Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is a form of nonfiction writing that encourages careful word choice, the development of logical arguments, and a cohesive summary. Young children can be guided through a series of simple steps in an effort to develop their persuasive writing skills.

Persuasive writing intends to convince readers to believe in an idea and to do an action. Many writings such as critics, reviews, reaction papers, editorials, proposals, advertisements, and brochures use different ways of persuasion to influence readers.

Three common techniques in persuasive writing

1. Presenting strong evidence, such as facts and statistics, statements of expert authorities, and research findings establishes credibility. Readers will more likely be convinced to side with the writer’s position or agree with his or her opinion if it is backed up by verifiable evidence.

2. Concrete, relevant, and reasonable examples can enhance the writer’s idea or opinion. They can be based on observations or from the writer’s personal experience.

3. Accurate, current, and balanced information adds to the credibility of persuasive writing. The writer does not only present evidence that favor his or her ideas, but he or she also acknowledges some evidence that opposes his or her own. In the writing, though, his or her ideas would be sounder.

Ethos, logos, and pathos

Ethos is the appeal to ethics. It convinces the audience of the credibility of the writer. The writer’s expertise on his or her subject matter lends to such credibility. The level of education and profession of the writer also come into play.

Logos is the appeal to logic and reason. It is the most commonly accepted mode in persuasion because it aims to be scientific in its approach to argumentation. In writing, facts are presented in a logical manner, and faulty logic is avoided.

Pathos is the appeal to emotion. This aims to convince the audience by appealing to human emotions. Emotions such as sympathy, anger, and sadness motivate humans; using pathos will then get the audience to be emotionally invested in the subject of the writing.

Why teach persuasive writing?

As children mature as writers, it's important to give them the opportunity to write using a variety of formats. Persuasive writing helps students formulate specific reasons for their opinions, and provides an opportunity to research facts related to their opinions. As students develop an understanding of how writing can influence or change another's thoughts or actions, they can begin to understand the persuasive nature of the marketing they are exposed to through television, the Internet, and other media

How to teach persuasive writing

1.     Have students listen to or read examples of persuasive writing. Together, listen and look for words, phrases and techniques that helped the writer persuade the listener.

2.     Brainstorm something that is important to an individual child or the group. Is it extra recess? Another chapter of the read aloud? The potential closing of a library? The more authentic the issue, the more passionately your students will write.

3.     Once the important privilege is chosen, have the child (or class) start to list reasons why they should be allowed this privilege. "Just because," and "because I like it" should not be considered valid reasons. Students can work together to generate at least three good reasons to support an argument. 

4.     Have students do some research to gather facts or examples that support their reasons.

5.     Have students summarize their position.

Persuasive Writing Examples

Persuasive writing provides the opportunity to convince someone to adopt a particular viewpoint. Below, we'll explore various persuasive writing examples designed to convince the reader to take a certain action. With these samples in mind, you'll be able to go on and write a most convincing persuasive essay.

Persuasive writing is very common in ad campaigns where marketing want to convince you to buy something. But it can also be used in several other situations as well.

Persuasive Writing in Ad Campaigns

There's an entire psychology behind ad campaigns. Expert marketers look for ways to convince customers to buy their products. Sometimes, they'll MAKE PROMISES - true or false - and other times they'll use words with a sense of urgency like "today" or "now." Let's explore a few examples:

·         Chippers are the crispiest, crunchiest, and most delicious brand of chips you will ever taste. Buy a bag today.

·         A Lexi Mattress is the most comfortable bed you'll ever sleep on. Take a 30-day trial and see for yourself. If you're not satisfied, we'll come to your home, remove the mattress, and refund you in full. You've got nothing to lose. Give it a try today.

·         Chompers Dog Food is sure to make your dog's tail wag. If you truly love your pup, you'll try one of our all-natural selections today.

·         Why risk making a mistake on your tax returns or missing out on added money in your bank account? Trust the experts at 123 Accounting to ensure you get the biggest tax refund possible.

·         Here at Schuster & Schuster, our injury attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We will take your case and defend your interests to the very end. Call us today to schedule a free consultation.

·         Our holistic headache medication will get rid of your headache with just one pill and fewer side effects than aspirin or ibuprofen. Be good to your body and try it today.

Persuasive Essay Examples

 Persuasive essays are a great way to formulate sound arguments and distribute them to the public. If nothing else, these types of essays may be a requirement at some point in your academic career.

Let's take a look at a few excerpts from persuasive essays. Each of these could stand as the thesis statement in a well-crafted argument.

·         Mandatory minimum sentencing is harmful to the human race. It is a form of discrimination; many people receive long sentences for minor crimes. We should overturn mandatory minimum sentencing rules and give judges more leeway in their decision-making.

·         The death penalty is a good deterrent for criminals. Beyond that, it is fair because the Bible supports "an eye for an eye." We need to keep the death penalty on the books.

·         Marijuana should be legalized. We are putting too many people in prison and spending too much money to incarcerate them for nonviolent crimes.

Speeches and Persuasive Writing

A powerful persuasive speech stands the chance of rocking an entire nation. Presidential candidates rally for months before an election year. Small town councils meet regularly, often to listen to persuasive speeches about the community. At some point in your college career, you might even find yourself in a  public speaking class that will ask you to deliver a persuasive speech.

Here are some sample statements to consider:

·         Are you tired of seeing your paychecks slashed by unjust tax deductions? We work hard to provide for our families and then wind up only being able to live paycheck to paycheck. If you vote for me, I'll make sure your taxes are lowered and you get the government services that you depend on. Imagine everything you'll be able to do with more wiggle room in your monthly income. Cast your vote today.

·         We need to act now to save our community garden. It's ten years in the making, with enough organic vegetables to feed every mouth in this neighborhood. Hud & Co. has no right to come into our town and pave a parking lot over one of our most prominent food sources. Come rally with me this Friday night. Together, we will stand in their way and protect our beloved town.

·         Raising taxes is wrong because people should be entitled to keep their own money and because an increase in tax revenue will be stifling to businesses. We should keep taxes low or even reduce tax rates to encourage growth.

Take Action Today

In each of these examples, the goal is to get someone to do something or support something. Sound reasoning is required to convince the audience that there's a benefit to their taking action.