- EXPLORE Coupons Tech Help Pro Random Article About Us Quizzes Contribute Train Your Brain Game Improve Your English Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
- HELP US Support wikiHow Community Dashboard Write an Article Request a New Article More Ideas...
- EDIT Edit this Article
- PRO Courses New Tech Help Pro New Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Coupons Quizzes Upgrade Sign In
- Browse Articles
- Quizzes New
- Train Your Brain New
- Improve Your English New
- Support wikiHow
- About wikiHow
- Easy Ways to Help
- Approve Questions
- Fix Spelling
- More Things to Try...
- H&M Coupons
- Hotwire Promo Codes
- StubHub Discount Codes
- Ashley Furniture Coupons
- Blue Nile Promo Codes
- NordVPN Coupons
- Samsung Promo Codes
- Chewy Promo Codes
- Ulta Coupons
- Vistaprint Promo Codes
- Shutterfly Promo Codes
- DoorDash Promo Codes
- Office Depot Coupons
- adidas Promo Codes
- Home Depot Coupons
- DSW Coupons
- Bed Bath and Beyond Coupons
- Lowe's Coupons
- Surfshark Coupons
- Nordstrom Coupons
- Walmart Promo Codes
- Dick's Sporting Goods Coupons
- Fanatics Coupons
- Edible Arrangements Coupons
- eBay Coupons
- Log in / Sign up
- Education and Communications
- College University and Postgraduate
- Academic Writing
How to Write a Persuasive Essay
Last Updated: February 20, 2023 References Approved
This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article has 45 testimonials from our readers, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 4,248,441 times.
A persuasive essay is an essay used to convince a reader about a particular idea or focus, usually one that you believe in. Your persuasive essay could be based on anything about which you have an opinion or that you can make a clear argument about. Whether you're arguing against junk food at school or petitioning for a raise from your boss, knowing how to write a persuasive essay is an important skill that everyone should have.
Sample Persuasive Essays
How to Lay the Groundwork
- Look for language that gives you a clue as to whether you are writing a purely persuasive or an argumentative essay. For example, if the prompt uses words like “personal experience” or “personal observations,” you know that these things can be used to support your argument.
- On the other hand, words like “defend” or “argue” suggest that you should be writing an argumentative essay, which may require more formal, less personal evidence.
- If you aren’t sure about what you’re supposed to write, ask your instructor.
- Whenever possible, start early. This way, even if you have emergencies like a computer meltdown, you’ve given yourself enough time to complete your essay.
- Try using stasis theory to help you examine the rhetorical situation. This is when you look at the facts, definition (meaning of the issue or the nature of it), quality (the level of seriousness of the issue), and policy (plan of action for the issue).
- To look at the facts, try asking: What happened? What are the known facts? How did this issue begin? What can people do to change the situation?
- To look at the definition, ask: What is the nature of this issue or problem? What type of problem is this? What category or class would this problem fit into best?
- To examine the quality, ask: Who is affected by this problem? How serious is it? What might happen if it is not resolved?
- To examine the policy, ask: Should someone take action? Who should do something and what should they do?
- For example, if you are arguing against unhealthy school lunches, you might take very different approaches depending on whom you want to convince. You might target the school administrators, in which case you could make a case about student productivity and healthy food. If you targeted students’ parents, you might make a case about their children’s health and the potential costs of healthcare to treat conditions caused by unhealthy food. And if you were to consider a “grassroots” movement among your fellow students, you’d probably make appeals based on personal preferences.
- It also should present the organization of your essay. Don’t list your points in one order and then discuss them in a different order.
- For example, a thesis statement could look like this: “Although pre-prepared and highly processed foods are cheap, they aren’t good for students. It is important for schools to provide fresh, healthy meals to students, even when they cost more. Healthy school lunches can make a huge difference in students’ lives, and not offering healthy lunches fails students.”
- Note that this thesis statement isn’t a three-prong thesis. You don’t have to state every sub-point you will make in your thesis (unless your prompt or assignment says to). You do need to convey exactly what you will argue.
- A mind map could be helpful. Start with your central topic and draw a box around it. Then, arrange other ideas you think of in smaller bubbles around it. Connect the bubbles to reveal patterns and identify how ideas relate. [6] X Research source
- Don’t worry about having fully fleshed-out ideas at this stage. Generating ideas is the most important step here.
- For example, if you’re arguing for healthier school lunches, you could make a point that fresh, natural food tastes better. This is a personal opinion and doesn’t need research to support it. However, if you wanted to argue that fresh food has more vitamins and nutrients than processed food, you’d need a reliable source to support that claim.
- If you have a librarian available, consult with him or her! Librarians are an excellent resource to help guide you to credible research.
How to Draft Your Essay
- An introduction. You should present a “hook” here that grabs your audience’s attention. You should also provide your thesis statement, which is a clear statement of what you will argue or attempt to convince the reader of.
- Body paragraphs. In 5-paragraph essays, you’ll have 3 body paragraphs. In other essays, you can have as many paragraphs as you need to make your argument. Regardless of their number, each body paragraph needs to focus on one main idea and provide evidence to support it. These paragraphs are also where you refute any counterpoints that you’ve discovered.
- Conclusion. Your conclusion is where you tie it all together. It can include an appeal to emotions, reiterate the most compelling evidence, or expand the relevance of your initial idea to a broader context. Because your purpose is to persuade your readers to do/think something, end with a call to action. Connect your focused topic to the broader world.
- For example, you could start an essay on the necessity of pursuing alternative energy sources like this: “Imagine a world without polar bears.” This is a vivid statement that draws on something that many readers are familiar with and enjoy (polar bears). It also encourages the reader to continue reading to learn why they should imagine this world.
- You may find that you don’t immediately have a hook. Don’t get stuck on this step! You can always press on and come back to it after you’ve drafted your essay.
- Put your hook first. Then, proceed to move from general ideas to specific ideas until you have built up to your thesis statement.
- Don't slack on your thesis statement . Your thesis statement is a short summary of what you're arguing for. It's usually one sentence, and it's near the end of your introductory paragraph. Make your thesis a combination of your most persuasive arguments, or a single powerful argument, for the best effect.
- Start with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main point of your paragraph.
