Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing analyzes the various sides of an issue while arguing a viewpoint. It may serve to
clarify your own beliefs as you persuade others to accept a particular perspective.

CREATING A THESIS
The foundation of a persuasive paper is the thesis (often called a claim). To create an effective thesis, you
must select an appropriate topic and decide on your position.

SELECT A TOPIC
Persuasive writing addresses topics that are somehow controversial or stimulate discussion because of
their complexity. To select a topic, first consider your own opinions. Ask yourself these questions:

• What issues do I feel strongly about?
• What topic would I like to learn more about?

Once you have selected a topic, take time to write down everything you know about it. You probably
will not use all the ideas you jot down, but this will get you thinking. From here, research the issue
thoroughly; become an expert on the topic, and understand all sides of the issue. Through research,
you will be prepared to decide on a position.

DECIDE ON A POSITION
The position you decide upon becomes your thesis statement or claim—what you want to argue or
persuade. This claim will set limits on your topic and allude to the organization of your paper. When
deciding on a position, be sure that your thesis is arguable. Avoid arguing about the following:

• Indisputable facts. For example, there is no point in trying to argue that heart disease is
  deadly. Everyone knows that, so a better argument would revolve around how to stop the rise
  of heart disease within current American society.
• Preferences. Opinions can be changed, but some people just prefer one thing over another. For
  example, some people do not like to scuba dive. You cannot convince them to enjoy something
  they simply do not.
• Religion and other deep-rooted beliefs. Such issues are beyond empirical analysis and are
  therefore very difficult to argue. Take an angle that does not directly argue these issues. For
  example, you would not want to try arguing that Christianity is false. This would only incite
  anger in the people who hold Christianity as a core value.

SUPPORTING YOUR THESIS
After deciding on a claim or thesis, you will need to identify proofs—or premises—to support the thesis.
These premises will be stated in your thesis statement in the same order they will be addressed in the
paper. Use the persuasive techniques of logos, ethos, and pathos to support your viewpoint and address
alternate perspectives.

DEVELOP PREMISES
Premises are the evidence that supports your thesis, and they make up the bulk of your paper. For
example, if you are arguing that the United States should not trade with countries that commit human
rights violations, your premises might be

1. Trading with violating countries philosophically encourages further violations.
2. US industries would also end up exploiting people.
3. The violating country will be harmed by lack of trade and thereby stop exploiting workers.

The body of your paper will address each of these premises in detail, so you will need sufficient
evidence to support each one.
NOTE: Sometimes premises have unstated assumptions. If your reader might disagree with these
assumptions, then you have the added task of proving the assumption. For example, by arguing that
the US should not trade with countries that commit human rights violations, you are assuming that
your reader believes it is wrong to abuse the working class.

USE PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
To be persuasive, your argument must be solid and reasonable. In order to be convincing, you should
appropriately apply the persuasive techniques of logos, ethos, and pathos.

• Logos: Appeal to reason by using facts, statistics, research, logical arguments, etc. This is the
  most convincing technique in academic writing.
• Ethos: Appeal to the credibility or character of the author or of the people quoted. Use credible
  sources, and prove your own credibility with good academic writing and tone.
• Pathos: Appeal to emotion, values, and beliefs to support your own feelings or passion about
  the issue. Include personal stories from yourself or others, and use appropriate word choice to
  emphasize emotion. In academic writing, this technique should be used with care.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE
Supporting only your own viewpoint is not sufficient for writing a persuasive paper. You must also
understand your audience, so you can find ways to support your thesis in a manner convincing to them.
Ask yourself the following questions to help you identify and persuade your audience more effectively:

• What is the audience’s knowledge level about your topic?
• What is their attitude towards the topic?
• What are the audience’s values and beliefs?

These questions will help you identify the character of your audience and establish a tone for your paper
that is both professional and reasonable. Assume your audience is intelligent—never sound
condescending or know-it-all—but be sure to thoroughly explain concepts. Knowing your audience will
also help you determine areas to research in order to effectively address counterarguments.

LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES
A large part of understanding your audience is addressing alternative perspectives. This can be done
just after the introduction, just before the conclusion, or throughout the paper. Addressing other
viewpoints can be intimidating, yet it is essential. Alternative perspectives should be treated fairly—
think about what others believe and why they believe so, and focus on the most common arguments.
From there, you can either refute or concede. Conceding means that you agree with the argument and
acknowledge the issue is complex; follow with a discussion of your next strong point. When refuting
arguments, show why your view is more reasonable or stronger. Always build on common ground.

TIPS

• Use third person rather than first or second person point-of-view.
• Use examples and vivid descriptions rather than telling your reader what to feel.
• Avoid absolutes and hasty generalizations such as always, never, or all people.
• Use evidence that is recent, relevant, and impartial. Have sufficient evidence to justify each point.
• Follow basic essay format with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Make sure to include proper in-text citations and a Works Cited/Bibliography/References page.
• While this handout provides basic guidelines for persuasive writing, always tailor your paper to your
  audience and the specific assignment.