Persuasive Essay Writing Tutorial: How to Convince the Reader
An essay is an academic assignment in which students have to express their points of views on particular study subjects. A persuasive essay should convince a target audience that a chosen position is correct and is the best one. A great essay changes the readers’ positions and makes them act the way the author would like them to. Every writer can use three main methods to convince his or her readers. Study their brief descriptions below, and select the one you like the most.
- Method 1: Ethics and Understanding
- Method 2: Logical Arguments
- Method 3: Emotions and Feelings
This method is based on the use of ethics rules, which are traditionally accepted by the target audience. The ancient Greeks believed that a character would be respectfed and trusted if others believed he or she displayed good ethics. This is particularly true when talking about authorities or experts in a specific field. Imagine that the audience is comprised of your essay readers, and you are the character. To convince them, you have to convey a sense of good ethics. In other words, your task is to persuade them that you are a credible expert in the field. Therefore, you need to conduct deep research on your study topic; also remember that the proper writing style helps display the ethics as well.
Logic is very important in the modern world; you must use it if you want to convince the readers to accept your point of view. You do not have to use scientific logic, but rather apply a type of logic that is easily grasped by common people. You can compose an excellent essay if you create formal arguments that lead to a clear conclusion and support your thesis statement. A common mistake is that students often use assumptions instead of logical reasons, so they cannot convince their readers and lose credibility.
This method deals with the emotions and feelings of your readers. It is well-known that people do not always make rational decisions. In many cases, their decisions are based on emotions rather than logical reasoning. The strongest emotions are anger and fear. If you want to use this method to convince your readers, you need to reach out to them on an emotional level. To write an effective essay, you should understand the purpose of the writing, learn the expectations of your audience, and master your writing skills. Word choice is very important as well, and it is a good idea to find a great quote of a famous person.