Name ______Date ______

Maximum length – 300 words Due ______

Writing Workshop: Persuasive Essay

The writing process consists of six stages: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing/proofreading, evaluating, and publishing/presenting. Over the next few days in class, you will go through the writing process to produce a persuasive essay.

The purpose of any persuasive discourse or written communication is:

  • To state your premise
  • To support it with clear, cogent and fully explained reasons
  • To conclude as an authority

Each of the questions (situations) posed below contains a similar “would you” component. You should, therefore, take a clear position and support it with your own reasons. You may acknowledge an opposing view but do not explain or defend it. Your reasons should make it clear that there is, for you, no other clear point of view.

Introduction: Find a creative and clear way to interest the reader in the opening. Then, state your premise (main argument) at the end of the introduction.

Body: Use each of your two or three reasons as separate body paragraphs.

Conclusion: End with a voice of clarity and authority.

Choose ONE of the following topics:

  1. If you could spend one year in perfect happiness but afterward would remember nothing of the experience, would you do so? If not, why not?
  2. You discover your wonderful one-year-old child is, because of a mix-up at the hospital, not yours. Would you want to exchange the child to try to correct the mistake?
  3. By controlling medical research funds, you are in the position to guarantee that a cure will be found in 15 years for any disease you choose. Unfortunately, no progress on any others would be made during that period. Would you target one disease?
  4. Assume there was a technological breakthrough that would allow people to travel as easily and cheaply between continents as between nearby cities. Unfortunately, there would also be 100,000 deaths a year from the device. Would you try to prevent its use?
  5. Would you have one of your fingers surgically removed if it somehow guaranteed immunity from all major diseases?
  6. If you could choose the sex and physical appearance of your soon-to-be-born child, would you do it?

Refer to the tips below throughout the writing process!! Use it as a checklist.

I. Prewriting

Gather ideas on a piece of loose-leaf

Brainstorm a list of ideas and examples

Choose three that will best support your argument

Know your audience and purpose

In addition to persuading, would you like to make readers laugh? think? take action? Decide on a purpose.

Think of specifics of your information. Try to include real-life examples.

Getting the Ideas Down

Don’t worry about getting it right the first time. Remember, you will be drafting and revising multiple times.

Work on the easiest part first. You don’t have to begin at the beginning. If it helps, make a diagram, sketch, or drawing of the topic.

Freewrite your thoughts and images. You can organize them later. The key is to get ideas down first because you can always add or remove information.

Don’t worry about mistakes in spelling or grammar; you and your classmates can correct them later.

II. Drafting

Transitions will help you keep the order of events clear for readers.

At the end, don’t just stop. Reinforce your strongest idea in order to make your point.

III. Revising

Be sure that your conclusion fits your purpose. To persuade, close with a striking comment. Consider Changes:

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I open in a creative and clear way to interest the reader?

What specific details and examples have I included?

Did I give too little information? too much?

What transitions have I used?

Do I conclude as an authority figure with a strong point?

Peer Review:

The goal of revising is to make your writing clearer and more interesting. Ask whether the parts go together smoothly and whether anything should be added or deleted.

Read your essay aloud. Listen carefully as you read your paper. How does it sound?

Group members will:

  • Tell you what they have heard in their own words. If you do not hear your ideas restated, revise your writing for clarity.
  • Tell you the part they liked best and why. You may want to expand those parts.
  • Provide you with suggestions to improve your writing.

During the peer review session, you should make notes of the comments. Then revise your draft, using your own judgment and including what is helpful from your classmates’ comments.

IV. Editing

Replace dull, vague words with lively verbs and precise adjectives. Take time to correct errors in spelling, grammar, capitalization, and punctuation.

Each sentence has a subject and predicate. Verb tenses are consistent.

V. Evaluating

Reflect upon your writing and the whole process. Take the time to make last minute revisions.

VI. Publishing/Presenting

Practice speaking and presenting. We will also share our favorite parts of the Workshop.