Free Essay

Persuasive Writing

In:

Submitted By shaliniii
Words 955
Pages 4
Potential Topics * Cars - a blessing or a curse? * Given the traffic congestion on our roads, should we be doing more to keep cars off the road, and if so, what? * Should wolves be re-introduced to certain parts of Scotland? * Should humans treat farm animals more humanely? * Is there any place for zoos in a civilised society? * What is the future for the British (Scottish) countryside - a recreational retreat or a living, working environment for the production of food? Discuss. * Are celebrities entitled to privacy? * Are child beauty pageants morally acceptable? * It has been said that the glory game of football has been turned into the money game. To what extent do you think this statement is true and how has the game been affected? * Did the Olympics actually inspire the British population or what it a black hole for all our cash? * The Ryder Cup is the perfect example of what a united Europe can achieve – is this the way forward? * Do the various ages of consent need to be reviewed for the young people in this country? * How old is “too old” for parenthood? * Have improvements in contraception brought about liberation or a passport to promiscuity? * Has genetic engineering gone too far? * Cloning - a tremendous medical advance or an ominous development? * Should animal organs be used for human transplantation? * Should doctors have the right to refuse expensive treatment to patients who will not change their habits (eg lose weight, stop smoking, stop drinking)? * Should there be a minimum BMI for models? * Has cosmetic surgery become too readily available? * Should Britain bring back capital punishment? * Is marriage an outdated institution? * Social Networking sites should be controlled by the government. Discuss. * Should people be allowed to express their faith through the clothes they wear? * Should arranged marriages be banned worldwide? * Should children of different faiths be educated separately? * Should film censorship be banned? * Youtube: creative outlet or media menace? * Are there any benefits of a gap year? * Does Britain need public schools? * Is education for life or is it a means to an end? * The Royal Family: are they a luxury we can no longer afford? * What is the purpose of reality television?
Banned topics:
Abortion, legalisation of drugs, capital punishment, euthanasia

Planning 1. Select a topic that you hold some opinions on already. 2. Write down how you feel about the topic- this could be in bullet points if you wish- try to think of as many reasons as possible for explaining your stance. 3. We will be writing a persuasive essay, so you need to frame the question in an appropriate way – i.e. make it clear what you are trying to persuade the reader of. 4. Start to research your topic, making two clear lists: a. Reasons why people are in agreement with you b. Reasons why others disagree with your stance 5. Decide on the three or four most significant or compelling reasons for both sides of the argument and write these down. 6. Gather evidence to support each of the arguments noted above. Evidence can take the form of quotations, statistics, events, etc. 7. Put your information together in a plan form. This should be mostly completed in note form with the exception of any evidence that you have noted.

Example Plan
Persuasive Focus: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Reason one (in support)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------
Evidence:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Reason two (in support)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------
Evidence:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Reason three (in support)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------
Evidence:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Reason one (against)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------
Evidence:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Reason two (against)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------
Evidence:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Reason three (against)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

-------------------------------------------------
Evidence:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

List of sources
Make sure that you note down the full web address of any sources that you use as part of your research.

You must include the full address, e.g. www.bbc.co.uk IS NOT ENOUGH!!!!

You should have at least four – five different sources and these should be listed alphabetically, i.e. by the letters following the www

-------------------------------------------------
Sources:
-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------

Discursive Essay Writing
A discursive essay is an informal essay discussing a controversial topic. The writer of a discursive essay attempts to represent both sides as completely as possible, while showing why he or she favours one side over the other. Discursive writing is a good way to learn how to logically structure an argument and how to anticipate and counter the arguments of the other side.

Step 1

In the first paragraph, introduce a controversial topic. Explain what the topic is and how you feel about it. Explain why it is controversial, and why people might have different opinions.

Step 2

Write the arguments you don’t support. Explain why these points have merit. Then cast some doubt over them with rhetorical questions and antithesis.

Step 3

Write the arguments you do believe in. Again, use evidence and statistics to give your argument weight. Acknowledge any arguments people might have against yours and then explain why your point of view is more effective.

Step 4

Write a conclusion. Your conclusion should acknowledge the principal argument of your opponents, but explain why you don't subscribe to it. For example, if you were writing a paper against the death penalty, you might say "I acknowledge that murderers deserve the most severe punishment society has, but I believe the death penalty should not be used because it can lead to the accidental execution of innocent people."

