This document provides information on writing persuasive paragraphs. It defines persuasion and lists common forms of persuasive writing. It outlines the key components of a persuasive paragraph, including establishing a clear purpose, knowing your audience, doing research to support your opinion, and using methods of persuasion like facts, authorities, examples, predicting consequences, and answering opposition. It provides examples and guidelines for crafting an effective persuasive paragraph, such as considering your audience and avoiding exaggeration.

1. UNIVERSITY OF EL SALVADOR
WESTERN MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAMPUS
FOREIGN LANGUAGE DEPARTMENT

2. OBJECTIVES
At the end of the class, SWBAT:
1.actively learn more about paragraph writing.
2.internalize how a persuasive paragraph is
organized and developed.
3.write a short paragraph more consciously and
accurately.

3. Persuasive Paragraph

4. Definitions:
1. Persuade: to move by argument,
entreaty, or expostulation to a belief,
position, or course of action
Source: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary
2. Persuade: to make someone agree to do
something by giving them reasons why they
should.
Source: macmillandictionary.com

5. Forms of Persuasive Writing
 Advertisements
 Editorials
 Speeches
 Propaganda
 Reviews
 Blogs
 Persuasive paragraphs or essays

6. Persuasive Writing can be used
to…
Purpose
• Support a cause
• Urge people to action
• Make a change
• Prove something wrong
Persuasive Statement
 “Please support my
football team by buying
discount coupons.”
 “Vote for Sarah!”
 “The principal should let us
wear hats.”
 “Cell phones don’t cause
brain cancer.”

7. Persuasive Writing can be used
to…
Purpose
• Stir up sympathy
• Create interest
• Get people to agree with
you
Persuasive Statement
 “If you don’t adopt this dog, it
could have to live in a shelter.”
 “Better grades get you a better
job and more money.”
 “I am sure you’ll agree that
MilkyWay is the best candy
bar.”

8. Persuasive Paragraph
 A persuasive paragraph gives the
writer’s opinion on the topic and tries
to get the reader to agree with it. The
supporting details are very important
in a persuasive paragraph. After all, if
you want someone to agree with you,
you’ve got to give them a reason!

9. Considering the Audience
 You must pay special
attention to the audience
as you write a persuasive
paragraph.
 A persuasive paragraph
gives the writer’s opinion
on the topic and tries to
get the reader to agree
with it.

10. First…Know Your Audience…
 Before you start writing, you should know your
audience:
 Who will read your writing? Who do you need
to convince?
 The audience may be your friends, your
teacher, your parents, your principal, the
readers of a newspaper or the President of the
United States!
 Will you be graded? On What?
 Should you be casual or professional?

11. In order to
convince the
reader you need
more than just an
opinion; you need
facts or examples
to back your
opinion. So, be
sure to do the
research!
Second: Do Your Research…

12. Checklist
 Decide exactly what it is you want your
reader to do or think.
 Compose a topic sentence using should,
ought, must, or their negatives.
 Jot down all the reasons you can think
of.
 Select the best ones and drop those that
do not relate to your topic.

13.  If you use facts, be sure that they are accurate
and that the source of your facts is clear. If you
use an example, be sure that is a valid one and
adequetely supports your argument. If you
refer to an authority, be sure that he or she is
really an authority and not biased. If one of
your reasons predicts the consequence, be sure
that the consequence flows logically from your
statement. If one of your reasons is an answer
to the opposition, be sure to state the
opposition’s point of view fairly and refute it
adequately.

14.  Make a plan for the paragraph.
 Write a draft of your persuasive paragraph.
 Check for unity, logic, and coherence;
rewrite or revise as necessary.
 Proofread for errors in grammar,
punctuation, sentence structure, speelling
and mechanics.

