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"A word after a word after a word is power."1 This sentiment, attributed to Margaret Atwood, uses simple language to express a bit of common knowledge. Speechwriters, advertisers, and the media know that persuasive words are necessary to sway their audience. A persuasive essay uses a combination of emotion, credibility, and logic to defend, challenge, or qualify a claim.
When you write an essay to convince the reader about your opinion on a subject, it is formally known as a persuasive essay. Sometimes this can also be called an argumentative essay, but there are technically some stylistic differences between them.
Fig. 1 - Arguments have an ancient history.
To write an effective persuasive essay, you must first construct a solid argument. So, how do we structure a solid argument? Aristotle to the rescue! Aristotle developed the three interlocking parts of an essay (or Elements of Rhetoric) that work together to persuade an audience.
These three parts are:
Ethos (or "character"): The audience must feel like your opinion is credible, or they will never listen to what you have to say. Make sure you use reliable sources to back the claim in your persuasive essay.
Pathos (or "experience" or "emotion"): The reader has to care about your topic to be influenced, so write your persuasive essay in a way that appeals to their experiences or emotions.
Logos (or "reason"): Use logic when writing your essay. Effective persuasive essays are a balance between solid facts and rational feelings.
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher (384 BC-322 BC). He is considered one of the most influential philosophers, and he contributed to various fields, including math, science, political science, and philosophy. Aristotle developed many ideas still discussed today, such as the structure of persuasion.
Your thesis statement may be referred to as a claim. Claims are written in different styles:
In a persuasive essay, you can:
If possible, pick a topic for your persuasive essay that interests you because it ensures your passion will shine through in your writing. Any debatable topic has the potential to be crafted into a persuasive essay.
For example:
A Persuasive essay follows the standard essay format with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
You should begin by reeling your audience in with an interesting quote, a shocking statistic, or an anecdote that catches their attention. Introduce your subject, then state your argument in the form of a claim that defends, challenges, or qualifies a claim. You can also outline the persuasive essay's main points.
Defend your claim in the body paragraphs. You can also challenge or qualify the opposing viewpoint using verifiable sources. Take the time to investigate the opposite opinion to add depth to your subject knowledge. Then, separate each of your main points into their own paragraphs, and devote a section of your essay to disproving the rival belief.
The conclusion is your space to bring the message home to the reader and is your final opportunity to persuade them that your belief is correct. After restating the claim and reinforcing the main points, appeal to your audience with a call to action, a brief discussion of questions your essay raises, or a real-world consequence.
When discussing subjects we feel strongly about with friends and family, we say things like "I think" or "I feel." Avoid beginning statements with these phrases in persuasive essays because they weaken your argument. By making your claim, you are already telling your audience what you believe, so including these unnecessary phrases in your persuasive essay shows a lack of confidence.
Once you've picked a topic, done the research, and brainstormed, you're about ready to start writing your persuasive essay. But wait, there's more! An outline will organize your main points and sources, giving your persuasive essay a roadmap to follow. Here's the main structure:
I. Introduction
A. Hook
B. Introduction to the topic
C. Thesis statementII. Body paragraph (the number of body paragraphs you include will vary)
A. Main point B. Source and discussion of source C. Transition to next point/opposing belief
III. Body paragraph
A. State opposing belief
B. Evidence against opposing belief
C. Transition to conclusion
IV. Conclusion
A. Summarize main points
B. Restate thesis
C. Call to action/questions raised/consequences
While you read the following example of a persuasive essay, find the immediate action claim in the introduction and see how the writer defends their position by using reputable sources. Further, what does the writer say in the conclusion to make a final attempt at persuading the audience?
Fig. 2 - Bite into the heart of persuasion.
To summarize:
1 Lang, Nancy, and Peter Raymont. Margaret Atwood: A Word After a Word After a Word is Power. 2019.
2 "How We Fight Food Waste in the US." Feeding America. 2022.
3 "Key Statistics and Graphics." USDA Economic Research Service. 2021.
4 "Reduce Wasted Food By Feeding Hungry People." United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2021.
A Persuasive Essay offers an opinion on a topic and attempts to convince an audience it is correct.
A Persuasive Essay includes a thesis statement written into an Introduction, followed by Body Paragraphs, and a Conclusion.
Any topic you can agree or disagree with has the potential to be crafted into a Persuasive Essay including:
Some examples of persuasive essays are:
Writing persuasive essays is important because it teaches you how to examine both sides of an issue and helps you recognize a persuasive tone.
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