Structuring a Persuasive Essay

1. Structuring a Persuasive Essay

2. Important Steps in Your Essay • Get Attention • Establish the Need • Satisfy the Need • Visualise the Future • Call for Action

3. Get Attention • One way is to start with something shocking, startling or controversial. Even humour will work fine, depending on the topic. Examples: • Surprising fact:  Did you know that you can get your brain to work smarter by eating blueberries? • Anecdote:I was driving home the other day, when I saw a tiny dog by the roadside. She was thin and emaciated and shivering. I instantly decided to find it a home. I pulled over and picked it up – and it turned out that the only home I ever want the dog to have is mine. That small dog has changed my life completely. • Question:  When was the last time you educated your employees on safety?  • Relevantto the topic:  If your topic is genetically modified foods, you can say something like “Grocery stores are filled with genetically modified foods.  The food you have eaten this morning may very well be genetically modified.

4. Establish the Need • This is where the audience needs to be convinced that there is a problem. You should encourage the audience to feel a need or want – and that things need to change. This is accomplished through: • A definite statement of what the need or want/problem is. • Give examples illustrating the problem. Paint verbal pictures to really get the audience to feel the problem. • Back up with statistics, examples or testimonies. • Explain the consequences of not changing and show the audience how this is directly related and important to them. Example: • All across Britain, every school day, teenagers are going into their educational establishments armed with a knife. Parents, teachers and frightened pupils are crying out for action to deal with this problem.

5. Satisfy the Need • What are different groups arguing is the solution to the problem? • The audience needs to be told, very directly and clearly, what it is that needs to be done. • Explain the solution to the problem and how it will deal with the issue. • Reveal evidence supporting the solution. • Anticipate counter-arguments and respond by illustrating why the counter-argument should not be a concern. Example: • Politicians are now arguing that a police presence within every school with a history of knife crime is needed. Statistics from the Home Office show that the visibility and speedy response provided by this measure cuts the number of serious incidents by around 75%. Although unpopular with some, this is undoubtedly the way forward.

6. Visualise the Future • Present possible future scenarios: Positive: Show how much better the situation will be as a result of going with the solution offered. Negative: Make the audience understand how bad life would be as a result of not going with this solution. Flag up the Contrast Example: If the 75% reduction in serious knife crime was replicated across all of Britain’s schools then incidents such as the tragic stabbing of Ann Maguire would be a very rare news story rather than a depressingly inevitable escalation of the current state of schools in our society today.

7. Call for Action • This is the final call for the audience to take the solution offered. Make it short, powerful and well worded. Example: • The debate has been lost by those who cannot stomach the thought of police in schools, since sadly the figures speak for themselves. We need to immediately put in place these measures, a policeman in every ‘at risk’ school at the very least, and return to a society where disputes in schools between pupils are settled without the need for deadly weaponry.

8. Introductions • Having worked through the introductions tasks and having looked at examples you should have an idea what a good introduction should include. • There is no right or wrong answer but you should hope to: • Make the topic relevant/current • Grab the attention with a shocking statement/fact/statistic • Explain briefly the topic • Establish who is on the two sides of the debate • What you are arguing for • Your challenge is to take the ingredients and present it stylishly.

9. Simplified Example Essay – Discerning Host Countries • This essay has been split up and jumbled up • Put the pieces in the most appropriate order • Be prepared to justify what you have included and the order

10. The Parts Where in the example essay can you spot these ingredients? • Persuasive Language (WITS) • Linking Words/Phrases • Evidence • Statistics/Facts • Respected Opinions • Anecdotal Evidence • Arguments • Course of Action • Counter Arguments • Summary Statements

11. Argument Paragraphs Use the information on your provided worksheet (A) to form an argument paragraph • Think carefully about the order in which you present your information • Make it stylish through your use of Persuasive Techniques to bring the issue to life

12. Conclusion • This needs to have impact