Persuasive Essays Preparing for the GHSGWT

The purpose of a persuasive essay is…  To convince the reader of your opinion on a topic.

Before writing…  Read the topic and consider it carefully  _____________ a side (choosing __________ definite side will make your opinion and your essay stronger)  Identify the ___________ of your essay (Is it a letter? Article? Etc.)  If it is a letter, simply write your salutation at the beginning and sign your name at the end)

Before writing (continued)…  Identify your ______________  Ask yourself the following questions about your audience:  Who is my audience?  What kind of language should I use when addressing this audience?  What will make my audience care about this issue?  What arguments might my audience have?  What will my audience expect from my essay?

Writing an Introduction  3 things an opening/introductory paragraph should accomplish:  It should gain your reader’s ___________.  It should ____________ your subject  It should identify your ______________  the sentence that lets the reader know what ________________ ____________ you are going to discuss.  The thesis is usually the __________sentence of your introduction

1st sentence of introduction  1 st sentence should catch the reader’s attention

Several ways to begin an opening paragraph:  Share some thought-provoking details about the subject.  Example: “The results of today’s driver education programs are visible every day, on every road.”  Ask your reader a challenging ______________.  Example: “If someone commits murder, should they be punished in the same way? Should they receive the death penalty?”  Begin with an informative __________________:  Example: The average cost of a Hollywood film runs between 30 and 50 million dollars.

Ways to begin an opening paragraph (continued):  Provide a __________________, eye-opening statement.  Examples: “Before the car accident, Randy thought about life in terms of jump shots, fast breaks, and high-flying layups.”  “Millions of Americans are killed every year by drunk drivers.”  Open with some thoughtful ______________ or engaging ______________.  Example: In first grade, I learned some of the harsh realities of life. I found out that circuses aren’t all they’re supposed to be.”  “My Uncle John is normally a likeable and friendly man, but when there is a group of people and a camera around, he becomes a real pest.”

2 nd and 3 rd sentences of introduction should…  Identify and discuss the topic.

Final sentence  The final sentence (the thesis) should contain the following:  Statement of topic + opinion  Example: Capital punishment should be abolished.

Body Paragraphs  Topic sentence of the body paragraph = the first sentence of a body paragraph

Supporting Details  2nd – 5th sentences of the body paragraph =___________________/______________  The MOST IMPORTANT part of a persuasive body paragraph is the _______________.  Just like a lawyer uses evidence to support his argument in court, you must use supporting details to support your opinion in a persuasive essay.  A good persuasive body paragraph contains __________supporting details.

Example  Back up _____________statement  It’s been a bad day.  Details: I woke up late. I ran out of hot water in the shower and got soap in my eyes. I burned my toast too. My dog got out of the backyard. I locked my keys in the house. Certainly, today has been a bad day.

Conclusions  Briefly ___________ and restate your opinion  ____________any questions left unanswered in the middle paragraphs  ______________ the special importance of one of the supporting details  connect with the reader’s life or with life in general.  Good place for __________________

An effective closing is…  an ending—PLUS more to ____________ about.  In the first part of your closing paragraph, briefly restate your opinion. In the second part, broaden your scope by saying something more about the subject, something that will keep the subject alive in the reader’s mind, such as counterargument.

Two Organizational Strategies for Writing Persuasive Essays BOOK-END TECHNIQUE Introduction with thesis One long story/anecdote 1 st body paragraph – beginning of story 2 nd body paragraph – middle of story 3 rd body paragraph end of story Conclusion states WHY your story supports the thesis The Multi-Story Technique Introduction with thesis Three or more different stories/anecdotes in the body paragraphs to support your thesis Conclusion

Scoring the Graduation Test  You will be scored in four categories called domains:  Domain 1 =___________  Domain 2 = ______________  Domain 3 = ____________  Domain 4 = ____________

Domain 1 = Ideas  In “Ideas,” you are scored on...  Controlling idea/ ___________  ___________ ideas  _____________ of detail  Depth of ___________(Do you have enough evidence?)  ____________of the persuasive purpose  Sense of _____________ (good conclusion)

Domain 1 = Ideas  The “Ideas” domain counts__________as much as any other domain!

Domain 2 = Organization  In “Organization,” you are scored on...  Overall ___________  Introduction/body/conclusion  ____________ of ideas  Grouping of ideas ____________paragraphs  Organizing strategies appropriate to persuasion  __________ (Do not be repetitive)

Domain 3 = Style  In “Style,” you are scored on...  ___________ choice  ___________ awareness  ___________  Sentence ______________

Domain 4 = Conventions  In “Conventions,” you are scored on...  Sentence formation  Usage – mistakes you can _________ (subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, pronoun agreement, etc.)  Mechanics – mistakes you can ___________(punctuation, spelling, paragraph breaks, capitalization)

Scoring  In each domain, you may receive a score ranging from a ____ to a ____.  A 5 is the highest score, and a 1 is the lowest.  5 = full command of the domain  4 = consistent command of the domain  3 = sufficient control of the domain  2= minimal control of the domain  1 = little or no control of the domain