How to Write a Persuasive Essay

1. How to Write a Persuasive Essay …Or, save some time and see it my way.

2. Where do I start? • Decide what you want to write about. • Look at both sides of the issue. • Decide which side you can best support. • Look at the arguments to support your position (side) and pick three of the best supportive arguments for your essay.

3. How to construct a persuasive essay The INTRODUCTION PARAGRAPH states the issue and your position on it Second paragraph: Second Strongest Argument Reason One with evidence and support Third paragraph: Weakest Argument Reason Two with evidence and support Fourth paragraph: Strongest Argument State an objection or argument someone from the opposing side could make and then respond to their objections. CONCLUSION PARAGRAPH Restates your position and recommends a course of action

4. Introduction paragraph • How can you hook your readers and make a lasting impression? What memorable quotation, anecdote, or statistic will catch their attention? Have you ever enjoyed the antics of the orangutans or watch the polar bears swim at Hogel Zoo? Have your been up to see the Zoo Lights this season? Unless we make sure that public funding for the zoo continues, those experiences will be just memories.

5. HOOK Example • Question Have you ever enjoyed the antics of the orangutans or watch the polar bears swim at Hogel Zoo? • Anecdote I was living in Arkansas the first time I met prejudice face to face. • Definition Hyperbole means extreme exaggeration. I found out it was easier to say than use. • Quotation “Give me liberty or give me death.” • Setting In a small school, tucked up in hollow in Kentucky, students are discovering the power of excellence.

6. HOOK Example • Exaggeration A billion bikers can’t be wrong. • A riddle What do you call an eight-legged weaver? • General to When we talk of honor, we need to specific statement start with honesty. • Name of famous Judy Bloom will never know what person/place she started. • Exclamation Whew! And you thought the desert was hot!

7. Should the Driving Age Be Raised to 18? (Begin with your hook) If your neighbor robs a bank, should you go to jail? No. If your classmate gets in an accident, should your driver’s license be taken away? Of course not. Neither situation is fair. Raising the driving age will punish all young drives for the mistakes of a few of their peers. (End the paragraph with your position) Introduce the issue in an interesting way and end the paragraph by stating your position on the topic.

8. First body paragraph • Tell me the first reason I should support your opinion. Then support your argument. WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT STATISTICS Facts that are stated in numbers EXAMPLES Specific instances that explain points OBSERVATIONS Events or situations you have seen firsthand ANCEDOTES Brief stories the illustrate your point QUOTATIONS Direct statements form authorities

9. First reason with evidence and support. Begin with a topic sentence followed by statistics, examples, observations, anecdotes, or quotations. In this country we live by the principle of innocent until proven guilty. Those who want to raise the driving age have labeled teens guilty before they’ve gotten in an accident or before they’ve even stepped into a car. They believe that just because of your birth date, you are dangerous and must be punished by having your ability to drive taken away from you.

10. Second body paragraph • Tell me the second reason I should support your opinion. Then support your argument. WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT STATISTICS Facts that are stated in numbers EXAMPLES Specific instances that explain points OBSERVATIONS Events or situations you have seen firsthand ANCEDOTES Brief stories the illustrate your point QUOTATIONS Direct statements form authorities

11. Think of another reason lawmaker should not raise the driving age.(This is your weakest argument) Write a topic sentence that introduces your position. Then write two or three more sentences that support that argument. Use statistics, examples, observations, anecdotes, or quotations.

12. Third body paragraph • Write an objection or argument someone from the opposing side could make against you. • Write your response to their objection. This is your strongest argument for your position • Those who favor raising the driving age say that statistics show teenagers are more likely to get into accidents than adults. Raising the driving age won’t save lives. Studies show that it is inexperience, not age, that causes accidents. Raising the driving age will just create inexperienced, accident-pronedrivers at 18 instead of 16. What they don’t say is that statistics also show that men of all ages are 77 percent more likely to kill someone while driving than women. If people want to save lives by raising the driving age, then how about saving lives by allowing only women to drive?

13. Conclusion paragraph Begin by restating your position on the topic in the first sentence. Recommend a course of action. Teens need the ability to drive just as much as anyone else—to get to school, to get to work, to get to sports or band practice, or just to go out with their friends. Cars are necessary for mobility in this country. Taking that away is a large disruption to the lives of teenagers—for no good reason. Keep the law the way it is.