Research essay
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EN11120Persuasive20Essay28129.pptPresenting a convincing argument . . .
From Reading to Writing The authors of Night and Farewell to Manzanar describe terrible injustices that they experienced. You, too, may want to take a stand against injustice or express an unpopular opinion that you believe in strongly.
Presenting a convincing argument . . .
a persuasive essay.
One way to convince others that you are right is to write
Presenting a convincing argument . . .
persuasive essay
For a
you:
present your opinion
defend your opinion with supporting evidence
WHY YOU SHOULD BELIEVE IT
Presents the issue
and states your opinion
Summary of opinion
What readers should do
Introduction
Body
Conclusion
B a s i c s i n a B o x
Persuasive Essay at a Glance
RUBRIC
Standards for Writing
A successful persuasive essay should
- state the issue and your position on it clearly in the introduction
- be geared to the audience you’re trying to convince
- support your position with facts, statistics, and reasons
- answer possible objections to your position
- show clear reasoning
- conclude with a summary of your position or a call to action
Supporting
evidence
Supporting
evidence
Supporting
evidence
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Good writers are those who keep the language efficient. That is to say, keep it accurate, keep it clear.
Ezra Pound, poet
Think about issues that are important to you and about which people disagree.
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Prewriting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
newspapers
magazines
news shows
Where can you find ideas?
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Prewriting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Once you have decided upon an issue, FREEWRITE.
Freewriting helps you clarify your stand on an issue.
Where do you stand?
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Prewriting
Planning Your Persuasive Essay
1. Clearly state your position. What do you believe about the issue? What are your reasons for believing that way?
2. Consider your audience. What do your readers know about the issue? What are their opinions on it?
3. Gather support for your arguments. Where will you find the information you need? What facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, and quotations support your position? Which evidence is strongest? What support might people who object to your position present? How can you answer those objections?
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Continue exploring and developing your ideas. Revise your opinion as you write.
Eventually, you will need to state your opinion clearly and support it with convincing evidence.
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Drafting
Support with:
facts
statistics
examples
quotations
anecdotes
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
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Drafting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Avoid these illogical arguments and faulty and deceptive uses of language:
circular reasoning—restating something in other words without offering proof
That’s the worst idea I ever heard because it’s really stupid.
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Drafting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Avoid:
over-generalization—making a statement that’s too broad to prove
Nobody could possibly believe any other way.
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Drafting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Avoid:
either-or fallacy—inappropriately stating that there are only two possible alternatives
Either I get an A on the test or my life will be over.
2
Drafting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Avoid:
cause-and-effect fallacy—assuming that because event B followed event A, A caused B
I got chosen for the team because I wore my lucky charm.
2
Drafting
Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Revising
TARGET SKILL
WRITING EFFECTIVE INTRODUCTIONS
Capture your reader’s attention! Try using:
a bold statement
an unusual fact
an interesting anecdote
a question
a quotation
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Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Editing and Proofreading
TARGET SKILL
CORRECTING FRAGMENTS
Sentence fragments do not express complete thoughts. For that reason, they make your writing difficult to understand and weaken your arguments.
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Writing Your Persuasive Essay
Editing and Proofreading
TARGET SKILL
CORRECTING FRAGMENTS
Correct fragments by adding whatever is missing from the sentence—subject, verb, or independent clause.
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