Persuasive Essay – Basic Guidelines

Persuasive essay writing is a form of argument which the writer will put forward to the reader and try to convince him to believe in his way of thinking. This is also one of the most common way of writing to express one’s views and opinions while trying to convert the reader. Persuading someone is not an easy job, and one needs to write strongly and convincingly to convert a person.

There are three main ways in which one can appeal to the reader. The first way is to appeal to the ethos or credibility. Here the writer writes in a manner that shows clarity, has no contradiction in itself and is completely error free. By writing in this manner the writer builds up a credibility in his name and the reader will start believing in is writing. The second method is the appeal to logic or the logos. Here the writer presents his views and opinions backed by rock solid evidences from other authors’ works, which will make the article appear rational to the reader. The third way is the emotional appeal, where the writer directly appeals to the reader’s feelings on the issue. However a good way to write a successful persuasive essay is to put in a mix of all the three methods.

Persuasive essay writing follows the same five paragraph format like any other essay type. It will have an introduction, a body and a conclusion. The tone of the essay should not be too harsh or too critical or else it would alienate the reader, which would not be a good idea if one is preparing to convince them. An emotional or a personal appeal is a good way to convince and one should do this by using simple but well organised thoughts and expressions. The writer can give examples from his life or examples form other reliable sources which can also go a long way in convincing the reader. Other arguments that oppose the writer’s views must also be presented and rebutted, so that the reader is aware of the opposing views and understands their fallacies.

Unlike an argumentative essay or a critical essay, a persuasive essay devotedly and whole heartedly aims to convince and persuade the reader. It will try to wipe away any sort of opposition and will focus only on crushing and brushing aside of any figment of doubt in the reader’s mind. The writer should have the ability to compel the reader to think alike and to put forward all arguments in a correct, logical and coherent manner which will bring out the core of the topic and the objective.

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