- Make your evidence clear and precise. For example, don't just say: "Dolphins are very smart animals. They are widely recognized as being incredibly smart." Instead, say: "Dolphins are very smart animals. Multiple studies found that dolphins worked in tandem with humans to catch prey. Very few, if any, species have developed mutually symbiotic relationships with humans."
- "The South, which accounts for 80% of all executions in the United States, still has the country's highest murder rate. This makes a case against the death penalty working as a deterrent."
- "Additionally, states without the death penalty have fewer murders. If the death penalty were indeed a deterrent, why wouldn't we see an increase in murders in states without the death penalty?"
- Consider how your body paragraphs flow together. You want to make sure that your argument feels like it's building, one point upon another, rather than feeling scattered.
- End of the first paragraph: "If the death penalty consistently fails to deter crime, and crime is at an all-time high, what happens when someone is wrongfully convicted?"
- Beginning of the second paragraph: "Over 100 wrongfully convicted death row inmates have been acquitted of their crimes, some just minutes before their would-be death."
- Example: "Critics of a policy allowing students to bring snacks into the classroom say that it would create too much distraction, reducing students’ ability to learn. However, consider the fact that middle schoolers are growing at an incredible rate. Their bodies need energy, and their minds may become fatigued if they go for long periods without eating. Allowing snacks in the classroom will actually increase students’ ability to focus by taking away the distraction of hunger.”
- You may even find it effective to begin your paragraph with the counterargument, then follow by refuting it and offering your own argument.
- How could this argument be applied to a broader context?
- Why does this argument or opinion mean something to me?
- What further questions has my argument raised?
- What action could readers take after reading my essay?
How to Write Persuasively
- Persuasive essays, like argumentative essays, use rhetorical devices to persuade their readers. In persuasive essays, you generally have more freedom to make appeals to emotion (pathos), in addition to logic and data (logos) and credibility (ethos). [15] X Trustworthy Source Read Write Think Online collection of reading and writing resources for teachers and students. Go to source
- You should use multiple types of evidence carefully when writing a persuasive essay. Logical appeals such as presenting data, facts, and other types of “hard” evidence are often very convincing to readers.
- Persuasive essays generally have very clear thesis statements that make your opinion or chosen “side” known upfront. This helps your reader know exactly what you are arguing. [16] X Research source
- Bad: The United States was not an educated nation, since education was considered the right of the wealthy, and so in the early 1800s Horace Mann decided to try and rectify the situation.
- For example, you could tell an anecdote about a family torn apart by the current situation in Syria to incorporate pathos, make use of logic to argue for allowing Syrian refugees as your logos, and then provide reputable sources to back up your quotes for ethos.
- Example: Time and time again, the statistics don't lie -- we need to open our doors to help refugees.
- Example: "Let us not forget the words etched on our grandest national monument, the Statue of Liberty, which asks that we "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” There is no reason why Syrians are not included in this.
- Example: "Over 100 million refugees have been displaced. President Assad has not only stolen power, he's gassed and bombed his own citizens. He has defied the Geneva Conventions, long held as a standard of decency and basic human rights, and his people have no choice but to flee."
- Good: "Time and time again, science has shown that arctic drilling is dangerous. It is not worth the risks environmentally or economically."
- Good: "Without pushing ourselves to energy independence, in the arctic and elsewhere, we open ourselves up to the dangerous dependency that spiked gas prices in the 80's."
- Bad: "Arctic drilling may not be perfect, but it will probably help us stop using foreign oil at some point. This, I imagine, will be a good thing."
- Good: Does anyone think that ruining someone’s semester, or, at least, the chance to go abroad, should be the result of a victimless crime? Is it fair that we actively promote drinking as a legitimate alternative through Campus Socials and a lack of consequences? How long can we use the excuse that “just because it’s safer than alcohol doesn’t mean we should make it legal,” disregarding the fact that the worst effects of the drug are not physical or chemical, but institutional?
- Good: We all want less crime, stronger families, and fewer dangerous confrontations over drugs. We need to ask ourselves, however, if we're willing to challenge the status quo to get those results.
- Bad: This policy makes us look stupid. It is not based in fact, and the people that believe it are delusional at best, and villains at worst.
- Good: While people do have accidents with guns in their homes, it is not the government’s responsibility to police people from themselves. If they're going to hurt themselves, that is their right.
- Bad: The only obvious solution is to ban guns. There is no other argument that matters.
How to Polish Your Essay
- Does the essay state its position clearly?
- Is this position supported throughout with evidence and examples?
- Are paragraphs bogged down by extraneous information? Do paragraphs focus on one main idea?
- Are any counterarguments presented fairly, without misrepresentation? Are they convincingly dismissed?
- Are the paragraphs in an order that flows logically and builds an argument step-by-step?
- Does the conclusion convey the importance of the position and urge the reader to do/think something?
- You may find it helpful to ask a trusted friend or classmate to look at your essay. If s/he has trouble understanding your argument or finds things unclear, focus your revision on those spots.
- You may find it helpful to print out your draft and mark it up with a pen or pencil. When you write on the computer, your eyes may become so used to reading what you think you’ve written that they skip over errors. Working with a physical copy forces you to pay attention in a new way.
- Make sure to also format your essay correctly. For example, many instructors stipulate the margin width and font type you should use.
Expert Q&A Did you know you can get premium answers for this article? Unlock premium answers by supporting wikiHow
Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.
You Might Also Like
- ↑ https://www.grammarly.com/blog/how-to-write-a-persuasive-essay/
- ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/persuasive-essays
- ↑ https://tutoring.asu.edu/sites/default/files/Persuasive%20Essay%20Structure.pdf
- ↑ https://www.hamilton.edu/writing/writing-resources/persuasive-essays
- ↑ https://www.adelaide.edu.au/writingcentre/sites/default/files/docs/learningguide-mindmapping.pdf
- ↑ https://examples.yourdictionary.com/20-compelling-hook-examples-for-essays.html
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/transitions/
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/common_writing_assignments/argument_papers/rebuttal_sections.html
- ↑ http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson56/strategy-definition.pdf
- ↑ https://stlcc.edu/student-support/academic-success-and-tutoring/writing-center/writing-resources/pathos-logos-and-ethos.aspx
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/editing-and-proofreading/
- ↑ https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/revising-drafts/
- ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/general_writing/the_writing_process/proofreading/proofreading_suggestions.html
About This Article
To write a persuasive essay, start with an attention-grabbing introduction that introduces your thesis statement or main argument. Then, break the body of your essay up into multiple paragraphs and focus on one main idea in each paragraph. Make sure you present evidence in each paragraph that supports the main idea so your essay is more persuasive. Finally, conclude your essay by restating the most compelling, important evidence so you can make your case one last time. To learn how to make your writing more persuasive, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No
- Send fan mail to authors
Reader Success Stories
Joslyn Graham
Nov 4, 2017
Did this article help you?
