1. Know your stance: Make sure you know exactly where you stand on the issue! Which side will you take? What are your biases? The importance of a persuasive essay is to be able to assert your point while simultaneously acknowledging the opposition. State your claims and back them up.
2. Understand your topic: One of the most important aspects of a persuasive essay is the evidence that you use to back your assertions, and disprove your oppositionâs argument. This can only be done if you have a very clear and thorough understanding of the topic at hand. This means doing research, research, and more research!
3. Audience: Itâs important, especially in a persuasive essay, that you know your audience. While you may stand strongly on one side of the argument, keep in mind that there will always be others who donât see the situation through the same lens as you do. Itâs important in a persuasive essay to not only assert your opinions, but to also consider and address the opposing side. Whether itâs to disprove an argument, or to concede to some valid points, itâs essential to acknowledge the other side.
4. Structure is key: The foundation of a good essay (of any kind) is in its organization. The introduction to your essay should grab the audienceâs attention, state your thesis, as well as provide some background information on the subject at hand. The body is where the bulk of the argument comes in. Remember that each paragraph should assert a certain point (a clear topic sentence is key), and that each of your points should be backed with strong evidence. Evidence can include research, quotes, data, or real life examples etc. And finally, include a strong and succinct conclusion to round off your essay!
Tips: Remember that the flow of your essay needs to be logical, so that your reader can clearly see the point of the argument instead of getting lost in the midst of a scramble of ideas.
Additionally:
Outline and Draft! Forming an outline really helps when writing any essay. If you have written a structured and detailed outline, then writing the draft will be much easier. Flesh out the outline that you have prepared and just let your ideas flow. Donât worry too much about wording or grammar the first time around, just try to get your ideas out onto the paper.
Revise! Congrats! Youâre almost done! Now, go over and edit your draft. Really pay attention to the flow, coherence, and organization of your ideas. This is also the time to look for any grammatical errors.Â
Take a step back! If you have the extra time, it helps to leave your essay for a while (a day or two), before coming back to it. Sometimes taking a step back can really go a long way!
Here's a great guide to writing argumentative essays from @stvdybuddies. Project two planning begins tomorrow!













