A persuasive essay is the form of writing where the logical arguments are presented in an essay with some emotional appeal to grab the attention of the readers over a subject. In this type of essay writing the writer presents the viewpoint of the for and against section and it is all up to the reader to decide which side is better and make judgments according to their choice.
- What is a Persuasive Essay?
- How to Excel in Persuasive Writing?
- Major Elements of Persuasive Essay
- What is the important part of the Persuasive Essay?
- Are facts important in a Persuasive Essay?
- What is the structure of the Persuasive Essay?
- What is the word limit for the Persuasive Essay?
What is a Persuasive Essay?
The persuasive essay means, the type of essay where an argumentative essay introduces both sides of a debate and allows the reader to make an informed choice, a persuasive essay is about the incorporation of the knowledge which backs the thesis statement. The inclusion of the ‘against’ opinion is just to create a counter and to prove our (writer’s) opinion right.
Persuasive essays are present in some or other form in our daily life. The advertisements, the columns and editorial articles, the magazines and journals, and of them target the audience, convincing them to believe what the writer wishes to ask them to believe. The ad in the newspaper convinces the readers to buy the product by displaying the qualities of the product.
Health magazines explain about the healthy lifestyle to follow and maintain a good diet which eventually people follow. Similarly, the travel brochure silently forces the reader to plan a trip that might not be needed at the moment. Therefore, persuasive writing is the most common form of essay writing but is not all just about sharing a lame opinion. The opinions are strongly supported by the facts.
How to Excel in Persuasive Writing?
In order to write a masterpiece in persuasive writing, follow the following techniques:
Choose the subject of your interest
When the subject is you’re forte then you have an interest in it. Also, do your best in persuading when the topic or the subject is the one which you strongly believe in. when you decide to write a persuasive essay on a topic, then, always go for the one which is your domain and in your comfort. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to research it, but the subject of your choice is like the support that allows you to expand your thoughts two times.
KYA(Know your audience)
If you want the best engagement to your essay, then you need to first decide who you are going to write for. Say, for example, you are writing on the topic- of why corporal punishment should be abolished from schools then, your target audience will be the student and their parents. Hence, keeping demography in mind is very important.
Hook the reader
Yes, hooking is important. If you want your reader to read your article completely and your hard work doesn’t go in vain, then you need to provide the hooks in the first paragraph itself. This will help to bind the reader till the end and they won’t get bored. These hooks can be any research finding, any fact, or evidence that supports our write-up. This will provide the engagement of the reader and convince them that the article they are going to read is well researched and reliable.
Dual-sided Research
As already discussed above, the writer has to provide both the opinion on the topic-the ‘favour’ and the ‘against’ of the motion. Therefore, neither of the sides should have any loophole, else someone can prove your theory wrong too. If you are supporting your article with the ‘against’ factors then they should be so strong and researched that readers get completely satisfied.
Go empathetic
It is indeed the most effective and used technique in persuasive essay writing. The reader can only connect to you via your article, only when they will get the essence of what you are trying to give them. They will feel more like you if they will relate to your experiences. An emotional appeal, supported by the facts, directly targets the audience’s sensitivity.
Ask magniloquent questions
This asking question technique in the essays catches the mind of the reader and they are eventually forced to give answers to themselves. This technique is very helpful when the knowledge provided is intended to draw the attention of the audience toward the writer.
Read Similar: Argumentative Essay Topics
Major Elements of Persuasive Essay
There are three essential elements compulsorily present in a persuasive essay to be a masterpiece. These three components are called the mode of persuasion. Interestingly, these three terms were coined by none other than Aristotle, and combining form a compelling piece or argument with a good persuasive essay should feature three essential components known as modes of persuasion. These elements, coined by philosopher Aristotle himself, work together to make a compelling argument that attempts to induce others’ opinions. The three elements are
1. Ethos: Ethos being the primary element of the persuasion aims at establishing credibility, information, and moral character. This is because every reader wishes to read authentic, reliable, and credible knowledge, especially, if it is a personal view or a collective idea of a community. In a nutshell, ethos is the selling punch of your argument.
2. Pathos: Pathos can be counted as grabbing the consideration of the reader’s attention to induce emotional feelings. When triggered by a discrete sentiment of the reader, the chances of the audience’s connection to the article becomes high. This in addition gives you a good number of readers and motivates the writer to write more hitting arguments.
3. Logos: Logos is the element that intrigues readers’ sanity and logic. In a good persuasive essay Logos is a rhetorical or persuasive appeal to the audience’s logic and rationality. Good persuasive writing presents fact-based information with citations and authentic sources which makes it compelling for the reader to believe in it.
FAQs on Persuasive Essay
1. What is the important part of the Persuasive Essay?
Deep research, knowledge of the ‘for’ and ‘against’ of the motion, and type of the audience.
2. Are facts important in a Persuasive Essay?
Facts are very important in any easy way to make it authentic and reliable.
3. What is the structure of the Persuasive Essay?
The structure of a Persuasive essay contains- an introduction, body, and conclusion.
4. What is the word limit for the Persuasive Essay?
As such there are no limits, but too long articles get boring, so 2000-2500 words articles are sufficient.
Conclusion
Persuasive essay writing focuses on to assure the audience relies on the opinion and rebuilds the thinking according to it. Examples of persuasion essays/writing can be criticism, reviews, brochures, and advertisements. You can also try out our other article on How to Improve your Vocabulary as it would be of help while drafting any essays.