The academic program of any possible education establishment always has essay writing on the curriculum. In this article, you'll learn about one of the main types of writings - the persuasive essay. We'll begin by exploring its meaning.
Persuasive essay writing is largely about attempting to have the reader agree with you by appealing to their reasoning and emotion. You may have heard of something similar - argumentative writing. But, have you ever wondered if they're one and the same? There is a clear distinction between these two that we will explore below, and don't neglect to take notes - after all, "knowledge is power!"
Here is a useful listing of the key differences.
Our next step is to uncover the traits expected in such a genre.
As with any properly created piece of writing, a persuasive essay has its specific design. The main structure for a persuasive essay is no different from most other types. It is expected to have the usual set of parts - introduction, body, and conclusion.
In your essay, the introduction is the opening section in which the writer presents or briefly explain the topic to the reader. It should contain the main point the writer intends to focus on in the body of the essay - the thesis, or central idea. Presenting the introduction as clearly as possible and avoiding any ambiguity is paramount here. Put simply, just by going through the opening paragraph, the reader should be able to get an overview of your essay and the theme.
The body is the heart of the work, where your paper's argument will be presented with a goal to get the emotional support and - by extension - win the conviction of the reading audience. The paper's argument should be organized into paragraphs, each of them containing parts of the main idea. As one reads through the body, there should be coherence and flow.
The conclusion is the section that allows the writer to draw a curtain on the issue, at least in the context of the paper. It should primarily serve to briefly explain why the view of the writer should be accepted with conviction.
Crafting a compelling essay that can easily bring your reader to support your chosen stance is never quick work. It involves using a series of steps that can help you smoothly transition from start to finish. The steps are as follows!
At this starting step, you will be taking a broad view of what your work is going to be about and how you will execute it. The topic will have to be clearly identified and understood without ambiguity. If you have the freedom of choice to select from a list of persuasive essay topics or come up with your own, understand what that means for you. Should you be uncertain of any requirement for the assignment, be quick to consult with your teacher or professor.
At this stage, you should have a good sense of what you will be writing about. The topic itself should ideally be one of personal interest or relevance to you because it will become a lot easier for you to effectively apply persuasive techniques if you feel an emotional connection to that which you write about.
When researching the topic, your aim should be to identify and understand the key points that can support or lend credence to the side you intend to take. Check for a few known facts. This can also help you prevail on the reader's emotion by stressing on what they already know as being true.
Take your time to look back and carefully recall a personal story with a strong bearing to the topic. Or, you can write about the experiences of other individuals, paying attention to the most significant events. With these carefully done, you have the key ingredients you need in persuading people to agree with your view.
As you compose your essay, pay close attention to your grammar. Make proper use of words that reflect your emotional disposition and easily convey them without ambiguity to the reader. In the introduction, briefly shed light on the topic. Then, ensure you clearly express your paper's central idea. This is crucial since it's what you'll be harping on about for the rest of the paper using your noted points at the research stage. You could write in a well-known fact as an attention catcher and set the stage for your following entreaties in the body section.
The arguments of your paper should expressly connect to the main idea. That clarity amplifies the ease and speed with which the reader is able to connect with your stance. Use anecdotes or analogies for each of the arguments - it will underscore your viewpoint and make it easier to capture your reader's emotions. This should consequently bring them to buy your arguments. Don't forget to use a transition sentence between each new argument. The flow has to be effortless, and the writing concise - create it in such a way that the reader should not have to go back to paragraph one and find your opening contradicting with your conclusion.
At this final step, you have to carefully read your work a few more times with an objective to spot and rectify mistakes. Make minor changes in the sentences order if needed. It will help you present the idea more clearly.
As a short reminder of the important things involved in persuasive writing, below are actionable tips that can come in handy when you need to quickly get a checklist of how to write yours.
With the explanations above, if you've never written a persuasive piece of writing, now is the time to get yourself started. When you commit yourself to do this regularly, you'll become a maestro in the art. Finally, should you need any assistance, get in touch with us - we offer an online writing service to help you with all sorts of writing assignments.
