How do you write a Persuasive Essay? (with example)

Summary

This video script outlines the process of writing a persuasive essay, emphasizing the distinction from argumentative essays. It highlights the importance of selecting a debatable topic, understanding the audience, researching both sides, and crafting a clear thesis statement. The script provides a step-by-step guide, from choosing a topic to proofreading, and offers tips on using persuasive techniques like emotional language and counterarguments to effectively convince readers.

Takeaways

• 📝 A persuasive essay aims to convince readers to agree with a single viewpoint using personal, passionate, or emotional tones.
• 🎯 To begin, choose a topic that is debatable and where there can be disagreement among people.
• 👥 Understand your audience's knowledge and perspectives to tailor your arguments effectively.
• 🔍 Conduct thorough research on both sides of the topic to gather evidence and arguments.
• 📜 Formulate a clear thesis statement that encapsulates your stance and the purpose of your essay.
• 📑 Create an outline to organize your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion.
• 📖 Write an introduction that includes your thesis and sets the stage for your argument.
• 🔑 Develop body paragraphs focusing on key points that support your thesis, using evidence from your research.
• ✍️ Conclude by summarizing your main arguments and reinforcing why your viewpoint is the most valid.
• 🔍 Proofread your essay to ensure clarity, coherence, and to correct any errors.
• 💡 Use persuasive techniques such as repetition, storytelling, facts, logic, and rhetorical questions to engage the reader.
• 📈 Present strong evidence, use emotional language, and incorporate counterarguments to strengthen your essay.

Q & A

What is the primary goal of a persuasive essay?

The primary goal of a persuasive essay is to involve arguments toward a single subject and viewpoint with the aim of persuading the reader to agree with that one point using more personal, passionate, or emotional tones.

How is a persuasive essay different from an argumentative essay?

An argumentative essay is designed to involve research and evidence and present that research and evidence, often considering two or more points of view. In contrast, a persuasive essay focuses on arguments toward a single viewpoint with the goal of persuading the reader to agree with the writer's stance.

What are the key elements to consider when choosing a topic for a persuasive essay?

When choosing a topic for a persuasive essay, consider that the topic should be something about which people could disagree. It should not be a fact universally agreed upon, and it should allow for a clear stance to be taken on one side of the argument.

Why is it important to know your audience when writing a persuasive essay?

Knowing your audience is important because it helps you understand what they already know and what they might not know about the topic. This awareness allows you to tailor your arguments and evidence to be more effective in persuading your specific readers.

What should a thesis statement in a persuasive essay include?

A thesis statement in a persuasive essay should clearly state the writer's opinion on the topic, including what the essay is about, why the writer is writing the essay, and the position they take on the subject.

Can you provide an example of a good persuasive essay topic?

A good persuasive essay topic could be 'Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?' This topic allows for disagreement and provides an opportunity to argue for or against a particular viewpoint.

How should you approach researching for a persuasive essay?

When researching for a persuasive essay, you should research both sides of the topic to understand your point of view as well as the opposing view. This includes looking at arguments that agree with your opinion and those that present the opposing stance.

What are some persuasive techniques that can be used in a persuasive essay?

Some persuasive techniques include repetition to clarify ideas, storytelling or personal anecdotes to appeal to the reader's emotions, using facts and statistics for logical persuasion, adding a call to action to engage the reader, and employing rhetorical questions to provoke thought.

How should you structure the body paragraphs of a persuasive essay?

The body paragraphs of a persuasive essay should each focus on a main idea that supports your thesis. For example, one paragraph might discuss how exotic pets often suffer in captivity, another could address the endangerment of species in the wild due to pet ownership, and a third could cover the potential diseases these animals can bring into homes.

What is the purpose of the conclusion paragraph in a persuasive essay?

The conclusion paragraph in a persuasive essay aims to summarize the main points and reinforce the writer's position, convincing the reader of the validity of the argument and leaving a lasting impression that supports the writer's viewpoint.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Persuasive Essays

This paragraph introduces the concept of persuasive essays, distinguishing them from argumentative essays. Persuasive essays aim to convince the reader of a single viewpoint on a topic using personal, passionate, or emotional tones. The process of writing a persuasive essay involves selecting a debatable topic, understanding the audience, researching both sides, formulating a thesis statement, creating an outline, and writing the essay's introduction, body, and conclusion. The paragraph also provides examples of suitable topics for persuasive essays, emphasizing the need to focus on one side of the argument.

05:01

🔍 Researching and Structuring a Persuasive Essay

Paragraph 2 delves into the research phase of persuasive essay writing, highlighting the importance of understanding both the writer's and the opposing viewpoints. It uses the example of keeping exotic animals as pets to illustrate how to gather and counter arguments. The paragraph outlines the structure of a persuasive essay, suggesting how to write a clear thesis statement and how to organize body paragraphs around main points such as the suffering of exotic pets in captivity, the endangerment of species, and the risk of diseases. It also discusses the use of persuasive techniques like emotional language, repetition, storytelling, and rhetorical questions to engage the reader.

