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Winning an argument is an amazing feeling isn’t it? Managing to convince others that you are actually right about something is both challenging and exhilarating at the same time. Well, that’s exactly what persuasive essays can be! The purpose of a persuasive essay to convince your readers to agree to your point with the help of research and sound arguments. They can actually be very exciting to write on. Once you know how to write one of course.
If you are a bit lost and clueless on how to write a persuasive essay and can only think of it as a debate in writing, you have come to the right place. We have listed below everything you ever need to know about writing the best persuasive essay of your life! Just keep reading and by the end of it, you will be a persuasive essay expert. We promise.
A persuasive essay requires some careful planning for it turn out A-grade worthy. You should have it all laid out before the writing process begins so that composing the essay is a lot easier and less time consuming. Let us tell you how to get started -
So your teacher has given you a persuasive essay to work on. Surely you got the essay question right? Take it out and read it. At least a couple of times. Why? Because reading it will give you a fair idea of what to write on, how to write it and what is expected of you while you write it. You’ll find the essay theme and the writing rules in here so it’ll help you know what to do.
Your persuasive essay prompt will either ask you to defend or argue against the theme mentioned. It’s up to you to take your stance, unless specified otherwise. You can choose to go against the theme or even be in its favour, depending on how YOU feel about it. Even though persuasive essays are generally formal pieces of writing, the views mentioned should be your mean. This means there is an element of the ‘personal’ in it.
Persuasive essays are all about creating a strong argument. You cannot possibly make a strong point till it’s not on a topic you actually care about. So while brainstorming ideas on the theme of your essay, jot down those that really matter to you. Out of these finally pick a topic that rouses your passion, is interesting and has some depth in it. This is the kind of topic you will be able to write convincingly on.
When planning your persuasive essay, keep your audience in mind as that’s who you will be targeting your essay. Even though your instructor is your key audience, you might want to widen your horizon and consider who else might find your points convincing. This increases the appeal of your paper.
As we mentioned before, a persuasive is all about making a strong argument whether for or against something specific. Based on the topic you’ve chose, pen down all the points that support your argument. Also make a list of the opposing arguments so you can make a stronger case.
Even though you are supposed to take a side in a persuasive essay, you should still keep a balanced perspective. Mentioning counterarguments and convincing readers why your way is the right way can help in that. Ergo, ensure your topic is one that you are completely prepared to handle with ease.
Never choose a very broad topic. The problem with that is you will get lost in a sea of several arguments and it’ll be very hard to contest or favour them all. Keep the central argument manageable. Narrow the scope of your topic and be specific so you hit it right.
You cannot convince someone without facts and figures. Researching on your topic is key if you want your persuasive essay to actually persuade your audience that your point is the right point. It is crucial to pick out credible, relevant and up to date research material only as they greatly add to your essay.
The last stage of planning your essay is developing a thesis statement. The thesis statement is going to be the central argument of your essay- one that you will make throughout its length and breadth and convince your readers to believe. So come up with one that creates an solid impact on your readers.
The fun begins now! If you truly are passionate about your topic, you will thoroughly enjoy writing your essay. But you have to follow the right format and rules. So let us enlighten you on these -
The introduction, the main body and the conclusion – these three parts will serve as the outline of your persuasive essay. You will have to stick to this format while writing your essay. The main body will be 3 paragraphs long while the rest will be one paragraph each.
The introduction is your chance to shine. An opportunity to attract and engage your reader from the get-go so make sure you write this well. Coming up with a hook is one way to attract your reader’s attention. It could be in the form of a fact, a hypothetical scenario and so on and so forth. It just has to create a profound impact on the reader.
Also provide background and bit of context in the introduction portion and then wrap it off with the thesis statement. Keep your thesis statement short though as you don’t want your introductory paragraph to be very long.
You have a lot of arguments to make to support your thesis. However, you just can’t put them anywhere in your essay. You have to organize them in a logical sequence, mentioning one point before the other.
The best way to do this is to ensure that every point you make backs up your thesis well. Every paragraph should also make a different point and there should be no repetition of any sort. Moreover, every point you make should be backed up with proper evidence so that it actually creates an impact on the minds of you readers.
Another thing you shouldn’t forget is a writing a line or two long topic sentence in each main body paragraph. The topic sentence will clearly state what you intend to talk about in this paragraph. Each paragraph you write should also have connecting sentences and words towards the start and the end so they are all linked to each other in a coherent manner.
