Techniques of Persuasive Essay Writing

The art of persuasive essay writing is as old as civilization itself. Politics and

organized religion sustains civilization and for both these social categories to

persuade people, literate or illiterate, this type of discourse was a vital tool.

The persuasive mode of writing finds its early realizations in the Histories of the

Greek historian Herodotus. The essays of Herodotus are controversial in nature

as they use polemic or a conflicting style to support his arguments. In fact, in

many ways, the structure, style, rhetoric and format of a persuasive piece of

prose is very similar to that of an argumentative one. The major difference,

between the two, is in the claims to objective truth that is the hallmark of the

argumentative piece. The argumentative essay is based on historically and

scientifically verifiable objective truth. On the other hand, it is not that the

persuasive essay bases its claims on absolute untruths or lies; rather, it

persuades its audience, large or small, to take-up the viewpoint of the

persuasive writer or orator.

One can easily exploit a situational context and playing dirty make his/her case

to conform to the populist viewpoints making rounds in a particular community

or society. By playing the situation to conform to his/her vested interests, a

political demagogue or charismatic leader might easily exploit the emotions of

the masses. When such persuasion is of a political, racial or religious nature,

that demonizes, for example, a particular noted individual, community, race or

religion, the resulting bigoted and prejudiced discourse is known as hate-speech

or propaganda.

It is not that this demonization or scapegoating was absent previous to the

delivery or distribution of a particular persuasive speech or discourse. The

particular vibe was already present in a given society as a social imaginary (what

societies imagine as a collective) through rumors, hearsay, mass hysteria or the

crimes of a handful among the demonized minority. The persuasive speech or

discourse uses this social vibe as a “hook” to “bait” his/her audience.

Pre-writing techniques for a persuasive essay

Research

A good persuasive speaker does extensive research on the intensity of a

particular social imaginary or viewpoint before exploiting it or persuading

people to take to his/her case. Not only in political or religious scenarios, but

also for any particular cause, a piece of persuasive prose or essay uses a

strategic point, both to grab the attention of its audience and also to state its

opening thesis.

Here are 7 ways for improving research presentation.

Taking a stance

Before launching with his/her opening statement, the essayist or speaker has to

take a stance. This particular stance will form his/her thesis and that person has

to defend the same. But before making that opening statement and going on to

defend it, the essayist must research both sides of the argument thoroughly and

not just bank upon a social vibe that is based on rumors and mass hysteria.

Serious persuasive speakers or essayists with noble goals and causes in mind

must absolutely research from ethnographic fieldwork and interviews to library

and other archival research.

Bait and hook

Once the research is in place, the essayist or speaker must divide it between the

thesis and anti-theses. Then, he/she should choose his/her stance and with the

above-mentioned metaphor of the ‘hook’, offer the audience a ‘bait’ and then

state his/her thesis. Then he/she should embark on the perilous journey to

prove and defend his/her thesis.

Structural parts of persuasive essay

Narration

After the exordium or introduction is over, the traditional persuasive essay

writing delves into the narration part. In this part the background ‘facts’ are

stated. The essayist backs-up his/her argument by logic and facts. There is also

the reference to tangible material evidence.

All these form the background of the persuasive essay as it is also based on the

extensive research that the essayist has carried out. This research might be

ethnographic fieldwork such as interviews and could also be research in libraries

and other archives.

Partition

After the narration comes the partition. This part discusses the forecast of

topics to be dealt with in the body of the essay. This section also links the

previous facts-related background with the major body of the essay. The

partition gives a brief overview of how the facts gathered as evidence for the

central thesis and applies to the same. The forecast should not be an exposition

of the body of the essay; rather, it should be like a preface of how the facts are

to be interpreted, the logic and methodology to be used for that interpretation

and how the situatedness of the facts will later contribute to the persuasive

essay. Nevertheless, the partition also gives an overview of the other sections of

the persuasive essay apart from the body of the same.

The arguments and their complex workings are not unravelled here. It is just a

working forecast of what issues will be raised in the proving of the central thesis

as well as alternatives to the same. Besides, it will also hint at the rhetorical

questions to be later raised in order to set the audience thinking about the

stakes of the central thesis. An extended hint at such rhetorical questions also

sets the stage for the future discussion of the affective, linguistic, stylistic and

syntactical issues within the entirety of the persuasive essay.

Conformation

The next part of the persuasive essay is the conformation. It forms the body of

the text where the thesis question is explicated against the background of facts

and logical reasoning. This section also expounds the methodology being used

to interpret the facts. Confirming the thesis in a persuasive essay is linguistically

and syntactically complex. There should be no error or ambiguity that would

imply contradiction and ‘double speak’. Syntax, rhetoric and language should be

well crafted and all errors that point towards affirming both sides of the

argument should be eliminated. The thesis question of the persuasive essay is

explicated in detail and the background of tangible and material facts is

interpreted using theoretical methodology. The thesis follows a line of inquiry

and raises relevant questions about its central cause. Both sides of the

argument should be explored in depth supported by sound logic and reasoning,

often based on tangible and material evidence.