10:02

📝 Tips for Writing a Compelling Persuasive Essay

The final paragraph offers additional tips for writing persuasive essays. It advises on presenting ideas and arguments clearly, using strong emotional language, and incorporating counterarguments to strengthen the writer's position. The paragraph also encourages the use of facts, statistics, and logic to support arguments. The speaker suggests using a call to action to prompt the reader's response and provides a link to additional resources for improving writing skills in essays and paragraphs.

Keywords

💡Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a type of writing aimed at convincing the reader to adopt a specific point of view on a contentious issue. It is characterized by the use of logical arguments, evidence, and emotional appeal. In the script, the concept is central as it guides the audience through the process of writing such an essay, including choosing a topic, researching, and crafting arguments to persuade the reader.

💡Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is similar to a persuasive essay but often presents multiple viewpoints on a topic and analyzes them through research and evidence. The script distinguishes between argumentative and persuasive essays, noting that while both involve research, a persuasive essay focuses on advocating for one side of an argument.

💡Topic

In the context of the script, a 'topic' refers to the subject matter of an essay. It is crucial for a persuasive essay that the topic is contentious, meaning it should be something about which people could reasonably disagree. Examples from the script include whether students should have phones at school or if eating meat is a good idea.

💡Audience

Understanding the audience is emphasized in the script as a key step in writing a persuasive essay. Knowing what the audience already knows and what they might not know helps tailor the essay to meet their needs and biases, making the persuasion more effective.

💡Research

Research is highlighted as a fundamental step in writing a persuasive essay. It involves gathering information and evidence to support the writer's viewpoint and to understand opposing arguments. The script suggests researching both sides of the topic to build a strong case.

💡Thesis Statement

A thesis statement is a clear, concise declaration of the writer's position on the chosen topic. In the script, it is described as a necessary component of the introduction paragraph in a persuasive essay, setting the stage for the arguments that will follow.

💡Outline

An outline is a structural plan for an essay, organizing the main points and the order in which they will be presented. The script mentions that after deciding on a thesis statement, creating an outline is a crucial step in preparing to write a persuasive essay.

💡Introduction Paragraph

The introduction paragraph sets the stage for the essay, introducing the topic and presenting the thesis statement. The script provides guidance on how to write an effective introduction for a persuasive essay, including capturing the reader's attention and stating the writer's position.

💡Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the main sections of an essay where the writer presents and supports their arguments. The script explains that each body paragraph should focus on a single main idea, providing evidence and reasoning to persuade the reader.

💡Conclusion Paragraph

The conclusion paragraph summarizes the main points of the essay and reinforces the writer's position. In the script, it is noted that a good conclusion should leave a lasting impression on the reader, summarizing why the writer's viewpoint is correct.

💡Proofread

Proofreading is the final step of the writing process where the writer checks for errors and ensures clarity and coherence. The script advises that after writing the essay, proofreading is necessary to catch any mistakes and improve the overall quality of the persuasive essay.

💡Counterarguments

Counterarguments are the opposing viewpoints that a writer addresses and refutes in a persuasive essay. The script suggests that understanding and countering opposing arguments is a key strategy in persuading the reader of one's own viewpoint.

Highlights

A persuasive essay aims to involve arguments toward a single subject and viewpoint with the goal of persuading the reader to agree.

Persuasive essays use personal, passionate, or emotional tones to persuade the reader.

When writing a persuasive essay, first pick a topic that people could disagree about.

Understand your audience's knowledge and potential gaps regarding the topic.

Research both sides of the topic to understand different viewpoints.

Decide on a thesis statement that clearly states your position on the topic.

Create an outline to organize your essay's structure.

Write an introduction paragraph that includes a clear thesis statement.

Develop body paragraphs to present your arguments and evidence.

Conclude by summarizing your main points and reiterating your stance.

Proofread your essay to ensure clarity and correctness.

Use topics that are debatable to write a persuasive essay.

Examples of good persuasive essay topics include whether students should have phones at school or if comedies are better than action movies.

Choose a side and a stance on the topic, and argue why your side is more correct.

Research to gather information and arguments to support your viewpoint.

Counter opposing points in your essay to strengthen your argument.

Use emotional language and persuasive techniques such as repetition, storytelling, and rhetorical questions.

Present strong evidence and use counterarguments to justify your position.

Tips for writing a persuasive essay include presenting ideas clearly, using strong emotional language, and organizing arguments into separate paragraphs.

