Writing a Persuasive Essay Made Easy

By Sarah Brodie

As a first step let us get all the ambiguity out of the way. As the name implies, the only purpose a persuasive essay is to persuade. It should convince the reader to see your view point and agree with your proposition. The topic should be structured concisely, well defined and debatable. Your topic sentence should state your position. This sentence should not be a fact. Facts are not debatable. In addition, your topic sentence should be clear and precise.

Whatever your argument or recommendation your essay must contain sufficient evidence to support your statements. Preferably the introductory paragraph should state briefly your reasons for supporting your position. The subsequent paragraphs should be an elaboration of these reasons. Your essay should also contain an analysis of opposing views and a strong conclusion as to why your views should be preferred.

The body of the essay will not only expand on the reasoning that you have introduced, but also contain precise evidence, examples, and statistics in support of your reasoning. The evidence you provide should never take the form of generalizations. Each of the paragraphs of the body of your essay should have a topic sentence. And the sentences that follow should support the argument you have introduced.

Coherence between the paragraphs is important. The transition between the paragraphs should be so smooth that the reader is able to follow the reasoning without losing sight of what was said earlier. All subsequent paragraphs should serve to reinforce your position and what was said earlier.

In the body of the essay, where necessary, consider opposing views and counter them. Look at the issue from the point of view of the reader. Try and anticipate the questions for which the reader is looking for answers. This will give the reader the impression that not only do you know the subject sufficiently; but that you also know the alternatives that the reader is weighing and that you are helping the reader make correct choices.

The language you use and the tone you take should be friendly but firm. Being sarcastic and trashing the opposition will only go against you. Let the reader see that your position is not based on any bias but on down-to-earth reasoning. Do not get personal. Avoid personal pronouns.

In the concluding paragraph restate your position and your strongest evidence. The way you do this is very important as this is your final opportunity to make the reader see your point of view. Do not introduce anything you have not stated earlier as this will only confuse your reader. Your closing statement should be so emphatic that the reader is fully convinced about your position. Often a conclusion also serves as a call for action.

Learning how to write a persuasive essay may take a while. Strictly speaking there is no cookie cutter approach to persuasive essays. It may become necessary for you to deal with different topics differently. The best way out is to take a pragmatic approach.

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