It is not easy to influence another person’s opinion on a given issue or convince them that you are right, especially if it is a matter they feel strongly about. Nonetheless, this task is precisely what Persuasive Essay Examples exist to accomplish. These pieces use emotive language, imagery, and supporting evidence to sway a reader’s opinion about something. They create a coherent and logical point of view that forces the reader to question their stand and adopt yours. In this post, we review everything you need to know to write them.
What Is a Persuasive Essay?
A persuasive essay, or argumentative essay, is a type of written academic document through which a writer uses logic, reason, and facts to convince a reader to adopt the writer’s opinion on a given issue. It usually covers one topic and highlights what the writer believes about it, backing up their views with supporting evidence.
Essential Elements of a Persuasive Essay
The primary goal of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader to adopt your opinion about a given topic or take some form of action on a given issue. For a piece of writing to do this feat, it must contain the following elements:
- Introduction and Thesis Statement – This is a broad explanation of the topic being discussed in the essay and your opinion about it.
- Support – These are the facts and evidence that support your thesis statement. They could be journal excerpts, statistics, research quotations, etc.
- Conclusion – This is a closing argument that explains your thesis statement. It answers the questions, ‘why are you writing this essay?’ and ‘why should the reader adopt your opinion?’
Choosing a Topic
Choosing a topic is the first step in writing a persuasive essay. The best topics for such pieces of writings are those you feel strongly about, are familiar with, and can argue for or against. If you can’t come up with such a subject on the spot, consider searching online for good options and choose the one that speaks to you. You also want a topic that has been highly researched, so you don’t get stuck on facts. Once you choose a topic, format it into a question and figure out your stand.
Creating the Outline of a Persuasive Essay
Like most writings, Persuasive Essay Examples have an introduction, body, and conclusion. The body could consist of one or more paragraphs, depending on how many arguments you have on the given topic. Here is the basic outline of a typical persuasive essay:
Introduction
The introduction should introduce the topic of the essay and give an overview of what you intend to cover in the piece. This can be done through the following four segments:
- Title: This is the topic of the essay and is usually expressed as a question. For example, in an article about energy, a good title would be ‘Oil Drilling or Solar Power?
Note:Controversial issues make an excellent topic for a persuasive essay, mostly because of the strong opposing opinions surrounding them. That said, always consider the age and cultural beliefs of your students when assigning essay topics.
- Hook: This is where you capture the reader’s attention by using a joke, statistic, anecdote, or quotation related to the essay topic.
- Background: Here, you give the reader a broad overview of the essay topic, the arguments surrounding it, and why it is important.
- Thesis statement: The last part of the introduction should express your opinion on the matter and show the reader the direction your argument will take.
Body
Younger writers may limit the body of their essay to one paragraph (one argument), while more proficient writers could produce more arguments. Either way, every section in the body should be structured using the TEEL acronym as follows:
- Topic Sentence: This sentence states the main point of the paragraph, usually in the form of an argument supporting your thesis statement.
- Explain: The next few sentences should build on the topic sentence and make it more specific.
- Evidence: The evidence sentences should provide facts, examples, or statistics that support the claim made in the topic sentence.
- Link: The last sentence should link back to the topic sentence and create a bridge into the next point or paragraph.
Conclusion
Lastly, the conclusion should weave all your main arguments together end tie them into your thesis statement. It should not introduce new evidence, facts, or arguments but review what you have already said and sum them up convincingly.
Persuasive Essay Examples & Templates
Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay
Writing an excellent persuasive essay is a powerful skill that takes time to nurture. If you are just starting out, here are some pointers to guide you:
- If you have discretion over the topic of your essay, choose something that interests you.
- Always start by listing down all the facts you know and your opinions about the topic before you begin your research.
- Use different research materials and sources to get a broad perspective of the topic.
- Write your persuasive essay in the present tense.
- Start every argument in a new paragraph.
- Find strong evidence for all your arguments.
- Be very clear about where you stand on the topic at hand.
- Quote some experts if their statements support your arguments.
- Use emotive language that stirs the reader’s thoughts but don’t be irrational.
- Cite your sources properly using the citation format given by your professor.
- Always proofread your work and clear it of any errors.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you start a persuasive essay?
An argumentative essay format looks something like an inverted pyramid, so the introduction is usually very detailed. You start by writing broadly about the topic at hand and expressing your views (briefly). Then, you tell the reader the direction your argument will take and transition into the body.
How do you write a 3 paragraph persuasive essay?
As the name suggests, a 3-paragraph essay contains three parts: the introduction, one body paragraph, and a conclusion. The typical outline for such a piece would be:
- Introduction Paragraph: Starts with a hook, background points, and the thesis statement.
- Body Paragraph: Starts with a topic sentence followed by two supporting facts and a transition.
- Conclusion Paragraph: Restates the thesis, summarizes the main point and calls the reader to your side through a well-delivered challenge.
What makes good persuasive writing?
An effective persuasive essay is built upon extensive research, a comprehensive understanding of both sides of an argument, and an awareness of your audience’s business. Using these key tools, you can express why your opinion is right and why the flip side is not.
Conclusion
The power to influence how another person thinks about a given topic through Persuasive Essay Examples is a very useful and impressive skill. When using it, you want to use facts and ideas that strengthen your opinion about something without sounding pushy or stubborn about the facts. Generally, all you need to do is clearly state your opinion and reinforce it with external research, evidence, and facts. You must also close with a strong summary that wins the reader to your side.
