A Persuasive Essay

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A Persuasive Essay

A Persuasive Essay is a
writer’s attempt to change others’
point of view, to convince the
audience that he/she is right, or to
move others to take action.
What makes a strong Persuasive Essay?

• An argument that a writer supports


does not have to be a burning issue, but
it must be a controversial/debatable
topic that the writer is ready to discuss.

burning issue/question - a subject or question that


must be dealt with or answered quickly
What makes a strong Persuasive Essay?

• A writer needs to be well-informed of the


opposite viewpoint of his/her position and be
able to counter/refute it by providing
contrasting evidence or by finding mistakes
in the logic of the opposing argument.
to counter - to react to something with an opposing opinion
or action, or to defend yourself against something
to refute - prove that someone is wrong; deny or contradict a
statement
Not everything can be
argued. Then which of
the followings can be the
topic of a Persuasive
Essay?
1. What are the causes and effect of air pollution?
2. Why health care should or should not be provided by the
government.
3. Is it appropriate for students and teachers to be friends on
Facebook?
4. What was the most important technological discovery in the
history of man? Defend your answer.
5. Should the death penalty be used to punish violent criminals?
6. Should your school adopt a student uniform policy? Why or
why not?
7. What is the best advice you have ever taken?
How to organize a Persuasive Essay?

• Introduction: Thesis Statement


• Body:
PRO idea (Paragraph 1)
PRO idea (Paragraph 2)
CON idea + its
refutation (Para. 3)
• Conclusion: Final thoughts
Introduction
• Your introduction should hook your
reader's attention and provide
background information on your
topic or controversy.
• The paragraph should end with a
clear statement of your main idea or
point of view.
Body Paragraphs
• Your body paragraphs should present
the points in support of your main
idea.
• Each body paragraph should focus on
one point.
• Be sure to provide evidence or
examples for each point.
Opposing view

• After presenting your supporting


points, develop one paragraph to
accurately explain and then refute
the most significant opposing view.
Conclusion
• Creatively restate your main idea and
supporting points.
• Try to leave your audience even
more connected to your topic and
persuaded by your main idea or
perspective.
How to persuade a reader?
• Writers use combination of different
persuasion strategies to argue or prove their
points, such as:
• Logos
• Ethos
• Pathos
LOGOS
• Logos or logical appeals have to deal
with reasonable arguments. When your
idea or argument is reasonable, it means
you have put a lot of thought into it,
there are good reasons to think the way
you do, and there is evidence – facts,
statistics, reasons - to support what you
say.
Ethos
• Ethos or ethical appeal is about establishing
your credibility (the quality of being trusted and believed
in)with the audience. The writer establishes
credibility with the audience by being fair,
being knowledgeable about the topic, being
trustworthy, and being considerate of the
thoughts and opinions of others. So, the
writer presents him or herself to the audience
as credible, trustworthy, honest, and ethical.
PATHOS
• Pathos is an appeal to an argument based
on feelings. Using pathos means
appealing to readers’ emotions and
feelings.
• If you want somebody to agree with you,
you probably want them to have positive
feelings toward you. So, make sure that
the reader feels the way you do.
Let’s practice…
(handouts)
1. Read each of the following paragraphs. For
each, decide which of the above persuasive
appeals is being used. Write your answer on
the line provided.

2. Identify which persuasive appeal is being


used in each of the statements below and
explain the reason for your choice.
Thesis Statements
• A thesis statement is a sentence or two
that serves two purposes. The first
purpose is to state your topic.
• The second purpose is to describe your
point of view on the topic. Your thesis
statement should catch your reader’s
attention.
Avoid the following when writing your thesis
statement

• Avoid using the phrases, “I believe…, In my


opinion…, I will argue that…” These phrases
weaken your position.
• Avoid stating an obvious fact. It’s insulting to
the reader and turns them off from reading
the rest of your paper.
• Avoid addressing many topics. Stick with one
idea you can write about.
Keep in mind these things when you write your
thesis:

• Use specific terms. Instead of using


“music”, use “reggae”.
• Use adjectives. Instead of “reggae”, use
“American reggae”.
• Narrow your discussion. Instead of
“American reggae”, use The American
reggae revival in the 1980s”.
Parts of thesis statement
• Thesis statements have two parts. The first part is the
topic of your paper:
Kenya’s Culture
Building a Model Train Set
Public Transportation
• The second part is the position of your paper:
has a rich and varied history.
takes time and patience.
can solve some of our city’s most persistent and pressing
problems.
Thesis Statement examples
Kenya’s Culture has a rich and varied history.

Building a Model Train Set takes time and


patience.

Public Transportation can solve some of our


city’s most persistent and pressing problems.
Here are some examples of good and bad
thesis statements.
• Bad – Pollution is bad for the environment. (non-
debatable)
• Good – At least 25% of the federal budget should be
spent on limiting pollution.
• Bad – Drug use is harmful for society. (too broad)
• Good – Illegal drug use is harmful because it encourages
gang violence.
• Bad – People use many lawn chemicals.
• Good – People are poisoning the environment with
many chemicals merely to keep their lawns clean.
Persuasive Essay Format
• Introductory Paragraph
The purpose of the introductory paragraph is to:
1. capture your audience’s attention,
2. to present your position, and
3. outline your reasons to support your
position. It should end with your thesis
statement.
Possible Ways to Capture Audience’s Attention

1. Cite a Quote
2. Share an Startling Fact or
Statistic
3. Ask a Rhetorical Question
4. Share an Anecdote
Introductory Technique
(quote, startling fact,
startling statistic,
rhetorical question,
anecdote)_____________
_____________________
Introduce three reasons
for taking position on
debatable topic.
____________
Thesis Statement
________
Concluding Paragraph
• The purpose of concluding paragraphs is to:
1) give readers a feeling of completeness, and
2) to leave the reader with a strong final impression
that supports your purpose for writing. You may:
1. Restate Your Position
2. Ask a Question
3. Make a Recommendation or Suggestion
4. Explore Ramifications (What does this all mean?
Or where are things headed with this?)
ORGANIZATION OF PERSUASIVE ESSAYS

• A persuasive essay is like an imaginary


dialogue between a reader and the writer.
The writer uses arguments to try to convince
the reader to think something or to
take a certain action.
LANGUAGE FOR INTRODUCING
COUNTERARGUMENTS
• When writing a persuasive essay, writers often
present the counterargument first and then
their own argument. You can introduce the
counterargument and argument with phrases
such as the following:
LANGUAGE FOR INTRODUCING COUNTERARGUMENTS

Counterargument Argument
Some people believe . . . However, it must also be
recognized that . . .
While it is true that . . . , it can also be argued that .
..
Although many people
claim that . . . , one can also argue
that . . .

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