User:Laynaseve/Persuasive writing

The Purpose of Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing is a type of fact-based writing, also known as argumentative writing, or the argument essay. The purpose of persuasive writing is to persuade readers to perform a specific action, or to change or adopt a specific belief. Persuasive writers must make a claim about a topic, and use logic, reason, and evidence to convince readers that the claim is legitimate. Key elements of persuasive writing include: facts, evidence, logical reasoning, relevant examples, and quotes from experts. The effectiveness of a persuasive essay depends on these key elements, as well as the structure and organization of the essay.

The Structure of Persuasive Writing
The effectiveness of a persuasive essay depends on its structure and organization. An effective persuasive essay includes an introduction, well-organized body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Introduction
The introduction to a persuasive essay presents the main argument of the paper. An effective introduction for a persuasive essay should grab the reader's attention, while providing background knowledge about the topic. This will allow the reader to decide whether the paper is worth reading, and the presented ideas are worth considering. Most importantly, the introduction paragraph should clearly state the main argument of the paper. The sentence(s) that clearly state the purpose of the paper is called the thesis statement. The thesis statement of a persuasive essay will present the argument of the paper, while also reflecting the organizational technique that is used to form the argument. In other words, a strong thesis statement should indicate what the argument or claim of the paper is, as well as how the writer will convince the reader that the argument or claim is believable. In sum, a strong persuasive introduction should include:


 * A sentence or sentences to capture the reader's attention
 * Relevant background knowledge about the topic
 * Thesis statement

Body
The body of a persuasive essay consists of the main argument or claim. Each body paragraph should support and contribute to the main argument of the paper, making the argument more convincing. Every body paragraph should consist of a topic sentence, or a sentence that indicates what the paragraph will be about. The topic sentence of each paragraph should strengthen and advance the argument being made. The contents of each body paragraph should consist of support for the topic sentence, or evidence that will strengthen the argument and convince readers that the claim is legitimate. Body paragraphs are what form the argument, so it is important to organize them in a way that makes the argument stronger as the paper progresses.

An important part of the persuasive essay is to address the opposing argument. Being familiar with and refuting the opposing argument by acknowledging weaknesses in its logic will strengthen the argument of the persuasive essay.

Conclusion
The conclusion of a persuasive essay should summarize the main points of the argument and explain how the body of the paper has supported the argument. The conclusion of a persuasive essay should pull together the points from the body paragraphs and should serve as a final statement for the argument being made.