Jul 28, 2017
Sep 18, 2017
Jefferson Kenely
Jan 22, 2018
Chloe Myers
Jun 3, 2017
Featured Articles
Trending Articles
Watch Articles
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
- Do Not Sell or Share My Info
- Not Selling Info
wikiHow Tech Help Pro:
Level up your tech skills and stay ahead of the curve
How to Convince Anybody with Your Persuasive Essay
There are plenty of conspiracy theories circling around the net – aliens in Area 51, or that the Queen is a lizard. Now that’s all wacky and fun, but let’s be honest – the videos can be pretty convincing. This is because the people making these videos use special techniques to mess with evidence and convince you that their ridiculous ideas are valid. In a nutshell this is the goal of persuasive writing.
This article will be your guide on how to write a persuasive essay. We will discuss topics and create an outline and arguments for persuading readers. Be sure to stick around for persuasive essay examples near the end, which you can download and use for your reference from our custom writing service .
What Is a Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing is a common writing technique taught to students early on in schools. This is an interesting and fun type of writing that strives to create a debate on a given topic. This writing technique challenges students to take a clear stance on a specific topic or cause and use convincing arguments to persuade readers that the author’s position is correct.
Feeling Overwhelmed Writing a Persuasive Essay on Your Own?
Simply send us your paper requirements, choose a writer and we’ll get it done fast.
Now, what is a persuasive essay itself? According to the persuasive essay definition, it is a form of academic writing task, often assigned to students at schools, colleges, and universities; the main purpose of which being to persuade readers that a specific point of view is correct.
When forming a persuasive essay, students are required to conduct thorough research on the given topic, analyze it, and take a solid argumentative position. Then, with the help of logical arguments and convincing words, a student is expected to dispel biases and assure readers that there are no other correct points of view other than the author’s.
Why Is Persuasive Writing Important?
The main reason persuasive papers are a common assignment in schools and colleges is that they help keep students engaged and more involved in their class work. Additionally, writing this type of assignment helps develop a variety of essential skills, including: research, critical thinking, the ability to form evidence-based conclusions, etc.
Argumentative vs Persuasive Essay
A persuasive essay is often referred to as an argumentative essay. This can create an illusion that these types of works are the same and can cause confusion. However, there is a difference between argumentative and persuasive writing approaches.
Although both writing techniques have the same goal – both papers are based on logic and reasoning to persuade readers of something; however, a persuasive paper also relies on emotions apart from straight facts. When writing a persuasive essay, you operate with convincing arguments, yet, at the same time, you deal with emotions to make the reader feel your well-defined point of view.
You might also be interested in discovering what is process essay and how to write one.
Persuasive Essay Format
The basic requirements for a persuasive paper are as follows:
- Fonts: Times New Roman or another easy-to-read fonts like Georgia or Arial
- Font Size: 16pt for the headline(s) and 12pt for the rest of the text
- Alignment: justified
- Spacing: double, or in some cases 1.5
- Word count: as a rule, from 500 to 2000 words—check your teacher’s guidelines to learn what word count applies to you
The List of Topics and How to Pick One
When thinking of persuasive essay ideas, it is best to choose a topic with many contrasting opinions. Broad issues such as gun control and abortion rights can spawn novel length essays. These best be avoided unless you’re writing a dissertation.
Say you want to argue in favor of space exploration. It perfectly fits the description of a widely explored contemporary subject. Creating a structure where every body paragraph explores a different planet might be a bit too much. Why not narrow it down and argue in favor of building a base on the moon? This way, you can convince the audience of the benefits of creating a moon base, and giving them a small idea of what can be achieved from space exploration on a larger scale.
Hence, you have persuaded your reader on a small topic connected to a much broader one. This will leave them inspired with plenty of thoughts to feast on, allowing them to dive further into the world of space.
Remember This When Picking a Topic
Persuasive essays are all about the point of view. It is essential to find good topics which you know something about, or topics which you can argue in favor of, or against. The greatest persuasive essays ever written deal with real-life experiences and point the reader towards important social problems most people have ignored. Take Martin Luther King Jr.’s A Letter from Birmingham Jail or Hillary Clinton’s Women’s Rights are Human Rights for example.
Topics for High School
Perhaps the concept of space exploration is long and tedious and makes your stomach turn. Don’t worry — you can come up with plenty of simple persuasive essay topics for high school. Perhaps you have already debated on some of these with your friends:
- Schools should restrict the use of tablets in the classroom, as it distracts students and causes difficulty in learning.
- The Velvet Underground is the most important and influential American rock band of all time.
- Explain why advertisements should be banned from social media.
- Eating meat should be banned within the next five years due to growing concern over the environment.
- Historically, businessmen in positions of power is a bad idea.
Topics for College
Persuasive essay topics for college get a bit more complicated. The best essay topics are ones that take into account the events of contemporary life, discussing moral, ethical, technological, and environmental issues. Students have the opportunity to make a serious impact with their writing, fearlessly breathing new life into the old world. For college, it is best to choose controversial persuasive essay topics. They challenge the writer to engage in relevant intellectual issues. Here are some examples:
- Media marketed for teenagers advertise morally and ethically wrong messages.
- Federal courtrooms must have live cameras that televise all trials.
- Beauty contests should not be encouraged.
- With the amounts of information available online, college education should be made significantly cheaper.
- Create a prisoner rehabilitation system using music and art.
- Arguing in favor of Net Neutrality.
Don’t Have Time to Finish Reading all of this?
Have our writers draft your outline for you.
Persuasive Essay Outline
Writing an outline is a big step for writing persuasive essays. An outline helps to get your thoughts well-organized and makes the writing process simpler.
