LitWiki - User contributions [en]

How can my writing be more persuasive?

2005-04-21T16:55:17Z

Mnowell: /* Writing a More Persuasive Essay */

== Writing a More Persuasive Essay ==

=== The goal of writing a persuasive essay ===

"The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader to agree with your
viewpoint or to accept your recommendation for a course of action." (Homework Center) We must
write to express our ideas and opinions. If we believe that something is right or
wrong we should write to express that because not everyone is going to agree on
every topic.

=== What to include in a persuasive essay ===

*Present a strong opinion in your thesis statement.
"The topic sentence cannot be a fact as facts cannot be debated. It should be a statement of position. That position must be clear and direct. This statement directs the readers to follow along with your logic towards the specific stated conclusion that you want them to support. Do not make it personal so do not use personal pronouns. Make it definitive. " (Five Paragraph Essay)

*Use evidence to support your opinions. Site books, articles, research,even internet sources just support your idea with facts and evidence.
*Always remember to consider the opposing view to the one have. If you understand what you are arguing against and can discredit it then you give your own opinion merit.
*Remember to keep to your topic so that neither your writing nor your reader become confused.
*When closing your essay remember to restate firmly your opinion and why you believe it. Do not introduce new material and keep to your original statement.

=== Methods to help organize your paper ===

Create lists of all that you wish to talk about in your paper. Keep your focus narrowed around the central point you wish to make. Writing the following down on paper and keeping that around while you formulate your essay will help to keep you on topic...

*"Purpose: I want to argue in favor of :_______________" (Persuasive Essays) Ask yourself what is the point of your essay. What do you seek to accomplish and how will your choices affect other people.

*"About you:Why do you want to argue in favor of ________________? " (Persuasive Essays) Why will this essay be important? What will this essay change in your life?

*"About your reader: I need to convince __________________________." (Persuasive Essays) Whos mind do you need to change? The majority who holds the power to alter laws? Maybe just a small segment of the population who are into Dungeons and Dragons. Either way remember who you are writing to and write to convince them of your opinion.

=== Four Easy Steps to Writing a Persuasive Essay ===
1. Choose a position to argue and know the purpose of your essay.

2. Decide if your audience is going to respond positively or negatively and write in accordance with that.

3. Do your research. If you are going to argue a point there is nothing better than having facts on your side. Often sheer experience and knowledge are not enough to adequately defend a position.

4. Structure your essay properly making sure to include all useful information. Always keep your purpose, topic, audience, and tone in consideration.

=== Works Cited ===
* [http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills7.html Homework Center: Writing Skills: How to Write a Persuasive Essay]
* [http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1437/pers.html The Five Paragraph Essay Wiard-Persuasive Essay and prompts]
* [http://www.geocities.com/fifth_grade_tpes/persuasive.html Persuasive Essays]

Talk:What are some basic guidelines for approaching literature critically?

2005-03-29T19:08:03Z

Mnowell:

First, think of literature as something that a human wrote and how this story and idea are presented to you. Thid means that the points of writing can be addressed and the person or writer of the work of literature also comes into focus. Second, you figure out a point of discussion and think about what it is that you want to discuss and agrue your views with the text backing up what you feel and think. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How do I organize a critical essay about literature?

2005-03-29T19:03:58Z

Mnowell:

This is much more simple and yet complex to deal with. You argue, that is the best way. You organize your essay from the thesis statement about the literature you're reading, bring up points for discussion, and argue your position from textual examples. Otherwise, the rest is style. ~ M> Nowell

Talk:In what ways can I write about literature?

2005-03-29T19:01:34Z

Mnowell:

Literatue can written about from just about any angle. If there is something to be thought of presented to you in a work of literature it can pretty much be written about. This is not always true but things like ideas, characters, plot, etc. always provide for things you can write about in literature. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What tense do I use when writing about literature?

2005-03-29T18:58:24Z

Mnowell:

Agreed, present tense should be used to talk about literature. You read it now, so it takes place now when you talk about it, or at least that is what I tell myself when I'm going to discuss literature. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How can my writing be more persuasive?

2005-03-29T18:56:52Z

Mnowell:

A good way to make your writng more persuasuve is to write about something where specificly you take a position on something or some issue so that you have something that you want others to beleive and thus something to be seen as wrong. There are other methods, but this one is easier to work with. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:When is something “clichéd” or “trite”?