Tips: o Never hide from an argument just because it is inconvenient to yours. o Do not be dismissive of other people’s ideas – this will make you look arrogant and weaken your own argument. o Choose evidence that really supports your points. Don’t just throw statistics in for the sake of it. o Be clear in your writing – you must be understood if your argument is going to be successful. o Try to anticipate any counter-arguments against you, and disarm them.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Tips on Persuasive Writing

...Persuasive writing is more than relaying information. It’s about convincing, compelling, and impacting the reader. In order to be good at this type of writing you must know your audience. And in order to know your audience you must be an exceptional listener. Listening is the ability to accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication process. Listening is key to effective communicating, and persuasive writing. If you listen to your audience, you will learn, if you learn you will know your audience. It is when you know your audience then you can use the angles of persuasion in your writing. In your persuasive writing always understand that the reader is human, selfish, and innately looking for ‘what is in it’ for them. In order to effectively answer that question and write persuasively you must understand what motivates people, and what people want. People want to make and save money, people want to make and save more time, they want to reduce risk, they want to be recognized etc. Its understanding and applying these motivators and wants in your writing that will help the reader attach themselves to your opinion. Thus making your persuasive writing more effective. Cheney and Tompkins, essentially masters on the subject of human communication, have regarded four principals as the process of persuasive negotiating. Those being Guardedness, Accessibility, Nonviolence, and Empathy. Gaurdedness, you are you, and just because you listen/read doesn’t mean you have to...

Words: 425 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Steps to Writing a Persuasive Essay

...Steps to Writing a Persuasive Essay 1. Read and understand the prompt or writing directions. What are you being asked to write about? Example: Persuasive Writing Task In this writing test, you will write a persuasive essay or letter. Your writing will be scored on how well you: • state your position on the topic • describe the points in support of your position, including examples and other evidence; • anticipate and address readers’ concerns and arguments against your position; and • use grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. 2. Decide on a topic or issue. If you get to choose your topic, select something that you feel strongly about or that you feel competent discussing. If the topic is assigned, think about the best way to approach it. 3. Make a list of pros and cons for your issue. PROS - What makes your idea a good one? CONS – Consider your audience. What arguments might they make against your idea? 4. Write a thesis statement. In a single sentence, state your proposal or position. What’s the main idea that you’re trying to get across to your audience? What do you want the reader to agree to? 5. Organize and outline ideas. Select your best arguments to support your opinion. Use one paragraph to address a reader counterargument. Topic Sentence: First reason why your idea is a good one. Supporting Details: #1: Facts, Examples, Statistics, Interview Quotation, Expert Opinion, Anecdotes #2: Facts, Examples,...

Words: 1075 - Pages: 5

Free Essay

What Does Persuasive Writing Means to Me

...What does persuasive writing mean to me? It means that I cam going to try and convince my readers that my opinion is all that matters. I am going to do everything I can to persuade the reader that what I am writing is gospel. No other opinion matters but mine. I believe that a good persuasive paper should present the facts first. The writer must do his/her research before they can even present their opinion on the subject. Being knowledgeable of the topic that you are going to discuss is going to have your readers very interested because they can always, after reading your writing, always research the topic on their own. When wring a persuasive piece, I would determine who my audience is going to be. This way you would know how to formulate your paper and all of your persuasion could appeal to your specific audience. Determine if your audience is male, female, working people or people who are not working. These are just some examples I could use, depending on what my topic is. If your topic is about public schools and their money crisis, you could decide if your target audience is going to be teachers, parent or even students. I think that persuasive writing is going to be my favorite because I always have an opinion about something. This particular writing requires you to really think about where you stand on any particular subject whether you think your opinion is big or small. I think that in trying to convince a certain type of group to go along with your opinion...

Words: 301 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Persuasive Writing

...SAMPLE PERSUASIVE MESSAGE Date: May 14, 20xx To: Employees of 2D Design From: Terry Jones, Production Manager Subject: Challenge to Reduce Use of Overnight Mail We all love overnight shipping. It makes our work more efficient and our lives easier. We love it so much that we tend to overuse it. So as with many good things, we need to cut back. Our bills for overnight shipping are at an all-time high, and the CFO has threatened drastic cuts in the budget if these bills are not significantly reduced by the next quarter. I think we can meet this challenge without having budget cuts imposed. I know that subcontractors do not always meet their deadlines, which often makes it necessary for us to ship overnight to our clients. Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting with all subcontractors with whom we have had deadline problems, and in some cases we may need to find new subcontractors. I also know that clients often set unreasonable deadlines. I will be working with the legal department to set up new contract policies that require clients to pay for overnight shipping when their deadlines are particularly tight. I also know, however, that overnight shipping often is used for projects in which no subcontractors are involved and in which deadlines are not unreasonable. This means that the problem also is with our own scheduling; therefore, over the next few weeks I will be meeting with all design teams to discuss whether there are particular problem...

