Writing Persuasively: A Comprehensive Guide for Crafting Convincing Arguments, Schemes and Mind Maps of Technical English

Download Writing Persuasively: A Comprehensive Guide for Crafting Convincing Arguments and more Schemes and Mind Maps Technical English in PDF only on Docsity! NAME: _________________________ PERSUASIVE PAPER In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR or AGAINST an issue and writes to convince the reader to believe or do something. Persuasive writing is often used in advertisements to get the reader to buy a product. It is also used in essays and other types of writing to get the reader to accept a point of view. In order to convince the reader you need more than opinion; you need facts or examples to back your opinion. So, be sure to do the research! Persuasive writing follows a particular format. It has an introduction, a body where the argument is developed, and a conclusion. After writing an essay, like any other piece of writing, you should read, revise, conference and revise, before publishing the final product. Before starting, check the rubric to see how you will be evaluated, as well as, all the ingredients required to write the essay. My topic: _______________________________________________________________ My thesis statement: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ My Points: 1.) _________________________________________________________ 2.) _________________________________________________________ 3.) _________________________________________________________ Opposing points: ________________________________________________________ My Counter-argument: ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION: The introduction has a "hook or grabber" to catch the reader's attention. Some "grabbers" include: 1. Opening with an unusual detail: (“Weird things have been found inside a shark, such as a nail, a bottle of wine, a treasure chest, coats, a suit of armor, a drum and a torpedo.”) 2. Opening with a strong statement: (“Question: What is more dangerous to people - a shark or a bee? Answer: bee Every year, 100 people die from bee stings, yet hundreds of millions of people go swimming, and sharks kill only about six people per year.”) 3. Opening with a Quotation: (Elbert Hubbard once said, "Truth is stronger than fiction.") 4. Opening with an Anecdote(story): An anecdote can provide an amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to the point. 5. Opening with a Statistic or Fact: Sometimes a statistic or fact will add emphasis or interest to your topic. It may be wise to include the item's authoritative source. (“The record for attacks in a single place is at Durban (South Africa), in 1957, with 7 attacks (5 in which resulted in death) within 107 days.”) 6. Opening with a Question: (“Have you ever gone swimming in the ocean?”) The introduction should also include a thesis or focus statement. There are three objectives of a thesis statement: 1. It tells the reader the specific topic of your essay. 2. It imposes manageable limits on that topic (so you don’t wander off topic). 3. It tells the reader how your paper will be organized. Through the thesis, you should say to the reader: "I've thought about this topic, I know what I believe about it, and I know how to organize it." Example Introduction: (Catchy Opener) Question: What is more dangerous to people - a shark or a bee? Answer: bee Every year, 100 people die from bee stings, yet hundreds of millions of people go swimming, and sharks kill only about six people per year. Only about 25 sharks have been known to actually attack people. Every year, people kill thousands of sharks. They are killed for food, oil, skins and sport. (Thesis)We must do a more effective job at protecting sharks because . . . PERSUASIVE ESSAY OUTLINE I. Introduction Get the reader’s attention by using a “hook” Give some background information if necessary Thesis or focus statement II. First argument or reason to support your position Topic sentence to explain your point Elaboration to back up your point Transition statement III. Second argument or reason to support your position Topic sentence to explain your point Elaboration to back up your point Transition statement IV. Third argument or reason to support your position Topic sentence to explain your point Elaboration to back up your point Transition statement V. Conclusion Summary of main points or reason Restate thesis statement Personal comment or a call to action. CONFERENCING WITH A PEER Ask someone to read your rough draft to see if they understand and can follow your argument. Consider the following questions. Their answers should show you that your argument makes sense. What is the thesis statement? How is the thesis explained? What are the main points of the argument? (3) 1. 2. 3. How did the author back up each point? 1. 2. 3. What are the opposing point(s)? What is the writer's solution?