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 YES or NO?
‡ In persuasive writing, a writer takes a
position FOR or AGAINST an issue

‡ The writer writes to convince the reader to

believe or do something.
 àersuasive writing follows a
particular format:
‡ INTRODUCTION with hook and thesis
statement

‡ BODY where the argument is developed

‡ CONCLUSION where main points are

summarized and reviewed
 The Introduction

‡ This is your chance to introduce the topic and give brief

background information about it.

‡ You should start the first paragraph with a ³hook´ or

³grabber´ to catch the reader¶s attention.

‡ You will choose one or two of the following seven

methods to include in your introduction.
 ëook #1
‡ Opening with an unusual detail.
‡ Did you know that a typical child needs 2,000 calories for an
entire day and Burger King¶s Whopper with triple cheese has 1,230
calories?
 ëook #2
‡ Opening with a strong statement:
‡ Fast food consumption has risen 500
percent since 1970 and today pervades
nearly every segment of society, including
some public school cafeterias.
 ëook #3
‡ Opening with a Quotation:
‡ University of Delaware professer Jayashree àakhare states,
³Advertising, including television ads, billboards, and other
advertising, including toys in boxed meals, has had an effect upon
children as never before. Children these days are growing up with
low concern for their health and more concern for what tastes good.´
 ëook #4
‡ Opening with an Anecdote. An anecdote can
provide an amusing and attention-getting opening if it is short and to
the point.

‡ My hands felt sticky after pulling open the doors to ³Big

Bobby¶s Boisterous Burger Hut´. The odor smelled of fried
everything. I ordered a Big Bobby Combo #2. There was
enough food to serve a small third world country on my tray. I
nibbled at the ¾ pound burger and my chin was covered in a
mayonnaise and ketchup concoction. I asked the server if I
could have a few fries with my salt. I left the place feeling like
my stomach was mad at me.
 ëook #5
‡ Open with a Statistic or Fact

‡ °hirty percent of the children in the survey ate fast food

on any given day during the survey, and they ate an
average of 187 calories a day more than those who did
not eat fast food. °hese additional calories could account
for an extra six pounds of weight gain per year,
according to Ludwig.
 ëook #6
‡ ëow many times have you eaten fast
food this month?
 ëook #7
‡ Opening with an Exaggeration or
Outrageous Statement.

‡ Fast food is killing America!

 Remembering the ëooks or
Grabbers
‡ vnusual detail
‡ Strong statement
‡ Quotation
‡ Anecdote
‡ Statistic or Fact
‡ Question
‡ Exaggeration or Outrageous Statement
Try this«
‡ vnder
‡ Some
‡ Quilts
‡ Are
‡ Surprisingly
‡ Quick
‡ Elephants
 The Thesis Statement
‡ At the end of the first paragraph, you will
need a thesis statement.
‡ It says to the reader:
‡ ³I¶ve thought about this topic, I know what I
believe about it, and I know how to
organize it.´
 Creating a Thesis Statement
‡ Choose 3 main focus points to discuss in your
essay. These points will become the focus of
three paragraphs in the body.

Let¶s use fast food as an example again.

Fast food«
‡ rapidly increases weight
‡ causes high blood pressure
‡ leads to lethargy
 Writing the Thesis Statement
‡ áow take your three main focus points and
summarize them. Put your completed thesis
statement at the end of your first paragraph.

‡ °
 MAIá FOCUS POIá°S

‡ I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases
weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to
lethargy.

‡ COMPL° ° SIS S°A°Má°

‡ I believe fast food has V
  
.
 The Body
‡ The body of the essay is where you
develop your three main focus points of
your thesis.

‡ We will look at six different ways to

develop the body of your essay. The
example, again, will be the effects of fast
food.
Generating ëypothetical Instances
‡ Start by using ³Suppose that«´ or ³What
if«´ along with your first focus point.

‡ I will use the first point from my thesis

‡ I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly

increases weight, causes high blood pressure, and
leads to lethargy.
 ëypothetical
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 Clarifying a àosition
‡ This is where you need to think about what
needs to be explained. Do students need
to know the facts about your issue to make
a judgment?

‡ I will use the next focus point to clarify

‡ I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases
weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to
lethargy.
 Clarifying
‡ _

  

  


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 Thinking Through a àrocess
‡ This is where you take someone through
each step of the problem.
‡ I will use my third focus point for this.

‡ I believe fast food is harmful because it rapidly increases

weight, causes high blood pressure, and leads to
lethargy.
 Think Through the àrocess
‡ Eating fast food can also lead to lethargy, or
extreme tiredness. When you eat foods that are
high in fat and low in protein, you tend to have
less energy. àeople eat fast food, feel tired, and
end up sitting on the couch doing nothing. Then
they decide that they don¶t want to make dinner
the next night because it takes energy. The
easiest solution is to get fast food again. They
end up feeling even more lethargic and the
dangerous cycle continues.
 _rawing Comparisons
‡ This is where you choose something
similar or an alternative to your topic.

‡ I will use the lethargy example again.

 Drawing Comparisons
‡ Increased fat content in fast food leads
to lethargy. There are alternatives to the
typical fast food. Let¶s compare typical
fast food meals (burger and fries) to a
meal higher in proteins and vitamins.
 Comparison
FOOD ITEMS Calories Calories from
Fat
Burger King¶s 1,600 56
Whopper,Fries, Soda
McDonald¶s Chicken Strips, 1,950 47
Fries, Soda
Wendy¶s Big Bacon 1,410 48
Classic, Fries, Soda
Taco Bells Taco Salad, 970 47
Soda
Subway/Quizno¶s Sub (avg) 430 12
6-inch, Chips, Soda (diet)
 Making an Analysis
‡ You can make an analysis by looking at all
the parts to help the reader understand.
Break down all elements of your topic.

‡ Fast food for example could be analyzed

by looking at how each type of food
contributes to high blood pressure.
 _rawing an analogy
‡ This is where you identify significant
likenesses between two objects or
ideas when otherwise they are quite
different.

‡ I will use the lethargy point for this.

 Analogy
‡ The food you eat is a lot like the fuel or oil you put in
your car. A car that has clean fuel and an oil change
runs smoothly and efficiently. Race cars use only the
best fuel and oil to perform at top speeds. Cars that
aren¶t tuned-up, haven¶t had an oil change, and use poor
fuel, struggle to make it down the road. Your body is the
same way. Feed it the energy it needs and stay away
from excess fat and cholesterol and you will perform at
your greatest. Feed it fast food high in fat content and it
slows to a stop. Do you want to be a race car or a
clunker that will end up in the mechanics hands.
 The Other Side of the Story
‡ This is where you should explain why your
opposition believes what they believe.
‡ For example, a fast food company would
be furious with me presenting you this
information. They would have lots of
reasons why fast food is good. They may
say«
 Fast food is«
‡ FAST!
‡ Convenient
‡ Tastes great!
‡ Offers lots of choices
‡ Eaten on the go!
‡ For the whole family!
 Last paragraph of body
‡ State what the claims are of your
opponent.
‡ Dispute as many as you can!
‡ Win the fight by stating what you know is
right.
 Conclusion
‡ Restate your thesis.
‡ End with«
± A comment (Don¶t make your body suffer!)
± A question (Are you willing to risk your
health?)
± A call to action (I highly recommend you
consider your options the next time your faced
with a decision about what to eat.)