Persuasive Writing

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What do I need to know about ... Persuasive Writing?

What's the point?

The aim of a persuasive essay is to convince you audience to agree with you. You must have points for and against your position - in order to demonstrate that you have considered the other side. However, to make this essay effective points for your position should be much stronger than the points against you so that your audience end up believing the thing that you want them to.

What are the conventions?

What you need to use when you write a persuasive writing:

• Rhetorical Questions, alliteration, triads, reptition, emotive words and imagery, hyperbole
• Refrences to you or we, us and our to draw the reader in and make them feel you are on their side
• References to they or them to make it seem like the opposition are a faceless enemy
• Use of facts and figures / real life anecdotes to make the position seem convincing
• Use of expert opinions to reinforce the reliabilty of your position
• Real names, real places and real examples (even if made up) to make your point seem real
• Depending on the audience, informal / easily accessible language might be appropriate
• Appeals to the audience's sense of logic and 'common sense'
• Emotional appeals / blackmail and the use of emotive words / imagery
• A 'Tennis match' structure where you start with a point against you and then go on to attack it in the next paragraph
• Simple comparisons that make your point clear / ridicule your opponent
• A clear series of important points split up into different paragraphs
• Confident Tone of Voice

Structure:
Each point should start with a new paragraph to seperate the essay into different points and sections
Save your two strongest points for the start and end of your essay to create a strong beginning and ending impact

Intro- You should start of by stating about your point, avoid using "this essay is going to be about..." and get straight to the point possibly with a rhetorical question or by painting a horrific image of what the world would be life if things don't go the way you want them to - e.g. if you are writing to argue against the banning of mobile ipods in school you might start in the following way

'Can you imagine a world where creativity is viewed as a shameful activity only to be indulged in behind closed doors? Can you imagine a world where self expression is not as important as copying down notes from a board? Can you image a world accompanied only by the monotonous sounds of everyday life instead of one energised by the latest beats and lyrics. This is the world that the school wants to create by banning iPods and this is the world that we must fight against with all our might.'

This opening incorporates many persuasive features: rhetorical questions, references to you to involve the reader, repetition, a confident tone of voice and most importantly the painting of an image of the awful world that would exist if the school had their way.

main body- Each paragraph (or pair of paragraphs) should concentrate on just one main argument for / against your position. It is best to start a paragaph with a point against you introduced with a phrase like 'Some people may believe that ... because ...' However, after briefly considering the evidence against you, you should argue back and defeat that point with a point of your own, often introduce with a phrase like 'However'. In cases where you are using a pair or paragraphs, paragraph one should be against you and paragraph two for you, so that you always end on a point in your favour.

It is important that you always support each point for or against you with at least some evidence / reasoning - even if it is a made up anecdote - so that there is some validity to your argument and it is not just assertion.

There are other, perhaps more interesting ways to write persuasively, but this is at least one structure that will work.

conclusion- You can summarize the point you make or the overall idea of the writing but it is recommended that you end strongly - possibly with a triad, catchphrase, short sentence, powerful image or rhetorical question again

Hints and Tips

Do's

· You should have points agreeing and disagreeing with your argument.
· Starting with a point against and attacking it is effective.
· Should end with the most effective point that agrees with you.
- Remember who your audience is.· Making a table for/against will help you plan the points that you will make in your essay 
· You should have evidence to support your point, in order to make it realistic and convince your audience.· Remember to write in paragraphs!