Writing to Persuade Others . . . Persuasion Writing to Persuade Others . . . From Reading to Writing Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Malcolm X had powerful ideas about political and social problems, and they believed that one way to solve them was by persuading others to think and act as they did.

Writing to Persuade Others . . . Persuasion Writing to Persuade Others . . . All persuasive writing serves this basic purpose, although it is not always about such world-shaking issues. Advertising, fundraising campaigns, editorials, and political speeches are examples of persuasive writing.

B a s i c s i n a B o x Persuasive Essay at a Glance RUBRIC WHAT I BELIEVE RUBRIC Standards for Writing Opinion or belief Introduction A successful persuasive essay should WHY I BELIEVE IT state the issue and your position on it clearly in the introduction be geared to the audience you’re trying to convince support your position with evidence such as facts, statistics, and examples answer possible objections to your position show clear reasoning conclude with a summary of your position or a call to action Supporting evidence Supporting evidence Supporting evidence Body Summary of opinion What readers should do Conclusion

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 1 Prewriting Writing comes more easily if you have something to say. Sholem Asch, novelist Look for an issue that’s important to you and about which people disagree. Try brainstorming for ideas with a friend or looking for controversial issues in the news.

Planning Your Persuasive Essay 1. Clarify your position. What do you believe about your topic? Why do you hold that belief? 2. Identify your audience. What do they know about the topic? What is their position on it? How can you answer opposing views? 3. Use evidence to support your arguments. What facts, statistics, and examples support your position? What reference books or experts will offer more information?

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 2 Drafting Continue exploring your ideas as you begin drafting. Don’t be afraid to rethink or revise your opinion as you work. At some point, you must state your position clearly and support it.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 2 Drafting Support with: facts statistics examples observations anecdotes quotations

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 2 Drafting Watch out for these illogical arguments and faulty and deceptive uses of language: circular reasoning—just restating something in other words without offering proof We need a new traffic light at the corner because it’s necessary.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 2 Drafting over-generalization—making a statement that’s too broad to prove Everybody likes chocolate. either-or fallacy—stating that there are only two possible alternatives Either I get into Ivy League U. or my future is ruined.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 2 Drafting cause-and-effect fallacy—assuming that because event B followed event A, A caused B I flunked the test because I wore my unlucky shirt. bandwagon appeal—trying to persuade people to follow the crowd Everyone wears Spike brand of athletic shoes.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 2 Drafting name-calling—attacking the person, not the idea Joe won’t be a good representative because he is a nerd.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 3 Revising Target Skill SUPPORTING PERSONAL OPINIONS WITH FACTS While experts’ opinions can provide strong support for your arguments, you must back up your own opinions with facts.

Writing Your Persuasive Essay 4 Editing and Proofreading Target Skill PRONOUN-ANTECEDENT AGREEMENT When you edit and proofread, make sure pronouns agree with their antecedents in number, gender, and person so your writing is clear and unambiguous.