1. Persuasive Writing Your goal is to write a well-organized persuasive essay that defends a position. Work Cited: Write Source. 2007. Great Source Education Group. Wilmington.

2. Traits of Persuasive Writing Ideas Use specific reasons to defend a clear position on a controversial issue in your community. Organization 1. A beginning that states your position 2. A middle that provides support and answers an objection 3. An ending that restates your position Voice Use a persuasive voice that is appropriate for your topic and audience.

3. Traits of Persuasive Writing Word Choice Choose fair and precise words to state and defend your position. Sentence Fluency Write clear, complete sentences with varied beginnings. Conventions Check your writing for errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar.

4. A position essay clearly states where you stand on an issue. By stating and defending your position, you may be able to convince others to agree with you.

5. Keys to Effective Prewriting Choose a controversial local issue in your community. Decide what your position is. Write a clear position (thesis) statement to guide your writing. Gather the best reasons and details to support your position. Rank the reasons 1,2,3 from least important to most important. Choose an idea that you can defend with several clear, convincing reasons. The more knowledge you have about your topic, the easier it will be for you to defend your position. Organize your ideas. Select an important objection you can address.

6. The beginning introduces the topic and states the position. The first middle paragraph supports the writer’s position with statistics and a personal experience. The second middle paragraph provides interesting facts. The third middle paragraph appeals to a sense of community. The last middle paragraph defends the position against an important objection. The ending restates the writer’s position.