A standard persuasive essay structure is quite similar to other types of essays and consists of three main elements: an introduction, body, and conclusion. Each element plays its own role in the paper. You will be required to follow the persuasive essay format and cite it according to one of the common citation styles, such as APA or MLA.
Here is a brief note on what each part of this paper consists of and what purpose each part has:
- Intro: Consists of a hook, background info, and a thesis statement. It should be straight to the point, engaging, and concise. The main purpose of the introductory paragraph is to define your topic and position, grab the reader’s attention, and give a sneak-peek into the topic’s background.
- Main Body: Consists of several paragraphs, each focusing on a separate idea with supporting evidence. It should be logical, contain valid arguments, and be interesting. As a general rule, such an essay has from 3 to 5 body paragraphs. In the final body paragraph of your paper, you can also state the opposing opinion and provide counterarguments—this will strengthen the persuasive effect of the text.
- Conclusion: Consists of a short summary of key points, a restated thesis, and additional information to leave readers some food for thought. To consolidate the convincing effect of your paper, it should be clear, logical, and powerful.
To give you a better idea of how a persuasive essay outline should be formed, here is a sample on the topic “Are Women Weaker Than Men Today”:
1. Introduction
- Hook: “In the 21st century, women are more than housewives.”
- Background Info: “For ages, the debate on whether women are weaker or stronger than men have not faded.”
- Thesis: “The era of male dominance has come to an end. Today women can do and be pretty much everything men can.”
2. Main Body
- Argument #1: The strength of a woman from a family perspective + supporting facts, stats, and evidence
- Argument #2: The strength from a work perspective + supporting facts, stats, and evidence
- Argument #3: The strength from a society perspective + supporting facts, stats, and evidence
3. Conclusion
- Summary of all arguments
- Thesis restatement: “Women were perceived as a weaker sex for centuries. However today, looking at modern women examples, we can mark this statement as false.”
- Food for thought: “Over the past decades, women from all over the world have proven that they can do anything a man can do and succeed. Their success is the best indicator of their strength. And, even though there is nothing else to prove, women are still seeking to take a more active role in modern society.”
How to Use Arguments in Persuasive Essays
How to start a persuasive essay: first and foremost, to write an effective paper, you have to understand the basic principles of persuasive writing. Your main goal is to make readers accept your opinion and agree with it. The only way to do it is by supporting your ideas with credible, reasonable, and verifiable arguments. Apart from that, you will have to appeal to human emotions and logic. The right blend of rational and emotional elements in your text is what makes it persuasive.
Now, let’s get back to the basic elements of persuasive writing. There are three elements of rhetoric described by Aristotle that you should keep at the core of your writing:
- Ethos: an element that appeals to an author’s credibility. It implies that readers will trust your opinion because they find you a credible author. If you don’t have your own ethos yet (meaning you are not a proven expert in a specific field), you can refer to opinions stated by credible organizations and personas. In this case, their ethos will help your arguments sound more solid.
Example: The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America has conducted a study which has shown that women are able to survive for longer than men under extreme conditions such as epidemics, famines, enslavement, etc.
- Pathos: an element that appeals to emotions. The trick is to focus on the audience’s values, morals, and beliefs, and use them to: provoke the needed emotions and promote an agreement with the idea you have stated.
Example: This is a man’s world, but where would we all be without a woman? A woman is a person that gives birth to us, a person who guides each of us through this world, and a person who inspires and motivates us. How can such a person be called weak?
- Logos: an element that appeals to reasoning. The last basic principle of persuasive writing, Logos implies using evidence and logic to assure readers to agree with your opinion.
Example: Numerous studies have confirmed that women are mentally stronger than men in numerous domains of cognition.
How to Shape a Powerful Persuasive Argument
Here are a few basic tips to help you generate convincing arguments for your paper:
- Research. To be able to form solid and convincing points, you have to be very well informed about the chosen topic. Research it thoroughly using trusted sources, collect expert opinions, and find facts.
- Make sure there are two sides to your topic. Your thesis must have two sides – the one with which you agree, and the one you are going to be opposing. You will not be able to create a good persuasive argument if the chosen topic is not debatable.
- Understand the contrasting opinion. Another vital factor in shaping powerful arguments is being able to understand the opposite position and being able to find solid counterarguments to disprove it.
- Use evidence. Finally, keep in mind that a persuasive argument will look incomplete and invalid if you don’t have sufficient and convincing evidence to support it.
How to Support Your Argument
As you now already know how to shape a good argument, let’s look at the different ways to support it:
1. Statistics – an excellent way to support your ideas is to use all sorts of statistics. As a rule, stats look very convincing in the general context. However, be sure to only provide valid statistics from credible sources.
Example: Today women represent 18% of the officer corps and about 16% of the enlisted military forces in the US, which once more reinforces that women have the ability to do anything men can.
2. Facts – proven facts are powerful means of persuasion for which you can rely on in your paper.
Example: According to studies, when it comes to longevity, women are more likely to survive illness and cope with trauma.
3. Examples – providing examples from real life (including your own experiences), literature, or history can help enhance the effect of your persuasive paper and provide good support for your arguments.
Example: Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, is a true real-life example of a woman’s strength. Merkel had the strength to enter the world of politics and compete against men. She has proven to the entire world that a woman can be a good politician. It is not without reason that she has held the first spot in Forbes’ list of the most powerful women of the world for 9 years in a row.
4. Quotes – another excellent way to support your ideas is to provide direct quotes that reflect the opinions of trusted and credible personas.
Example: “To call woman the weaker sex is a libel; it is man's injustice to woman. If by strength, brute strength is meant, then indeed, a woman is less brute than man. If by strength, moral power is meant, then woman is immeasurably man's superior. Has she not greater intuition, is she not more self-sacrificing, has she not greater powers of endurance, has she not greater courage? Without her, man could not be. If nonviolence is the law of our being, the future is with woman. Who can make a more effective appeal to the heart than woman?" - Mahatma Gandhi
How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Step-by-Step
Once assigned to write a persuasive paper, many students make the mistake of heading straight to writing the essay, whereas there are some preparational steps that shouldn’t be skipped.
