Look for language that gives you a clue as to whether you are writing a purely persuasive or an argumentative essay. For example, if the prompt uses words like “personal experience” or “personal observations,” you know that these things can be used to support your argument. [1] X Research source On the other hand, words like “defend” or “argue” suggest that you should be writing an argumentative essay, which may require more formal, less personal evidence. If you aren’t sure about what you’re supposed to write, ask your instructor.
Whenever possible, start early. This way, even if you have emergencies like a computer meltdown, you’ve given yourself enough time to complete your essay.
Try using stasis theory to help you examine the rhetorical situation. This is when you look at the facts, definition (meaning of the issue or the nature of it), quality (the level of seriousness of the issue), and policy (plan of action for the issue). To look at the facts, try asking: What happened? What are the known facts? How did this issue begin? What can people do to change the situation? To look at the definition, ask: What is the nature of this issue or problem? What type of problem is this? What category or class would this problem fit into best? To examine the quality, ask: Who is affected by this problem? How serious is it? What might happen if it is not resolved? To examine the policy, ask: Should someone take action? Who should do something and what should they do?
For example, if you are arguing against unhealthy school lunches, you might take very different approaches depending on whom you want to convince. You might target the school administrators, in which case you could make a case about student productivity and healthy food. If you targeted students’ parents, you might make a case about their children’s health and the potential costs of healthcare to treat conditions caused by unhealthy food. And if you were to consider a “grassroots” movement among your fellow students, you’d probably make appeals based on personal preferences.
It also should present the organization of your essay. Don’t list your points in one order and then discuss them in a different order. For example, a thesis statement could look like this: “Although pre-prepared and highly processed foods are cheap, they aren’t good for students. It is important for schools to provide fresh, healthy meals to students, even when they cost more. Healthy school lunches can make a huge difference in students’ lives, and not offering healthy lunches fails students. ” Note that this thesis statement isn’t a three-prong thesis. You don’t have to state every sub-point you will make in your thesis (unless your prompt or assignment says to). You do need to convey exactly what you will argue.
A mind map could be helpful. Start with your central topic and draw a box around it. Then, arrange other ideas you think of in smaller bubbles around it. Connect the bubbles to reveal patterns and identify how ideas relate. [5] X Research source Don’t worry about having fully fleshed-out ideas at this stage. Generating ideas is the most important step here.
For example, if you’re arguing for healthier school lunches, you could make a point that fresh, natural food tastes better. This is a personal opinion and doesn’t need research to support it. However, if you wanted to argue that fresh food has more vitamins and nutrients than processed food, you’d need a reliable source to support that claim. If you have a librarian available, consult with him or her! Librarians are an excellent resource to help guide you to credible research.
An introduction. You should present a “hook” here that grabs your audience’s attention. You should also provide your thesis statement, which is a clear statement of what you will argue or attempt to convince the reader of. Body paragraphs. In 5-paragraph essays, you’ll have 3 body paragraphs. In other essays, you can have as many paragraphs as you need to make your argument. Regardless of their number, each body paragraph needs to focus on one main idea and provide evidence to support it. These paragraphs are also where you refute any counterpoints that you’ve discovered. Conclusion. Your conclusion is where you tie it all together. It can include an appeal to emotions, reiterate the most compelling evidence, or expand the relevance of your initial idea to a broader context. Because your purpose is to persuade your readers to do/think something, end with a call to action. Connect your focused topic to the broader world.
For example, you could start an essay on the necessity of pursuing alternative energy sources like this: “Imagine a world without polar bears. ” This is a vivid statement that draws on something that many readers are familiar with and enjoy (polar bears). It also encourages the reader to continue reading to learn why they should imagine this world. You may find that you don’t immediately have a hook. Don’t get stuck on this step! You can always press on and come back to it after you’ve drafted your essay.
Put your hook first. Then, proceed to move from general ideas to specific ideas until you have built up to your thesis statement. Don’t slack on your thesis statement. Your thesis statement is a short summary of what you’re arguing for. It’s usually one sentence, and it’s near the end of your introductory paragraph. Make your thesis a combination of your most persuasive arguments, or a single powerful argument, for the best effect.
Start with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main point of your paragraph. Make your evidence clear and precise. 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. " When you can, use facts as your evidence. Agreed-upon facts from reliable sources give people something to hold onto. If possible, use facts from different angles to support one argument. For example: “The South, which accounts for 80% of all executions in the United States, still has the country’s highest murder rate. This makes a case against the death penalty working as a deterrent. " “Additionally, states without the death penalty have fewer murders. If the death penalty were indeed a deterrent, why wouldn’t we see an increase in murders in states without the death penalty?” Consider how your body paragraphs flow together. You want to make sure that your argument feels like it’s building, one point upon another, rather than feeling scattered.
End of the first paragraph: “If the death penalty consistently fails to deter crime, and crime is at an all-time high, what happens when someone is wrongfully convicted?” Beginning of the second paragraph: “Over 100 wrongfully convicted death row inmates have been acquitted of their crimes, some just minutes before their would-be death. "
Example: “Critics of a policy allowing students to bring snacks into the classroom say that it would create too much distraction, reducing students’ ability to learn. However, consider the fact that middle schoolers are growing at an incredible rate. Their bodies need energy, and their minds may become fatigued if they go for long periods without eating. Allowing snacks in the classroom will actually increase students’ ability to focus by taking away the distraction of hunger. ” You may even find it effective to begin your paragraph with the counterargument, then follow by refuting it and offering your own argument.
