Persuasive essay Erika Bañuelos

Paola Coronado

Karla Chavez

Johana Javier

Estephanie Sandoval

1. In this kind of essay the aim is to explain the reasons or the results of an event or situation.

2. In this kind of essay we try to convince the others with our facts, accept our arguments.

3. Choose items that are related in some way so they can be compared. Choose a method to organize, equal treatment and transitional words.

4. This is the type of essay where you prove that your opinion, theory or hypothesis about an issue is correct or more truthful than those of others.

• Persuasive essay 

• Argumentative essay

• Cause and effect essay

• Comparative/contrast essay

Match the following statements

In persuasive or argumentative writing, we try to convince others

to agree with our facts, share our values,accept our argument and conclusions,

and adopt our way of thinking.

When people disagree with you, what you ultimately have to do is persuade people to agree with you - period.

Bill James

Planning a persuasive essay

• Choose a controversial topic

• Choose your position

• Consider your audience.

• Research your topic

• Structure your essay

Produce an effective argument

• Be well informed about your topic.

• Test your thesis

• Disprove the opposing argument

Ways to support your argument

• Facts - A powerful means of convincing, facts can come from your reading, observation, or personal experience.

• Statistics - These can provide excellent support. Be sure your statistics come from responsible sources. Always cite your sources.

• Quotes - Direct quotes from leading experts that support your position are invaluable.

• Examples - Examples enhance your meaning and make your ideas concrete. They are the proof.

Essential steps for writing a persuasive essay:

• Identify your main idea or point of view. Your purpose will be to persuade your audience to accept this idea or point of view.

• Identify your audience. To write an effective persuasive essay, try to understand your audience. For example, are your readers undecided about your issue? Or are your readers hostile to your point of view?

• Considering your audience, identify the strongest supporting points for your persuasion.

• Identify the most significant opposing view. Explaining and then refuting the opposing view strengthens the credibility and scope of your essay.

How to organize your persuasive essay:

Introduction

• Your introduction should hook your reader's attention and provide background information on your topic or controversy.

• The paragraph should end with a clear statement of your main idea or point of view.

• Hook

Get the readers attention and introduce the topic

• Background

Help the reader understand the importance of the topic why is controvertial ?

• Thesis statement

Main idea / your oppinion

“Professional atheletes who are caught taking enhancing drugs should be banned from the

sport for life”.

Body paragraphs

• Your body paragraphs should present the points in support of your main idea with reasons and details

• Each body paragraph should focus on one point.

• Be sure to provide evidence or examples for each point.

The objective:

• Support you oppinion (at least 3 reasons)

• Reasons and details

• Fully explain what you mean

“A strict life-time ban could protect ther athletes from the tempration to use drugs”

“If athletes are aware of the punishment they will be less likely to be tempted”

• Opposing view

• After presenting your supporting points, develop one paragraph to accurately explain and then refute the most significant opposing view.

Counter argumentIt is important to let the reader know you include both sides

• Why your opinion is stronger?

• Refute: desagree

• Concede: yes, but …

“Some might argue that this pinishment is too severe; if you take away the persons’s ability to play the sport, you take

away their life-long drem”.

• Conclusion

• Creatively restate your main idea and supporting points.

• Try to leave your audience even more connected to your topic and persuaded by your main idea or perspective.

• Last impression

• Summarize the main points

• End with a strong argument

“However, it is the athletes taking these drugs who are the ones robbing other athlets of opportunity and dreams”.

Introduction:

Books are very important for students in school.  They can learn many new things and improve their skills.  However, our school library sometimes doesn't have enough types of some books.  I think that the school fundraiser money should be used to buy more books for our school library.

Body paragraph:

First, our class is doing reports on different animals and there are only a few books available on each kind.  This makes it hard to do research and write our reports if we all have to share books, or can't take them home to use.  If the library could buy more books, we would be able to do our reports better.

Conclusion:

So, it is important to buy more books for the library and the school fundraiser is a good way to get the money!  Kids will have more choices to read.  We can keep up with new things that happen in the world.  Plus, we won't have to wait so long to have a chance to read our favorite book!

Transitions words

To connect first paragraph to second:

• To begin with,

• In the first place

• Firstly,

• The first reason…

To connect the second paragraph to the third:

• Additionally,

• Another reason why,

• Secondly,

• Next,

To connect the third paragraph to the fourth:

• Lastly,

• Yet another reason why,

• In the same way…

• One last reason why…

• Also,

• Thirdly,

To connect the body to the conclusion

• In conclusion

• To summarize,

• In the final analysis

• You can see why….

• Finally,

• Therefore,

Revise

• Add 

• Rearrange

• Remove 

• Replace 

• Does the essay present a firm position on the issue, supported by relevant facts, statistics, quotes, and examples?

• Does the essay open with an effective “hook” that intrigues readers and keeps them reading?

• Does each paragraph offer compelling evidence focused on a single supporting point?

• Is the opposing point of view presented and convincingly refuted?

• Is the sentence structure varied? Is the word choice precise? Do the transitions between sentences and paragraphs help the reader’s understanding?

• Does the concluding paragraph convey the value of the writer’s position and urge the reader to think and act?

References

• http://essayinfo.com/essays/persuasive_essay.php#.UmnNWvlLNSF

• http://www.writeexpress.com/persuasive-essay.html

• http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr6.htm

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqwzYoThUpg

• http://essayinfo.com/essays/persuasive_essay.php#.Umn0JfnVA0c

• http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm

• http://www.slideshare.net/rmunson/structure-of-a-persuasive-essay