EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools

AStudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssaysandDebates

Careinthechoiceofoneswordsistherespect thatthemindpaystotheinstrumentofitsownbeing. AshleyMontague Thepurposeofthisguideistoofferstrategiesforpreparingastrongpersuasiveessayor debate.Itwillsharpenskillsyoumightnotrealizeyoualreadyhave,makingyourworkmore accurate,clear,concise,logical,convincing,andrespectfulofopposingarguments. Sojustwhatisapersuasiveessay? Itisaconvincingargumentinfavoroforinoppositiontoanissue.Whatmakesapersuasive essaydifferentfromafactualaccount?Bias,takingaside,inacarefullyarguedpointofview. ItsinYou Ifyourealittlenervousabouttacklingapersuasiveessay,relax.Youknowmoreaboutthis thanyouthinkyoudo. Everydayyouexpressyouropinionsonfashion,sports,currentevents,entertainment,classes, orpeople.Whenyoutrytoconvinceothersofyourviews,yougivereasons.Thatisthestartof anygoodpersuasiveessayordebate.Yourbestfootisalreadyforward. GatherYourThoughtsandTaketheNextStep Letstakethoseeverydaysituationsandshapethemintoamodel. 1. Thinkbeforeyouspeakorwrite.Outlineyourthoughts. 2. Stateyourcase. 3. Listentotheanswer. 4. Respondwithspecifics.Offergood,truthfulsupportingevidenceand/oradditional information. 5. Berespectful.Nopersonalattacks. 6. Dontchangethesubject. 7. Sumupyourcase. OrganizationTheAnatomyofPersuasion Thekeystoaneffectivepersuasiveessayareorganizationandsupport.Somerefertothe structurewiththeacronymPOSSE,whichstandsfor: Position/Thesis Organization Support Style EffectiveConclusion

1 EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools:StudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssays&Debates

June2012

EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools
AStudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssaysandDebates

Othersseeitasanintroduction/thesisstatement,thebody,andconclusion.Eitherway,an effectiveopinionorpersuasiveessaymustaccomplishthefollowing: Clearlystateyourpurposeandopinion Stateamainpointofargument Communicatethegistofthatargument,withsupportingevidence,andofferinformed rebuttalofopposingviews Position/ThesisStatementExpressYourself Thethesisstatementisthemindofyouressay.Everythingelsemustpointbacktoit,totruly makeyourbestcase.Generally,itshouldbeoneortwosentenceslong.Themindworksmind whenorganized.Askyourselfsomequestionsbeforeyouwriteyourthesisstatement.Takethe timetoclarifytheanswers. WhatamIgoingtodiscuss? HowwillIargueandsupportmyviews? WhichreasonswillIgive?DoIhaveevidence? BuildingtheBodyoftheArgumentStrongerisBetter Thebodydevelopsthethesisstatementinordertogiveweighttoyouropinionandtoadvance theargumentwitheachparagraph. Organization&SupportParagraphsandTopicSentences Paragraphsshouldhaveanorganizedflowofandprogressionthoughts;eachonesetoffbya strongtopicsentence.Topicsentencesguidereaderstoeachpointintheargument,leading themsteadilytotheconclusion.Theyreyourmuscle,andtheyshowthatyou Candemonstrateanunderstandingoftheopposingargumentsrelatingtotheissue.An understandingoftheargumentsmakesonebetterequippedtopersuadesomeoneto acceptaparticularview. Cancounteranotheropinionwithrelevantevidence,andsound,respectfulanalysis. Thereshouldbenopersonalattacksagainstanotherauthororspeaker,andnoextreme language. Canpresentalogicalflowofthoughts.Theessayisorganizedanddoesnotfocuson unimportantdetails. Canmakeaconvincingargument.Theessayismorethanalistingoffacts. SayingitwithStyle Whatwordsshouldyouusetomakeyouressaycrystalclearandwellwritten?Beforeyou write,readthroughsomeexamplesofOp/Edarticlesinprominentnewspapersandmagazines andhighlightphrasesfromthecategoriesbelowtransition,emphasis,andcounterpoint.Use adifferentcolorforeachcategory.
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EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools
AStudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssaysandDebates

EffectivePhrasesforTransition PhrasesforCounterpoint Admittedly Although Consequently Conversely Asaresult Despite Ultimately Ontheotherhand Accordingto However Forthisreason Instead Therefore Nevertheless Notwithstanding PhrasesforEmphasis Nonetheless Additionally Yet Asamatteroffact Inaddition Indeed Infact Forexample Moreover EffectiveConclusion,TheBigFinish Intheconclusion,restatethethesisandargument,withsupportingdetail.Anauthorsgoalin thisinstanceistohavethelastword,andhaveiteffectively,leavingthereaderwithastrong impression. AdditionalResources HamiltonCollegeWritingCenterPersuasiveEssays, http://www.hamilton.edu/academic/Resource/WC/Effective_essays.html EducationWorldResourcesforClassroomDebates, http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson304b.shtml ScholasticWritingWorkshop:PersuasiveWriting, http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/writing/index.asp?topic=Persuasive

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EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools
AStudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssaysandDebates

PersuasiveEssay/DebateWorksheet INTRODUCTION Thesis Discuss:What? Discuss:How? BODY TopicSentence#1(FirstSupportingEvidence) TopicSentence#2(SupportingEvidence#2) TopicSentence#3(SupportingEvidence#3)

4 EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools:StudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssays&Debates

June2012

EBSCOhostStudentSuccessTools
AStudentGuidetoPersuasiveEssaysandDebates

TopicSentence#4(SupportingEvidence#4) CONCLUSION BodyFitnessTesting AWritersPersuasionChecklist Doestheauthordemonstrateanunderstandingoftheopposingargumentsrelatingto theissue?Y/N Doestheauthorcountertheargumentswitharebuttal?Y/N Areremarksthoughtfulandrespectful?Y/N Istheessayorganized?Y/N Istheessayconvincing?Y/N Doalloftheparagraphsworktogethertosupporttheessaysthesis?Y/N Istheconclusionsoundandstrong?Y/N

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