do's and don'ts in writing a persuasive essay

The Dos and Don'ts of Persuasive Writing

Michał Archacki

June 6, 2023

Persuasive writing is a powerful tool in the communicator's arsenal, essential in various settings from business proposals to social media campaigns. It's an art that involves not just presenting information, but doing so in a way that influences and convinces your audience. However, effective persuasion is a nuanced practice that requires a blend of technique, empathy, and strategy. In this extended guide, we delve deeper into the essential dos and don'ts of persuasive writing, providing a more in-depth analysis and practical advice to enhance your communication skills.

Understanding Your Audience: The Core of Effective Persuasion

Demographic Depth: Delve into the age, gender, socio-economic status, and interests of your audience. For example, if you're writing for a younger audience, incorporating contemporary slang and trends can make your writing more relatable.

Psychographics: Go beyond basic demographics and explore the values, attitudes, and lifestyles of your audience. Understanding these aspects helps in tailoring your message for maximum resonance.

Feedback Loops: Engage with your audience through surveys or social media interactions. This direct engagement can provide invaluable insights into their preferences and viewpoints.

The Power of Emotion: Crafting a Compelling Narrative

Emotional Triggers: Identify and leverage the emotions that drive your audience's decisions. Whether it's fear, happiness, anger, or hope, tapping into these emotions can significantly amplify your persuasive power.

Ethical Storytelling: While emotional appeal is effective, it's crucial to use it ethically. Avoid manipulation and focus on creating genuine, heartfelt connections with your narrative.

Character Development: In your stories, develop characters your audience can identify with. This builds empathy and makes your message more impactful.

Evidence and Reasoning: The Pillars of Persuasion

Diverse Evidence: Utilize a mix of statistical data, anecdotal evidence, and logical reasoning. This variety caters to different types of readers – those swayed by hard facts, personal stories, or logical arguments.

Counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments in your writing. This not only shows that you've thought through various perspectives, but also strengthens your position by preemptively addressing criticisms.

Source Credibility: Ensure that your evidence comes from credible and reputable sources. Citing authoritative sources enhances the trustworthiness of your argument.

Navigating the Don'ts: Common Pitfalls in Persuasive Writing

Balancing Emotion and Logic: While emotional appeal is powerful, overreliance on it can undermine your argument. Balance emotion with logical reasoning and evidence.

Cultural Sensitivity: Be mindful of cultural differences and sensitivities. What is persuasive in one culture might be ineffective or even offensive in another.

Consistency: Maintain a consistent tone and message throughout your writing. Inconsistencies can confuse your audience and weaken your argument.

Beyond Text: The Role of Visuals and Layout in Persuasion

Visual Aids: Incorporate relevant images, graphs, and charts to complement your text. Visuals can break up long sections of text and help illustrate your points more vividly.

Formatting for Emphasis: Use formatting tools like bolding, bullet points, and headings to emphasize key points and make your content more skimmable for readers.

Whitespace: Don't underestimate the power of whitespace. A cluttered layout can be overwhelming and off-putting, whereas ample whitespace makes your content more readable and engaging.

Authenticity in AI-Generated Content: Blending Technology with the Human Element

Voice and Tone: Even when using AI tools, strive to maintain a unique voice and tone in your writing. This helps in differentiating your content from generic AI-generated text.

Adding Personal Insights: Infuse your content with personal insights and experiences. This adds a layer of authenticity and relatability that AI cannot replicate.

Adapting AI Output: Use AI as a starting point, but don’t rely on it entirely. Adapt and modify the AI-generated content to align with your style and the needs of your audience.

Conclusion: Mastering the Art of Influence

Effective persuasive writing is a multifaceted skill that goes beyond mere words. It involves understanding your audience, using emotion judiciously, backing your claims with evidence, avoiding common pitfalls, and leveraging visuals and layout for added impact. In the digital era, where AI plays a significant role in content creation, maintaining authenticity and a human touch is more crucial than ever. By mastering these nuanced aspects of persuasive writing, you can create content that not only engages and convinces but also builds lasting connections with your audience.

