Persuasive Essay Introduction A. Present Hook (descriptive sentence, question, quote, etc.) B. Present situation factually (what is the situation you are writing about?) C. Give your argument (thesis) D. Give 3 (general) supporting reasons

Example Introduction Is it possible for a mentally challenged man to go to college, meet the most famous people in the country, and end up a millionaire? It is in the highly enjoyable movie Forrest Gump. This story of heroicness by the common man will inspire anyone who watches it with its lovable main character, poignant humor, and great special effects.

Additional Hook Examples: Quote: “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re going to get.” This is certainly true for the unique main character of the movie Forrest Gump whose life brings him quite a variety of exciting surprises. Descriptive sentence: Swift bullets whiz to the left and right. He crawls through the knee-high foliage, mud encrusted, rifle in hand, with his best friend Bubba at his side. Suddenly, he feels a searing pain in his rear and realizes he has been shot, and so has Bubba although much more severally. This is only one of the many predicaments that heroic Forrest finds himself in in the movie Forrest Gump.

A. General sentence introducing first of 3 reasons listed above. First Body Paragraph A. General sentence introducing first of 3 reasons listed above. B. More specific sentence on reason #1 C. Still more specific sentence on reason #1 D. Specific Evidence (example, anecdote, quote) that supports your thesis E. Tell how evidence supports your thesis F. Address counterargument G. Overcome counterargument

Example: Forrest Gump has to be one of the most lovable characters ever put on film. An audience can’t help but cheer for Forrest as he faces and surmounts challenges despite his lower than average I.Q. Through the course of the movie he faces everything from taunting by bullies to surviving the Vietnam War and manages to come through heroically. He is even able to get into college because he is a really good runner. The audience chants “Run Forrest, Run!” while he charges down the field, although the team has to hold up a sign telling him to “Stop!” after he scores a touchdown. Some people may say Forrest is just a mentally challenged character being made fun of at his own expense. This view is defective however, because Forrest always seem to come out on top. This makes the audience want to cheer for him, even though we laugh at his goofiness along the way. Forrest really tugs at the heart.

Second Body Paragraph A. General sentence introducing second of 3 reasons listed in your introduction. B. More specific sentence on reason #2 C. Still more specific sentence on reason #2 D. Specific Evidence (example, anecdote, quote) that supports your thesis E. Tell how evidence supports your thesis F. Address counterargument G. Overcome counterargument Third Body Paragraph A. General sentence introducing third of 3 reasons listed in your introduction. B. More specific sentence on reason #3 C. Still more specific sentence on reason #3 D. Specific Evidence (example, anecdote, quote) that supports your thesis E. Tell how evidence supports your thesis F. Address counterargument G. Overcome counterargument

V. Conclusion Restate thesis in a fresh, original way. Restate the three reasons from your introduction in a fresh, original way. Conclude with a strong statement, question, or call to action that gives the reader a sense of finality. ` Example: Lovable Forrest Gump finds himself in the most ridiculous of situations in this film. He faces obstacles that even a genius would have difficulty surmounting, but his simple, pure innocence leads him through life “like a feather on the wind,” while the audience cheers him on. Many scenes are laughable, others dazzling with unique special effects, but mainly the viewer is drawn in by the relatable and kind main character. For all of these reasons, Forrest Gump is one of the greatest movies of all time and should be seen by everyone.