WRITING A SUCCESSFUL

PERSUASIVE ESSAY

NOTE: Much of this information was taken from the website

http://www.writing-savvy.org by Krystle

THE INTRODUCTIONThe purpose of an introduction is to introduce the material you are going to discuss. You definitely want to draw in your reader, establish your topic and communicate clearly what the purpose of the subject is you are developing.

HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTIONFirst start with an attention grabber.

This first sentence is extremely important. It hooks your readers to want to read more. It should intrigue, draw in and introduce your readers to your topic.

ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLESStart with a question:Example: “When was the last time a waiter served you in less than 20 minutes?”

Example: ‘’Is a person´s right to smoke more important than the health of the people around them?’’

ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES -Start with a definition, quotation or statistic that is relevant to your topic:

Example: “There is one waiter responsible for every ten tables in a restaurant.”

Example: ‘’Over 126 million nonsmokers in the United States are exposed to second hand smoke everyday.

ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLESStart with an assertion statement:

Example:“Restaurant services has gotten out of hand!”

Example: ‘’Second hand smoke is a serious threat to the health of university students.

ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLESStart with an anecodote (story):

Example: “Imagine you and your spouse are celebrating your one year anniversary. You both arrive at a restaurant 20 minutes before your reservation. However, as soon as you are seated, you see five other couples seated at tables that have not yet been served.”

ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES Start with an anecodote (story):Example: “As a university student, I was bothered by the large groups of smokers that stood outside the school buildings. I hated breathing in their smoke as I walked past. I could still smell the smoke on me when I was sitting in class.”

HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTIONSecond, include some background

information on the topic. After you have an attention grabber,

provide some general information on your topic. This is a good point in your paper to give your readers some history about the issue you are raising. This helps the reader see the point you are eventually trying to make.

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONFor example, if you are talking

about the problems with service at a restaurant, you may want to include what the problem is and if there is a particular restaurant, etc.

It is very important to know who your audience is so you can determine the amount of background information you should include.

HOW TO WRITE AND INTRODUCTON Insert your thesis statement. Your

thesis statement should provide your readers with a clear idea of what your paper will focus on.

A thesis is simply “what you plan to say or write.”

A thesis should be about one sentence long. It should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.

WRITING A THESIS Never write your thesis as an opinion. EXAMPLE: I think that schools should ban

smoking. Your readers know "what you think" because

you wrote it. By simply rephrasing the sentence to “Schools must ban smoking,” you have a more powerful sentence that urges your readers that action is needed.

WRITING A THESIS Avoid awkward announcements like: “In this

essay I will talk about…” or “I will attempt to show you” or “I feel that”.

Instead you should jump right into what your point is by simply stating “Smoking on campus is a serious problem.”

WRITING ATHESIS A sample thesis may look like this: Smoking must be banned on all campuses

to prevent second hand smoke, hazardous fires, and to promote a clean campus environment.

Or simply: Smoking must be banned on all campuses. In the first example, the writer is telling the

reader what each additional paragraph will be about.

In the second example, the writer is simply stating what they are arguing

WRITING A THESISIf you are still not sure how to write a thesis, ask yourself the following questions:

What is my essays purpose?How can I develop it?What do I want to prove or explain to my audience?

HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS

The body paragraphs of your essay are what I like to call the meat of your paper.

Now that you have introduced your topic, you now have the chance to provide details to support what it is you are trying to say.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS1. Start with a topic sentence (includes purpose)Too broad- Second hand smoke is

bad. Too narrow- Second hand smoke

kills 3,700 Americans every year. Great topic sentence: Second

hand smoke affects the health of university students.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS 2. Add Support (examples and details)

Types of Evidence

1. Analogies: comparisons that show similarities

between otherwise unrelated ideas

1. Anecdotes: Personal examples or stories that

illustrate a point

1. Commonly accepted beliefs: Ideas that most

people share

1. Examples: Specific instances or illustrations

of a general idea

1. Expert opinion: A statement made by an

authority on the subject

1. Facts: Statements that can be proven true.

Some facts are in the form of statistics, or

numerical information.

HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS 3. Finish with a conclusion

sentence. After you have provided support and

examples, you must explain why you used them.

Every well-written paragraph ends with a concluding sentence. The concluding sentence re-emphasizes the topic sentence’s purpose. Do not just restate your topic sentence.

HOW TO WRITE A CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH The concluding paragraph sums up

everything you have previously stated in the body paragraphs of your essay.

It almost mirrors your introduction in the sense that it reemphasizes your thesis.

Try asking yourself “so what?” You have pages and pages of written ideas. Now why are all these ideas so important? Sum it up for your readers. In your conclusion, show your readers why this information was so meaningful.

1. Start your conclusion by addressing possible counter arguments.What would someone who disagrees with

you argue?Explain why this is not a strong argument.

2. Summarize the main ideas from your body paragraphs.

3. End with a call to action.Urge your readers to do something related

to your topic.