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How to write a persuasive essay

A persuasive essay, as the name suggests, aims to convince and persuade the reader to adopt a certain point of view or take a particular action.

The writer must have a sound knowledge of both sides of the issue and explain to the readers not just why a particular side is correct but reasons why the opposing side is incorrect.

For someone who is new to such essays, it can seem like a challenging task, but with practice and research, you can master it in no time.

Steps to write a persuasive essay
When you get assigned an essay, don’t directly jump to the writing part. There are different stages of essay writing – prewriting, writing and post-writing stage.

Let’s start with the prewriting stage
Choose an interesting topic – the first step is to brainstorm different ideas for your essay. Look for an issue that people have multiple perspectives on. Something that people can’t agree on, they usually make the best topics for a persuasive essay.

Decide your stance – before you start the essay, you must be sure about your stance on the topic. Which side do you relate to the most? Figure out the side you want to take after making sure that it will be easily justified or not? Because you can’t convince the reader just by your opinions, they need proof of what you’re saying is right.

Know your audience – it is important for you to understand your target audience to be able to persuade them easily. If you are aware of their beliefs and mindsets, you will know the best possible way to present your points.

Gather strong evidence – research is the most important step of the prewriting stage, as you will need factual data to prove your point. Go through different credible sources and gather data such as quotes, facts, statistics and even real-life examples.

Moving on to the writing stage
Developing the essay outline – having a defined outline gives your paper a proper structure and helps present information in a logical manner.

Introduction – use the introductory paragraph to build the reader’s interest and get familiarized with the main argument. Open with a catchy hook sentence such as a statistic, anecdote, question, quote or a shocking revelation regarding the topic. Followed by a brief explanation of the topic.
Thesis statement – this is the most significant part of the essay introduction. It presents the main claim of your essay and gives the reader an idea of what to expect from the paper.

Body – this is the section where you will elaborate on the issue and provide evidence to support or refute the sides. Discuss a separate point in each paragraph and start them with a topic sentence (crux of the paragraph.) Which is followed by a supporting idea and the supporting evidence.
Conclusion – this is your last chance to convince the reader to agree with your point of view. Rewrite the main points using different words to highlight the importance of the issue. Also, suggest some course of action so the reader has something to act on once the essay is completed.

Finally the post-writing stage

Proofreading – once you get done with the essay, don’t forget to go through it to look for possible errors.

Editing – if there are any grammatical/spelling mistakes or any other inconsistencies, make sure to get rid of them.
These were the steps needed to craft an interesting persuasive essay. If for some reason, you are still confused about the writing process, there is nothing to worry about. There are websites that write papers for you for free. So get in touch with them to avail free essays from expert writers.

Ever heard of the phrase, the first impression is the last impression?

It is important that you make a strong first impression on someone if you want them to like you.

The same holds true when you’re writing an essay or any other academic paper. If your opening is strong, the chances of your professor liking the essay and giving you a good grade increase automatically. Because a reader decides whether or not something is worth reading on the basis of the introduction. If they get bored by the introduction, it is highly unlikely that they will want to read further.

How you start your essay is an important factor and is something that most students have a hard time with. Unsure of what the perfect way is to open the essay, they keep staring at the blank screen or paper.

To avoid this from happening to you, it is essential that you learn the different ways of starting an essay.

The introductory paragraph of your essay is one of the most significant parts that serves as a motivator. It is written in such a way that it helps attract the reader and grab their attention, making them want to read till the end.

Not just that, your introduction also helps educate the reader about the topic at hand so that it becomes easier for them to understand.
A strong essay introduction consists of three important elements – hook sentence, background information and the thesis statement.

Here’s how you need to incorporate each of these elements in your writing:

Writing a hook sentence
Think of an essay hook as the fisherman's hook that is used to catch fish. A hook sentence is an interesting piece of information regarding the essay topic that grabs the reader’s attention.
There are different types of hook sentences that you can choose from, depending on the type of essay and topic.

The most commonly used are:
Quote – you open your essay with a quotation said by a famous person. Make sure that it is relevant to the topic and came from a reliable source.
Question – ask a thought-provoking question that will intrigue the reader making them wanting to know more. Avoid using too obvious or yes/no questions.
Statistic – you can start by some shocking statistical facts related to the topic when writing a more informative essay.
Anecdote – it is similar to a short, funny story that you can share with the reader. It can be a real story or an imaginative one.

Providing background information
Once you have hooked the reader, the next thing you need to do is introduce the topic that you will tackle. Talk about the main idea of the essay and give them some background information so that it gets easier for them to comprehend. Avoid giving away too much at this point so you don’t bore or scare the reader.

Present a strong thesis statement
Lastly, you need to write a strong thesis statement that highlights the main claim and purpose of the essay. A thesis statement should be clear, arguable and easy to justify.
If you still can’t come up with a strong essay introduction, you can look for other options. Get in touch with an expert essay writer to get essay writing help free.