Persuasive Essays

One of the most common types of writing that you’ll do in school is the “persuasive essay.”  In a persuasive essay, you try to convince other people to do something or to believe something.

The persuasive essay fits well in the standard 5-paragraph essay formation:

• Introduction sets up why your topic is important.  It also includes the thesis, or main argument, of the essay.  The thesis should state what you’re hoping to convince your readers of. 
• Body Paragraphs (3) provide the empirical or factual support for the thesis.  Each paragraphs should contain its own idea (which should be stated in the topic sentence) and contain concrete evidence of how that idea supports the thesis.  The best body paragraphs contain specific examples or anecdotes.
• Conclusion ends your essay, repeats your thesis, and includes a “call to action.”  The “call to action” is what you want your readers to believe or do when they finish reading your essay (or sometime in the future). You can also use the conclusion to venture some other related ideas that branch from your thesis but may not be directly supported in your essay.

The best way to start a persuasive essay is to write an outline.  The outline, at a minimum, includes a:

• Thesis
• 3 specifics that support the thesis 

Before you start writing, make sure that you have the 3 supporting specifics.  If you don’t, you might need to adjust your thesis.  Your supporting specifics should directly support your thesis.