The Power of Persuasion

1
The Power of Persuasion

• Making a great argument

2
Understanding your goal

• Ideas Use specific reasons to defend a position
  about an issue.
• Organization Create a beginning that states
  your position, a middle that provides support and
  an ending that restates your position.
• Voice Use a persuasive voice that balances
  facts and feelings.
• Word Choice Choose fair words and qualifiers to
  strengthen your position.
• Sentence Fluency Write clear, complete
  sentences with varied beginnings.
• Conventions Check your writing for errors in
  punctuation, capitalization, spelling and
  grammar.

3
Ideas

• Choose the side you can write the best essay
  about.
• It may not be the way you actually FEEL about the
  issue.
• However, you may find it easier to write a paper
  about the side you agree with.

4
Organization

• A table needs at least three legs to stand
  on.
• In the same way, your position needs at least
  three supporting reasons. In your essay you will
  organize these reasons by building toward the
  most important one.

5
Voice and Word Choice

• Writing persuasively takes careful word choice.
• Try and connect with the reader. Use your voice.
• Dramatize the controversy. Elaborate with
  specific examples full of emotion.
• Be creative. Let your imagination work for you
  but sound knowlegable.
• Be passionate! Strong words work! PERSUADE!

6
Sentence Fluency

• Vary the kind of sentences you write to add
  interest with your reader.
• Do not begin all sentences the same way.
• Do not use too many short, choppy sentences.

7
Conventions

• Proof your paper carefully for misspelled words,
  incorrect capitalization or punctuation.
• Read carefully to see if each and every sentence
  makes sense.
• Check to see if verbs agree with subjects and if
  pronouns agree with their antecedents.
• Ask yourself Is my point clearly made?

8
Prewriting

• Read the prompt carefully.
• Decide what the issue is and what side you will
  take.
• Write a clear position statement to guide you.
• Create an outline as a planning guide.
• Back up your reasons with personal detail and
  examples. BE SPECIFIC!
• Use emotional language as you move from paragraph
  to paragraph. Intensity sells!

9
Example

• Due to the increasing proportion of ethnic
  communities in every state, the National Center
  for Education has initiated a request that all
  states require middle and high school students to
  take at least two years of a foreign language.
• Before you write, think about the impact this new
  policy would have on your school and your
  individual schedule.
• Now write to convince the Florida Educators
  Association of whether or not Florida should
  adopt this policy for its middle and high school
  students.