1. Persuasive Writing
TOPIC: FOOTBALL AT THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL LEVEL
GOAL: STUDENTS SHOULD
DEFINITELY NOT PLAY FOOTBALL
AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
THREE REASONS:
1. FOOTBALL IS TOO PHYSICAL OF
A SPORT, AND ADOLESCENTS
NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE
NONVIOLENT SPORTS AND/OR
WAYS OF RELEASING THEIR
2. ENERGY.
2. FOOTBALL IS A DEMANDING
SPORT, AS IT TAKES A LOT OF
TIME TO PRACTICE, WHICH
TAKES AWAY FROM A CHILD’S
EDUCATION.
3. FOOTBALL IS TYPICALLY ONLY
PLAYED BY BOYS, WHICH
PERPETUATES THE
STEREOTYPE THAT MALE
SPORTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT
THAN FEMALE SPORTS.
THESIS STATEMENT:
ALWAYS LOCATED IN THE
3. INTRODUCTORY
PARAGRAPH
USUALLY IS THE LAST
SENTENCE IN THE
PARAGRAPH
USUALLY INTRODUCES
YOUR THREE MAIN
REASONS IN ORDER
USUALLY IS ONLY ONE
SENTENCE
ALWAYS CONTAINS THE
GOAL OF YOUR ESSAY
SHOULD CONTAIN
PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE
AND STRONG VERBS
4. SHOULD BE IN ACTIVE
VOICE
THESIS STATEMENT: School
administrators should eliminate
football at the middle school level
because this sport is too violent,
time-consuming, and discriminatory
for adolescents.
HOOKS:
5. RHETORICAL QUESTION:
WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT
TO PRACTICE SUCH A VIOLENT
SPORT?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS
LIKE TO BE HIT EVERY DAY
AFTER A LONG DAY OF SCHOOL?
6. IMAGERY:
A 200-POUND DEFENSIVE
LINEMAN COMES RUSHING AT
YOU AT FULL FORCE, AND AS
YOU TREMBLE IN FEAR, YOU
FEEL THE SENSATION OF BEING
RUN OVER BY A TRUCK.
AS YOU FEEL THE FORCE OF A
275-POUND PREPUBESCENT
BEHEMOTH, THE FOOTBALL
FLIES OUT OF YOUR SCRAWNY
HANDS, BLOOD COVERING THE
FOOTBALL, AND ALL YOU SEE IS
A DARK ABYSS.
7. STATISTIC:
ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE
ADOLESCENTS WHO PLAYED
FOOTBALL GROWS UP TO BE A
MORE VIOLENT PERSON.
QUOTATION:
“I EXPECT MY STUDENTS TO PUT
FORTH ALL THEIR ENERGY INTO
FOOTBALL FIVE DAYS A WEEK,”
SAYS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
COACH. STUDENTS SHOULD BE
FOCUSING ON THEIR
8. SCHOOLWORK FIVE DAYS A
WEEK, NOT FOOTBALL.
A 200-pound defensive lineman rushes at
you at full force, and as you tremble in fear,
you feel the sensation of being run over by a
truck. Does this sound like a typical day for
Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady? In
actuality, middle school football players
endure this type of suffering every year on
the field. School is a place for education,
not bloodthirsty sports. School
administrators should eliminate football at
the middle school level because this sport is
too violent, time-consuming, and
