persuasive essay writing tips

persuasive essay writing tips

Persuasive Essay Writing Tips

1. Introduction

Persuasion is a key point of the day for our world today. The goal of the persuasive essay is to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view or recommendation. The writer must always use sound reasoning and solid evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, using examples, and quoting experts. The writer should also consider opposing views and provide solid evidence to refute them since he or she is trying to win an argument. A good persuasive essay is an essay that tries to get a point across. This essay tries to convince the reader that company policy to cut costs may affect the quality of the goods and it is trying to put across the point that the company might not need to cut costs for the goods. A perfect essay might make a strong case based on solid evidence and logic that global climate change is happening and is caused by human activity. A persuasive essay depends upon solid, convincing evidence. The writer must do research and in essence knows the topic inside out. This is the summary of the essay you are going to write and this is a crucial point, so write your strongest material here.

2. Choosing a Strong Argument

Is it specific and focused? Successful arguments are thoroughly backed by specific evidence (including data) and it is a rare thing that the more specific you are, the weaker your argument becomes. A focused claim, one with a single point of dispute, is easier to support and defend than general statements; “Vague generalities will not affect the mind”, a common prescription error is failure to identify the audience. An argument will not be very persuasive if the audience can’t see why it is relevant to them, tailoring the claim so that it appeals to the interests and values of the audience will make it far more potent.

Will it arouse opposition? Many childish and idiotic statements are tautologies, definition at its worst; good and evil are the same thing, or, if you will, there is no such thing as good; what breaks men’s hearts is the discovery that evil is powerful; in other words, there is no such thing as good; these are typical undergraduate arguments. Now it may be a very sound exercise to argue that all good is unreal, and the rigour of warfare is the thing the world needs. But though it may be quite wise and useful, it is neither childish nor idiotic, and is certainly open to opposition. The writer of a persuasive essay is always “manipulating”, he is forever setting up defences and rebuttals, this is no bad thing, it is a necessary part of the process of persuasion; ensure that your argument is persuasive – man has most need to prove his point when his position is precarious.

Arguments that have clear support are more easily defended and debated (two other essential elements in the essay process). Your reader will be more willing to accept your point of view if you can prove you have strong evidence in support of it. Consider the following questions to help you test the quality of your claim.

3. Structuring Your Essay

Other methods of structuring a persuasive essay include the straw man approach, which involves you building up an argument only to knock it down again. This approach can be used to create an argument that is emotionally charged and, while there is no real need to be polite and civilized in this type of essay, it is best to avoid alienating your readers, such as by referring to opposing views as stupid. In the adversarial approach, you develop an argument just like an attorney would, laying out evidence and showing how this evidence is supporting your position. This is often a very well-structured strategy and can be extremely effective in the art of persuasive essay writing.

Most essays will benefit from an interpretive approach that utilizes a specific sequence in order to present your argument in the most convincing light. There are a number of different ways to proceed using a sequential approach, such as a step-by-step account of the events in a story, following a character arc in a novel, or dramatizing a series of events in a movie or play. In this case, you would structure your essay and build your argument in a way that follows the logic of the sequence being analyzed. An essay that requires a more general understanding of a book and its context may need a historiographic approach. This structure follows the historical development of a particular idea and the context of this idea in a given time period.

A persuasive essay that is organized clearly, well-structured, and with a strong logical progression is more convincing and effective. As a writer, your only purpose is to illustrate a certain position, and the way in which you choose to present your case can make a significant difference in terms of convincing someone to come and join your side. A well-structured essay will make your stance and interpretation more clear to the reader. An effective choice of structure builds your argument in a way that will leave the strongest impression on the reader.

4. Persuasive Writing Techniques

Lastly, write your very best paper instead of the paper that you think will get you the highest grade. It sounds a little counterintuitive at first. But by writing the very best paper you are capable of writing, you will develop your skills and wind up with a very high grade. Many students make the mistake of writing a persuasive paper when they are not well-versed in the topic being discussed. They often resort to using it as an opportunity to regurgitate a lesson from their teacher. This is not the best way, and you will be graded upon your skill, so it may as well be a good opportunity to develop it.

Another technique is to circulate writing. Get your facts, get them in order, and then start researching and writing on them in order. It’s generally not the most effective technique to write a persuasive paper from the onset in an attempt to convince the reader to agree with your position. When you initially state your point, it is natural for an opposing position to pop into your head. The fresh writer will commonly start arguing the opposing point and, in result, will undermine their very own position. This pulse researchers is well aware of from his high school debate.

Use a natural conversational tone to argue your case, utilizing emotion and logic, attacking or defending the subject. Try your very best to support your arguments with facts. Use statistical evidence, studies, and other scientific explanations to verify your points. Anecdotal evidence also has its place in the persuasion procedure, of course. Connect an emotional impact to the things you have facts to support, and you have got a very persuasive argument. Use words that evoke emotion and a powerful response.

5. Conclusion

Persuasive writing is a very powerful weapon in daily life. But not everyone is easily swayed. Some people may never be in a position to be swayed when looking at another point of opinion. But considering the ability to change another’s opinion and gaining the skills to do it through methods such as those suggested by Andrew Rankin, we have the means in which we will be able to present a valuable argument, maybe even change the course of politics.

In conclusion, this essay identifies excellent points for consideration in the future of persuasive writing. If the assignment is specific in suggesting the approach type, the student has to remain with that approach in the whole essay. Also, I think learning how to use the others’ arguments to win your side to be a very useful tool in the game of negotiation, as Rankin suggests.