At first glance, it seems like writing a persuasive essay is simple but the first thing you must know is your stand either against or in favor of the topic/situation given. However, the hard part of doing it is when using various arguments and logic so the readers will understand what you are trying to point at. Regardless if you are a working student or studying at home, you can write this type of text. These argumentative statements are usually posted in social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) mostly with attached photos and links in their captions as sources. Most schools are giving their students a requirement on how they view such situations or topics in an essay form. For some people who are having difficulties in writing a persuasive essay, here are some tips for you.
- Know your topic.
Start doing your research. In writing a logical essay, you must know your topic. Don’t rely on one article or reliable source only, try to read as much as you can. The minimum is three sources and above, make sure that it is not outdated. The reason behind this is to know the latest trends, limitations, occurring issues, and to what extent the topic has been used. A bit of advice, ready your excel file and copy-paste the objective, claims, arguments, citations, and references of the article/source that you are reading. It is an instant summary of what you’ve read.
- Make a plan.
For you to have a smooth sailing essay, you must have a plan on how to write and put your thoughts. It is a way for the readers to easily understand where you are coming from. Typically, as a writer, you should first know the argument of your paper and focus on that. In planning, you must first write your introduction, which contains an overview of the topic. Then the references that were read will help persuade your readers because of the insertion of strong claims with sufficient details that will help attract readers. Lastly, your conclusion with enough evidence.
- Have a factual argument.
Opinions are subjective statements and most of the time it is a judgment with insufficient evidence. However, opinions are helpful because it is where constructive criticisms about a topic occur. The importance of having a factual argument in persuading people is to support your claims. Make sure that you have strong evidence followed by answering questions of what, why and how; what are you pointing out in your paper, why do you need to tackle this information and how do you prove your claims. Answering those may develop your paper with a smooth logical written content.
- Write with principles.
As a writer, you must know the dos and don’ts in writing. Yes, you have content and resources that will backup your claims but that does not end there. It is your ethical obligation to use your sources rightfully. You need to make sure that you did not manipulate or mislead the readers and the content of your sources just to be in favor of your topic. If you wish to put your insights, for example, your topic is about incoming college freshmen students. Your personal statement examples for college freshmen students may include in your conclusion.
- Review your paper.
After all the process that you made through, it is time to review your masterpiece. This is your last chance before submitting your essay to check your wordings, format, and flow of your paper. It is also a good idea to let others read your paper and ask for their comments and suggestions. If they find your paper a little bit boring, maybe it’s time for you to use persuasive words such as emotive words (delighted, concerned, overjoyed), conjunctions (different from, furthermore, similar to), adverbs (due to these factors, for that reason, consequently) and such.
Writing a basic essay can be simple but having a persuasive kind of essay is another level. This is a reminder that for you to have a persuasive essay, it should have logical reasoning, passionate reasoning, and ethical reasoning. You should also be open-minded about the possibilities and not too pushy on your statements. Make sure that you get the pros and cons of your topic. By that, you can establish trust with your readers.
