format for a persuasive essay
- Choose a position. Students should think about the issue and pick the side they wish to advocate.
- Understand the audience. In order to write an effective persuasive essay, the writer must understand the reader’s perspective. Is the reader undecided or inclined to favor one side or the other?
- Do the research. A persuasive essay depends upon solid, convincing evidence. Don’t rely on a single source. Pull information from multiple websites and reference materials. Speak with community experts and teachers. Read and take notes. There is no substitute for knowledge of both sides of the issue.
- Identify the most convincing evidence, as well as the key points for the opposing view.
- Does the essay present a firm position on the issue, supported by relevant facts, statistics, quotes, and examples?
- Does the essay open with an effective “hook” that intrigues readers and keeps them reading?
- Does each paragraph offer compelling evidence focused on a single supporting point?
- Is the opposing point of view presented and convincingly refuted?
- Is the sentence structure varied? Is the word choice precise? Do the transitions between sentences and paragraphs help the reader’s understanding?
- Does the concluding paragraph convey the value of the writer’s position and urge the reader to think and act?
d. Example #3____________________________________________
c. Example #2____________________________________________
The first step in writing an effective body paragraph is the construction of the first sentence of this paragraph, the topic sentence. Just as the thesis sentence holds together your essay, the topic sentence is the glue binding each individual body paragraph. A body paragraph’s topic sentence serves two main purposes: introducing the content of the paragraph and introducing the next step of your argument. It is important to keep in mind that the goal of the topic sentence is to advance your paper’s argument, not just to describe the content of the paragraph.
A basic purpose of your paper’s concluding paragraph is both to restate the paper’s argument and to restate how you have supported this argument in the body of the paper. However, your conclusion should not simply be a copy of your introduction. The conclusion draws together the threads of the paper’s argument and shows where the argument of your paper has gone. An effective conclusion gives the reader reasons for bothering to read your paper. One of the most important functions of this paragraph is to bring in fresh insight. Some possible questions to consider when writing your conclusion are:
Persuasive, aka argumentative writing is all about logic and reasoning. When you write a persuasive essay, you need to choose arguments and evidence carefully so the audience would get impressed and ready to agree with your point of view. For that, do your best to format the information the right way.
Format your persuasive essay after its draft is ready. Concentrate on the topic and the arguments rather than fonts and spacing to use. You’ll have time to proofread it later, check all the mistakes, and edit it accordingly.
Persuasion is used in our lives every day. Think of the last time you watched TV, listened to the radio, or even drove down a busy street. Companies were trying to persuade you to buy their products, using commercials and billboards. Many careers use persuasion, like law, politics, sales, blogging, and publishing. And so, knowing how to create, organize and write a persuasive essay is an important skill to develop.
Writing a persuasive essay is much like trying to convince your parents to buy you something, like a car. You voice your belief, argue with facts, and try as hard as you can to sway them. A great persuasive essay is based on evidence that supports your opinion, and includes not only why you are right but also why the opposite is wrong.