An essay is a widely used type of a written work in different educational establishments. There are various types of essays and each of them has its own purpose (to describe something, tell a story, or attempt to alter one’s opinion). If you want to make someone come around on something, the best essay type would be a persuasive essay.
What is a Persuasive Essay?
The most accurate persuasive essay definition is the following: it is a composition, that intends to assure oneself of a specific idea, which are you committed to. You can base your essay on your standpoint regarding anything. A persuasive essay convinces the reader of something using various points of view and emotions. For criteria and key features of writing a persuasive essay click here.
Persuasive Essay Peculiarities
- Usually, people write a persuasive essay as a task in school or college. Read the task attentively. Pay attention to the words that help you understand what the composition should be.
- If you have such an opportunity, consider discourse that you want to defend. Haste will only hinder you. Give yourself time to do a brainstorm, write, and test your writing.
- Take a rhetorical situation into account. It is comprised of five elements: the text (your composition), the author (you), the readers, the message purpose, and the setting.
- Unless something else is indicated in the text of the assignment, you will need to write an essay in a classical way. This type of essay uses rhetorical persuasion tools. You will have the opportunity to access emotions, and not just logic and verified facts. Use a variety of justifications, but be very careful. The most convincing are accurate data, facts, and other types of information that are difficult to oppose. In persuasive essays, the author usually gives very precise statements, and his or her point of view is unambiguous. This allows the reader to understand what you are trying to convey from the very beginning.
- Think about your audience. What seems convincing to one person will not convince the other. It is important to consider who your target audience is. Of course, your professor will be the main reader, but you should consider who else will find your arguments convincing.
- State the main point. This statement should reflect your opinion or belief in lay terms. It is usually placed at the end of the first introductory paragraph. It is very important to write the fundamental statement correctly, otherwise readers will not know what to expect from your work.
- Think about all the facts and arguments. You need to evaluate your opinion and decide which arguments seem optimal to you. You should also think about possible counterarguments that can trip you up.
- Study the material if necessary. When you have several ideas, you will need to delve into them and study each of them. It is imperative to research all available material before proceeding to write a persuasive essay.
To sum it up, everyone needs to know how to write a persuasive essay, as this skill can be very useful in the future, for example, for writing a letter to your boss about raising your salary.