Persuasive Writing

We are learning to: Identify and write/assess our persuasive

essays

What we are looking for today able to consider both sides of an argument able to use appropriate linking words/phrases Able to use evidence effectively Able to reach a reasoned conclusion

What do we know about Persuasive Writing already?

Are cats good or evil?

Cats are great Cats are evil

What is a Persuasive Text? A persuasive text favours one side of an

argument

It considers another opinion (but disproves it)

It comes to a conclusion based on evidence.

It persuades others to agree with this conclusion.

Features of a Discursive Text

Structure

Paragraphs

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

Persuasive Language

Evidence

Linking words

Sentences that introduce

each point

Introduction Introduce your argument

Give some general background information (for those of us who are not walking encyclopaedias)

Explain what you will be talking about in your essay.

Do all this without saying ‘my’, ‘I’, ‘our’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘me’, ‘you’, or ‘this essay’.

Try writing your introduction in your jotter now.

1 Argument per Paragraph S - Statement Give your argument a topic sentence that

introduces the argument and uses an appropriate connective.

E – Evidence Give us the benefit of all your (researched)

wisdom on the topic and tell us why we should believe you.

A – Analysis All this information’s nice, but what has it got to

do with the overall argument.

Conclusion By this point, we’ve pretty much forgotten what

you were saying in the first place so remind us of what the essay was about again.

While you’re at it, can you also remind us what arguments you talked about again? (avoid doing this all in the same sentence though, because we get confused.)

We want to know what YOUR opinion is, so make a decision and tell us about it (without mentioning yourself).

ConnectivesConnectives (also called a

conjunction) are words and

phrases that link different ideas

together.

ConnectivesThey are particularly useful when

placed at the beginning of a

paragraph to introduce what that

paragraph will be about (also

called a topic sentence).

ConnectivesFor example:

“Firstly, it has been said that

phone use in classrooms can

promote reading.

Connectives (can you think of any)

• According to

• To begin with

• First of all

• First and foremost

• With regard to

• It is often said that

• To start with

• As far as -- is concerned

IMPORTANT:

If there is no way you can link a point you are making, you should think about whether it really belongs there!

Connectives• As well as

• Moreover

• Further /Furthermore

• Additionally

• Besides

• What is more

• Similarly

• Equally

• Alternatively

• In contrast

• Conversely

• This said

• On the contrary

• However

• Despite

• Even though