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How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Tips and Tricks

Allison Bressmer

Most composition classes you’ll take will teach the art of persuasive writing. That’s a good thing.

Knowing where you stand on issues and knowing how to argue for or against something is a skill that will serve you well both inside and outside of the classroom.

Persuasion is the art of using logic to prompt audiences to change their mind or take action , and is generally seen as accomplishing that goal by appealing to emotions and feelings.

A persuasive essay is one that attempts to get a reader to agree with your perspective.

Ready for some tips on how to produce a well-written, well-rounded, well-structured persuasive essay? Just say yes. I don’t want to have to write another essay to convince you!

How Do I Write a Persuasive Essay?

What are some good topics for a persuasive essay, how do i identify an audience for my persuasive essay, how do you create an effective persuasive essay, how should i edit my persuasive essay.

Your persuasive essay needs to have the three components required of any essay: the introduction , body , and conclusion .

That is essay structure. However, there is flexibility in that structure.

There is no rule (unless the assignment has specific rules) for how many paragraphs any of those sections need.

Although the components should be proportional; the body paragraphs will comprise most of your persuasive essay.

How Do I Start a Persuasive Essay?

As with any essay introduction, this paragraph is where you grab your audience’s attention, provide context for the topic of discussion, and present your thesis statement.

TIP 1: Some writers find it easier to write their introductions last. As long as you have your working thesis, this is a perfectly acceptable approach. From that thesis, you can plan your body paragraphs and then go back and write your introduction.

TIP 2: Avoid “announcing” your thesis. Don’t include statements like this:

• “In my essay I will show why extinct animals should (not) be regenerated.”
• “The purpose of my essay is to argue that extinct animals should (not) be regenerated.”

Announcements take away from the originality, authority, and sophistication of your writing.

Instead, write a convincing thesis statement that answers the question "so what?" Why is the topic important, what do you think about it, and why do you think that? Be specific.

How Many Paragraphs Should a Persuasive Essay Have?

This body of your persuasive essay is the section in which you develop the arguments that support your thesis. Consider these questions as you plan this section of your essay:

• What arguments support your thesis?
• What is the best order for your arguments?
• What evidence do you have?
• Will you address the opposing argument to your own?
• How can you conclude convincingly?

TIP: Brainstorm and do your research before you decide which arguments you’ll focus on in your discussion. Make a list of possibilities and go with the ones that are strongest, that you can discuss with the most confidence, and that help you balance your rhetorical triangle .

What Should I Put in the Conclusion of a Persuasive Essay?

The conclusion is your “mic-drop” moment. Think about how you can leave your audience with a strong final comment.

And while a conclusion often re-emphasizes the main points of a discussion, it shouldn’t simply repeat them.

TIP 1: Be careful not to introduce a new argument in the conclusion—there’s no time to develop it now that you’ve reached the end of your discussion!

TIP 2 : As with your thesis, avoid announcing your conclusion. Don’t start your conclusion with “in conclusion” or “to conclude” or “to end my essay” type statements. Your audience should be able to see that you are bringing the discussion to a close without those overused, less sophisticated signals.

If your instructor has assigned you a topic, then you’ve already got your issue; you’ll just have to determine where you stand on the issue. Where you stand on your topic is your position on that topic.

Your position will ultimately become the thesis of your persuasive essay: the statement the rest of the essay argues for and supports, intending to convince your audience to consider your point of view.

If you have to choose your own topic, use these guidelines to help you make your selection:

• Choose an issue you truly care about
• Choose an issue that is actually debatable

Simple “tastes” (likes and dislikes) can’t really be argued. No matter how many ways someone tries to convince me that milk chocolate rules, I just won’t agree.

It’s dark chocolate or nothing as far as my tastes are concerned.

Similarly, you can’t convince a person to “like” one film more than another in an essay.