2005-03-29T18:54:44Z

Mnowell:

Something is chiched or trite when it is so overused that is has become commonplaced and undestood as something that has be so overused. As such, such expressions should be avoided in formal writing. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:Why is the pronoun “this” ambiguous?

2005-03-29T18:52:46Z

Mnowell:

Agreed, this should be used as a measure for expansion not for renaming nouns. It seems that "this" should be used more for situational awareness than unserstanding. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is wrong with “it”?

2005-03-29T18:50:17Z

Mnowell:

Agreed, "it" is overused and causes problems. It can be just about anything and if the reference isn't right that the pronoun will be out of place and the message will not be correctly understood. This confuses readers and should be avoided or not overused if possible. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How do I present titles of poems, novels, etc. in my essay?

2005-03-29T18:47:16Z

Mnowell:

Using your setups make sense and provide a system as not to confuse readers. One of the major things to remember it seems is knowing when to underline, use italics, or quotation marks. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How should an essay be organized?

2005-03-29T18:45:22Z

Mnowell:

The idea is to have a sense of form. There is not an always workable method to organization but there are few basic things to keep in mind. As noted, everything wrtten has to come back to the thesis one way or another. The paragraphs used have to expand upon the thesis and let the writer expree and explain themsleves. The essay should be organized in such a manner as not to confuse readers but should have a system to it to keep the direction of the essay intact. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is “point of view”?

2005-03-29T18:40:56Z

Mnowell:

Point of view is you in the essay and to the extent of where the writer is. The writer perspective of things is the point of view and several methods of wrting and style varaiations allow different points of view to be done. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is “unity”?

2005-03-29T18:35:57Z

Mnowell:

Unity is the focus of the essay and how the organization of the paper comes together to establish and develop the thesis. Ultimately, it must all come back to the thesis and if there are statements out of that purpose they do not belong in the paper. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How do I write a strong conclusion?

2005-03-29T18:33:58Z

Mnowell:

In a way, you restate your introduction. You talk about what you discussed rather than what is coming up though, and rather than a thesis statement and its buildup you go through how the points of the paper go beyond the paper to leave a lasting mark. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is the “body” of an essay?

2005-03-29T18:32:13Z

Mnowell:

The body of an essay are the inner paragraphs that allow for direction and advancement of the thesis, this is where the points of the thesis are clearly and correctly expressed. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How do I write a strong introduction?

2005-03-29T18:30:15Z

Mnowell:

I agree with your points. You write a strong introduction by using it correctly and for its purpose. If you use it to bring the reader in to the paper, present your subject properly, and give a strong thesis that the correct and appropriate introduction allows, then it will be a strong one. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How do I write a strong title?

2005-03-29T18:27:04Z

Mnowell:

A strong title is one that allows the reader to know what the writer is writing about and how they plan to deal with the subject at hand. There should be a sense of direction or purpose in the title so the reader can know how to treat the paper before they even read it. You write one with two parts: an agent and its device. The agent is what it is that you are going to tackle in the paper. The agents device is how the agent is going to be used. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How does an “opening sentence” differ from a “topic sentence”?

2005-03-29T18:25:29Z

Mnowell:

An opening sentence is to general to allow proper direction, it more or less starts a paragraph that gives direction and purpose like a topic sentence does. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a “topic sentence”?

2005-03-29T18:23:35Z

Mnowell:

You have to structure a good paper so that the opening sentence to a paragraph details what the rest of the paragraph is going to be like and what you will discuss in that paragraph. Good formal wrtiting has no to few surprises and topic sentences allow direction from the beginning of the paragraph. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What are some guidelines for writing a thesis?

2005-03-29T18:21:18Z

Mnowell:

I beleive placing your thesis at the end of the introductory paragraph is the best postion. It allows for some discussion before the thesis comes and gives the writer enough time to build up to it so that the thesis doesn't feel so random. Otherwise, just remember to consider you subject, purpose, and audience when you write it. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a “thesis statement” and how do I write a strong one?