A coin will always have to sides. So if you make an argument in your essay, you should expect to be countered. Instead of giving your audience the chance to oppose you, mention the major counterarguments against your point in your essay itself. Also, show how your point actually prevails over all these rebuttals.
In a persuasive essay, your intention should be to attack. Not to offend. Hence, when you write down counterarguments, make sure you do so respectfully. A neutral language can help with that. You have to get those who oppose you on your side and you can’t do that if you provoke them. So be respectful.
At the end of the day, a persuasive essay is still formal writing in its essence. So as you portray your stance, make sure you do so in crystal clear language. You want to drive your point home and not otherwise. Your readers will be able to grasp your point better and feel what you have to say if you present it to them in simple terms.
Even though your language is going to be simple, your language should be anything but. Maintaining an authoritative tone is vital if you wish to get your readers on your side. A tone of authority shows you mean business and are quite confident about what you have written. Writing with conviction inspires confidence among the readers as well.
A persuasive essay is written to change a commonly held notion people in general have. This means that you will have to challenge them to alter their perception. So while writing your essay, pose a strong challenge to the way your readers think. Dare them to think from your perspective and discover that you might be right as well.
When it comes to persuasive essay, using rhetoric is a convention you cannot avoid. In fact, it helps in building a strong essay so there’s no reason to avoid it. You should use rhetorical devices such as pathos (emotion), logos (logic) and ethos (credibility) to move your readers and get them on your team. Persuasion techniques such as social validation and repetition will also help.
Even though you have to keep your language neutral when presenting counterarguments, you can be passionate when presenting your own points. A strong albeit simple language will help you rouse the emotions of your readers and truly convince them of your point. Appealing to human emotions can help you drive your point home.
It is so important to write a good conclusion. Without it, your persuasive essay will not be considered complete by a long shot. Your conclusion will have a summary of all your main points along with a repetition of your thesis statement. This will help reinforcing your point but you will still have to give your readers a little more. A takeaway, a call to action or a simple ‘what next’ will make your readers think hard on what you have just. And if that happens, your mission is accomplished.
Don’t be in a rush to wrap up your essay. You have come this far. It wouldn’t hurt to have a little more patience. Wait a day or at the very least a few hours before you take up your essay again to review it. A two-day wait would be ideal but it may not be possible if you have an impending deadline. So give it a few hours to gain a fresh mind.
Once you’re done waiting, reading through your essay is the next step. Read carefully, slowly and preferably out loud to detect mistakes that you may have made while composing your paper. While reading, ask yourself a few questions. Does your essay make sense? Does it convey the point you wish to? Is it overburdened with information? Is it lacking in information? Is it offensive? Is it logical? Are the counterarguments correct? These questions will help you know what to change.
Edit your essay in the light of the questions you asked in the previous stage. Chop out information your think is unnecessary and add that which you think should be there. If any sentence seems illogical or misplaced, change it. If you think your point is getting lost, rephrase it better. Remove any glaring errors in the construction of your essay and polish it to perfection.
Now that constructional errors in your essay are out of the way, let’s focus on technical errors. These include things like spelling, grammar, format, font style and size, spacing etc. Giving your essay another read will help you detect these. Once you find them, change them promptly and then read your essay once more to ensure they aren’t there.
You know that a plagiarized essay can make you fail right? You have to be original and you have to give credit to those whom you have borrowed facts, figures and other information from. Referencing is the way to do this and you should do it accurately. Ensure you do it at the end of the essay and that you do it accurately. It should be in the format your instructor prescribes. Crosscheck your reference once you’re done and then double check to be sure you have done it right.
And that is it. That is all you need to know on how to write the perfect persuasive essay. These essays might seem like argumentative ones but they are different in the sense that you have to actually persuade your readers to agree with you. So keep that in mind and kick-start the writing process. We are sure you’ll enjoy it!
If you are confident about your topic or the arguments you have to make in your persuasive essay, writing one can feel like an absolute nightmare! Add to that the pressure of grades and an impending deadline, and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. However, you don’t have to panic just yet. There is a solution and that is OnlineAssignmenthelp.com! We have professional essay writers to help you craft amazing persuasive essays. Their high quality, plagiarism-free essays will guaranteed get you the best grades. We ensure the timely delivery of your essay and assure you that we will be able to handle any topic of any subject. Our prices are very pocket-friendly too! So don’t waste any more time and give us a call right now!