JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
ENGLISH 10
Quarter 3 – LAS 1:
Techniques for
Argumentative, Informative
and Persuasive Writing
FOR TANDAG NATIONAL SCIENCE
HIGH SCHOOL USE ONLY
DepEd Learning Activity Sheets (LAS)
Name of Learner : ___________________________________________________
Grade Level : ___________________________________________________
Section / Strand : ___________________________________________________
Date : ___________________________________________________
English 10
Argumentative, Persuasive and Informative Writing
Techniques
Learning Area
Topic
Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC): Use a variety of informative,
persuasive, and argumentative writing techniques
Objectives:
After the completion of this learning activity sheet, students are
expected to:
identify techniques in argumentative, informative and persuasive
writing;
and
write an argumentative essay.
Three steps to writing an argumentative essay
Step 1: Pick a topic and write a thesis statement
A thesis statement is a one or two sentence summary of the central message
or main claim of your essay. A strong thesis statement is vital as it tells the
reader what the essay is about so they can decide if they want to read it or
not.
A strong thesis statement will usually state a claim, your stance on
the claim, and the main points that will support your stance within your
selected topic. It will also serve as a guideline for you when you are writing
the body points of the essay.
If you’re given the freedom to choose your topic for an argumentative
essay, it’s best to follow your interests or passion. A good place to start
would be to start thinking about things that affect you everyday or a subject
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that you have a strong opinion on. It’s a good place to start. But be careful,
for most people’s opinions are not backed up by solid evidence. So once you
think you’ve narrowed down on a topic or area of interest, begin your
research and clarify the stance you will be taking.
Step 2: Research your ideas and organize your findings
If you’ve ever experienced writer’s block it is most probably caused by one of
two reasons. First, it’s because you’re staring at a blank screen and unsure
how to start. Second, it’s because you’re unsure of your thesis statement
and supporting points because you’ve most probably not done enough
research.
Planning for any essay is key, especially an argumentative essay because
you’re presenting an argument that you need to defend with solid evidence.
Your research should include all forms of reference sources and materials
(books, journals, articles, blogs, documentaries) by credible sources and
industry experts.Keep the following in mind when researching:
- Read broadly to ensure you have a good overview of the topic
including the main debates that have occurred or are occurring,
arguments and counter arguments, and the main experts in the area.
- Keep an open mind and attempt to view the issues from the
perspective of different individuals and stakeholders. Acknowledging
these views and addressing them in your essay will ensure that you
have a good balanced essay.
- Keep an eye out for any unique angles that may not have been
thoroughly explored yet.
Remember that with Google at your fingertips research might be easy to do
but also that you can’t ever completely research a topic due to the sheer
number of resources at your disposal online. We’d recommend to move on to
the next step once you feel have enough material because you can always do
further research if you need later on.
Step 3: Draft a structure and write your essay
This step involves outlining the content of your essay in a structure that
creates a seamless flow for your argument but also for your reader.
EssayJack is a good tool to use to create this outline and understand better
what each section needs.
8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing
1. Pick a topic you’re passionate about. You’ll do your best persuading
when it’s something you truly believe in. If you have the option to pick
a topic, choose one that appeals to your own sensibilities. There will
be research to do regardless, but already having a strong opinion
about your subject will make its defense a bit easier.
2. Know your audience. If you want to convince readers to believe and
agree with you, know who you’re talking to first. For example, if you’re
writing a persuasive letter about why standardized testing should be
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removed from school systems, your audience will likely be parents:
Keep that in mind when writing to your targeted demographic.
3. Hook the reader’s attention. A persuasive writer should present
their opinion with a declarative statement that clearly expresses their
point of view. Starting with a fact, research findings, or any other
evidence that explicitly states information supportive of your thesis
will immediately clue the reader in to what the essay will be about,
what your position is, and if they’re interested enough to read on to
see if they’ll be on your side.
4. Research both sides. In order to convince the reader to agree with
you, you also have to know what you’re trying to get them to disagree
with. Your audience may be completely stuck in their ways, so
knowing both sides of your argument—and how to effectively counter
the opposition—will assuage any followup questions a reader may
have that can cast doubt on your position.
