Persuasive Essay Lecturer's video

Summary

This presentation delves into persuasive writing, outlining its purpose to convince readers to take action or adopt beliefs. It covers the thinking process, from selecting a topic you're passionate about to researching and knowing your audience. The script explains the CORAL structure: Introduction with a hook, Body with arguments and evidence, and Conclusion that links back and forward. It advises on crafting an engaging introduction and a strong thesis statement, and the importance of addressing counterarguments. The session concludes with tips for writing effective persuasive essays, emphasizing clarity, evidence, and a strong stance.

Takeaways

• 📝 Persuasive writing aims to convince readers to take action, change beliefs, or support a cause.
• 🌐 We encounter persuasion daily through TV commercials, magazine ads, and more.
• 📈 Persuasive writing can support a cause, encourage action, propose change, prove a point, stir sympathy, create interest, and gain agreement.
• 🤔 The persuasive thinking process involves selecting a topic you're passionate about, researching extensively, understanding your audience, and formulating a clear stance.
• 📚 The CORAL pattern for persuasive writing includes Contact, Objective, Reason, Argument, and Link back/forward.
• 🏆 A strong introduction in persuasive writing should grab attention, hint at the organization, and state the thesis clearly.
• 🎯 The thesis statement should be specific, debatable, and state the main focus of the essay.
• 📊 Use hooks such as riddles, strong statements, quotations, interesting facts, anecdotes, statistics, and provoking questions to engage readers.
• 🔄 Address the counter argument within your essay to show its weaknesses and reinforce your stance.
• 📖 The conclusion should summarize main points, avoid introducing new arguments, and possibly include a call to action or a projection for the future.
• ✍️ To finalize your persuasive essay, proofread for mechanics, revise for clarity, and ensure it follows the proper format.

Q & A

What is persuasive writing?

Persuasive writing is a form of writing that aims to convince the reader to do something or believe in a certain point of view. It can be seen in various forms such as TV commercials, magazine ads, and brochures.

What are the functions of persuasive writing?

Functions of persuasive writing include supporting a cause, urging people to action, making a change, proving something wrong, stirring up sympathy, creating interest, and getting people to agree with a certain viewpoint.

What is the persuasive thinking process?

The persuasive thinking process starts with picking a topic you are passionate about, ensuring the topic has enough information, knowing your audience, doing extensive research, clarifying your stance and the opposite stance, and justifying why your stance is right.

What does CORAL stand for in persuasive writing?

CORAL stands for Contact, Objective, Reason, Argument, and Link. It represents the structure of a persuasive writing which includes an introduction, body, and conclusion.

How should the body of a persuasive writing be structured?

The body of persuasive writing should contain arguments with supporting evidence, elaboration, and examples. It may also include a counter-argument to strengthen the writer's stance.

What are some strategies for creating a good introduction in persuasive writing?

Strategies for a good introduction include using a riddle, strong statement, quotation, interesting fact, anecdote, figure/statistic, and provoking questions.

What is a thesis statement in persuasive writing?

A thesis statement is a one-sentence summary at the end of the introduction that states the writer's opinion and outlines the main points to be discussed in the essay.

What are common mistakes to avoid when writing a thesis statement?

Mistakes to avoid include being too broad or general, having too many points, the statement being too basic, lacking connection to the rest of the essay, being phrased as a question, containing vague language, and using phrases like 'I think' or 'in my opinion'.

Why is it important to include the counter-argument in a persuasive essay?

Including the counter-argument adds credibility to the writer's argument by acknowledging opposing views and demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the topic.

What strategies can be used in the conclusion of a persuasive essay?

Strategies for the conclusion include summarizing main points, calling the reader to action, providing a solution, making a projection, and leaving a thought-provoking question.