Writing a
Persuasive Essay
In a persuasive essay you are going to try to convince the reader that your point of view is best. To accomplish this, you must chose a topic which is clear and to the point and one which has more than one side that can be debated. It is important that you understand the other sides of the position so that you can give strong reasons why your way is best. In your essay, you will only present one side.
Like all kinds of five paragraph essays, there is a specific format to be followed.
 |
The topic sentence cannot be a fact because facts cannot be debated. It should be a statement of your position and it must be clear and direct. Do not make it personal so do not use personal pronouns. |
| Next, in the same beginning paragraph, tell the three best reasons that you have to support your position. These reasons will become the topics of the next three paragraphs. |
| In the next three paragraphs of
the essay, you should use specific evidence, examples,
and statistics and not broad generalizations or personal opinions to
persuade the reader that the stated position is a valid one. Each topic
sentence for the support paragraphs have been introduced in the beginning
paragraph. Each of your additional sentences must closely relate to the
topic and the sentence that came before it. This way, the logic of the
argument is easy to follow. Use this persuasion
map to help you organize your work.
| As you end your essay, in your 5th
paragraph, it is important to restate the main evidence that you have given
in your previous paragraphs. This will be your last chance to remind
the reader and convince him/her to accept your position. Do not
introduce new material in your conclusion. | |
Don't forget that
another good place to get ideas on how to write a 5 paragraph essay is your
Arrow Writers' Handbook.
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