The Persuasive Essay Guidelines, Planning, & Effectiveness

Persuasion is everywhere…

Hopefully you will not have to resort to this some day…

Did you know… O “Social scientists estimate that each of us is exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of persuasive messages per day” ( O Think of 3-5 instances in which you use and/or see persuasion and write them down in your notes: O 1. O 2. O 3. O 4. O 5.

Persuasive Essays O Persuasive writing, also known as the argument essay, utilizes logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate than another idea. O It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular action. O The argument must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts.

Planning O 1. Choose your position. Which side of the issue or problem are you going to write about, and what solution will you offer? Know the purpose of your essay. (This is where your THESIS comes in!) O 2. Analyze your audience. Decide if your audience agrees with you, is neutral, or disagrees with your position. O 3. Research your topic. A persuasive essay must provide specific and convincing evidence. Often it is necessary to go beyond your own knowledge and experience. You might need to go to the library, interview people who are experts on your topic, or read (what a startling revelation!!!). O 4. Structure your essay. Figure out what evidence you will include and in what order you will present the evidence (order is VERY important). Remember to consider your purpose, your audience, and your topic.

Essential Elements O Be well informed about your topic. Talk to classmates, friends, and teachers about the topic. What do they think about it? Talking out your ideas and testing your opinions gives you more of a clue of what you have to say to persuade them to your point of view. O Test your thesis. Your thesis, i.e., argument, must have two sides. It must be debatable. If you can write down a thesis statement directly opposing your own, you will ensure that your own argument is debatable. O Disprove the opposing argument. Understand the opposite viewpoint of your position and then counter it by providing contrasting evidence or by finding mistakes and inconsistencies in the logic of the opposing argument. O Support your position with evidence. Remember that your evidence must appeal to reason (not just “because”).

Antigone Persuasive Essay Final Draft Due: Wednesday, January 16 th O Prompt: In Antigone by Sophocles, the two main characters, King Creon and Antigone, have entirely opposing views of where a person’s utmost loyalty should lie. Write a persuasive essay that defends either King Creon’s view or Antigone’s view of loyalty. O Steps of the Essay (each step must be checked): O 1. Brainstorm O 2. Thesis Statement O 3. Gather Evidence (2 body paragraphs, 3 pieces of text evidence per paragraph: total 6 pieces of evidence overall) O 4. Commentary (2 sentences per quote), Topic Sentences, and Transitions O 5. Rough Draft (Writing Conference when complete) O 6. Final Draft (Major Grade)