How To Write A Persuasive Essay

The success of this type of essay highly depends on the good choice of topics. Topic ideas originate from different subjects. Each topic is unique to the writer who best understands what they would like the reader to understand from their essay.

For students in college, school, and university, their interaction with this type of essay through their academic life is countless. This essay particularly involves the application of logic and facts to announce a stand on a certain issue being discussed. 

Persuasive essays are important in academics for good credits in exams. This type of essay can, however, be applied in real life as a skill to enable someone to have a logical type of thinking and convince others why they have a specific stand in certain issues. It also encourages persuasion and critical thinking skills.

Writing a persuasive essay

  • Selecting an engaging topic – the toughest part is the choosing of a manageable, interesting, and relevant topic in ensuring the success of a persuasive essay. Once this part is done, it should be easy to find supporting evidence and creating a flow of ideas.
  • Declaration of a clear stand in the topic of discussion – this essay requires the writer to declare the stand they choose to defend throughout the paper. 
  • Audience – the major aim of this paper is the persuasion of readers. It is, therefore, crucial to have good knowledge of who your audience is made up of and ensure the information is relevant for them.
  • Research – thorough research provides the writer with sufficient information to refute or support their claims in the argumentative essay. 
  • Use evidence that is most logical and convincing to the audience.
  • Ensure your writing is engaging. This will greatly contribute to attracting and keeping the reader’s attention throughout the writing.
  • Keep your writing clear and objective.

Differentiating persuasive essays from speeches

Persuasive speech is also a type of persuasive writing. It is mostly applied in the professional field than the academic. An essay and a speech are generally two different writing forms despite the end goal are convincing of an audience about something.

Some of the differences include

  • Format – the normal introduction, body, and conclusion compose the general format for an essay but speech has a conclusion for each point addressed to keep the audience at par with the speaker.
  • Audience – an essay is meant for readers but a speaker addresses an audience that is live, real-time.
  • Presentation – a speech is more physical with the speaker using body cues to read the audience and their reaction but an essay is more about the use of words to evoke the emotions of the readers as the writer is not physically present.
  • Tone – the difference in the tone applied is brought about by the difference in the audiences addressed. In a speech, the speaker uses the tone of his/her voice to emphasize a certain point but in an essay uses words to emphasize points to be noted by the audience.

Following the provided tips may go along way towards helping a student or a professional develop a great persuasive writing paper.