Unit 1Unit 1
Persuasive Writing
Defend a Viewpoint
Persuasive Writing
Defend a Viewpoint
Defend a Viewpoint
Writing a Persuasive Essay• Persuasive writing or speech is intended to convince
an audience to change their viewpoint or rise to action.• In this assignment, you will write a persuasive essay
defending a viewpoint that expresses an informed opinion about a topic that interests you.
• You will support your opinion with information gathered from research on the topic.
Writing Assignment
Assignment • Plan, write, and revise an essay that
supports your opinion on an arguable topic
Purpose • To persuade readers to your point of view
Audience • Someone who disagrees with your
standpoint or is undecided about the topic
WRITING RUBRICWRITING RUBRIC
A successful persuasive essay has these qualities: an introduction that captures the reader’s
interest and identifies the topic a clear thesis statement that expresses the
argument the author plans to make a body that provides researched supporting
evidence and acknowledges and refutes possible counterarguments
a conclusion that reemphasizes the main point and provides closure
PREWRITE
Select a Topic• The best topics for a persuasive essay are those
that have two or more clear factions and are perhaps controversial.
• Generate a list of four to six such topics.• Choose the topic that most interests you.
PREWRITE
Gather Information• You may begin your search with the Internet, but
don’t limit yourself to it. • Scour news media, including television and radio
news shows, newspapers, and news magazines.• If your topic is not as current, search back issues of
newspapers and magazines. • If your topic is not of national concern, consider interviewing the individuals
involved.
PREWRITE
Gather Information • Create an Argument Chart like the one on the next
slide, listing at least five arguments and counterarguments.
• Try to come up with a counterargument for each point you make.
• Remember that often the most convincing argument is made in debunking a counter-argument.
Argument Chart
My Argument The Counterargument Why I’m Still Right
PREWRITE
Organize Ideas• Review your chart.
—Do you have at least five distinct points of argument?
— Does every argument have a balanced counterargument?
—Do you disprove the counterargument in a convincing way?
• Circle your three most convincing arguments.• Then number them in the order you want them to
appear in the essay.
PREWRITE
Write a Thesis Statement• Based on the points you have chosen, write a one-
sentence argument. This is your thesis statement.• Using information from the Argument Chart, one
student wrote this thesis statement :
A patron whose cell phone rings during a performance should be fined.
DRAFT
Write your essay by following this three-part framework:
Introduction
Point 1 Point 2 Point 3
Conclusion
Body
Introduction• Start by “hooking” your readers. Include your thesis
statement and the points you plan to make.
Body• Write one paragraph for each main point of your
argument. Support each point with information from your research. Include a counterargument as well as a refutation for each point.
Conclusion• Re-emphasize the thesis, and give your essay
closure.
DRAFT
Draft the Introduction• To capture the reader’s attention and to give the
argument a context, introduce your argument with —a statistic
—an interesting fact
—an anecdote
—a rhetorical question (a thought-provoking question not meant to be answered)
DRAFT
Draft the Introduction• The introduction also states the thesis,
establishing the main idea or point of the essay.
• Finally, a good introduction generatesinterest by insinuating the importance of your topic.
DRAFT
Draft the Body• In the body, state each point you want to make
about the argument.—Support or prove each point using your research.
• Use the counterargument points from your Argument Chart.
—Make sure you include your refutation to each counterargument.
• This is information that you already mapped out in the Prewrite stage.
DRAFT
Draft the Body• Review the three statements you circled on your
Argument Chart and the order in which you planned to present them.
• Develop each statement into a paragraph by adding evidence you gathered from research.
Point 2Body
Evidence Evidence Evidence
As Robin McKinley, contemporary fantasy fiction author, notes, “If you are excited by what you are writing, you have a much better chance of putting that excitement over to a reader.”
How can you tell Patrick Henry is passionate about his topic in “Speech in the Virginia Convention”?
HENRY
Henry acknowledges the validity of his opponents’arguments but stands firmly by his belief that “The question before the house is one of awful moment to this country. . . . I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery.” He chooses words that portray his convictions: truth, treason, arduous, salvation, insidious,pledged, formidable, liberty, submission.He ends with a rousing line: “Give me liberty or give me death!”
DRAFT
Draft the Conclusion• A good conclusion does two things:
(1) it summarizes the main point made in the body of the essay, reemphasizing the thesis without merely restating it
(2) it brings the discussion to a close, often ending with a warning or call to action.
Writing an effective conclusion that reminds readers of your thesis without merely restating it can be a difficult but important task. You don’t want to end an otherwise strong essay with a weak finish.
LONGFELLOW
As Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the famous nineteenth-century American poet, once said, “Great is the art of beginning, but greater is the art of ending.”
➌ REVISE
Evaluate the Draft• Evaluate your own writing or exchange papers with
a classmate. • Examine the content and organization.
—The introduction, body, and conclusion should work together to prove the thesis.
—Every paragraph should relate clearly back to that main argument.