5. Be empathetic. An effective persuasion technique is the use of
empathy. A reader is more inclined to believe you if they feel like you
can relate to and understand their experiences. Emotional appeal is
important for persuasive writing, as it targets the audience’s
sensitivities, while also providing a logical explanation for why their
beliefs should change.
6. Ask rhetorical questions. Presenting questions that the reader will
be forced to answer for themselves later on is another good persuasive
strategy, especially when the information provided to help make that
decision is supportive of your point of view.
7. Emphasize your point. The use of exaggeration in order to express
urgency, exclusivity, or just to make a point is another useful
persuasive technique. Hyperbolic statements aren’t meant to be taken
literally, but are used instead to convey an impactful image. For
example, if you’re attempting to persuade a reader not to go to a
restaurant, you might say their bad service “nearly starved you to
death.” Although likely untrue, it still creates a vivid picture. In
marketing, another example is Disney’s slogan: “The happiest place
on Earth.” It’s a subjective statement that makes use of hyperbole to
immediately create a desirable feeling for its audience—children and
their parents.
8. Repeat yourself. Strategic repetition can be an effective way to
gradually remind the reader of your message. Finding different ways
to make the same point by use of rephrasing, true stories, metaphors,
or other literary devices all serve to reinforce your point without
bogging down the reader with repetitiveness
7 steps to succeed in the informative essay writing
Step 1
Choose the topic for your informative essay.
Remember that the aim of informative essay is not impose your view,
but to inform and educate the audience on a topic chosen.
Step 2
Create the outline that will organize your facts in a logical way.
(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)
List all the questions you have about your topic and what you are
going to perform.
Step 3
Gather all the necessary information for the work, from at least four
sources.
Research your topic online and in a library. Find authoritative,
credible sources
Analyze the facts and research details found.
Step 4
The Introduction.
Present the topic and grab your audience attention.
Give some background information about the key words and
terminology.
Compare the viewpoints and facts on a controversial subject or
different sources data.
Start with a general idea which gradually get more and more specific.
Imagine the inverted pyramid:
General Idea
Specific Thesis
Step 5
The Body.
-Provide all the necessary information and materials to your target audience
-Use various sources, facts and expert judgments
-Make sure all your facts are accurate
Step 6
The Conclusion.
Restate about the seriousness of issue and summarize the facts for
and against your main thesis
Never introduce some new information or ideas in the conclusion
The main purpose for your conclusion is to round off the essay by
summing up
Step 7
Analyze all the work done.
Think whether all the information has been provided and if there could arise any
prejudices in the audience according to the material presented
(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)
Activity 1.
Directions: Using the graphic organizer, identify the qualities of a well-
written argumentative essay.
Activity 2.
Directions: Write down the needed information in the chart below.
STEPS IN WRITING ARGUMENTATIVE THINGS TO CONSIDER IN
ESSAY WRITING THIS PART
1.
2.
3.
Activity 3.
Directions: Write an argumentative essay using any of the social issues we
have these days as your topic. Consider the rubric below for your rating.
(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)
Reflection
3 things I Learned:
1.
2.
3.
2 things I want to learn more
1.
2.
References
2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.masterclass.com/articles/persuasive-writing-
tips-and-techniques#the-pros-of-writing-persuasively> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
buzzessay.com. 2021. How to Write an Informative essay, useful tips - BuzzEssay.com. [online]
Available at: <https://buzzessay.com/how-to-write-an-informative-essay/> [Accessed 24 March 2021].
(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)
Essayjack.com. 2021. How to Write an Argumentative Essay Step by Step. [online] Available at:
<https://www.essayjack.com/blog/building-an-argumentative-essay-step-by-step> [Accessed 24
March 2021].
Answers key
Act 1
1.engaging to the readers
2.consider all sides of the issue
3.address potential counter
arguments
4.persuade the reader
(For Tandag National Science High School Use ONLY)