How could this argument be applied to a broader context? Why does this argument or opinion mean something to me? What further questions has my argument raised? What action could readers take after reading my essay?
Persuasive essays, like argumentative essays, use rhetorical devices to persuade their readers. In persuasive essays, you generally have more freedom to make appeals to emotion (pathos), in addition to logic and data (logos) and credibility (ethos). [12] X Trustworthy Source Read Write Think Online collection of reading and writing resources for teachers and students. Go to source You should use multiple types of evidence carefully when writing a persuasive essay. Logical appeals such as presenting data, facts, and other types of “hard” evidence are often very convincing to readers. Persuasive essays generally have very clear thesis statements that make your opinion or chosen “side” known upfront. This helps your reader know exactly what you are arguing. [13] X Research source Bad: The United States was not an educated nation, since education was considered the right of the wealthy, and so in the early 1800s Horace Mann decided to try and rectify the situation. [14] X Research source
Pathos, Ethos, and Logos: These are the 3 cornerstones of rhetoric. Pathos is about emotion, ethos is about credibility, and logos is about logic. These 3 components work together to help you develop a strong argument. For example, you could tell an anecdote about a family torn apart by the current situation in Syria to incorporate pathos, make use of logic to argue for allowing Syrian refugees as your logos, and then provide reputable sources to back up your quotes for ethos. Repetition: Keep hammering on your thesis. Tell them what you’re telling them, tell them it, then tell them what you told them. They’ll get the point by the end. Example: Time and time again, the statistics don’t lie – we need to open our doors to help refugees. Social Validation: Quotations reinforce that you aren’t the only one making this point. It tells people that, socially, if they want to fit in, they need to consider your viewpoint. Example: “Let us not forget the words etched on our grandest national monument, the Statue of Liberty, which asks that we “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. ” There is no reason why Syrians are not included in this. Agitation of the Problem: Before offering solutions, show them how bad things are. Give them a reason to care about your argument. [15] X Research source Example: “Over 100 million refugees have been displaced. President Assad has not only stolen power, he’s gassed and bombed his own citizens. He has defied the Geneva Conventions, long held as a standard of decency and basic human rights, and his people have no choice but to flee. "
For example, you could tell an anecdote about a family torn apart by the current situation in Syria to incorporate pathos, make use of logic to argue for allowing Syrian refugees as your logos, and then provide reputable sources to back up your quotes for ethos.
Example: Time and time again, the statistics don’t lie – we need to open our doors to help refugees.
Example: “Let us not forget the words etched on our grandest national monument, the Statue of Liberty, which asks that we “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free. ” There is no reason why Syrians are not included in this.
Example: “Over 100 million refugees have been displaced. President Assad has not only stolen power, he’s gassed and bombed his own citizens. He has defied the Geneva Conventions, long held as a standard of decency and basic human rights, and his people have no choice but to flee. "
Good: “Time and time again, science has shown that arctic drilling is dangerous. It is not worth the risks environmentally or economically. " Good: “Without pushing ourselves to energy independence, in the arctic and elsewhere, we open ourselves up to the dangerous dependency that spiked gas prices in the 80’s. " Bad: “Arctic drilling may not be perfect, but it will probably help us stop using foreign oil at some point. This, I imagine, will be a good thing. "
Good: Does anyone think that ruining someone’s semester, or, at least, the chance to go abroad, should be the result of a victimless crime? Is it fair that we actively promote drinking as a legitimate alternative through Campus Socials and a lack of consequences? How long can we use the excuse that “just because it’s safer than alcohol doesn’t mean we should make it legal,” disregarding the fact that the worst effects of the drug are not physical or chemical, but institutional? Good: We all want less crime, stronger families, and fewer dangerous confrontations over drugs. We need to ask ourselves, however, if we’re willing to challenge the status quo to get those results. Bad: This policy makes us look stupid. It is not based in fact, and the people that believe it are delusional at best, and villains at worst.
Good: While people do have accidents with guns in their homes, it is not the government’s responsibility to police people from themselves. If they’re going to hurt themselves, that is their right. Bad: The only obvious solution is to ban guns. There is no other argument that matters.
Does the essay state its position clearly? Is this position supported throughout with evidence and examples? Are paragraphs bogged down by extraneous information? Do paragraphs focus on one main idea? Are any counterarguments presented fairly, without misrepresentation? Are they convincingly dismissed? Are the paragraphs in an order that flows logically and builds an argument step-by-step? Does the conclusion convey the importance of the position and urge the reader to do/think something?
You may find it helpful to ask a trusted friend or classmate to look at your essay. If s/he has trouble understanding your argument or finds things unclear, focus your revision on those spots.
You may find it helpful to print out your draft and mark it up with a pen or pencil. When you write on the computer, your eyes may become so used to reading what you think you’ve written that they skip over errors. Working with a physical copy forces you to pay attention in a new way. Make sure to also format your essay correctly. For example, many instructors stipulate the margin width and font type you should use.
