Introduction

A persuasive essay is an academic assignment that involves convincing someone to agree with your view or an idea. It requires one to take a stance or pick a side in an opinion and convince others to follow them or support their choice. It is used in various forms, such as advertisements where the seller convinces a buyer to purchase a product by telling them about its benefits over others. This type of essay requires that the writer be well conversant with the topic in question. Moreover, the writer should have a good choice of language to present their arguments effectively.

The structure of a persuasive essay

Introduction of a persuasive essay

The purpose of an introduction section is to introduce the main idea of the paper. It provides appropriate background information and captures the attention of the reader. It should consist of a summary of the arguments discussed in the paper with additional relevant information to back up your main idea.  The main function of the introduction paragraph is to provide a clear statement of the essay, also known as the thesis statement. The thesis statement outlines your position about an idea and the way you will support your argument.  In essence, it tells readers your stance on a topic and how you intend to organize your thoughts in supporting your argument. The thesis statement states the “what” about your argument and the “how,” which is the strategy for presenting your argument.

The body of a persuasive essay

Similar to other essays, the body section of a persuasive essay consists of developing the arguments in a strategically organized manner. Strategic organization means presenting your ideas in a way that creates a natural flow to persuade your readers. The body section is made of paragraphs that represent an idea supporting the main argument.  It focuses on a single idea and explores it further with supporting materials from trusted sources to ensure that the reader is convinced into accepting the main argument.

To organize a paragraph, one should start with the topic sentence to introduce the paragraph’s main idea. The topic sentence gives the reader an idea of what you intend to discuss in the paragraph. The thesis statement should be followed by an illustration consisting of supporting evidence. This is where you provide a detailed explanation of the main point indicated in the topic sentence. It is also where you support your topic sentence with external data, published case studies, facts, and published opinions. External sources should be paraphrased, summarized, or quoted and with appropriate citation provided. However, it is important to note that all supporting evidence is relevant to the topic sentence and the paper’s main argument. The last section of a body paragraph is an explanation that explains the evidence in detail to help the reader understand them better. It should also explain how the evidence provided support the topic sentence. Notably, the writer should ensure that there is a smooth transition from one section of the body paragraph to another to show the reader how everything fits together

The conclusion of a persuasive essay

The conclusion paragraph simply reinstates the paper’s main idea and how the idea has been supported in the body paragraphs. It provides a clear map of the paper, starting from the introduction to the last idea in the body. As such, it ties everything together in a logical manner and convinces the reader to read the entire paper. It is also in the conclusion section where you provide the usefulness of your main idea in the real world and demonstrate its importance to the relevant field. You should also highlight the implications of the paper and the questions it raises.

Tips for writing a persuasive essay

Know your audience

 Understanding your audience is the key to curating an essay that best resonates with them and thus convincing them to agree with you.  Knowing your audience entails understanding their demographics and the kind of information they resonate with in relation to your topic. For example, if you’re persuading youth against drug addiction, your audience are youths, which determines the choice of language that appeases them.

Select a topic you like

 As a student, there is the likelihood that your instructor would have selected the topic. However, in some cases, you might have the freedom to select a topic of your choice. It is advisable that you select a topic in which you are passionate. This is because you can best persuade someone about something you believe in. Combine your knowledge about the topic and research to come up with a solid and persuading paper.

Obtain both supporting and opposing information

To give a strong supporting argument, you have to know about the opposing argument. This way, you will be able to formulate a persuasive argument that considers both sides of a topic. Moreover, understanding the opposing side will also enable you to counter any opposing views and effectively persuade your audience. For example, if you are persuading youths against drug use, ensure that you are armed with adequate information about the factors contributing to them using drugs, the vices supporting the usage of the drugs especially facilitated by media or celebrities, and the presumed positive effects of the drugs.

Grab and maintain the reader’s attention

 Grabbing and retaining the attention of the readers is important in getting them to read your essay. Use declarative statements to present your points of view. Ensure that your essay is well-researched to gain the confidence of your readers in the information you are providing. Use credible external sources to reinforce your points and gain the reader’s interest in your paper.

Put more emphasis on your main idea:

Use various techniques of expressing emphases such as exclusivity or exaggeration. However, it is important that you remain within the topic and that exaggeration does not mislead or divulge from the main topic. Moreover, repeating a point, again and again, can also persuade people to believe and accept your opinion.

Sample of a persuasive Essay

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