2005-03-29T18:06:23Z

Mnowell:

A thesis statment is sentence of sentences in a paper that clearly and correctly establishes the entire paper. The subject, purpose, and audience are all dealt with in the thesis. This statement is all about laying down exactly what you are going to get out in your paper and the reader can understand early on exactly where they are going to end up. You write a strong thesis statement by using creative approaches to tell your audiences what it is that you will be writing about and how you plan to deal with it. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:Is a comma really necessary after the last element in a list of three or more?

2005-03-29T18:02:48Z

Mnowell:

This really is a matter about avoiding confucion and thus poor writing and I fully agree with your point...yes, use it. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a “comma splice”?

2005-03-29T18:01:19Z

Mnowell:

No worse way to confuse a reader than being unclear of sentence structure. As such, a comma splice is not using puncuation incorrectly from improperly using commas to semicolons. If the reader is unsure of what the thought should be there will be confusion and they will unsure of what it is that the writer was trying to express. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What are “coordinating conjunctions”?

2005-03-29T17:55:58Z

Mnowell:

This is a measure of style. In order to write correctly a writer has to put independent clauses together correctly. As noted earilier semicolons can be used but another method is the uage of coordinating conjunctions with the aid of a comma to bring these sentences together correctly. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is “pronoun/antecedent agreement”?

2005-03-29T17:52:59Z

Mnowell:

This is another comment on balance. Like subject-verb agreements, so does the pronoun/antecedent need to agree. If the gender, quanity, or thing is not placed correctly it will throw off readers and confuse them, after all it is the same language that is being used. As such, if refernces are off the reader won't be sure what it is that is being refered and the reader will be confused. It is one of the core problems of good writing. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a “sentence fragment”?

2005-03-29T17:48:41Z

Mnowell:

A sentence fragment is a main problem in writing and as noted is when a sentence isn't really a sentence, it just stops without proper context to the paper or the language for that matter. By not having a clear and full thought, the sentance is useless and confuses readers. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is an independent clause?

2005-03-29T17:45:37Z

Mnowell:

An independent clause as noted is sentence, in terms of parts with noun(s) and verb(s), that does not have to have support. However, it has a major purpose of allowing the usage of dependent clauses with independent clauses for support which is quite useful in advanced or expanded writing and can bring more detail in to the paper simply but using a different style. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a strong title and how do I write one?

2005-03-29T17:39:31Z

Mnowell:

Talk:Where do I go for essay subject ideas?

2005-03-29T17:35:23Z

Mnowell:

You get subject ideas where ever you go to think. A subject is the idea in the mind put into focus and be written about. So, ideas can come from school, home, religion, news, books, people, best friends, etc. Ideas are what is importsnt to you and as such getting out a good subject should come from what is important to you. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is “development” or “support”?

2005-03-29T17:31:38Z

Mnowell:

Development or support is how the paper is built, the directions choosen, and how the directions were dealt with. Developing a paper is wrting it and getting from the introduction and thesis to explaining yourself for the reader. It is the method of how the overall paper is put together and ultimately where you ended up. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is “interesting detail” and how do I use it?

2005-03-29T17:28:22Z

Mnowell:

This is a question more of style than anything else. A good writer is one who can offer concise appropiate writing to readers. In this, the question is really how much intresting detail to use, for overuse will confuse readers and underuse will leave them bored. I use detail to better instrate my initial points rather than use the detail as merit. I believe that if writers do that, a correct amount of detail can be used. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a “thesis statement”?

2005-03-29T17:19:59Z

Mnowell:

Talk:What is “audience”?

2005-03-29T17:16:30Z

Mnowell:

Audience is the reader. The reader is the one that has the job, possibly painful, of going through your words and trying to figure out what it is that you trying to get out of that mind. If the writer does their job and their role correctly, then the reader would have been considered and the focus and style can be played out for the specific reader or audience in question. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is meant by “purpose” in an essay?

2005-03-29T17:10:56Z

Mnowell:

Purpose is the direction or movement of a paper. A good purpose as such will take the reader in the proper direction with clear and easy movement in that direction. Purpose allows the writer to have a goal to reach in terms of what needs to be discussed and presented in the paper. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What is a strong subject for an essay?

2005-03-29T17:05:13Z

Mnowell:

A strong subject is a focused subject. By keeping the subject in close perscpetive with proper context established can a writer truly be good. Subject should be something that a writer's mind can develop and put on to paper. A good writer keeps the subject centered and put into the right point of view for the readers so that no unclear thoughts or ideas get envolved with the principles of the paper. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How does a “topic” differ from a “subject”?

