W RITING A SUCCESSFUL P ERSUASIVE E SSAY NOTE: Much of this information was taken from the website by Krystle

T HE I NTRODUCTION The purpose of an introduction is to introduce the material you are going to discuss. You definitely want to draw in your reader, establish your topic and communicate clearly what the purpose of the subject is you are developing.

H OW TO W RITE AN I NTRODUCTION First start with an attention grabber. This first sentence is extremely important. It hooks your readers to want to read more. It should intrigue, draw in and introduce your readers to your topic.

A TTENTION G RABBER E XAMPLES Start with a question: Example: “When was the last time a waiter served you in less than 20 minutes?” Example: ‘’Is a person´s right to smoke more important than the health of the people around them?’’

A TTENTION G RABBER E XAMPLES - Start with a definition, quotation or statistic that is relevant to your topic: Example: “There is one waiter responsible for every ten tables in a restaurant.” Example: ‘’Over 126 million nonsmokers in the United States are exposed to second hand smoke everyday.

A TTENTION G RABBER E XAMPLES Start with an assertion statement: Example:“Restaurant services has gotten out of hand!” Example: ‘’Second hand smoke is a serious threat to the health of university students.

A TTENTION G RABBER E XAMPLES Start with an anecodote (story): Example: “Imagine you and your spouse are celebrating your one year anniversary. You both arrive at a restaurant 20 minutes before your reservation. However, as soon as you are seated, you see five other couples seated at tables that have not yet been served.”

A TTENTION G RABBER E XAMPLES Start with an anecodote (story): Example: “As a university student, I was bothered by the large groups of smokers that stood outside the school buildings. I hated breathing in their smoke as I walked past. I could still smell the smoke on me when I was sitting in class.”

H OW TO W RITE AN I NTRODUCTION Second, include some background information on the topic. After you have an attention grabber, provide some general information on your topic. This is a good point in your paper to give your readers some history about the issue you are raising. This helps the reader see the point you are eventually trying to make.

B ACKGROUND I NFORMATION For example, if you are talking about the problems with service at a restaurant, you may want to include what the problem is and if there is a particular restaurant, etc. It is very important to know who your audience is so you can determine the amount of background information you should include.

H OW TO W RITE AND I NTRODUCTON Insert your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should provide your readers with a clear idea of what your paper will focus on. A thesis is simply “what you plan to say or write.” A thesis should be about one sentence long. It should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.

W RITING A T HESIS Never write your thesis as an opinion. EXAMPLE: I think that schools should ban smoking. Your readers know "what you think" because you wrote it. By simply rephrasing the sentence to “Schools must ban smoking,” you have a more powerful sentence that urges your readers that action is needed.

W RITING A T HESIS Avoid awkward announcements like: “In this essay I will talk about…” or “I will attempt to show you” or “I feel that”. Instead you should jump right into what your point is by simply stating “Smoking on campus is a serious problem.”

W RITING A T HESIS A sample thesis may look like this: Smoking must be banned on all campuses to prevent second hand smoke, hazardous fires, and to promote a clean campus environment. Or simply: Smoking must be banned on all campuses. In the first example, the writer is telling the reader what each additional paragraph will be about. In the second example, the writer is simply stating what they are arguing

W RITING A T HESIS If you are still not sure how to write a thesis, ask yourself the following questions: What is my essays purpose? How can I develop it? What do I want to prove or explain to my audience?

H OW TO W RITE Y OUR B ODY P ARAGRAPHS The body paragraphs of your essay are what I like to call the meat of your paper. Now that you have introduced your topic, you now have the chance to provide details to support what it is you are trying to say.

H OW TO W RITE Y OUR B ODY P ARAGRAPHS 1. Start with a topic sentence (includes purpose ) Too broad- Second hand smoke is bad.  Too narrow- Second hand smoke kills 3,700 Americans every year.  Great topic sentence : Second hand smoke affects the health of university students.

H OW TO W RITE Y OUR B ODY P ARAGRAPHS 2. Add Support (examples and details) Types of Evidence 1.Analogies: comparisons that show similarities between otherwise unrelated ideas 1.Anecdotes: Personal examples or stories that illustrate a point 1.Commonly accepted beliefs: Ideas that most people share 1.Examples: Specific instances or illustrations of a general idea 1.Expert opinion: A statement made by an authority on the subject 1.Facts: Statements that can be proven true. Some facts are in the form of statistics, or numerical information.

H OW TO WRITE YOUR B ODY P ARAGRAPHS 3. Finish with a conclusion sentence. After you have provided support and examples, you must explain why you used them. Every well-written paragraph ends with a concluding sentence. The concluding sentence re-emphasizes the topic sentence’s purpose. Do not just restate your topic sentence.

H OW TO W RITE A C ONCLUSION P ARAGRAPH The concluding paragraph sums up everything you have previously stated in the body paragraphs of your essay. It almost mirrors your introduction in the sense that it reemphasizes your thesis. Try asking yourself “so what?” You have pages and pages of written ideas. Now why are all these ideas so important? Sum it up for your readers. In your conclusion, show your readers why this information was so meaningful.

1. Start your conclusion by addressing possible counter arguments. What would someone who disagrees with you argue? Explain why this is not a strong argument. 2. Summarize the main ideas from your body paragraphs. 3. End with a call to action. Urge your readers to do something related to your topic.