Persuasive Essay Writing: A How-to and Tips Guide

 Ever wonder why you are given to write a persuasive essay when it seems to offer no direct benefits to your knowledge (in the sense of scientific explanation of knowledge)? Well, writing a persuasive essay is often considered a skill because it allows the writer to convince the reader about their opinion which leads to the reader taking specific action.



The core of a persuasive essay is the argument, which presents a clear and compelling case for the writer's position. A persuasive essay is very personal and emotional in nature for which it is often used in media presentations. Now, before delving deep into how to write a super perfect persuasive essay, let us discuss what it is, actually!!

What is a persuasive essay writing?

A persuasive essay is a type of argumentative essay that aims to convince the reader about the viewpoint of the writer. This helps the writer to convince the reader to take specific actions.

For example, a writer might want to aware the readers against the cons of veganism for which they decide to write using ethos, pathos and logos to convince the reader to compare the benefits and disadvantages of veganism.

Persuasive Essay Techniques

1. Choose a Strong Topic

Choosing the topic is often the first stepping stone for many assignments. Select a topic that is debatable, relatable to the current context and has relevancy. As your goal is to persuade the reader, it is necessary to choose a topic where people have differing opinions.

2. Conduct a Thorough Research:

A well-researched essay is a persuasive essay's backbone. Research important credible sources, and see whether the sources are for or against your intention. This is one of the most important persuasive essay techniques that will help you with forming your point of view and convincing it with evidence.

3. Craft a Thesis Statement

As the thesis statement is the focal point for the research, composing a clearly defined thesis statement is a must in a good persuasive essay. The key points are to be outlined in the thesis statement for the purpose.

4. Organise

As the aim of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader on a point, organising the essay properly and structurally is as necessary as the component (as this helps placing the component structurally). A clear introduction, main body and conclusion with body paragraphs is a good way to start with your persuasive essay writing.

  • Introduction: Start with a hook to grab the reader's attention, offer background information, and present your thesis statement.
  • Body Paragraphs: Each paragraph shoneeds to address a single point that supports your thesis. Begin with a topic sentence and proceed with offering evidence. The relevance of the point also needs to be explained in order to make the readers persuade. Use transition words to create a smooth flow between paragraphs so that the whole piece seems seamless (which is essential to persuade the readers as organically arranged sentences help to build up reason and emotion).
  • Counter Arguments: Acknowledge opposing viewpoints and provide a rebuttal for strengthening your argument. This shows you've considered multiple perspectives which is essential for persuading readers.
  • Conclusion: Summarise your main points, restate your thesis, and leave the reader with a compelling closing statement or a call to action.

5. Use Specific Persuasive Essay Techniques

You must try to make your argument convincing. Hence, employing various persuasive essay techniques is extremely important.

  • Ethos: Ethos refers to the credibility of the points. Make your arguments credible by citing reliable sources. This might include professionals having expertise on the topic, peer-reviewed journal papers, data from authentic websites etc.
  • Pathos: Readers often make decisions based on emotions. Emotionally charged language can make your argument more relatable. Hence, take recourse of personal stories, anecdotes and vivid language to make your piece more emotionally-charged.
  • Logos: Apart from using emotionally charged language and credible sources, using statistics and logical reasoning can help you support your points.
  • Rhetorical Devices: Lastly, making use of different rhetorical devices like analogies, metaphors and similes can make your writing more attractive and memorable leading the reader to take specific actions.

6. Edit and Proofread

After completing your initial draft, go back to the introduction and check each word for grammar, spelling or punctuation mistakes. Check for any ambiguous sentences and ensure that all the pieces of evidence provided backs up your argument.

When not given a topic, you are required to choose a topic based on your own interests, experience and inquisitiveness. However, to begin with, you can use the following prompts. It will allow you to brainstorm ideas that might lead you to find even better topic ideas:

  • Is it ethical to use animals for scientific discoveries and research? Argue for or against animal testing in scientific research and propose an alternative, if available or practical
  • Should genetically modified organisms (GMOs) be labelled in food products? Make a case for or against GMO labelling considering the need for transparency as well as consumer rights.
  • Should death penalties be forbidden? Make a case for or against death penalties and quote the government's views as well as accused and accusers’.
  • Does a four-day workweek increase productivity?
    Argue for or against a four-day workweek and present the pros and cons of a traditional workweek to provide a balanced approach.
    These persuasive essay prompts are general in nature. However, you should consider brainstorming a topic based on your subject or domain.

 

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