Persuasive Writing Intro Part I

What is Persuasive Writing Persuasive writing is a style of writing. The purpose of a persuasive paper is to gain support for a cause. You want to convince your audience (the reader) that your side of an argument is the right side! You are being graded on: Focus, Support, Organization, Integration, & Conventions.

For Example… You all have experience with persuasion! Think about a time when you wanted to convince your parents to let you do something. How did you convince them to listen to you? What was your argument to your parents? What was the reason they changed their mind in the end?

Persuasion in practice Think back to the video clip we saw on Jordan being the youngest boy to climb mount Everest. Do you think the reporter agreed with Jordan’s parents in allowing their son to climb this Mountain? How do you know? Do you think Jordan should have been allowed to climb? Why or why not?

Ethos Ethos is the ethical appeal, means to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character. An author would use ethos to show to his audience that he is a credible source and is worth listening to. Ethos is the Greek word for “character.” The word “ethic” is derived from ethos. Example- "As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results." "My three decades of experience in public service, my tireless commitment to the people of this community, and my willingness to reach across the aisle and cooperate with the opposition, make me the ideal candidate for your mayor." "The veterinarian says that an Australian shepherd will be the perfect match for our active lifestyle."

Pathos Pathos is an emotional appeal. It means to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions. Authors use pathos to invoke sympathy from an audience; to make the audience feel what what the author wants them to feel. A common use of pathos would be to draw pity from an audience. Examples- "If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die! Can’t you see how dangerous it would be to stay?" "I’m not just invested in this community – I love every building, every business, every hard-working member of this town." "There’s no price that can be placed on peace of mind. Our advanced security systems will protect the well-being of your family so that you can sleep soundly at night."

Logos Logos is the appeal to logic. It means to convince an audience by use of logic or reason. To use logos would be to cite facts and statistics, historical and literal analogies, and citing certain authorities on a subject. Logos is the Greek word for “word” Examples- "The data is perfectly clear: this investment has consistently turned a profit year-over-year, even in spite of market declines in other areas." "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we have not only the fingerprints, the lack of an alibi, a clear motive, and an expressed desire to commit the robbery… We also have video of the suspect breaking in. The case could not be more open and shut."

A quick clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4tTugqBkJU

Organizing Your Paper Part II

How to organize your paper 1. Choose your position. Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write about, and what solution will you offer? Know the purpose of your essay. 2. Analyze your audience. Decide if your audience agrees with you, is neutral, or disagrees with your position.

How to organize your paper 3. Research your topic. A persuasive essay must provide specific and convincing evidence. Often it is necessary to go beyond your own knowledge and experience. You might need to go to the library or interview people who are experts on your topic. 4. Structure your essay. Figure out what evidence you will include and in what order you will present the evidence. Remember to consider your purpose, your audience, and your topic.

Essential criteria for an effective paper Be well informed about your topic. To add to your knowledge of a topic, read thoroughly about it, using legitimate sources. Take notes. Disprove the opposing argument. Give reasons why your argument is the best argument! Support your position with evidence. Remember that your evidence must appeal to reason.

Justify your opinions The body paragraphs are where you justify your opinions and lay out your evidence. Remember that if you don't provide evidence, your argument might not be as persuasive. For example, don't just say: "Dolphins are very smart animals. They are widely recognized as being incredibly smart.” Instead, say: "Dolphins are very smart animals. Multiple studies found that dolphins worked in tandem with humans to catch prey. Very few, if any, species, have developed mutually symbiotic relationships with humans."

Writing your paper Part III

Making sure you know your points Remember your end goal is to gain support for your side of the argument. You need to have strong evidence and support! Before you choose a “side” for your paper, you need to: Research: find out what you are talking about. You need to have an understanding of your topic. Evidence: Look for examples, articles, reports on your “side” and see if you have enough evidence to prove your ideas. Choose 2 MAIN ideas you will try to prove. Choose 2 forms of evidence you have for each idea to prove you are right.

Hooking the reader Just like in the novel Peak it is important to grab your readers attention with a strong hook and real them in! There are many effective ways to hook your reader, but you must choose the best hook for your specific paper.

Evidence Your paper must be based on some kind of factual evidence. You cannot make up facts or statistics. To influence your reader, choose one or two facts to build your case upon. Consider other non-fiction text we read. Acceptable forms of evidence may include: Statistics Quotes Numbers Articles supporting your ideas Case studies

Giving Credit You can directly quote: You can paraphrase & include author’s name in your sentence. You can paraphrase and cite at the information. You must give credit to any ideas that are not your own!

Thesis Statement A thesis statement is a one sentence statement that tells the reader your opinion on a topic. A thesis statement is the last sentence of your introduction paragraph. It basically tells the reader what your paper will be arguing.

Conclusion Remember: conclusions make or break a paper. If the ending of a movie stinks, no one cares about what happened in the beginning. Transition phrases are your friends! These are important to bring your thoughts together! Recall: FACT: Statement pattern. Use your vocabulary! Techniques to use: Compare and contrast, rhetorical questions, make statements, explain your reasons (…because…)

Sample Outline Persuasive Outline: Introduction: Includes background info, purpose, and position of your paper. DO NOT USE “This paper will talk about..” Simplified: Tell me what I need to know, what we are talking about, what you think and why you think that. Background: Tell me what I need to know about the topic in order to understand your ideas. What is the topic/question we are talking about? What are your opinions to the question and give 2 reasons why. Body: First point of your position. Give a specific example or “proof” for your opinion. Explain your thoughts. Make a statement or give your reason for your opinion. Give your proof or support for that statement you made.

Body: Second point for your position. Same as part II, only make sure to transition your thoughts and give concrete examples. Conclusion: Summarize your MOST important points and add make your final appeal to your reader. Think: What do you do if there is something you want and you’ve got 1 minute to convince me? What are the most important points you made? What do you want your reader to think about before they finish reading your paper that they might not have realized before? What are your own personal closing thoughts on this matter?