Persuasive
Persuasive
Persuasive
CREATING A THESIS
Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing analyzes the various sides of an issue while arguing a viewpoint. It may serve to clarify your own beliefs as you persuade others to accept a particular perspective.
The foundation of a persuasive paper is the thesis (often called a claim). To create an effective thesis, you must select an appropriate topic and decide on your position.
SELECT A TOPIC
Persuasive writing addresses topics that are somehow controversial or stimulate discussion because of their complexity. To select a topic, first consider your own opinions. Ask yourself these questions: What issues do I feel strongly about? What topic would I like to learn more about? Once you have selected a topic, take time to write down everything you know about it. You probably will not use all the ideas you jot down, but this will get you thinking. From here, research the issue thoroughly; become an expert on the topic, and understand all sides of the issue. Through research, you will be prepared to decide on a position.
DECIDE ON A POSITION
The position you decide upon becomes your thesis statement or claimwhat you want to argue or persuade. This claim will set limits on your topic and allude to the organization of your paper. When deciding on a position, be sure that your thesis is arguable. Avoid arguing about the following: Indisputable facts. For example, there is no point in trying to argue that heart disease is deadly. Everyone knows that, so a better argument would revolve around how to stop the rise of heart disease within current American society. Preferences. Opinions can be changed, but some people just prefer one thing over another. For example, some people do not like to scuba dive. You cannot convince them to enjoy something they simply do not. Religion and other deep-rooted beliefs. Such issues are beyond empirical analysis and are therefore very difficult to argue. Take an angle that does not directly argue these issues. For example, you would not want to try arguing that Christianity is false. This would only incite anger in the people who hold Christianity as a core value.
DEVELOP PREMISES
Premises are the evidence that supports your thesis, and they make up the bulk of your paper. For example, if you are arguing that the United States should not trade with countries that commit human rights violations, your premises might be (1) Trading with violating countries philosophically encourages further violations. (2) US industries would also end up exploiting people. (3) The violating country will be harmed by lack of trade and thereby stop exploiting workers.
Types of Writing
Persuasive Writing
The body of your paper will address each of these premises in detail, so you will need sufficient evidence to support each one. NOTE: Sometimes premises have unstated assumptions. If your reader might disagree with these assumptions, then you have the added task of proving the assumption. For example, by arguing that the US should not trade with countries that commit human rights violations, you are assuming that your reader believes it is wrong to abuse the working class.
TIPS