National 5

Persuasive Essay

Persuasive Essay

• Folio piece consists of the following:– 800-1000 word essay on a topic of your choice– Must use and refer to at least two sources (e.g.

books, web-pages, films, TV programmes etc.)– Researched and planned at school and at home– Can go through 2 redrafts

Persuasive Essay

• Success Criteria:– Well structured– Maintains an appropriate formal tone– Uses effective and convincing persuasive

techniques– Technically accurate (spelling, punctuation etc.)

Persuasive Essay

• PERSUASIVE ESSAY:• You take a position on a particular topic/issue

and try to persuade your reader to agree with your point of view.

i.e.You try to convince your reader that your

position is more legitimate than others.

Persuasive Essay

• In writing a Discursive essay the writer examines both sides of an issue in a balanced way, without a clear personal stance and (usually) in a formal neutral tone.

• In a Persuasive essay the emphasis is on a more personal, more emotional way of writing.

• This is why in a Persuasive essay you are encouraged to use persuasive techniques. Techniques help convey emotion.

• Think of your essay as 50% argument and 50% emotion. This should help you write an effective essay.

Persuasive Essay

• Before you can choose your issue you have to think about your own opinions. The following list shows you the kind of issue students have written about in recent years:

• the war in Afghanistan, voting at 16, size zero modelling, Scottish Independence, downloading music on the internet, film or game classification, testing cosmetics on animals, gun laws, the treatment of teenagers in the media

• Choose an issue that you genuinely feel strongly about. This will help your writing.

Persuasive Essay• Start a new word document:• Task 1:– Write down your chosen topic as a heading (either

from the list or one of your own choice) and note down what your opinion of it is, giving as many reasons as you can

• Task 2:• What will you need to find out to be able to write your essay?

Make a list of research questions, and think about where you might be able to find the answers

• Task 3):– Find at least Two sources (webpages, books etc.), and

print off relevant information

Persuasive Essay

• Research guidelines:– Keep a list of the exact URL of every webpage you use –

you’ll need it for your list of sources– Don’t just copy and paste at random!– Try to summarise key information in your own words – if

you can’t do this, you probably don’t understand the material and therefore should be looking elsewhere!

– Look out for good quotations you could use, and make it absolutely clear to yourself which sections of your notes are direct quotes and which are your own words (maybe use two different font colours ...?)

Persuasive Techniques

1 - Address the audience directly throughout.

-Speak in the first person. (“I would suggest that...”).

-Also use pronouns like “you” and “we”.e.g. “You might not think that...”e.g. “We often hear in the news...”

2 Use emotive language

Strong adjectives or adverbs which have an emotional impact or appeal to the emotions of the reader.

e.g. This hideous idea ...Would you want your children exposed

to this loathsome spectacle ...

3 Use evidence to support your argument.- Use of examples.- Use of facts and statistics.- Quotes from reliable experts.

This will give your argument credibility and will make your audience much more likely to agree with you.

4 Use the tone of the essay to persuade your audience to agree with you.

e.g. Sarcasm, cynicism, anger, enthusiasm, optimism etc etc

Your word choice is very important in this regard.

5 Use rhetorical questions.- Involves the reader in your argument.- Encourages them to think about what you are

saying.- Emphasises the point you are trying to make.

What kind of person would allow a family member to have an abortion?

6 Question and answer.

• Pose a question and then answer it.

How do we know that prison doesn’t work? Well, it has been shown that 25% of people released from prison go on to reoffend.

7 The occasional use of humour and exaggeration. (Don’t go overboard).

8 Use a mixture of formal and informal language.9 Intelligent use of technical jargon.10 Rule of Three

Repeating an idea or image three times, usually in a slightly different way, e.g.

Hunting is evil, cruel and outdated.

11 Present opinion as fact

Presenting your own personal beliefs about a subject as though they are factual truths.

Boxing is a vicious and degrading sport that no-one really enjoys.

12 Acknowledge the opposing viewpoint and then undermine it and show why it is wrong.

The supporters of euthanasia argue that it gives people control over their own destiny, but, in actual fact, it is taking away the right of people to live as long as they wish as those with terminal illnesses will be pressured into volunteering to be “put-down”.

Planning and structure• Introduction – needs to be powerful and attention-

grabbing. Use persuasive techniques and rhetorical questions to involve the reader in the topic.

• Main Body –– begin with two or three paragraphs clearly and persuasively

expressing your strongest arguments using statistics, anecdotes and evidence to back up your points

– Have a couple of paragraphs where you consider opposing arguments and show why they are wrong

– Return to your strongest argument – repetition is an effective persuasive technique!

• Conclusion – try to connect this to your introduction: maybe return to the questions you asked and show how you have answered them. Conclusion should be short and not introduce any new arguments.