Here is a complete step-by-step guide that will help you navigate through the whole process:
To get started, you need to define a clear position. To decide which side you are going to support, look at both sides of the topic and determine which one is more appealing to you and your personal beliefs. Also, don’t forget to do some research to ensure you will have enough evidence to back your ideas.
Once you have defined your position, you can go on and dig deeper into your topic. You need to be well-informed on the matter in order to shape clear arguments.
When conducting your research, be careful with choosing your sources – they have to be valid and trustworthy. Also, don’t forget to take notes of the most interesting facts, stats, examples, and quotes. Later they will come in handy to back your arguments.
In the course of the research, you will probably come across a wide variety of proofs. Unfortunately, there is no way you can fit them all into a single paper. That’s why your next step is to assess the collected evidence and identify the strongest facts that will add the most value to your work.
Use the tips and examples mentioned earlier to form a detailed and clear outline for your paper. An outline will help you cover all of the important details and make sure that you won’t get lost in the process of writing.
As soon as you have an outline, you can move on to writing the essay itself. Before you rush into it, consider looking through a few good persuasive writing examples to get an idea of how it should look like. Then, start working on your own paper.
Be sure to follow the outline while writing. It will help you keep all of your points well organized and logical.
Finally, the last steps to success are proofreading and editing. We recommend giving yourself a few days off after writing to restore your energy and get back to proofreading with a rested and fresh mind.
Keep in mind that proofreading and editing are not just about detecting and fixing grammar mistakes. During this phase, you ought to find any and all areas for improvement in your paper and polish them.
Tips for Persuasive Writing
With all that being said, here are some final tips for writing a flawless persuasive essay:
- Avoid fancy vocabulary. Having some variety when it comes to vocabulary is fine, but don’t expect your grade to be better because of some fancy synonyms. Find your style and write in a way that makes sense.
- Make logical transitions between different parts of your paper. Be sure to make your paper smooth and easy-to-read.
- Experiment with different persuasion techniques. We listed some of the basic elements of persuasive writing in this article, but there are even more of them found in countless different mediums.
- Triple-check your work! Practice makes perfect and so does proofreading. Check the assignment for readability, logic, style, tone of voice, etc. Make sure that everything flows in harmony with the thesis. Get a second pair of eyes by giving your essay to a friend for reading!
- Ask the right questions. After you have written and proofread your paper, take some time to ask yourself the following questions:
- Did I follow the teacher’s guidelines?
- Did I answer the main question provided in the task (if any)?
- Is my essay structured well?
- Is the text clear and coherent?
- Is my choice of words throughout the paper good?
- Did I provide enough supporting evidence for my ideas?
- Is my paper free of errors?
- Can I further improve the quality of my paper?
- Does it look convincing?
This simple checklist will help you ensure that your persuasive essay is flawless. If you are overwhelmed with the tasks, feel free to contact us 24/7. Just leave us a message ' write my paper '
Persuasive Essay Examples
Check out our persuasive essay examples below to get a better understanding with writing this type of paper.
This is an example of a well structured persuasive essay from our economic essay writing service. The author challenges an assumption that women are weaker than men and provides evidence to support his claim.
The question of whether women are weaker than men has often elicited raging debates with conservationists arguing that women are certainly weaker than men. The converse is, however, true and if the 21st-century woman is to be taken as an example, women are certainly as strong as men if not stronger across all comparable platforms. The era of male dominance came to an end with the rise of the feminine power and gone are the days when men were the more dominant of the human species. As the saying goes, “what men can do, women can do better," the women of today can do almost everything men can do and as just as good.
This persuasive essay example from our essay service makes good use of source material and addresses a contemporary issue. The writer challenges the idea of online piracy, and argues that sharing media has become a norm in society.
The United States’ government came up with the Copyright Act of 1976 to protect the works of arts by different artists. The act outlines the punishable felonies concerning authenticity; for instance, it is a punishable offense to illegally download music from the internet. In addition, it sets the specific fines for the committing such crimes; for example, it says that one could pay a fine of up to $ 30,000, per piece of work (Burrell & Coleman, n.d.). Therefore, though downloading songs, freely, from the internet could sound normal, it is a felony. However, there exist some questions on, whether, or not this act is worth the penalties. For this reason, a critical analysis of the transgression will determine, whether, or not it merits for the charges.
See also our informative essay examples , perhaps they will be useful to you.
Need Further Assistance?
Essaypro is a reliable essay writers that knows how to help you boost your grades. We have the skill and experience needed to create top-notch persuasive essays just for you. Therefore, if you need any further help to cope with your academic assignment(s) on time, don’t hesitate contact us to buy essay paper .
Related Articles
100 Persuasive Essay Topics
- M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
- B.A., History, Armstrong State University
Persuasive essays are a bit like argument essays and persuasive speeches , but they tend to be a little kinder and gentler. Argument essays require you to discuss and to attack an alternate view, while persuasive essays are attempts to convince the reader that you have a believable argument. In other words, you are an advocate, not an adversary.
A Persuasive Essay Has 3 Components
- Introduction : This is the opening paragraph of your essay. It contains the hook, which is used to grab the reader's attention, and the thesis, or argument, which you'll explain in the next section.
- Body : This is the heart of your essay, usually three to five paragraphs in length. Each paragraph examines one theme or issue used to support your thesis.
- Conclusion : This is the final paragraph of your essay. In it, you'll sum up the main points of the body and connect them to your thesis. Persuasive essays often use the conclusion as a last appeal to the audience.
Learning how to write a persuasive essay is an essential skill that people use every day in fields from business to law to media and entertainment. English students can begin writing a persuasive essay at any skill level. You're sure to find a sample topic or two from the list of 100 persuasive essays below, sorted by degree of difficulty.
Watch Now: 12 Ideas for Great Persuasive Essay Topics
- Kids should get paid for good grades.
- Students should have less homework.
- Snow days are great for family time.
- Penmanship is important.
- Short hair is better than long hair.
- We should all grow our own vegetables.
- We need more holidays.
- Aliens probably exist.
- Gym class is more important than music class.
- Kids should be able to vote.
- Kids should get paid for extra activities like sports.
- School should take place in the evenings.
- Country life is better than city life.
- City life is better than country life.
- We can change the world.
- Skateboard helmets should be mandatory.
