MAKEYOURESSAY

AWESOME

What to watch for:• Your introduction• Cliché/unnecessary phrases• “I” and “You”• Structure• Audience• Use of credible, emotional, and

logical appeals• Formatting

Your intro:• Does it grab the reader’s attention?• Avoid boring intro sentences like these:

– “My essay is about school uniforms.”– “I am going to convince you that school

uniforms are bad.”– “I am against school uniforms.”

• Also avoid these tacky intros:– Beginning with a question/definition/quote

Cliché Phrases• “In my opinion…”• “I think…”• “I believe…”• “I hope that you…”

These all sound insecure.

Eliminate “I” and “You”

• Keep yourself out of it if possible. Be objective, not subjective.

• Specify who “you” is.• Example:

– Bad: “When you choose to have an abortion, you take someone’s life.”

– Good: “When a woman chooses to have an abortion, she takes someone’s life.”

Structure• First paragraph:

– Clearly states opinion

• Second, third, and fourth paragraph:– Begin with a clear reason– Facts or examples support the above

reason

• Fifth paragraph:– Restate main reasons– Leaves reader with a lingering thought

Audience• Who is your audience?

– How can you target their age? Gender? Race? Religion? Social class?

• Be respectful of who you want to convince.___________________________________________

“Eliminating busing was the worst idea the administration has ever come up with.”

“Eliminating busing has placed a great amount of stress upon students.”

Which sentence best appeals to its audience?

Credible, Emotional, and Logical Appeals

• Do you use an expert’s information or opinion (credibility)?– As smart as you may be, readers still

want reliable proof from other sources.

• Is your topic an emotional one?– Find ways to target your audience’s

values without getting emotional yourself.

• Does your argument use proven facts?– Give readers logical reasons to agree with

you.

When you think you’re done:

Pretend to disagree with yourself.

• Read your paper from the opposite point of view.

• Are you respectful?• Do you appeal to the audience’s interests

or just shove them aside?

Proper Formatting• 1-2 pages• Times New Roman, 12pt• Double-spaced• Margins no wider than 1 inch

**CITE ALL OF YOUR INFORMATION!**

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