Writers of persuasive essays take a stand on a controversial issue and give well-researched arguments to support this position. In today’s society, arguments are all around us. Understanding the nature of argument is essential to writing a good persuasive essay.
Structure of a Persuasive Essay Before students begin creating persuasive essays, they should engage in preliminary research. Persuasive essays often include quotes or paraphrases from experts or statistics from academic studies. These essays must also demonstrate the writer’s ability to think critically and to avoid logical errors. Persuasive Essay should include at least four aspects:
Ways to Persuade There are three primary ways to appeal to the emotion and response of readers: ethos, logos, and pathos. Ethos Ethos is the appeal to what is right, fair and trustworthy. For example, if Aaron is arguing for more access to parks in Hawai‘i for individuals who are disabled, he could do so by pointing out that many citizens who happen to have some sort of disability pay taxes that support these parks and yet are denied access simply due to design. The unfairness of this situation would appeal to the readers’ sense of what is right or fair. Logos Logos appeals to the reader’s logic and reason. If Aaron is arguing for the need to make college tuition more affordable or even free, such as is the case in Norway, Sweden, and Germany, among other countries, and he uses statistics about the number of students who would not be able to obtain a college degree without some country-wide assistance, he is appealing to his reader’s logic. Pathos An argument with pathos appeals to the reader’s emotions. In his essay in favor of students joining a sports team in high school, he could highlight his own experience of overcoming fears and physical challenges while running in high school. Such an approach would pull the heartstrings of his readers who are touched by his success due to the self-discipline, social connections, and physical strength he developed through running on a team. Addressing Opposing Ideas and the Author’s Position Any good argument anticipates the opposing arguments and attempts to answer or refute its main points. In refuting the opposing point, writers do the following:
Conclusion: Call to Action The conclusion should provide insight into the significance of the issue. Most important is the fact that such a conclusion would do well not to use the word “should” as in the following. If writers have proven their stance within the body paragraphs using examples and quoted, paraphrased, or summarized information from professionals within the given community, a “should” isn’t needed because the reader has already been convinced. http://pressbooks.oer.hawaii.edu/englishcomposition/front-matter/foreword/ Ted ed Video on Rhetorical Appeals. Please include on the website: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-to-use-rhetoric-to-get-what-you-want-camille-a-langston
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