- We should provide food for the poor.
- Children should be paid for doing chores.
- We should populate the moon .
- Dogs make better pets than cats.
Intermediate
- The government should impose household trash limits.
- Nuclear weapons are an effective deterrent against foreign attack.
- Teens should be required to take parenting classes.
- We should teach etiquette in schools.
- School uniform laws are unconstitutional.
- All students should wear uniforms.
- Too much money is a bad thing.
- High schools should offer specialized degrees in arts or sciences.
- Magazine advertisements send unhealthy signals to young women.
- Robocalling should be outlawed.
- Age 12 is too young to babysit.
- Children should be required to read more.
- All students should be given the opportunity to study abroad.
- Yearly driving tests should be mandatory past age 65.
- Cell phones should never be used while driving.
- All schools should implement bullying awareness programs.
- Bullies should be kicked out of school.
- Parents of bullies should have to pay a fine.
- The school year should be longer.
- School days should start later.
- Teens should be able to choose their bedtime.
- There should be a mandatory entrance exam for high school.
- Public transit should be privatized.
- We should allow pets in school.
- The voting age should be lowered to 16.
- Beauty contests are bad for body image.
- Every American should learn to speak Spanish.
- Every immigrant should learn to speak English.
- Video games can be educational.
- College athletes should be paid for their services.
- We need a military draft .
- Professional sports should eliminate cheerleaders.
- Teens should be able to start driving at 14 instead of 16.
- Year-round school is a bad idea.
- High school campuses should be guarded by police officers.
- The legal drinking age should be lowered to 19.
- Kids under 15 shouldn't have Facebook pages.
- Standardized testing should be eliminated.
- Teachers should be paid more.
- There should be one world currency.
- Domestic surveillance without a warrant should be legal.
- Letter grades should be replaced with a pass or fail.
- Every family should have a natural disaster survival plan.
- Parents should talk to kids about drugs at a young age.
- Racial slurs should be illegal.
- Gun ownership should be tightly regulated.
- Puerto Rico should be granted statehood.
- People should go to jail when they abandon their pets.
- Free speech should have limitations.
- Members of Congress should be subject to term limits.
- Recycling should be mandatory for everyone.
- High-speed internet access should be regulated like a public utility.
- Yearly driving tests should be mandatory for the first five years after getting a license.
- Recreational marijuana should be made legal nationwide.
- Legal marijuana should be taxed and regulated like tobacco or alcohol.
- Child support dodgers should go to jail.
- Students should be allowed to pray in school.
- All Americans have a constitutional right to health care.
- Internet access should be free for everyone.
- Social Security should be privatized.
- Pregnant couples should receive parenting lessons.
- We shouldn't use products made from animals.
- Celebrities should have more privacy rights.
- Professional football is too violent and should be banned.
- We need better sex education in schools.
- School testing is not effective.
- The United States should build a border wall with Mexico and with Canada.
- Life is better than it was 50 years ago.
- Eating meat is unethical.
- A vegan diet is the only diet people should follow.
- Medical testing on animals should be illegal.
- The Electoral College is outdated.
- Medical testing on animals is necessary.
- Public safety is more important than an individual's right to privacy.
- Single-sex colleges provide a better education.
- Books should never be banned.
- Violent video games can cause people to act violently in real life.
- Freedom of religion has limitations.
- Nuclear power should be illegal.
- Climate change should be the president's primary political concern.
- Arizona State University Writing Center staff. " Persuasive Essay Structure ." ASU.edu, June 2012.
- Collins, Jen, and Polak, Adam. " Persuasive Essays ." Hamilton.edu.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(webp)/list-of-persuasive-speech-topics-for-students-1857600-v5-01-5b4774d646e0fb003701911e.png "persuasive essay")
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Choose Your Test
Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 perfect persuasive essay topics for any assignment.
General Education
Do you need to write a persuasive essay but aren’t sure what topic to focus on? Were you thrilled when your teacher said you could write about whatever you wanted but are now overwhelmed by the possibilities? We’re here to help!
Read on for a list of 113 top-notch persuasive essay topics, organized into ten categories. To help get you started, we also discuss what a persuasive essay is, how to choose a great topic, and what tips to keep in mind as you write your persuasive essay.
What Is a Persuasive Essay?
In a persuasive essay, you attempt to convince readers to agree with your point of view on an argument. For example, an essay analyzing changes in Italian art during the Renaissance wouldn’t be a persuasive essay, because there’s no argument, but an essay where you argue that Italian art reached its peak during the Renaissance would be a persuasive essay because you’re trying to get your audience to agree with your viewpoint.
Persuasive and argumentative essays both try to convince readers to agree with the author, but the two essay types have key differences. Argumentative essays show a more balanced view of the issue and discuss both sides. Persuasive essays focus more heavily on the side the author agrees with. They also often include more of the author’s opinion than argumentative essays, which tend to use only facts and data to support their argument.
All persuasive essays have the following:
- Introduction: Introduces the topic, explains why it’s important, and ends with the thesis.
- Thesis: A sentence that sums up what the essay be discussing and what your stance on the issue is.
- Reasons you believe your side of the argument: Why do you support the side you do? Typically each main point will have its own body paragraph.
- Evidence supporting your argument: Facts or examples to back up your main points. Even though your opinion is allowed in persuasive essays more than most other essays, having concrete examples will make a stronger argument than relying on your opinion alone.
- Conclusion: Restatement of thesis, summary of main points, and a recap of why the issue is important.
What Makes a Good Persuasive Essay Topic?
Theoretically, you could write a persuasive essay about any subject under the sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Certain topics are easier to write a strong persuasive essay on, and below are tips to follow when deciding what you should write about.
It’s a Topic You Care About
Obviously, it’s possible to write an essay about a topic you find completely boring. You’ve probably done it! However, if possible, it’s always better to choose a topic that you care about and are interested in. When this is the case, you’ll find doing the research more enjoyable, writing the essay easier, and your writing will likely be better because you’ll be more passionate about and informed on the topic.
You Have Enough Evidence to Support Your Argument
Just being passionate about a subject isn’t enough to make it a good persuasive essay topic, though. You need to make sure your argument is complex enough to have at least two potential sides to root for, and you need to be able to back up your side with evidence and examples. Even though persuasive essays allow your opinion to feature more than many other essays, you still need concrete evidence to back up your claims, or you’ll end up with a weak essay.
