Persuasive WritingGeneral Info

What is persuasive writing?•Writing which seeks to sway readers to a certain opinion or point of view.

Is persuasive writing or speaking always an essay?

•Persuasive writing can be an essay!•However, persuasive writing can also take

the form of:▫Advertisements▫Editorials▫Advice Columns▫Reviews▫Speeches (campaign speeches, public-service

announcements, inspirational speeches)▫Blog Entries▫Multimedia Presentations

What is a persuasive speech?•A persuasive speech is a spoken statement that

presents a position and tries to convince an audience to accept that position or to take action. An effective persuasive speech:▫Addresses an issue of concern or importance

to the speaker▫Clearly states the speaker’s position & goal▫Supports the position with clearly organized

facts, examples, and statistics▫Addresses the knowledge level, experiences,

needs, and concerns of the intended audience▫Uses rhetorical devices (speaking devices) to

grab and hold the audience’s attention

Structure of a Persuasive Essay•Intro paragraph

▫Hook/AG, background statement▫Effective thesis statement

Specific, clear, and concise Has an opinion Does not use harsh language

Structure of a Persuasive Essay•Body Paragraphs

▫Present strong reasons for your thesis statement

▫Present evidence that supports each reason Types of evidence: facts, examples, statistics,

opinions or quotations from experts, anecdotes (brief stories), analogies (extended comparisons)

Rhetorical techniques (different from rhetorical devices we discussed earlier): repetition, parallel structure, analogy

▫Consider and introduce counterarguments in your essay. Then respond to them to show that your argument is stronger.

Structure of a Persuasive Essay•Conclusion

▫Must sum up your reasons and make a call to action or a call to agreement. Call to action: statement that tells your

readers what you want them to do. Call to agreement: statement that tells your

readers what you want them to believe.

An excellent persuasive essay…•Presents a clear and concise thesis

statement in the introduction•Includes strong, well-organized evidence•Describes counterarguments and

responds to them effectively•Uses rhetorical techniques, such as

parallelism and repetition•Addresses the audience respectfully•Ends with a call to action or a call to

agreement