Words: 463 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Persuasive Writing

...You think plastic bags are harmless? Tell that to the dolphin with the plastic bag wound around its snout, slowly starving to death. You think they’re light, easily thrown out? Over one million bags a week are buried, ditched and dumped in our country. A couple of plastic bags blowing in the wind couldn’t hurt, could it? Potentially putting our environment at risk of damage, and affecting the clean green nature of New Zealand. Dangers Of Using Plastic Bags Environmental Damage Plastic bags have been known to cause a lot of environmental damage. A single plastic bag can take up to 1000 years, to decay completely. This makes the bags stay in environments longer, in turn leading to great build-up on the natural landscape (much more than degradable materials like paper). In other words, the more plastic bags you use, the greater the chances of environmental damage. Threat To Animal Life As per Marrickville Council of Australia, as many as 100,000 whales, turtles and birds die have been reported to die every year, mainly because of plastic in their environment. Plastic bags not only have adverse effects on our natural habitats, but have also been found to be responsible for the death of many animals, mainly on account of the suffocation encountered on eating them. Suffocation Not only animals, infants and young children have also been reported to have lost their life, on account of plastic bags. Since plastic bags are thin and airtight as well, children often end...

Words: 2101 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Persuasive Writing Prompts

... Our days of juggling shopping bags are coming to a close; soon, we’ll all be investing in box cutters to break down the mounds of Amazon boxes we’re accumulating. We won’t even have to leave our homes to get those box cutters, for we can conveniently order them right from our laptops. With Amazon promising that two-hour delivery is on the horizon, our world is getting closer and closer to an episode of The Jetsons. Seldom do we have to worry about running out of essentials such as coffee, laundry detergent, or pet food, because we can just as easily press a “dash button” and the items will appear on our doorsteps two days later. Even customer service employees are being replaced by robots who speak multiple languages. With robots readily replacing cashiers, security guards, and even shopping carts, seeing real people in any stores at all may just be a thing of the past. There’s now an app where anybody can fill their shopping cart right from their phone and pick it up an hour later. Digital is becoming the new “normal” as all these replacements are made. As fascinating as all these advances are, I find myself wondering about the countless people that are getting laid off because of all these robots stepping forth. We sit and wonder why such a large percentage of our people are jobless as we continue to replace real life people with technology. One single machine can replace the jobs of dozens of people. Shopping has been made easy with our many technological advances. However...

Words: 501 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Ethics

...Martina Korpue Introduction to Ethics Professor Fumerton November 30, 2012 “Ethical judgments are social instruments” In his essay “The Emotive Meaning of Ethical Terms”, Charles Leslie Stevenson (C.L. Stevenson), a professor of philosophy who taught at the University of Michigan, theorizes that the function of ethical statements is not to describe, but is rather to prescribe. He claims that language carries a type of meaning which he calls ‘emotive meaning’, rather than descriptive meaning and uses many examples of the term ‘good’ to establish his belief. He aims at showing that the notion of ‘good’ is equivalent to taking favor of something (“X is good”= “I like X”). Stevenson’s in-depth analysis of the concept of ‘good’ ultimately shows his readers the reality that the disagreement over whether something is good or not is just simply a disagreement in attitude. The first method used in determining the emotive meaning of ethical statements is to first address ethical questions in answering the question ‘Is X good?’ by what Stevenson calls ‘substitution’. He explains that in order to help understand this concept, the question must be substituted by a question that is free from ambiguity and confusion (Stevenson 370). It would not make sense to substitute this question with one that is irrelevant or with one that is the same as the question being assessed. He uses an example of substitution with the statement ‘Is X pink with yellow trimmings?’ This statement clearly has...

Words: 1332 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Persuasive Writing: Immaculate Heart High School Students

...Natalie Maldonado English 12 Ms. Eichelberger 01/08/2015 Persuasive Writing Mr. Ethridge Immaculate Heart High School students would like to let you know our thoughts because we know that as a principle you always want the wellness of all the students as well as the wellness of the school. We think that it would be better to have the old schedule because by having block schedule we can have the chance to have a little rest from our classes. The reason for what we are asking for the old schedule is because sometimes students get tired of having the same classes every day and it could affect to our performance because we don’t put our best effort on our homework or school work. Also, students from Immaculate Heart High School are agree that...

