Persuasive Essay Timed Writing 1

1. Persuasive Essay Timed Writing 1 Allowance Prompt

2. Common Issues • Vague/Missing Thesis • Scattered organizational patterns • “Parents should” • Pronoun/antecedent agreement (a child should get their allowance) • Missing/vague counterargument • Missing/vague rebuttal • Rambling/run-on sentences • Second person – ARGH!!

3. Persuasive Essay Outline • Introductory Paragraph • Grab the reader’s attention by using a “hook.” • Give an overview of the argument. • Close with a thesis statement that reveals the position to be argued. • Body Paragraphs • Each body paragraph should focus on one piece of evidence. • Within each paragraph, provide sufficient supporting detail. • Topic sentence explaining your point and reason • Possible concession toward opposing argument • Elaboration to back your point. • Transition • Opposing View Paragraph • Describe and then refute the key points of the opposing view. • Opposing point to your argument. • Your rebuttal to the opposing point. • Elaboration to back your rebuttal. • Transition • Concluding Paragraph • Restate and reinforce the thesis and supporting evidence.

4. Body Paragraphs – must vary evidence! • Examples - Examples enhance your meaning and make your ideas concrete. They are the proof. Often these examples are drawn from shared every-day experience or from history. They can be events, ideas, logical arguments or quotations. They can be anecdotes, which are small stories that have explanatory meaning, or analogies, in which one example is made meaningful because it resembles another example. • The order of examples, which is part of logic, can also have a positive effect. Sometimes examples can be emotive (or biased), and are used to elicit sympathy from the reader. Often the biggest problem with examples is not that the examples are wrong, but that they are incomplete and unrepresentative. Examples must relate back to the point—do not get off track! • Facts- A powerful means of convincing, facts can come from your reading, observation, or personal experience. They are like examples, but are usually singular and observable. As with examples, persuasive writing may suffer from the selective use of facts. • Note: Do not confuse facts with truths. A "truth" is an idea believed by many people, but it cannot be proven.

5. Importance of Diction and Syntax in Persuasion • Emotional Language - Though considered biased and manipulative, emotional loaded words are commonly used to capture the feelings and sympathies of the readers. • Colloquial Language - In order to be more accessible and inviting, some persuasive writers will employ a more conversational style of language. You might see the strategic use of "and" and "but" at the beginning of a sentence, or a conscious use of a sentence fragment to emphasize a point. If you want to try this technique, please don't overuse it; it can become annoying and transparent, and less effective the more you use it! • Poetic Devices - Some writers of persuasive texts will borrow the techniques of poetry, particularly when it comes to the sounds and meanings of words. Common techniques include alliteration, repetition, metaphors, imagery, and rhyme. • Powerful Images - In less formal writing, evocative images may be selected to enhance and support an argument. • Parallel Structure – In order to emphasize certain ideas or connect differing ideas together, consider using parallel structure.

6. Revision Questions • Does the essay present a firm position on the issue, supported by relevant facts, statistics, quotes, and examples? • Does the essay open with an effective “hook” that intrigues readers and keeps them reading? • Does each paragraph offer compelling evidence focused on a single supporting point? • Is the opposing point of view presented and convincingly refuted? • Is the sentence structure varied? Is the word choice precise? Do the transitions between sentences and paragraphs help the reader’s understanding? • Does the concluding paragraph convey the value of the writer’s position and urge the reader to think and act? • Vague/Missing Thesis, Scattered organizational patterns, “Parents should”, Pronoun/antecedent agreement (a child should get their allowance), Missing/vague counterargument, Missing/vague rebuttal, Rambling/run-on sentences, Second person – ARGH!!