For example, you may passionately believe that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream flavor (I agree!), but could you really write an entire essay on this? What would be your reasons for believing mint chocolate chip is the best (besides the fact that it’s delicious)? How would you support your belief? Have enough studies been done on preferred ice cream flavors to support an entire essay? When choosing a persuasive essay idea, you want to find the right balance between something you care about (so you can write well on it) and something the rest of the world cares about (so you can reference evidence to strengthen your position).
It’s a Manageable Topic
Bigger isn’t always better, especially with essay topics. While it may seem like a great idea to choose a huge, complex topic to write about, you’ll likely struggle to sift through all the information and different sides of the issue and winnow them down to one streamlined essay. For example, choosing to write an essay about how WWII impacted American life more than WWI wouldn’t be a great idea because you’d need to analyze all the impacts of both the wars in numerous areas of American life. It’d be a huge undertaking. A better idea would be to choose one impact on American life the wars had (such as changes in female employment) and focus on that. Doing so will make researching and writing your persuasive essay much more feasible.
List of 113 Good Persuasive Essay Topics
Below are over 100 persuasive essay ideas, organized into ten categories. When you find an idea that piques your interest, you’ll choose one side of it to argue for in your essay. For example, if you choose the topic, “should fracking be legal?” you’d decide whether you believe fracking should be legal or illegal, then you’d write an essay arguing all the reasons why your audience should agree with you.
Arts/Culture
- Should students be required to learn an instrument in school?
- Did the end of Game of Thrones fit with the rest of the series?
- Can music be an effective way to treat mental illness?
- With e-readers so popular, have libraries become obsolete?
- Are the Harry Potter books more popular than they deserve to be?
- Should music with offensive language come with a warning label?
- What’s the best way for museums to get more people to visit?
- Should students be able to substitute an art or music class for a PE class in school?
- Are the Kardashians good or bad role models for young people?
- Should people in higher income brackets pay more taxes?
- Should all high school students be required to take a class on financial literacy?
- Is it possible to achieve the American dream, or is it only a myth?
- Is it better to spend a summer as an unpaid intern at a prestigious company or as a paid worker at a local store/restaurant?
- Should the United States impose more or fewer tariffs?
- Should college graduates have their student loans forgiven?
- Should restaurants eliminate tipping and raise staff wages instead?
- Should students learn cursive writing in school?
- Which is more important: PE class or music class?
- Is it better to have year-round school with shorter breaks throughout the year?
- Should class rank be abolished in schools?
- Should students be taught sex education in school?
- Should students be able to attend public universities for free?
- What’s the most effective way to change the behavior of school bullies?
- Are the SAT and ACT accurate ways to measure intelligence?
- Should students be able to learn sign language instead of a foreign language?
- Do the benefits of Greek life at colleges outweigh the negatives?
- Does doing homework actually help students learn more?
- Why do students in many other countries score higher than American students on math exams?
- Should parents/teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?
- What’s the best way to reduce cheating in school?
- Should colleges take a student’s race into account when making admissions decisions?
- Should there be limits to free speech?
- Should students be required to perform community service to graduate high school?
- Should convicted felons who have completed their sentence be allowed to vote?
- Should gun ownership be more tightly regulated?
- Should recycling be made mandatory?
- Should employers be required to offer paid leave to new parents?
- Are there any circumstances where torture should be allowed?
- Should children under the age of 18 be able to get plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons?
- Should white supremacy groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
- Does making abortion illegal make women more or less safe?
- Does foreign aid actually help developing countries?
- Are there times a person’s freedom of speech should be curtailed?
- Should people over a certain age not be allowed to adopt children?
Government/Politics
- Should the minimum voting age be raised/lowered/kept the same?
- Should Puerto Rico be granted statehood?
- Should the United States build a border wall with Mexico?
- Who should be the next person printed on American banknotes?
- Should the United States’ military budget be reduced?
- Did China’s one child policy have overall positive or negative impacts on the country?
- Should DREAMers be granted US citizenship?
- Is national security more important than individual privacy?
- What responsibility does the government have to help homeless people?
- Should the electoral college be abolished?
- Should the US increase or decrease the number of refugees it allows in each year?
- Should privately-run prisons be abolished?
- Who was the most/least effective US president?
- Will Brexit end up helping or harming the UK?
- What’s the best way to reduce the spread of Ebola?
- Is the Keto diet a safe and effective way to lose weight?
- Should the FDA regulate vitamins and supplements more strictly?
- Should public schools require all students who attend to be vaccinated?
- Is eating genetically modified food safe?
- What’s the best way to make health insurance more affordable?
- What’s the best way to lower the teen pregnancy rate?
- Should recreational marijuana be legalized nationwide?
- Should birth control pills be available without a prescription?
- Should pregnant women be forbidden from buying cigarettes and alcohol?
- Why has anxiety increased in adolescents?
- Are low-carb or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
- What caused the destruction of the USS Maine?
- Was King Arthur a mythical legend or actual Dark Ages king?
- Was the US justified in dropping atomic bombs during WWII?
- What was the primary cause of the Rwandan genocide?
- What happened to the settlers of the Roanoke colony?
- Was disagreement over slavery the primary cause of the US Civil War?
- What has caused the numerous disappearances in the Bermuda triangle?
- Should nuclear power be banned?
- Is scientific testing on animals necessary?
- Do zoos help or harm animals?
- Should scientists be allowed to clone humans?
- Should animals in circuses be banned?
- Should fracking be legal?
- Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
- What’s the best way to reduce illegal poaching in Africa?
- What is the best way to reduce the impact of global warming?
- Should euthanasia be legalized?
- Is there legitimate evidence of extraterrestrial life?
- Should people be banned from owning aggressive dog breeds?
- Should the United States devote more money towards space exploration?
- Should the government subsidize renewable forms of energy?
- Is solar energy worth the cost?
- Should stem cells be used in medicine?
- Is it right for the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement?
- Should athletes who fail a drug test receive a lifetime ban from the sport?
- Should college athletes receive a salary?
- Should the NFL do more to prevent concussions in players?