Words: 437 - Pages: 2

Free Essay

Eng 215

...Shalonda Mitchell Professor: Dr. Paul Hackman ENG 215 Research and Writing January 15, 2013 My first experience with persuasive writing was in the fifth grade. I had to write a persuasive letter to the school principal, in an attempt to convince her that I should be chosen to represent Westside Elementary School’s fifth grade class at the annual Math Bee. Of the four fifth grade classes; myself and two other fifth grade students were chosen due to our high scores on the statewide math test. I saw this as an opportunity to finally represent my class because I have always loved to write; as well as, I really enjoyed math at that level. In my letter I chose to remind my principal how well prepared for class I am every day. Each day I showed up with all the items listed on my learning log. At the beginning of every school year each student was given a laminated learning log for their grade level. We were instructed to attach the learning logs to the front of our notebooks, as a reminder of what we should have when we arrive for school in the morning. Each day I came prepared with everything listed on the learning log. I also reminded my principal how polite and respectful I was to both she and my fellow classmates. I enjoyed school and I knew the importance of good behavior and respect. My parents would often remind me that what I did outside of the home reflects who they are and if I behaved poorly or in a disrespectful manner there would be consequences. Finally...

Words: 635 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Engl 227 All 7 Weeks Discussions

...http://devrycourse.com/ENGL%20227/engl-227-all-7-weeks-discussions Product Description Week 1 DQ 1 - Process-Oriented Writing Week 1 DQ 2 - Formatting Business Messages Week 2 DQ 1 - Positive and Neutral Messages Week 2 DQ 2- Electronic Communication Week 3 DQ 1 – Negative Messages Week 3 DQ 2 – Collaborative Writing Week 4 DQ 1 – Diversity Issues in Professional Writing Week 4 DQ 2 -Report Writing Week 5 DQ 1 - Persuasive Messages Week 5 Dq 2 - Visual Aids Week 6 DQ 1 - Planning Formal Reports Week 6 DQ 2 - Formatting Formal Reports Week 7 DQ 1 - Adapting Reports for an Audience Week 7 DQ 2 - Review of Professional Writing Standards Week 8 DQ - Looking Ahead ENGL 227 All 7 Weeks Discussions Purchase here http://devrycourse.com/ENGL%20227/engl-227-all-7-weeks-discussions Product Description Week 1 DQ 1 - Process-Oriented Writing Week 1 DQ 2 - Formatting Business Messages Week 2 DQ 1 - Positive and Neutral Messages Week 2 DQ 2- Electronic Communication Week 3 DQ 1 – Negative Messages Week 3 DQ 2 – Collaborative Writing Week 4 DQ 1 – Diversity Issues in Professional Writing Week 4 DQ 2 -Report Writing Week 5 DQ 1 - Persuasive Messages Week 5 Dq 2 - Visual Aids Week 6 DQ 1 - Planning Formal Reports Week 6 DQ 2 - Formatting Formal Reports Week 7 DQ 1 - Adapting Reports for an Audience Week 7 DQ 2 - Review of Professional Writing Standards Week 8 DQ - Looking Ahead ENGL 227 All 7 Weeks Discussions Purchase here http://devrycourse.com/ENGL%20227/engl-227-all-7-weeks-discussions ...

Words: 875 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hey Now

...Megan O’Keefe General Education Writing 101 St. George 20 September 2011 English Loses Ground: Rhetorical Analysis In Rochelle Sharpe's writing, "English Lose Ground," she attempts to persuade and inform her readers of one of America's growing problems. To persuade her readers, Sharpe utilizes statistics, logic, and expert opinion to show that in the United States, non-English speakers and linguistically isolated households in the United States has increased to a point where it is becoming an issue. However, the way Sharpe utilizes statistics, and fails to see the other side of the argument reduces her credibility and ultimately makes her argument less persuasive.   Effective writing requires many different tools, strategies, and devices, which could be applied by Sharpe to improve her argument.  Although Sharpe has many flaws in her argument, she also utilizes many positive tools.  One of these positive aspects in her argument was the comparing of time periods.  By stating that there has been a significant increase in foreign language speakers from 1990 to 2007, and specifically stating how much, she concretely gives an example of her argument and the scale in which her argument is relevant.   Although this comparison of time periods is a positive aspect in her paper, there is also a problem with her information.   Sharpe’s data is no longer current. Now that the current year is 2011, any 2007 data is considered out dated, and is less relevant to the present day.  Now that...

