Essaytips
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The document provides tips for writing a persuasive essay, including making the audience interested through an attention-grabbing introduction. It should be well-organized with an introduction stating both sides of the issue and the writer's thesis. Three paragraphs should then each elaborate on a reason supporting the thesis. The conclusion restates the thesis and reasons to leave the reader with a final thought. Statistics and quotes can be fictional for practice essays. A good essay engages the audience and supports a clear thesis through specific examples.
Essaytips
- 1. U nlocking the Secrets of the Persuasive Essay Hints on how to make your essay be its very best…
- 2. What really matters… ♦ The first thing to remember that your audience is a person who likes very much to be interested in and even entertained by what you have written. ♦ Once you have the audience’s interest, the next thing to do is have your essay be well organized with all the necessary parts in their proper place, using correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. ♦ You must be sure that your essay is easy to understand; that it is clear and coherent. ♦ The thing you want to avoid most is being confusing.
- 3. From the beginning… ♦ The most important sentence in your essay is the first sentence, the lead-in, for this is when you “grab” the reader’s attention. ♦ Let’s say your topic is “Should the Death Penalty be abolished?” ♦ Your lead-in could be “Right now, in America, 37% of the convicts on death row are innocent and will be unjustly executed for no good reason!”
- 4. More about the beginning… ♦ After you have given your lead-in, you need to show that you can see both sides of the issue, the “pros” and “cons”with one short reason. ♦ The “pros” is where you say: “Some people say yes, the death penalty should be abolished, for it is cruel and unusual punishment.” ♦ The “cons” would say: “Other people say no, it should not be abolished, the death penalty is necessary to stop murders.”
- 5. Now tell what you think… ♦ After you give the pros and cons, now it’s time to say what you think in the Thesis Statement and give your three reasons to support your opinion: ♦ “I believe that the death penalty should be abolished because many innocent will be unjustly executed, it is against the Bible’s commandment ‘thou shalt not kill’ and it is forbidden by the US Constitution as a cruel and unusual punishment.”
- 6. Now, the support paragraphs ♦ The next three paragraphs support and elaborate on the reasons that you stated in your thesis. Be sure to be specific and don’t generalize. ♦ For instance, to support your first reason “many innocent people will be executed” you could say: ♦ “Studies have shown that 37% of the people on death row are innocent and do not belong there. Some are there because they are a member of an unpopular minority. Many are there because the police needed to make an arrest and didn’t care who they arrested as long as they had someone to blame. It is totally wrong for the state to kill innocent people just to look good in the papers.” ♦ The next 2 paragraphs should do the same thing. ♦ Remember to save your strongest reason for last to leave the reader with your best thought.
- 7. Finally: your conclusion. ♦ Here, in your 5th paragraph, you summarize what you said in your paper. You repeat your thesis and briefly give your three supporting reasons again. It is a good idea to paraphrase (say in different words) your thesis and reasons, so that your essay is not too repetitive. ♦ Your conclusion should be a “mirror image”of your introduction. But you do not need to give the pros and cons again in the concluding paragraph, just your thesis, your 3 reasons and your “tag line.” ♦ The “tag line” is the last line of your essay and is the second most important line after the lead-in because this is where you leave the reader with your final thought.
- 8. Your conclusion continued… ♦ Your conclusion could be: ♦ “The death penalty has no place in modern America. It is a throwback to older barbaric times The death penalty causes many innocent people to be unjustly killed, it is against the law of God given in the Bible, and it is rejected by the “cruel and unusual punishment” amendment of the US Constitution. I strongly urge everyone to write to their Congressman and demand that the death penalty be abolished once and for all.
- 9. About statistics and quotes: ♦ 37% is not a real statistic, it is pretend and made up for the class or test essay. ♦ When you are writing your essay, if you want to make up numbers out of your imagination, it is OK. ♦ If you want to make up a quote from a magazine, newspaper or TV show; fine, go ahead and do it. ♦ Nobody is going to check up on you. The only thing that matters are that your numbers or quote seem reasonable and help to support the point you are making. ♦ On the other hand,if you are writing a real research paper, then, of course, you need to use genuine, valid information.
- 10. Now remember: A Good Essay: ♦ Is interesting. ♦ Has three different reasons ♦ Is well organized. to support the main ♦ Uses proper grammar, opinion of the thesis. spelling, and punctuation. ♦ Has three well-elaborated ♦ specific reason Has all the elements in the paragraphs. right place. ♦ Saves the best, strongest ♦ Has a powerful “grabber” reason for last. lead-in sentence. ♦ Concludes by “mirroring” ♦ Shows both sides of the the introduction by issue. repeating the thesis and ♦ Has a well-defined thesis the 3 supporting reasons statement (your opinion) and leaves the reader with which takes a definite a strong “tag line” to side. remember.