- Do PE classes help students stay in shape?
- Should horse racing be banned?
- Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
- Should children younger than 18 be allowed to play tackle football?
- Are the costs of hosting an Olympic Games worth it?
- Can online schools be as effective as traditional schools?
- Do violent video games encourage players to be violent in real life?
- Should facial recognition technology be banned?
- Does excessive social media use lead to depression/anxiety?
- Has the rise of translation technology made knowing multiple languages obsolete?
- Was Steve Jobs a visionary or just a great marketer?
- Should social media be banned for children younger than a certain age?
- Which 21st-century invention has had the largest impact on society?
- Are ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft good or bad for society?
- Should Facebook have done more to protect the privacy of its users?
- Will technology end up increasing or decreasing inequality worldwide?
Tips for Writing a Strong Persuasive Essay
After you’ve chosen the perfect topic for your persuasive essay, your work isn’t over. Follow the three tips below to create a top-notch essay.
Do Your Research
Your argument will fall apart if you don’t fully understand the issue you’re discussing or you overlook an important piece of it. Readers won’t be convinced by someone who doesn’t know the subject, and you likely won’t persuade any of them to begin supporting your viewpoint. Before you begin writing a single word of your essay, research your topic thoroughly. Study different sources, learn about the different sides of the argument, ask anyone who’s an expert on the topic what their opinion is, etc. You might be tempted to start writing right away, but by doing your research, you’ll make the writing process much easier when the time comes.
Make Your Thesis Perfect
Your thesis is the most important sentence in your persuasive essay. Just by reading that single sentence, your audience should know exactly what topic you’ll be discussing and where you stand on the issue. You want your thesis to be crystal clear and to accurately set up the rest of your essay. Asking classmates or your teacher to look it over before you begin writing the rest of your essay can be a big help if you’re not entirely confident in your thesis.
Consider the Other Side
You’ll spend most of your essay focusing on your side of the argument since that’s what you want readers to come away believing. However, don’t think that means you can ignore other sides of the issue. In your essay, be sure to discuss the other side’s argument, as well as why you believe this view is weak or untrue. Researching all the different viewpoints and including them in your essay will increase the quality of your writing by making your essay more complete and nuanced.
Summary: Persuasive Essay Ideas
Good persuasive essay topics can be difficult to come up with, but in this guide we’ve created a list of 113 excellent essay topics for you to browse. The best persuasive essay ideas will be those that you are interested in, have enough evidence to support your argument, and aren’t too complicated to be summarized in an essay.
After you’ve chosen your essay topic, keep these three tips in mind when you begin writing:
- Do your research
- Make your thesis perfect
- Consider the other side
What's Next?
Need ideas for a research paper topic as well? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.
Thinking about taking an AP English class? Read our guide on AP English classes to learn whether you should take AP English Language or AP English Literature (or both!)
Deciding between the SAT or ACT? Find out for sure which you will do the best on . Also read a detailed comparison between the two tests .
Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!
Our vetted tutor database includes a range of experienced educators who can help you polish an essay for English or explain how derivatives work for Calculus. You can use dozens of filters and search criteria to find the perfect person for your needs.
Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.
Student and Parent Forum
Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com , allow you to interact with your peers and the PrepScholar staff. See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Ask questions; get answers.
Ask a Question Below
Have any questions about this article or other topics? Ask below and we'll reply!
Improve With Our Famous Guides
- For All Students
The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points
How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer
Series: How to Get 800 on Each SAT Section:
Score 800 on SAT Math
Score 800 on SAT Reading
Score 800 on SAT Writing
Series: How to Get to 600 on Each SAT Section:
Score 600 on SAT Math
Score 600 on SAT Reading
Score 600 on SAT Writing
Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests
What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?
15 Strategies to Improve Your SAT Essay
The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points
How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer
Series: How to Get 36 on Each ACT Section:
36 on ACT English
36 on ACT Math
36 on ACT Reading
36 on ACT Science
Series: How to Get to 24 on Each ACT Section:
24 on ACT English
24 on ACT Math
24 on ACT Reading
24 on ACT Science
What ACT target score should you be aiming for?
ACT Vocabulary You Must Know
ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score
How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League
How to Get a Perfect 4.0 GPA
How to Write an Amazing College Essay
What Exactly Are Colleges Looking For?
Is the ACT easier than the SAT? A Comprehensive Guide
Should you retake your SAT or ACT?
When should you take the SAT or ACT?
Stay Informed
Get the latest articles and test prep tips!
Looking for Graduate School Test Prep?
Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here:
GRE Online Prep Blog
GMAT Online Prep Blog
TOEFL Online Prep Blog
Holly R. "I am absolutely overjoyed and cannot thank you enough for helping me!”
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The first step in writing a persuasive essay is choosing a topic and picking a side. If the topic is something you believe in, it will make the entire experience of researching, writing, and arguing your perspective more personal. Choosing a topic that appeals to you on an emotional or sentimental level will make its defense easier.
Persuasive writing begins with a writer forming their own opinion on a topic, which they then attempt to convince their reader of this opinion by walking them through a number of logical and ethical arguments.
Persuasive essays, like argumentative essays, use rhetorical devices to persuade their readers. In persuasive essays,... You should use multiple types of evidence carefully when writing a persuasive essay. Logical appeals such as presenting... Persuasive essays generally have very clear thesis ...
Here is a list of ten persuasive essay topics that you can use to grab your reader's attention and make them think: Should the government increase taxes to fund public health initiatives? Is the current education system effective in preparing students for college and the workplace? Should there be ...
How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Step-by-Step Take a Stance. To get started, you need to define a clear position. To decide which side you are going to support, look... Research. Once you have defined your position, you can go on and dig deeper into your topic. You need to be... Evaluate and ...
A Persuasive Essay Has 3 Components Introduction: This is the opening paragraph of your essay. It contains the hook, which is used to grab the reader's... Body: This is the heart of your essay, usually three to five paragraphs in length. Each paragraph examines one theme or... Conclusion: This is ...
All persuasive essays have the following: Introduction: Introduces the topic, explains why it’s important, and ends with the thesis. Thesis: A sentence that sums up what the essay be discussing and what your stance on the issue is. Reasons you believe your side of the argument: Why do you support the side you do?