Persuasive Writing PPT

8/7/2019 Persuasive Writing PPT

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What it is...

In persuasive writing, a writer takes a position FOR

or AGAINST an issue and writes to CONVINCE the

reader to BELIEVE or DO something.

Persuasive writing is used in ADVERTISEMENTS to

get the consumer to buy a product and in ESSAYS

and LETTERS to get the reader to accept a POINT OFVIEW.



So...

In order to CONVINCE the reader you

need more than OPINION; you need

FACTS or EXAMPLES to back youropinion. Be sure to do the necessary

RESEARCH and REFLECTION so your

writing can be EFFECTIVE!!!



Persuasive Writing Format

Persuasive writing follows a particular format. It

has an INTRODUCTION, a BODY (which may be

several PARAGRAPHS) where the ARGUMENT is

developed and a CONCLUSION.

After you write your letter or essay, you should

READ, REVISE and CONFERENCE and REVISEbefore PUBLISHING (writing and turning in) your

FINAL PRODUCT.



The Introduction

The introduction has a HOOK or GRABBER to catch theREADERS ATTENTION. Some GRABBERS include...

� Opening with an UNUSUAL DETAIL: (Tiye Phoenix began

her career in music as a classically trained pianist.)

� Opening with a STRONG STATEMENT: (When you stop

and think about it, music is present in everything.)

� Opening with a QUOTATION: (Elbert Hubbard once said,

Truth is stronger than fiction.

� Opening with an ANECDOTE: An ANECDOTE can provide

an AMUSING and ATTENTION-GETTING opening if it is

SHORT and TO THE POINT.



Introduction, cont.

�

Opening with a STATISTIC or FACT: Sometimes aSTATISTIC or FACT will add EMPHASIS or INTEREST

to your topic. It may be wise to include the items

AUTHORITATIVE SOURCE (so you dont get in

trouble for plagiarism...0.

� Opening with a QUESTION: (Have you ever

considered how many books wed read were it not

for television?)� Opening with an EXAGGERATION or OUTRAGEOUS

STATEMENT. (Everyone in the entire world loves

Eminem.)



THESIS or FOCUS STATEMENT

The introduction should also include a THESIS orFOCUS STATEMENT, which has THREEOBJECTIVES:

1. It tells the reader THE SPECIFIC TOPIC OFYOUR ESSAY.

2. It IMPOSES MANAGEABLE LIMITS on that

topic.3. It SUGGESTS the ORGANIZATION of your

paper.





Identify...

What kind of grabber was used?

What is the thesis statement?

Now...using this information, revise the

introduction you wrote yesterday in your letter

to me to make sure it meets the guidelines wejust discussed.



And that brings us to...the BODY

In the BODY of your essay or letter, youprovide EVIDENCE to support the OPINION

offered in the THESIS STATEMENT in the

INTRODUCTION.

The BODY should consist of at least THREE

PARAGRAPHS. Each PARAGRAPH is basedon a SOLID REASON to back your thesis

statement.



Making your ARGUMENT...

Since almost all ISSUES and IDEAS have sound

ARGUMENTS on both sides of the QUESTION, a

good persuasive writer tries to anticipate

opposing VIEWPOINTS and provide COUNTER-

ARGUMENTS along with the MAIN POINTS in the

ESSAY or LETTER.

One of the THREE paragraphs should be used todiscuss OPPOSING viewpoints and your

COUNTER-ARGUMENT.



Convince me, convince me!!!

The PERSUASIVE STRENGTH (the likelihood that thereader will take your side) of your persuasive essay

or letter is just as dependent on how well you

ELABORATE your ARGUMENT as it is on your

ARGUMENT itself.

ELABORATION usually takes one of three forms:

± STATISTICS or RESEARCH (with the source cited,

of course)

±Real-life EXPERIENCES

±Examples



ELABORATING on ELABORATION...Some effective techniques for ELABORATING your argument

are:

Generating a HYPOTHETICAL (what if) INSTANCE:

This is used particularly when you want the

reader to SEE A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW.