2005-03-29T17:00:44Z

Mnowell:

I agree with your presentation. Subject is the core and principle of what the paper is to be about and topic is what I put into it and how I my mind centers on the bubject at hand. These are to be greatly enforced and dealt with properly in a good strong paper. Keeping the topic in focus allows the reader to be constatly reminded of the issue and approach of the writer at hand. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:What questions do I need to ask as a writer?

2005-03-29T16:53:55Z

Mnowell:

After you answer what the subject, purpose, and audience are for your work, the next step and question you need to tackle is what the context between the subject, purpose, and audience is and how this context should be advanced in the writing. The overall message and understanding why the work is imporant will keep a reader thinking about the work after they finished with it. However, figuring out just why is my writing important and what is you want to leave behind is not easy task. So I try then to think of paper, my work, as the means to clearly let another think about a topic with thoughts that were once just in my mind. In this, the best question a writer can ask would be, how can the reader better understand the importance and value of what your mind is tryiing to put to the page. ~ M. Nowell

Talk:How do I get started writing?

2005-03-29T16:43:34Z

Mnowell:

Writing is hard, pure and simple. Talking to each other, chatting online, or even writing a letter are merely our simple ways of communicating with each other. But, to go beyond and truly write, espeically formal writing, is like practicing a craft. With this in mind, trades are difficult and take practice and as such starting the process is the hardest part. I find the best way to start writing is just to write on paper and get words out. It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong, that part comes later, but was does matter is that thoughts are being recorded and the creative writing process starts. Eventually, you will get a feel for what you want to write and you can expand upon that, just by wrting down a few sentences, statements, or ideas on paper. For the best writers are the best between the transittion between the mind and the paper. ~ M. Nowell

How can my writing be more persuasive?

2005-03-03T16:59:27Z

Mnowell:

== Writing a More Persuasive Essay ==

=== What are the goals of writing a persuasive essay ===

"The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader to agree with your
viewpoint or to accept your recommendation for a course of action." (Homework Center) We must
write to express our ideas and opinions. If we believe that something is right or
wrong we should write to express that because not everyone is going to agree on
every topic.

=== What to include in a persuasive essay ===

*Present a strong opinion in your thesis statement.
"The topic sentence cannot be a fact as facts cannot be debated. It should be a statement of position. That position must be clear and direct. This statement directs the readers to follow along with your logic towards the specific stated conclusion that you want them to support. Do not make it personal so do not use personal pronouns. Make it definitive. " (Five Paragraph Essay)

*Use evidence to support your opinions. Site books, articles, research,even internet sources just support your idea with facts and evidence.
*Always remember to consider the opposing view to the one have. If you understand what you are arguing against and can discredit it then you give your own opinion merit.
*Remember to keep to your topic so that neither your writing nor your reader become confused.
*When closing your essay remember to restate firmly your opinion and why you believe it. Do not introduce new material and keep to your original statement.

=== Methods to help organize your paper ===

Create lists of all that you wish to talk about in your paper. Keep your focus narrowed around the central point you wish to make. Writing the following down on paper and keeping that around while you formulate your essay will help to keep you on topic...

*"Purpose: I want to argue in favor of :_______________" (Persuasive Essays) Ask yourself what is the point of your essay. What do you seek to accomplish and how will your choices affect other people.

*"About you:Why do you want to argue in favor of ________________? " (Persuasive Essays) Why will this essay be important? What will this essay change in your life?

*"About your reader: I need to convince __________________________." (Persuasive Essays) Whos mind do you need to change? The majority who holds the power to alter laws? Maybe just a small segment of the population who are into Dungeons and Dragons. Either way remember who you are writing to and write to convince them of your opinion.

=== Works Cited ===
------. Homework Center: Writing Skills: How to Write a Persuasive Essay.
http://www.infoplease.com/homework/writingskills7.html. 3 March 2005

------. The Five Paragraph Essay Wiard- Persuasive Essay and prompts.
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Atrium/1437/pers.html. 3 March 2005

------. Persuasive Essays. http://www.geocities.com/fifth_grade_tpes/persuasive.html. 3 March 2005