Persuasive essay quick review

Persuasive essay quick review

All words in green are the answers to your notes.

Writing a Persuasive Essay

To persuade means to (1)convince.

When others are convinced that your opinion is true, they can help you achieve your goals.

Poll

Could you be persuaded to walk a plank from one mountain cliff to another like in the picture?

• Yes

• No

• Maybe

Why?

Writers use persuasive essays to convince readers of their (2)opinion.

A persuasive essay is more powerful if it is clearly (3)organized.

These essays have three parts. The first part of the essay is the (4)introduction.

Multiple Choice

Every introduction needs a _________ the opinion you will prove.

• Evidence

• Claim

• Topic sentence

• Fact

Your Job

In your introduction, your job is to grab the reader’s attention and state the opinion, or (5)thesis (claim), that you are arguing.

Next come your body paragraphs.

In each body paragraph, give a (6)reason for your opinion and support that reason with specific (6)evidence.

You’re not limited in how many body paragraphs you use to support your opinion, but aim to include at least (7)three.

Concluding

Finally, bring your essay to a close in the (8)conclusion paragraph.

In your final paragraph, you’ll (9)summarize the main points of your essay and remind your readers why your opinion is (9)important.

Multiple Choice

A summary is

• a brief description of the main points

• a brief description of all the details

• brief retelling in your own words

• a brief opinion

Useful tips

When you write a persuasive essay, keep in mind who you want to convince. This is the audience for your essay. Use reasons that this specific audience will care about!

In a persuasive essay, your evidence doesn’t just have to be facts or quotations. You can also use personal stories or real-world examples.