Transcripts

do you know how to write persuasive

essays you may have heard of

argumentative essays an argumentative

essay is designed to involve research

and evidence and then the presentation

of that research and evidence

it often has two or more points of view

a persuasive essay on the other hand is

designed to involve arguments toward a

single subject and Viewpoint with the

goal of persuading the reader to agree

with that one point using more personal

passionate or emotional tones

when writing a persuasive essay you

first need to pick a topic

you also need to know your audience what

do they already know and what do they

possibly not know

then you need to research both sides of

your topic

you will need to decide your thesis

statement and make an outline

next you will write your introduction

paragraph followed by your body

paragraphs and your conclusion paragraph

and after you've written your essay you

will need to proofread it

[Music]

the topic must be something that people

could disagree about

for example

the internet has changed the world

no one would argue that or disagree with

that topic

the internet has made life simpler

there may be some people who have a

different opinion about whether the

internet has made life simpler

this would make a good persuasive essay

topic remember you need to focus on just

one side of the argument in a persuasive

essay

so what kind of questions or topics use

a persuasive essay format

here are a few that you could write a

persuasive essay about

Should students be allowed to have

phones at school

what is the best dessert

is eating meat a good idea

are comedies better than action movies

I think you can see that some people

would have different opinions about the

answer to these questions

should wealthy people pay more taxes

should we give money to homeless people

should people be allowed to keep exotic

animals as pets

all of these are examples of the type of

topics that are written using the

persuasive essay format

so to write a persuasive essay you will

need to choose a subject or a topic you

will need to choose a side and a stance

or an opinion about that subject or

topic

you need to answer this question

why is your side more correct than the

opposing stance or opinion

you will need to research to get

information to help answer your question

you do this to be able to understand

your point of view as well as the

opposing point of view

you should look at arguments others have

about your side

what do other people say that agree with

your opinion about the topic

as well as look at arguments of the

opposing side

why do they believe or think the way

they do

you will want to counter their your

opponent's points in your essay and show

how their ideas are incorrect

after researching both sides you're

ready to write your essay

the first thing you will need to do is

to write your introduction paragraph

be sure to write a clear thesis

statement that shows exactly what your

opinion about the topic is

include the following things what your

essay is about why you're writing the

essay and your position on the subject

let's take our last example question and

try writing a persuasive essay

should people be allowed to keep exotic

animals as pets

let's say that you believe it is not a

good idea to keep exotic animals as pets

and you want to write a persuasive essay

to convince your readers of your

viewpoint

after doing some research you may have

found these three websites that have

information about keeping exotic animals

as pets

two of them are about why you should not

keep exotic animals as pets

one of them is why you should choose an

exotic animal as a pet

this will give you information about

both sides of this topic

looking at these websites about why you

should not own an exotic pet you will

have found these basic reasons why

keeping an exotic pet is not a good idea

the second website has similar

information about this topic

both of these points in each of the

websites explain that exotic animals do

not do well living with people in their

homes

this second Point shows that taking

these animals out of the wild can also

endanger the species

and both of the websites show that these

animals can bring sickness into the home

on the website that talks about why you

should own an exotic pet you would find

these reasons for keeping this type of

animal

knowing what the people believe or think

about your topic on the other side of

the argument will help you to know how

you can counter those ideas in your own

essay and show why you think they are

not good reasons for keeping an exotic

animal as a pet

you will need to write your thesis

statement showing clearly your opinion

about this topic you could write

something like this

the new trend of keeping exotic animals

as pets has several demerits in that

many of these animals suffer in

captivity

it can endanger the species in the wild

and they can also carry diseases that

are harmful to humans making this an

undesirable choice for a pet

in body paragraph one you will talk

about how exotic pets often suffer in

captivity

in body paragraph two you will talk

about the fact that the species in the

wild can be endangered

in body paragraph three you will talk

about the fact that exotic animals can

carry diseases

these are your main ideas to prove that

keeping an exotic animal as a pet is not

a good idea

in your conclusion paragraph you will

want to summarize why you believe people

should not own exotic pets

this is what your essay might look like

your introduction paragraph would finish

with your thesis statement

your first paragraph would talk about

the animals suffering in their new

environments

your second paragraph would talk about

these animals being endangered

your third paragraph would talk about

diseases

and then your conclusion paragraph would

show why you believe these animals do

not make good pets

you will need to add your evidence in

each of the body paragraphs and give

clear reasons for why you believe the

way you do

you can see some of the words used in

the paragraphs are words that would

cause emotional reaction among your

readers words like suffer endangered

diseases

you want your readers to feel strong

emotions about why they really shouldn't

keep these animals as pets

here are a few persuasive techniques

that you can use in writing your

persuasive essays

repetition

make the idea clearer by repeating words

or ideas throughout your essay

storytelling or personal anecdotes are

another good way to try to convince your

reader of your point of view

you want to appeal to reason so use

facts statistics and logic to convince

your reader

you may also want to add a call to

action

asking for the reader to react to your

essay

one more thing that you can do is to use

a rhetorical question

this is used to express the obvious not

because you want them to actually answer

the question but you want them to think

about your point of view

all of these are techniques you can use

in writing your persuasive essay

here are a few more tips when writing a

persuasive essay

present your ideas and arguments clearly

present strong evidence to support your

arguments

begin a new paragraph each time you

begin a new element into your argument

use strong emotional language to

convince the reader

and use counter arguments to justify

your position

I hope these ideas give you a better

understanding of how to write a

persuasive essay

I have videos about other types of

essays that you also might find helpful

if you need help writing good sentences

paragraphs or essays these work Works

can be purchased from the link in the

description below

happy writing