Words: 1346 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Com 140 Entire Course

...communication. COM 140 Week 3 DQ 1 Post your response to the following: In what ways are purpose, audience, tone, and content different for interpersonal and business communication? Provide specific examples to support your answer. · Consider your own experience as you answer this question. If you have not worked in a business environment, you may ask a friend, parent, or other adult about his or her experiences. COM 140 Week 3 DQ 2 Post your response to the following: What qualities make any form of written communication effective? Which qualities do you already include in your writing? How can you incorporate additional effective elements into your written communication? COM 140 Week 5 DQ 1 Post your response to the following: Recall a situation in which someone was trying to persuade you. How effective was the argument? What could have made the argument more persuasive? COM 140 Week 5 DQ 2...

Words: 957 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Eng 122 Week 5 Final Research Paper

...culminate the learning achieved in the course by writing a persuasive research paper about a chosen topic of interest. The Final Research Paper represents 30% of the overall course grade. Focus of the Final Research Paper Before you submit the Final Research Paper, make sure that you have: 1. Reviewed the Research Paper Guidelines, available in your online course, to ensure your paper addresses all required components and develops a clear position in response to one of the writing prompts provided. 2. Incorporated a minimum of five scholarly sources. 3. Incorporated feedback or suggestions into your revisions. 4. Proofread your final draft for errors in grammar, mechanics, and style. 5. Written a paper that is approximately 10 pages in length, including a title page, a reference page, and eight pages (2000 to 2500 words) of text. 6. Formatted your paper according to APA style. Activity mode aims to provide quality study notes and tutorials to the students of ENG 122 Week 5 Final Research Paper in order to ace their studies. ENG 122 WEEK 5 FINAL RESEARCH PAPER To purchase this visit here: http://www.activitymode.com/product/eng-122-week-5-final-research-paper/ Contact us at: SUPPORT@ACTIVITYMODE.COM ENG 122 WEEK 5 FINAL RESEARCH PAPER The final assignment for this course is a Final Research Paper. The purpose of the Final Research Paper is for you to culminate the learning achieved in the course by writing a persuasive research paper about a chosen topic of interest...

Words: 1151 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Wrtg101 Writing Assignment 3 Writing Assignment #3: Research-Supported Essay

...wrtg101 Writing Assignment 3 Writing Assignment #3: Research-Supported Essay Click Link Below To Buy: http://hwaid.com/shop/wrtg101-writing-assignment-3/ Writing Assignment #3 will be a research-supported essay. Courses that fulfill the General Education Requirements (GERs) at UMUC all have a common theme—technological transformations. In following this theme throughout this semester in WRTG 101, we have read the analyses of various authors on innovations and technological transformations in education and in other fields. In this essay, you will continue this theme of technological transformations. You have two choices for your essay topic. Please choose one of the two choices. Please note that both choices are identical to the choices you had for writing assignment #2, the cause-effect essay. You may write on the same topic that you wrote on for writing assignment #2; however, you may be asked to adjust the topic in some direction in order to write a more successful research paper. In addition, of course, you will expand on the number of sources you use to defend your argument. 1. TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION Analyze the impact of a particular trend in technology on education. Our discussions in the class up to this point might be helpful for you as you consider ideas for this topic. You might analyze any one of the following. These are just examples. Many approaches are possible for this topic. a. The potential effects of Massive Open...

Words: 1322 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Calculus Module

...World Literature Persuasive Essay—Heroes A persuasive essay is a sound argument of a position backed up with facts, details, examples and one additional element—appeal. Persuasion is the kind of writing that depends on the reader’s reaction to what the writer says. One should remember that the goal of persuasive writing is to make the reader change from his viewpoint to the writer’s viewpoint. Therefore, the writer must present his argument in a way that will not offend his reader. • TOPIC: In the epic poem Iliad, who best fits the traits of the hero? Hector or Achilles? In your essay, persuade your audience that either Achilles or Hector is the better example of the archetypal hero. I. Introduction • Begin your introductory paragraph by discussing the fact that heroes have many characteristics. • List some possible heroic characteristics. • Include the title of the epic and the author (Homer). • State your thesis at the end of the paragraph—Achilles or Hector is the better hero II. Body Paragraphs • Begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence—an example of an archetypal/epic hero trait that the hero possesses • Include specific examples from the Iliad. • End each paragraph with a Clincher/Transition sentence that wraps up this idea and moves us to the next idea. Warning **Pitfalls to avoid in body paragraphs: stereotypes, name-calling, slanting the truth, quoting out of context, and distortions of the oppositions’ views...

Words: 334 - Pages: 2