Use CUES for the reader (e.g. SUPPOSE

THAT, WHAT IF, HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHTWHAT IT MIGHT BE LIKE IF, etc.)



Elaborating techniques, cont.

CLARIFYING a POSITION:

Carefully evaluate your words to decide what

needs to be EXPLAINED to the reader

(AUDIENCE) and what can be ASSUMED bythem. (Ex. If you were writing to a MUSICIAN

about music, you can assume they know what a

sixteenth note is. However, if you were writingto a MARINE BIOLOGIST about music, youd

need to explain what it is. )



October 12, 2010

In your green workbook titled, Interactive

Reader, complete page 57. Then, read p. 58

and write the definitions for setting and mood

on the bottom of page 57. You have 5 minutes

to complete this from the time the bell rings.

Any foolishness today will be cause for an office

referral.



Even more elaborating techniques...

ILLUMINATING your UNDERLYING TOPIC:� Make sure you provide BACKGROUND

INFORMATION your reader may need

� Include DETAILED, SPECIFIC, ILLUSTRATIVEEXAMPLES to TRIGGER your readers IMAGINATION(this is a good place to include FIGURATIVELANGUAGE, too!)

�DEFINE any special TERMS used

� Arm your reader with all the TOOLS they will needto FULLY UNDERSTAND your position.

� Ms. Richardson: 214.502.1008



Were not done yet!

�DRAWING COMPARISONS: Choose somethingSIMILAR and FAMILIAR to what is being explained

(especially if your topic is one with which your

audience is likely Unfamiliar). Compare and

contrast your position with the something similar.

� Making an ANALYSIS: You can ANALYZE a problem

by looking at the PARTS and THEREFORE help the

reader to UNDERSTAND.

Now, were done. Whew!



Assignment

1. Choose an ELABORATION STRATEGY from

those discussed to use in your letter to me.

2. Write the name of the strategy on your roughdraft.

3. REVISE your writing so that it uses the

strategy you chose.



We shall CONCLUDE with the

CONCLUSION

A piece of PERSUASIVE WRITING usually ends by

SUMMARIZING the most important DETAILS of the

ARGUMENT and stating once again what the READER

is to BELIEVE or DO.

You should do three things in your CONCLUSION:

1. RESTATE your THESIS or FOCUS STATEMENT2. SUMMARIZE (by PARAPHRASING) the MAIN

POINTS of your position





Assignment

Think about your paper from start to finish.1. On a sheet of paper titled, Conclusion Plan,

restate your thesis statement.

2. What are your main points that need to be

restated? Write these on a sheet of paper titled,Conclusion Plan.

3. Which of the four strategies will you use to makeyour personal comment or call for action? Write

this down as well.

4. For homework, put all of this together to write yourconcluding paragraph.



Persuasive essay outline

I. Introduction

I. Get the readers ATTENTION by using a hook

II. Give some BACKGROUND INFORMATION if

necessaryIII. THESIS or focus statement

II. First ARGUMENT or reason to support your

positionI. TOPIC sentence explaining your point

II. ELABORATION to back your point (severalsentences)



Outline, cont.

III. Same as II. but with a different argument or

reason

V. Same as II. but with a different argument or

reason

VI. OPPOSING VIEWPOINT (this is optional, but highly

recommended so that the reader will know you

have considered another point of view and have a

rebuttal to it)I. OPPOSING point to your argument

II. Your REBUTTAL to the opposing point

III. ELABORATION to back your rebuttal (a few sentences)



More outline...

VI. Conclusion

I. Summary of main points or reasons

II. Restate thesis statement

III. Personal comment or a call to action



Final thoughts: General guidelines

When writing a persuasive essay:

� Have a FIRM OPINION that you want your

READER to ACCEPT� Begin with a GRABBER or HOOK to get the

readers ATTENTION

�

Offer EVIDENCE to SUPPORT your OPINION� CONCLUDE with a RESTATEMENT of what you

want the reader to DO or BELIEVE

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Persuasive Writing PPT