Writing a Persuasive Argument

Ethos

Ethos is an ethical appeal that emphasizes the character, values, and credibility of the writer. Writers build credibility and reliability by acknowledging opposing viewpoints, appearing knowledgeable on the topic, and sharing personal stories. These techniques help to establish trust between the reader and the writer. In this excerpt from the Gettysburg Address, note how President Abraham Lincoln begins by connecting with his audience by describing their mutual ancestors, who were well respected. The audience then sees that, like these ancestors, Lincoln also shares the admirable values of freedom and justice: Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that "all men are created equal".

Overall Structure

Next, let's look at the overall structure of a persuasive paper. This paper has the same general structure as an essay, with three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. Dividing a paper into these three parts creates a sense of unity and flow for the essay as a whole. Introduction: The introduction is the opening point of an argument. It presents readers with the main idea and purpose of the argument. It should also contain the thesis statement. Body: The body's purpose is to provide the supporting material to persuade readers to accept the argument. It presents evidence to justify the argument's main and secondary claims. Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes all the key ideas of the paper. It reminds readers why they should care about the argument, and it might inspire them to take action.

Pathos

Pathos is an appeal to the readers' feelings and emotions. In special cases, emotional appeals work better than logical appeals to present a more heartfelt and moving picture of reality. Keep in mind, though, that writers should use pathos only when they have strong evidence to support their claims. Otherwise, pathos can be used to make manipulative or illogical arguments stronger. Emotional appeals can affect readers' ability to analyze an argument objectively by feeding on their insecurities, biases, and personal desires. So, use emotional appeals with care and beware of their use in the writings of others. Consider this excerpt from the Gettysburg Address: It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom— and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Note how Lincoln uses pathos to appeal to emotions arising from the tragic loss of soldiers during the Civil War. By doing so, he brings a heartfelt quality to his audience's sense of brotherhood and their feelings of patriotism.

Proofreading

Proofreading will help you find any spelling or grammatical errors in your paper. Here are a few broad areas to pay attention to while proofreading: Spelling: Use a dictionary or another reliable resource to ensure correct spelling. Missing or doubled words: Reread the paper to catch any missed or doubled words. Complete sentences: Check that all the sentences contain a subject and a verb to form an independent clause. Comma usage: Refer to reliable grammar sources to avoid common comma errors, such as comma splices. Uniformity: Ensure that all the grammatical elements in the paper, such as nouns and pronouns, tenses, and so on, remain consistent. Apostrophe use: Remember that apostrophes are used only to indicate possession and in contractions such as you're and we're.

Using Rhetorical Language

Writers use rhetorical language and certain types of appeals to persuade their readers to adopt their viewpoints. Writers of persuasive arguments generally use three kinds of appeals: logical appeals (logos), emotional appeals (pathos), and ethical appeals (ethos).

Forming a Thesis

After identifying a topic for your persuasive essay, it's time to build a solid thesis statement around it. The thesis statement conveys the central idea of your argument to your readers. It describes what you plan to say about your topic. Your aim is to persuade readers to agree with your thesis. In other words, you want your readers to understand why your thesis makes sense. To help convince readers of your argument, a persuasive paper will present claims and evidence that support the thesis statement.

Understanding the Topic

Although arguing may seem like simply having a heated discussion, a meaningful and quality debate includes more than just raised voices. Elements such as structure, language, and evidence are important tools that impact and improve an argument. Skilled writers and debaters use these tools to build solid arguments. When you read a well-done argumentative paper, you may wonder what tricks the writer used to sound so eloquent and persuasive. These writers didn't use magic to craft such a paper; they used writing techniques refined with much practice. In this lesson, we will identify the key features of writing a persuasive argument.

Logos

Logos appeals to readers' sense of logic. Logical appeals strengthen arguments by providing strong evidence that's difficult to dispute. Logical appeals often come in the form of either inductive reasoning or deductive reasoning. Inductive reasoning starts from a fact or data and then draws a logical conclusion from it. This mode of reasoning moves from a specific detail to more general points. For example, if you see that a higher percentage of people who are around secondhand smoke develop lung cancer, you could use inductive reasoning to claim that secondhand smoke is harmful. Deductive reasoning is the opposite of inductive reasoning. It takes a general point and makes claims about the specific outcomes would arise from the general point. Let's look at an example of deductive reasoning in this excerpt from the Declaration of Independence. In it, Thomas Jefferson starts with the commonly held notion that all men are born free and with equal rights. He goes on to say that governments are formed by people to ensure that everyone can exercise their rights freely. From these general points, he deduces a specific outcome. In this case, he deduces that if governments turn destructive, it's the right of the people to take control and rebel: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it . . .

Building a Structure

Once you have your argument, thesis statement, and supporting evidence, you're ready to organize your essay into coherent sections. Before looking at the bigger sections of an argumentative paper, let's revisit the elements of the paragraph, which serve as the foundation for developing ideas. Paragraph Structure A paragraph focuses on developing a single point. A number of paragraphs can then be strung together to form a larger section of an argument. Every paragraph should contain four basic elements. Here are the first two: A topic sentence: Include an opening sentence that conveys the main idea of your paragraph. Adequate development: Develop the topic of a paragraph clearly, with sentences that support the topic sentence

Polishing Persuasion

Once you've written your persuasive essay, you need to polish it further by revising, editing, and proofreading it. Revising You can fix any structural problems the paper might have by revising it. Follow these revision guidelines: Consider the main point of the paper by asking yourself if it contains a clear thesis. Make sure that the content of the paper fits its purpose and target audience. Check whether the evidence presented in the body adequately supports the thesis. Eliminate any ideas that don't fit the thesis. Make the language tight and accessible by deleting unclear and confusing words and ideas. Try to analyze the paper from an outsider's perspective. It will help give you an unbiased view of the paper and help in effective revisions.

Developing an Argument

Supporting Claims Claims form the basis of an argument. Think of claims as assertions, or statements, that a writer makes. The thesis statement typically contains an essay's central claim. The writer builds a persuasive argument around this central claim. Writers generally use four types of claims: Fact-based claims: These claims often challenge the common definition or understanding of a topic. Or they make an argument about whether something is an established fact. Here's an example of a fact-based claim: What some people consider writer's block is actually laziness and daydreaming on the writer's part. Cause-and-effect-based claims: These claims debate whether an event or occurrence is the result of something else. Here's an example of a cause-and-effect-based claim: Urbanization has led to an increase in the environmentally harmful practice of cutting down forests. Value-based claims: These claims argue about the worth or value of a given practice or idea. Here's an example of a value-based claim: Dumping toxic industrial waste into waterways is the greatest threat to aquatic life. Claims related to solutions and policies: These claims argue for or against a particular solution or policy for dealing with a problem. Here's an example: Instead of banning the use of poisonous car fuels, we should look for cleaner, more sustainable forms of energy. Regardless of the type of claim you use, you'll need to support your claims with evidence. Researching and Using Evidence Once you make a claim, you need to back it up with supporting evidence. You can present your evidence in various ways: quotations: the direct words of outside sources that confirm your claim summary: a brief wrap-up of all the factual evidence you've gathered regarding your claim visual representations: images, graphs, charts, and illustrations that support your claim