Persuasive EssaysPreparing for the GHSGWT

The purpose of a persuasive essay is…

To convince the reader of your opinion on a topic.

Before writing…

Read the topic and consider it carefully _____________ a side (choosing

__________ definite side will make your opinion and your essay stronger)

Identify the ___________ of your essay (Is it a letter? Article? Etc.) If it is a letter, simply write your salutation at

the beginning and sign your name at the end)

Before writing (continued)…

Identify your ______________ Ask yourself the following questions about

your audience: Who is my audience? What kind of language should I use when

addressing this audience? What will make my audience care about this

issue? What arguments might my audience have? What will my audience expect from my essay?

Writing an Introduction

3 things an opening/introductory paragraph should accomplish: It should gain your reader’s ___________. It should ____________ your subject It should identify your ______________

the sentence that lets the reader know what ________________ ____________ you are going to discuss.

The thesis is usually the __________sentence of your introduction

1st sentence of introduction

1st sentence should catch the reader’s attention

Several ways to begin an opening paragraph:

Share some thought-provoking details about the subject. Example: “The results of today’s driver education

programs are visible every day, on every road.” Ask your reader a challenging ______________.

Example: “If someone commits murder, should they be punished in the same way? Should they receive the death penalty?”

Begin with an informative __________________: Example: The average cost of a Hollywood film runs

between 30 and 50 million dollars.

Ways to begin an opening paragraph (continued):

Provide a __________________, eye-opening statement. Examples: “Before the car accident, Randy thought about life in

terms of jump shots, fast breaks, and high-flying layups.” “Millions of Americans are killed every year by drunk drivers.”

Open with some thoughtful ______________ or engaging ______________. Example: In first grade, I learned some of the harsh realities of

life. I found out that circuses aren’t all they’re supposed to be.” “My Uncle John is normally a likeable and friendly man, but

when there is a group of people and a camera around, he becomes a real pest.”

2nd and 3rd sentences of introduction should…

Identify and discuss the topic.

Final sentence

The final sentence (the thesis) should contain the following: Statement of topic + opinion

Example: Capital punishment should be abolished.

Body Paragraphs

Topic sentence of the body paragraph = the first sentence of a body paragraph

Supporting Details

2nd – 5th sentences of the body paragraph =___________________/______________

The MOST IMPORTANT part of a persuasive body paragraph is the _______________.

Just like a lawyer uses evidence to support his argument in court, you must use supporting details to support your opinion in a persuasive essay.

A good persuasive body paragraph contains __________supporting details.

Example

Back up _____________statement It’s been a bad day. Details: I woke up late. I ran out of hot water

in the shower and got soap in my eyes. I burned my toast too. My dog got out of the backyard. I locked my keys in the house. Certainly, today has been a bad day.

Conclusions

Briefly ___________ and restate your opinion

____________any questions left unanswered in the middle paragraphs

______________ the special importance of one of the supporting details

connect with the reader’s life or with life in general.

Good place for __________________

An effective closing is…

an ending—PLUS more to ____________ about.

In the first part of your closing paragraph, briefly restate your opinion. In the second part, broaden your scope by saying something more about the subject, something that will keep the subject alive in the reader’s mind, such as counterargument.

Two Organizational Strategies for Writing Persuasive Essays

BOOK-END TECHNIQUE

• Introduction with thesis

• One long story/anecdote

• 1st body paragraph – beginning of story

• 2nd body paragraph – middle of story

• 3rd body paragraph end of story

• Conclusion states WHY your story supports the thesis

The Multi-Story Technique

• Introduction with thesis

• Three or more different stories/anecdotes in the body paragraphs to support your thesis

• Conclusion

Scoring the Graduation Test

You will be scored in four categories called domains:

Domain 1 =___________ Domain 2 = ______________ Domain 3 = ____________ Domain 4 = ____________

Domain 1 = Ideas

In “Ideas,” you are scored on. . . Controlling idea/ ___________ ___________ ideas _____________ of detail Depth of ___________(Do you have

enough evidence?) ____________of the persuasive purpose Sense of _____________ (good

conclusion)

Domain 1 = Ideas

The “Ideas” domain counts__________as much as any other domain!

Domain 2 = Organization

In “Organization,” you are scored on. . . Overall ___________ Introduction/body/conclusion ____________ of ideas Grouping of ideas

____________paragraphs Organizing strategies appropriate to

persuasion __________ (Do not be repetitive)

Domain 3 = Style

In “Style,” you are scored on. . . ___________ choice ___________ awareness ___________ Sentence ______________

Domain 4 = Conventions

In “Conventions,” you are scored on. . . Sentence formation Usage – mistakes you can _________

(subject-verb agreement, verb tenses, pronoun agreement, etc.)

Mechanics – mistakes you can ___________(punctuation, spelling, paragraph breaks, capitalization)

Scoring

In each domain, you may receive a score ranging from a ____ to a ____.

A 5 is the highest score, and a 1 is the lowest.

5 = full command of the domain 4 = consistent command of the domain 3 = sufficient control of the domain 2= minimal control of the domain 1 = little or no control of the domain