Persuasive Essay

Persuasive writing is used to motivate readers – to change their minds about a topic, to convince them to buy a product, or to get them to vote for a certain candidate or issue. The main reason behind persuasive writing is to convince readers to take action, in whatever form that might be.

Choose a Topic Are opinions on this issue varied? If your opinion is not disputed, it probably is not worth arguing. For example, it would be pointless to argue that pollution is bad because everyone would agree with you. It is more effective to argue for a against a certain antipollution law, such as mandatory carpooling. Will your audience be receptive to your argument? Take into consideration your audience and their opinions and situations. For instance, it would be pointless to argue for mandatory carpooling if your audience is too young to drive. Does enough evidence exist to support your argument? Investigate the amount of supporting evidence for your argument. If little support exists, you will be fighting a losing battle.

Know Your Audience As you evaluate your audience, answer the following questions: Does the issue apply to my audience’s lives? Will their action bring about positive change for them? What is the current attitude of my audience? Are they likely to agree or disagree? What do you already know about the issue? Do I need to provide background or clear up misconceptions? What types of evidence will have the strongest impact on my audience? Will facts and statistics alone be effective? Should I include emotional language to convey my point?

Support Your Argument When you present an argument, you can appeal to emotion or to reason. To appeal to emotion, use words that elicit strong positive or negative reactions. Also, you might use real-life examples. For instance, is you are addressing the issue of homelessness, you might consider interviewing a person who has been homeless for emotional appeal. To appeal to reason, include facts, statistics, and expert opinions.

Support Your Argument Use evidence to support your viewpoint. You need to back up your opinion with evidence – facts and expert opinions that support your viewpoint. Evaluate your evidence. Often opinions are presented as facts. Facts are statements, statistics, observations, examples that can be verified, or experiments that can be repeated. Opinions are personal judgments, can be supported but not proven, and often are biased. Don’t be afraid to give your own opinions. Just make sure that you can adequately support it.

Support Your Argument Use both inductive and deductive reasoning. When using inductive reasoning you begin with a series of facts, study them for connections or patterns, and draw a conclusion or generalization. Deductive reasoning begins with the generalization that is then applied to a specific example that leads to a conclusion. For instance, if you believe all voters are good citizens, your parents vote, you can conclude that your parents are good citizens.

Support Your Argument Avoid circular reasoning. An argument that apparently leads to a logical conclusion but actually takes you back to where you started is circular reasoning. The statement, “Frank Sinatra was a great singer because he had such a wonderful voice,” sounds true, but proves nothing. It just repeats the same point in different words. Avoid bandwagon reasoning. Just because everyone else is doing or thinking it, doesn’t make it right. You have to provide evidence to support your viewpoint. Address the opposition. Take time to discuss the opposing evidence and viewpoints. If you don’t argue against something, your argument might sound weak.

Organize Your Argument Introduce the issue. Describe the topic, supplying any background information needed. State your opinion. Take a direct stand in a clear, direct thesis statement. Support your position. Present your evidence and show the flaws in the opposing viewpoint. Draw a conclusion. Summarize your ideas and state your main purpose.