15. METHODS OF PERSUASION
 The basic kinds of persuasive support utilized
in persuasive paragraphs are:
1.Facts
2.Referring to an authority
3.Examples
4.Predicting the consequence
5.Answering the opposition

16. 1. FACTS
 They should appeal to the reader’s mind, not
just to the emotions. The source of your facts
should be clear to the reader. If you wish to
prove that children’s eyesight should be
checked every year by a doctor, you might
look for supporting facts in appropriate books
and magazines, or you might ask your eye
doctor for information. Your paper might say:

17. “Many people suffer serious visual impairment
later in life because they receive insufficient
or inadequate eye care when they were
children, according to an article in Better
Vision (May 1983).”
 impair: to damage or make worse by or as
if by diminishing in some material respect
*his health was impaired by overwork*
 synonyms see INJURE
Source: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

18. AVOID…
 Avoid the vague “everyone knows” or “it is
common knowledge” or “they all say.” such
statements will make your reader justifiably
suspicious of your “facts.”

19. 2. REFERRING TO AN
AUTHORITY An authority is an expert, someone who can
be relied on to give unbiased facts and. If
you wish to convince your readers that
smoking is a dangerous habit, you might use
the statement that appears on every pack of
cigarettes: “The Surgeon General has
determined that cigarette smoking is
dangerous to your health.” the Surgeon
General is an excellent and knowledgeable
authority whose opinion

20. Cont…
On medical matters is considered valid and
unbiased.
Avoid appealing to “authorities” who are
interesting or glamorous but who are experts.
unbiased: free from bias; especially: free
from all prejudice and favoritism
Source: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary

21. 3. EXAMPLES
 An example should clearly relate to the
argument and should be typical enough to
support the argument. If you wish to convince
your reader that high schools should provide
more funds than they do for women’s sports,
you might say, “Jefferson High School, for
instance, has received inquiries from sixty
female students who would be willing to join a
women’s basketball or baseball team if the
school could provide the uniforms,the space, and
a coach.”

22. 4. PREDICTING THE CONSEQUENCE
 Predicting the consequence helps the reader
visualize what will occur if something does or
does not happen. To convince your readers
that conserving energy is the duty of every
citizen, you might say, “If we do not conserve
our resources, we may soon face the time
when schools and public buildings will be
open only half days because of the lack of
heating fuel.”

23. AVOID…
 Avoid exaggerating the consequences. For
example: “If you do not eat fresh fruit every
day, you will always be ill.” This
exaggerates the consequences of not
eating fresh fruit every day. Fresh fruit is
important, but by exaggerating its
importance, you make the reader
understandably suspicious.

24. 5. ANSWERING THE OPPOSITION
 Answering possible critics shows that you are
aware of the opposition’s argument and are
able to respond to it. If you wish to convince
your readers that your candidate is the best
on the ballot, you might say, “Some have
criticized him for running a low-keyed
campaign, but he feels the issues and his
stand on them should speak for themselves.”

25. CONT… AVOID…
 Avoid calling the opposition “fools” or
“crooks.” Attack their ideas, not them.

26. Examples of topic sentences
using each method:
 FACTS:
1. A spotlight should be placed at the dangerous
intersection at Hoover and Palm Streets.
2. People should not get married until they are at
least twenty-five years old.

27. 2. REFERRING TO AN
AUTHORITY
1. The citizens of Santa Ana must help the
police if the rising crime rate is to be
stopped.
2. Most people should get at least one half
hour of vigorous exercise every day.

28. 3. EXAMPLES
1. Watching their parents fight is harder on
children than dealing with divorce.
2. Schools must provide young people with
an adequate sex education because
ignorance hurts.

29. 4. PREDICTING THE CONSEQUENCE
1. The English Department should (should not)
offer cash prizes for the best student essays.
2. Salvadorean government should (should
not) prohibit the sale of handguns online.

30. 5. ANSWERING THE OPPOSITION
1. The university of El Salvador should
(should not) drop its required-attendance
policy.
2. Abortions on demand should (should not)
be legal.

31. More examples:
 Teachers in kindergarten should develop
meaningful activities in order to discover
children’s competencies.
 The university of El Salvador should
approve interships in all majors.
 More security guards should be hired to
take care student’s lives at UES.