persuasive essay writing checklist

persuasive essay writing checklist

The Ultimate Persuasive Essay Writing Checklist

1. Introduction to Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is a rhetorical style that uses arguments in order to persuade an audience of the righteousness and validity of the writer’s standpoint. Essentially, persuasive writing is used to assume that the reader is always right and can change his or her opinion when presented with the best arguments. Persuasive writing in the form of an essay can be seen in advertising, blog posts, political media campaigns, and the cover letters and resumes of individuals applying for jobs. Persuasive writing, whether it’s intended for an English-language teacher or a major corporation, seeks to sway readers in their ways of thinking. Persuasive writing is an art form and one that can be said to be as old as the art of storytelling and narrating.

Persuasive writing, and persuasive essays in particular, require the writer to present some strong evidence to back up a claim. When a professional goal is to sway others, you must be capable of not only using the right words to express your thoughts and opinion, but you must also be able to appeal to the emotional side of those who are reading your work. You can convey your feelings and show the readers what is “at stake” if your point of view is not considered. The ability to sway with words, using “the art of persuasion,” is what will set you apart as a writer when you have learned how to craft persuasively. The word “engaging” best describes the writer’s goal in a persuasive writing essay, as persuasion should become engaging as opposed to taking on an overbearing attitude of “you must agree because I am right.”

2. Key Elements of a Persuasive Essay

Persuasive essay writing is a form of writing wherein the writer takes a stand on a certain subject and attempts to convince the reader of the result. Much like a litigation lawyer, a writer must present a debate to his readers. The readers must be persuaded that one side of the discussion is more prudent than the other. These papers include summaries, drafts, and formatting proposals in addition to actual essay papers.

Key elements in a persuasive essay:

1. An exemplary abstract that is astonishing. If writers decide to create a powerful introductory paragraph, the introductory thesis statement might provide them the central point of the article. This shows that the writer has a clear stance on the matter. Another section in the paragraph presenting the preliminary perception of becoming riveting data which shows readers the main points and constituents that will be described in an article. Facts in a risky style (story analysis). A final sentence in three or more sentences that creates details of the over-used cheat. Writer’s a bot. In their papers, writers generally resonate with the main thesis, but they don’t follow it. They should maybe look at other papers before writing their article. The strongest compositions are enthralling. Craft your pinch. Only the pompous thesis statement should be discussed at the outset. When writing a thesis, the writer is demonstrating that they understand the situation. This may be the most important part of the project. Can someone answer my most important questions and supply you with proper direction? A regular review of your compositions is insufficient. A study of those who came before one. What kinds of documents do other writers produce?

3. Structuring Your Persuasive Essay

An essay is a lot like a sandwich, structurally-speaking. The introduction and conclusion are the two slices of bread. They support and hold together the contents of the sandwich, just as the introduction and conclusion provide important context. For the introduction, this includes background information and a compelling thesis statement, or overall argument of the persuasive essay. The body paragraphs would make up the ingredients of the sandwich—let’s say, a nice slice of zesty pickles, a crisp piece of lettuce, and a juicy beef patty. The body is broken up into these separate items, with each piece representing a specific topic of argumentation. These are your proof that your argument is strong and viable. Following the more traditional way of structuring essays, we recommend having three body paragraphs, but you can always write more if you have additional points to make.

Finally, we have arrived at the conclusion, with the other slice of bread. This is where you restate an updated version of your thesis, but this time with all of your appealing, mouth-watering toppings on top. The conclusion should connect back to the introduction and show the reader that your persuasive essay has come full circle. Despite the arrival of the Aristotelian essay structure more than two thousand years ago, Mr. Aristotle is still relevant today. However, centuries of practice have helped us fine-tune the concept of what experts call “persuasion” on the basis of what Aristotle called “ethos, pathos, and logos.” In other words, the response to the question of how to write a persuasive essay and the response to the question of how to list a piece of pizza differ. Writing a persuasive essay is more complex, but remember that your goal is the same as that of a pizza place. That is to get people to take action or agree with you.

4. Effective Persuasive Writing Techniques

Persuasive essays differ from other essay types in how they aim to evoke the emotions and feelings of their audience or target readers. They require an understanding of what appeals to certain groups of people, what pushes their buttons, and how to get through to them by using an appropriate tone, diction, and arguments. Mentioned below are some effective techniques used to persuade people through writing.

– Engagement – Engaging the readers might potentially be the most powerful way of persuading them. If you give them something to think about, to laugh about, or even to just smile about, they are instantly connected to your work. From there, they’ll be more open to what you are arguing for. Ideally, the writer and the audience are on the same side of the fence so that they can agree on a common ground and form a communal base that can help enhance the persuasive essay. – Rhetorical questions – Interrogative questions that do not expect an answer are used to engage readers and get them to think about a perspective they may not have previously considered. They nudge readers toward thinking about conversion and frame the foundation of a persuasive essay. – Appeals – Making an argument that appeals to a certain type of person (like a donor to a charity or a member of a religious organization) can help you make your point much clearer. You give your reader a few tools for emotionally connecting to your argument, without even making false or exaggerated claims.

5. Conclusion and Final Tips

In conclusion, you have the power to influence anyone through your writing. Persuasive essays are immensely powerful tools for changing minds and aligning people with your point of view. Use these fundamental principles to capture the reader’s mind and arguments to drive home your point even further. Happy writing!

We hope these persuasive essay writing tips have been helpful to you! There is so much more to learn about persuasive writing, and we’ve linked you to great resources throughout this post to help you take the next step. If you are positive that you need more information on persuasive writing, you should check out “How to Write Persuasive Essays: A Guide on Persuasive Writing” and “25+ Persuasive Writing Topics to Keep You and Your Readers Engaged.”

1. Write a persuasive thesis statement. Your thesis statement is like your persuasive essay’s main idea or the overall point you are trying to make. It should suggest your essay’s purpose while being intriguing and relevant enough to persuade your readers to continue reading. It’s important to develop a thesis statement that is clear and persuasive. One way to ensure that your thesis is persuasive is to collect and summarize your essay’s main arguments. Once you have a list of main arguments, combine two or more of them to create a statement that presents the main focus and assertion of your essay. For example, if you are writing a persuasive essay about implementing a school uniform policy, you might have arguments about student concentration, financial burden, and school/clique unity. If you combine these, what are you left with?