative energy sources like this: “Imagine a world without polar bears.” This vivid sentence conjures up images that are familiar and interesting to many people (polar bears). It also encourages readers to keep reading to see why they have to envision that world.
- You may not be able to think of a catchphrase right away. Don’t let yourself get stuck at this step! You can just keep writing the other sections and come back to it after you finish the draft.
- Start with an example sentence. Next is processing from general ideas to specific ideas, which leads to the thesis statement.
- Don’t be lazy when writing your thesis statement. A thesis statement is a brief summary of what you are about to argue, usually in one sentence and placed near the beginning of your introduction. Your thesis statement will be the combination of the most convincing arguments or one of the strongest arguments for optimal effect.
- Start with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph.
- Make sure the evidence is clear and precise. For example, don’t just say, “Dolphins are very intelligent animals. A lot of people admit that dolphins have amazing intelligence.” Instead, you could write: “Dolphins are very intelligent animals. Many studies have shown that dolphins cooperate with humans to hunt. It is very rare for any animal species to have a symbiotic relationship. born with such a man.”
- If possible, provide facts as evidence. Facts taken from reputable sources will give the reader a place to hang on. If possible, you should use facts from different angles to support your argument. For example:
- “In the Southern states, which account for 80 percent of the death penalty in the United States, still have the highest homicide rates in the country. This is clearly evidence against the use of the death penalty as such. a deterrent measure.”
- “Besides, states that don’t have the death penalty have fewer murders. If the death penalty actually prevents crime, then why don’t we see an increase in homicides? in states where the death penalty does not apply?”
- Think about how to present the body paragraphs so that they are smooth. Your argument should be like a structure, one built on top of another, not feeling disjointed.
- End of the first paragraph: “If the death penalty repeatedly fails to prevent crime, and crime is consistently high, what happens when a person is unjustly convicted?”
- Begins the second paragraph: “Over 100 cases of unjustly convicted death row inmates have been acquitted, some being decided minutes before their death.”
- For example: “Critics of the rule allowing students to bring snacks into class argue that it will distract students and reduce their ability to concentrate. However, consider the fact that students are How fast middle school is growing. Children’s bodies need energy, and brains can be depleted if not eaten for long periods of time. Allowing snacks in real classrooms It will increase the students’ ability to concentrate, because it helps them not to be distracted by hunger.”
- Opening a paragraph with a counter-sentence, then rebutting and making your argument is also an effective tactic.
- How can this issue apply to a broader context?
- Why is this issue or opinion important to you?
- What other questions do you raise about the issue you raised?
- What actions might readers take after reading your essay?
Write convincingly
- Persuasive essays, like argumentative essays, use rhetoric to persuade the reader. In persuasive essays, you generally have more freedom to elicit emotions (pathos), logic and data (logos), and beliefs (ethos). [12] X Trusted Source Read Write Think Go to Source
- You should use a variety of evidence when writing persuasive essays. Logical arguments such as data, facts, and other solid evidence are very persuasive.
- Persuasive essays often have a very clear thesis statement that states in advance the opinion or “side” you have chosen. This helps the reader know exactly what you want to argue. [13] X Research Source
- Bad: The United States was not a well-educated country, because education was once seen as a right of the rich, and in the early 1800s Horace Mann decided to go all out to change the status quo. there. [14] X Research Source
- Pathos (feelings), Ethos (belief) and Logos (reason) : Here there are 3 factors of persuasion. Pathos appeals to emotions, ethos relies on trust, and logos appeal to reason. These three elements when combined will help you develop a strong argument.
- For example, you could tell a story about a family separated because of the current situation in Syria to combine emotions, apply logic, and then cite reliable sources to support your argument. .
- Repetitive: Constantly pressing your point. Tell them what you’re going to say, say it, then repeat what you said. They will eventually get your point.
- Example: Time after time, statistics don’t lie – we need to open doors to help refugees.
- Social Validation Quotes prove that you are not the only one with that opinion. It tells people that, if they want to fit in, they need to consider your point of view.
- Example: “Let’s not forget the inscriptions on the nation’s greatest monument, the Statue of Liberty, that say, ‘Give me your crowd, the tired, hungry, wretched crowd, yearning to breathe the air of freedom.” Maybe the Syrian people weren’t in that crowd.
- The excitement of the problem: Before you offer a solution, show the reader how bad things are. Give them a reason to care about your point of view. [15] X Research Source
- For example: “More than 100 million refugees have fled their homeland. President Assad not only stole power, he attacked civilians with poison gas and bombed his own people. He challenges the Geneva accords, which have long been seen as the standard of conduct and fundamental human rights, and that the population has no choice but to flee.”
- Good: “Over and over again, science has proven that oil drilling in the Arctic poses an incalculable danger. It’s not worth the trade-off with the environmental or economic risks.”
- Good: “If we don’t push for energy independence, in the Arctic or elsewhere, we’ll face the dangerous dependence that sent gas prices skyrocketing in the ’80s.”
- Bad: “Arctic drilling may not be perfect, but to some extent it will probably help us stop using imported oil. As far as I’m concerned, this is good.”
- Good: Do people think that ruining someone’s semester, or at least their chance to go abroad, is the result of a victimless crime? Is it fair that we promote drinking as a legal alternative through our school social media and without the consequences? How much longer can we argue that “Just because it’s safer than alcohol doesn’t mean we should legalize it,” despite the fact that the worst effects of stimulants are not physical or chemical but institutional?
- Good: We all want less crime, more sustainable families and less drug problems. We need to ask ourselves, however, whether we are prepared to fight this reality to achieve those results.
- Bad: This policy makes us look like idiots. It is not based on reality, and it is believed that at best it is paranoia, at worst, it is cruel.
- Good: It is true that there are cases of gun accidents at home, but controlling people so that they do not harm themselves is not the responsibility of the government. If they want to harm themselves, that’s their right.
- Not good: The only obvious solution is to ban guns. Other than that, the other views are not worth arguing about.
Refining the essay
- Does the essay clearly state your position?
- Is your point supported by evidence and examples?
- Is the essay cluttered with extraneous information? Do the paragraphs focus on one main idea?
- Are all counter-arguments clearly stated and not misleading? Are they convincingly refuted?
- Are the paragraphs arranged in a logical order and the argument builds step-by-step?
- Does the conclusion convey the importance of the issue and prompt the reader to think/act?
- You may also find it helpful to ask a trusted friend to review your essay. If they find an argument confusing or a point unclear, focus on correcting those points.
- Printing the draft on paper and using a marker is also a good way. As we type, our eyes can get used to reading what we think we’ve written without noticing mistakes. A printed manuscript will force your attention in a different way.
- Make sure your essay is formatted properly. For example, many teachers have rules about alignment and fonts that you need to follow.
This article was co-written by Christopher Taylor, PhD. Christopher Taylor is an assistant professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014.
There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 35,893 times.
A persuasive essay is a piece of writing with the purpose of persuading the reader to agree with a certain point of view or statement, usually one that the writer believes. Your essay can be based on any issue on which you stand or have a clear opinion. Whether it’s protesting unhealthy food at school or asking a business owner for a raise, writing persuasive essays is an important skill everyone should have.
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