—Each paragraph should logically connect to the next.
➌ REVISE
Evaluate Your Draft• Read the paper a second time to check for spelling
and grammatical errors. • Use the Revision Checklist to evaluate the writing. • Consider how the writing can be clarified or be
made more engaging.• Make notes directly on the paper about its
strengths and weaknesses and the changes that need to be made.
➌ REVISE
Grammar & Style• Maintaining a consistent point of view (first,
second, or third person, singular or plural) is essential.
• Shifting viewpoints within a paragraph or sentence sounds sloppy and confuses readers.
It’s not fair for one person to disrupt everyone else because you are he or she is not willing to turn off your his or her cell phone.
DRAFT STAGE
Introduction
People have become very dependent
on their cell phones. Every where
you go, you are almost guaranteed to
see people talking on a cell phone.
It’s really annoying when someone’s
phone rings during a movie or play. A
patron whose cell phone rings during
a performance should be fined.
Provides a context for the
argument
States a thesis
REVISE STAGE
Introduction
People have become very dependent
on their cell phones. Every where you
go, you are almost guaranteed to see
people talking on a cell phones. Is
there a point where cell phones become
more annoying than useful? It’s really
annoying when someone’s phone rings
during a movie or play. When does one
person’s convenience interfere with
another person’s enjoyment of
something like a movie or play? A
patron whose cell phone rings during a
performance should be fined.
Corrects agreement error
Inserts motive
Sets up thesis with another
question, rather than a statement
DRAFT STAGE
Body Paragraph
When you are paying money to see a
movie or play you don’t expect any
disturbances. If every couple of minutes
you hear the ringing or buzzing of a cell
phone, your experience will be ruined.
It’s not fair to disrupt everyone because
you are not willing to turn your cell
phone off. There are certain instances
when having a cell phone on is a
necessity. If this is the case, then you
should turn your phone on silent or
vibrate.
Gives specific example
Acknowledges counter-
argument
Refutes counterargument
REVISE STAGE
Body Paragraph
When you are paying money to see a
movie or play, you don’t expect any
disturbances. If every couple of minutes
you hear the ringing or buzzing of a cell
phone, your experience will be ruined.
It’s not fair for one person to disrupt
everyone else because you are he or she
is not willing to turn off you’re his or her
cell phone. off. There are certain
instances when If having a cell phone on
is necessary, a necessity. If this is the
case, then you should turn your phone
then it should be set on silent or vibrate.
Adds comma
Corrects point of view
Moves preposition
Adds passive voice;
streamlines language
DRAFT STAGE
Conclusion
Overall, I think that everyone would
benefit from fining patrons for
leaving their cell phones turned on
during performances. Offenders
would learn to respect the people
around them. If they didn’t, they
would literally pay the price.
Enforcing this policy would make
going to a play or movie a relaxing
and enjoyable experience again.
Re-emphasizes thesis
without restating it
Restates main points
made in body
Gives some closure
REVISE STAGE
Conclusion
Overall, I think that everyone would
benefit from fining patrons for
leaving their cell phones turned on
during performances. Offenders
would learn to respect the people
around them. If they didn’t, they
would or literally pay the price.
Enforcing this policy would make
going to a play or movie a relaxing
and enjoyable experience again.
Ignoring the problem will encourage
people’s rude behavior.
Eliminates unnecessary “I”
Combines two sentences
Adds greater sense of closure;
provides a warning
REVISION CHECKLISTREVISION CHECKLIST
Content & Organization
Does the introduction give the argument a context and captivate readers?
Does the introduction present a clear thesis statement?
Does each paragraph in the body clearly relate back to the thesis?
REVISION CHECKLISTREVISION CHECKLIST
Content & Organization
Does each body paragraph provide enough relevant evidence gathered from research to back up its point? Are counterarguments presented and refuted in a convincing way?
Does the conclusion summarize the essay by reemphasizing the thesis? Does it provide a warning or call for action that helps bring the essay to a close?
REVISION CHECKLISTREVISION CHECKLIST
Grammar & Style
Do all of your subjects and verbs agree? Do you use correct tenses of verbs? Do you use correct pronouns throughout? Do
your pronouns agree with their antecedents?
➌ REVISE
Proofread for Errors• Read through your essay again to check for any
remaining errors.• Use proofreader’s symbols to mark any errors you
find.
• Print out a final draft and read the entire essay once more before turning it in.
Student Model
Review the Student Model final draft on page 115 of your textbook and answer the questions that appear in red in the margin.
Writing Follow-Up
Publish and Present• Find out whether your school has a magazine,
journal, or newspaper that publishes students’ writing and submit your essay as an editorial.
• If your essay focused on a community decision, consider presenting your argument at a public meeting on the topic.
Writing Follow-Up
Reflect• Does the topic you chose seem more or less
pressing now that you have researched it and written this persuasive essay?
• What have you learned about effective arguments from having compiled your own?
—Think about arguments you have heard for other contemporary issues. Which make the most convincing case? Why?