However, very often, the evidence might be from authentic archival, library-

related or digital sources. It might also be from ethnographic fieldwork that is

carried out by interviewing members of particular communities or any

individual. A variety of dissertation methodologies are used to (according to the

discipline(s) that the central thesis question pertains to) interpret this evidence

and apply it as logic and reasoning to the central thesis question. The given

methodology also interprets the evidence to place logic and reasoning behind

the stakes that the central research theme raises. The line of inquiry raised by

the central thesis question also explores these stakes and argues, by way of

evidence, both for and against them. Once, both sides of the stakes have been

explored and evidence provided for each separate issue that supports the

central thesis question, the anti-theses i.e. each argument against the major line

of inquiry is nullified and made void.

Refutation

After the conformation comes the refutation. The refutation explores

alternatives to the central thesis question. Possible anti-theses that do not ‘fit

into’ the major line of inquiry are explored as ‘point of departures’ that can

consist of radical alternative arguments to the thesis. This section of the

persuasive essay is usually intellectually speculative and is omitted or presented

as fearful alternatives in political or religious oratory.

However, in persuasive essay writing, the requirement is there to present

alternatives that do not fit into the central thesis argument. Even after very

careful inspection and crafting of language and style to omit any ‘double-speak’

or ambiguity, there always does remain certain ideas that cannot be argued

away. Not only does this point towards the diversity of concepts that can be

framed with language, but also clarifies the quantum (or infinitely chance-

based) nature of the linguistic lifeworld (arena).

Rhetorical Questions

Next there are the rhetorical questions to make the readers of the persuasive

essay think. Each question that arose previously on the nature of the central

thesis argument is taken conceptually and thought about in a rhetorical way.

As each concept is unique so is the related rhetoric. The audience or reader is

made to think on the nature of persuasion and its political and ethical nature.

The cause or thought-argument related to the central thesis is elaborately

philosophized upon.

Peroration

Finally, there is the peroration or conclusion which sums up the persuasive

argument and also ties it to the introduction so that the persuasive essay might

have a holistic structure and form.

The Three Pillars of Persuasive Essay

It is important to note the three conceptual pillars that mold the structure of

the persuasive essay. These three concepts are those of ethos, logos and

pathos.

Ethos

As stated earlier, the essayist or persuasive orator opens his/her stance with a

cause-related and argumentative thesis. Here, he/she appeals to the ethos of

the audience by establishing credibility through his language and rhetoric. Some

of the relevant features of ethos, as related to the structuring of the persuasive

essay, are as follows:

The language, rhetoric and syntax of the persuasive argument must be free

from internal contradictions

The essayist must craft his language very diligently getting rid of all errors,

‘double-speaks’ and ambiguities

The language and rhetoric must speak strongly for the cause and even the

slightest errors that speak ambiguously must be negated.

Logos

The next pillar of the persuasive essay is the logos. The persuasive essayist or

orator has to back-up his claims by solid evidence and sound reasoning.

Through an appeal to facts, the essayist can build his argument on reason. Some

of the features of logos are as follows:

In the classical sense, a recourse to logic backed by tangible material evidence is

usually at the center of a logos-oriented persuasive essay. It should not be just

words, theories or numbers; a logical argument must be backed by solid

material evidence.

In the classical sense, the essayist or speaker appeals to the rationality of

his/her audience. Logic backed by tangible material evidence that appeals to the

senses and echoes as truth can hardly be denied under standard conditions.

However, there always have been situations where the appeal to logic and

material evidence have been manufactured, planted and conspired upon for the

sole purpose to raise and create sensation and mass hysteria. Very often,

diplomatic and unscrupulous politicians and religious leaders have been guilty

of using twisted logic and planted evidence to get to their vested interests by

creating persuasive statements and moving billions of people through mass

media. Nevertheless, in its scrupulous and noble sense, the art of persuasion

and its writing depends on genuine logic backed by authentic tangible and

material sources.

Pathos

The final pillar that molds the persuasive essay is an appeal to pathos. The

essayist appeals to the emotions of the audience and raises dramatic flair in

his/her argument. His/her cause must also soundly bank upon some particular

aspect that ‘touches’ an emotional nerve of the audience. Some of the aspects

of pathos are:

The speaker or persuasive essayist appeals to the emotions of the masses or

his/her specific audience. This affective and dramatic aspect must also mold his

rhetoric with an appeal to his/her cause.

The persuasive essayist must convince his/her audience about the emotional

requirement of his/her cause. It must raise similar emotions in his/her audience

as it does in him/her.

In the classical sense, the appeal to positive emotions is perfectly fine. However,

here too there is a flipside. Very often, emotions are barbaric, crude and

irrational. While an unscrupulous political or religious leader can easily exploit

the negative emotions of the masses and make the worst of existing rumors and

mass hysteria, an authentic persuasive orator or essayist uses the classical

model to advance any noble cause.

Commercial and non-commercial use of persuasive essay

The persuasive essay is written both commercially and non-commercially. To

promote brands and market their products, companies, use persuasive writing

and visual language. Although the persuasive essay might also be written non-

commercially for furthering stakes or any noble cause, it might also be used in

an extensively commercial way by companies to describe their products.

The persuasive essay is, thus, written in a traditionally complex structure and

has its ethics and politics. It is written specifically to persuade an audience or

reader to agree with the essayist’s point of view. The persuasive style of writing

also rests on and is molded by the three conceptual pillars of ethos, logos and

pathos. It is used for a variety of purposes including commercial and non-

commercial ones.