W RITING A SUCCESSFUL P ERSUASIVE E SSAY NOTE: Much of this information was taken from the website...
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Transcript of W RITING A SUCCESSFUL P ERSUASIVE E SSAY NOTE: Much of this information was taken from the website...
WRITING A SUCCESSFUL
PERSUASIVE ESSAY
NOTE: Much of this information was taken from the website
http://www.writing-savvy.org by Krystle
THE INTRODUCTION
The purpose of an introduction is to introduce the material you are going to discuss. You definitely want to draw in your reader, establish your topic and communicate clearly what the purpose of the subject is you are developing.
HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION
First start with an attention grabber.
This first sentence is extremely important. It hooks your readers to want to read more. It should intrigue, draw in and introduce your readers to your topic.
ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES
Start with a question:Example: “When was the last time a waiter served you in less than 20 minutes?”
Example: ‘’Is a person´s right to smoke more important than the health of the people around them?’’
ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES
-Start with a definition, quotation or statistic that is relevant to your topic:
Example: “There is one waiter responsible for every ten tables in a restaurant.”
Example: ‘’Over 126 million nonsmokers in the United States are exposed to second hand smoke everyday.
ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES
Start with an assertion statement:
Example:“Restaurant services has gotten out of hand!”
Example: ‘’Second hand smoke is a serious threat to the health of university students.
ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES
Start with an anecodote (story):
Example: “Imagine you and your spouse are celebrating your one year anniversary. You both arrive at a restaurant 20 minutes before your reservation. However, as soon as you are seated, you see five other couples seated at tables that have not yet been served.”
ATTENTION GRABBER EXAMPLES
Start with an anecodote (story):
Example: “As a university student, I was bothered by the large groups of smokers that stood outside the school buildings. I hated breathing in their smoke as I walked past. I could still smell the smoke on me when I was sitting in class.”
HOW TO WRITE AN INTRODUCTION
Second, include some background information on the topic.
After you have an attention grabber, provide some general information on your topic. This is a good point in your paper to give your readers some history about the issue you are raising. This helps the reader see the point you are eventually trying to make.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
For example, if you are talking about the problems with service at a restaurant, you may want to include what the problem is and if there is a particular restaurant, etc.
It is very important to know who your audience is so you can determine the amount of background information you should include.
HOW TO WRITE AND INTRODUCTON
Insert your thesis statement. Your thesis statement should provide your readers with a clear idea of what your paper will focus on.
A thesis is simply “what you plan to say or write.”
A thesis should be about one sentence long. It should be the last sentence of the introduction paragraph.
WRITING A THESIS
Never write your thesis as an opinion. EXAMPLE: I think that schools should ban
smoking. Your readers know "what you think" because
you wrote it. By simply rephrasing the sentence to “Schools must ban smoking,” you have a more powerful sentence that urges your readers that action is needed.
WRITING A THESIS
Avoid awkward announcements like: “In this essay I will talk about…” or “I will attempt to show you” or “I feel that”.
Instead you should jump right into what your point is by simply stating “Smoking on campus is a serious problem.”
WRITING ATHESIS
A sample thesis may look like this: Smoking must be banned on all campuses
to prevent second hand smoke, hazardous fires, and to promote a clean campus environment.
Or simply: Smoking must be banned on all
campuses. In the first example, the writer is telling the
reader what each additional paragraph will be about.
In the second example, the writer is simply stating what they are arguing
WRITING A THESIS
If you are still not sure how to write a thesis, ask yourself the following questions:
What is my essays purpose?How can I develop it?What do I want to prove or explain to my audience?
HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS
The body paragraphs of your essay are what I like to call the meat of your paper.
Now that you have introduced your topic, you now have the chance to provide details to support what it is you are trying to say.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS
1. Start with a topic sentence (includes purpose)Too broad- Second hand smoke is
bad. Too narrow- Second hand smoke
kills 3,700 Americans every year. Great topic sentence: Second
hand smoke affects the health of university students.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS
2. Add Support (examples and details)
Types of Evidence
1. Analogies: comparisons that show similarities
between otherwise unrelated ideas
1. Anecdotes: Personal examples or stories that
illustrate a point
1. Commonly accepted beliefs: Ideas that most
people share
1. Examples: Specific instances or illustrations
of a general idea
1. Expert opinion: A statement made by an
authority on the subject
1. Facts: Statements that can be proven true.
Some facts are in the form of statistics, or
numerical information.
HOW TO WRITE YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS
3. Finish with a conclusion sentence. After you have provided support and
examples, you must explain why you used them.
Every well-written paragraph ends with a concluding sentence. The concluding sentence re-emphasizes the topic sentence’s purpose. Do not just restate your topic sentence.
HOW TO WRITE A CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH
The concluding paragraph sums up everything you have previously stated in the body paragraphs of your essay.
It almost mirrors your introduction in the sense that it reemphasizes your thesis.
Try asking yourself “so what?” You have pages and pages of written ideas. Now why are all these ideas so important? Sum it up for your readers. In your conclusion, show your readers why this information was so meaningful.