You could argue that one movie has superior qualities than another: cinematography, acting, directing, etc. but you can’t convince a person that the film really appeals to them.

Once you’ve selected your issue, determine your position just as you would for an assigned topic. That position will ultimately become your thesis.

Until you’ve finalized your work, consider your thesis a “working thesis.”

This means that your statement represents your position, but you might change its phrasing or structure for that final version.

When you’re writing an essay for a class, it can seem strange to identify an audience—isn’t the audience the instructor?

Your instructor will read and evaluate your essay, and may be part of your greater audience, but you shouldn’t just write for your teacher.

Think about who your intended audience is.

For an argument essay, think of your audience as the people who disagree with you—the people who need convincing.

That population could be quite broad, for example, if you’re arguing a political issue, or narrow, if you’re trying to convince your parents to extend your curfew.

Once you’ve got a sense of your audience, it’s time to consult with Aristotle. Aristotle’s teaching on persuasion has shaped communication since about 330 BC. Apparently, it works.

Aristotle taught that in order to convince an audience of something, the communicator needs to balance the three elements of the rhetorical triangle to achieve the best results.

Those three elements are ethos , logos , and pathos .

Ethos relates to credibility and trustworthiness. How can you, as the writer, demonstrate your credibility as a source of information to your audience?

How will you show them you are worthy of their trust?

• You show you’ve done your research: you understand the issue, both sides
• You show respect for the opposing side: if you disrespect your audience, they won’t respect you or your ideas

Logos relates to logic. How will you convince your audience that your arguments and ideas are reasonable?

You provide facts or other supporting evidence to support your claims.

That evidence may take the form of studies or expert input or reasonable examples or a combination of all of those things, depending on the specific requirements of your assignment.

Remember: if you use someone else’s ideas or words in your essay, you need to give them credit.

ProWritingAid's Plagiarism Checker checks your work against over a billion web-pages, published works, and academic papers so you can be sure of its originality.

Find out more about ProWritingAid’s Plagiarism checks.

Pathos relates to emotion. Audiences are people and people are emotional beings. We respond to emotional prompts. How will you engage your audience with your arguments on an emotional level?

• You make strategic word choices : words have denotations (dictionary meanings) and also connotations, or emotional values. Use words whose connotations will help prompt the feelings you want your audience to experience.
• You use emotionally engaging examples to support your claims or make a point, prompting your audience to be moved by your discussion.

Be mindful as you lean into elements of the triangle. Too much pathos and your audience might end up feeling manipulated, roll their eyes and move on.

An “all logos” approach will leave your essay dry and without a sense of voice; it will probably bore your audience rather than make them care.

Once you’ve got your essay planned, start writing! Don’t worry about perfection, just get your ideas out of your head and off your list and into a rough essay format.

After you’ve written your draft, evaluate your work. What works and what doesn’t? For help with evaluating and revising your work, check out this ProWritingAid post on manuscript revision .

After you’ve evaluated your draft, revise it. Repeat that process as many times as you need to make your work the best it can be.

When you’re satisfied with the content and structure of the essay, take it through the editing process .

Grammatical or sentence-level errors can distract your audience or even detract from the ethos—the authority—of your work.

You don’t have to edit alone! ProWritingAid’s Realtime Report will find errors and make suggestions for improvements.

You can even use it on emails to your professors:

Try ProWritingAid with a free account.

How Can I Improve My Persuasion Skills?

You can develop your powers of persuasion every day just by observing what’s around you.

• How is that advertisement working to convince you to buy a product?
• How is a political candidate arguing for you to vote for them?
• How do you “argue” with friends about what to do over the weekend, or convince your boss to give you a raise?
• How are your parents working to convince you to follow a certain academic or career path?

As you observe these arguments in action, evaluate them. Why are they effective or why do they fail?

How could an argument be strengthened with more (or less) emphasis on ethos, logos, and pathos?

Every argument is an opportunity to learn! Observe them, evaluate them, and use them to perfect your own powers of persuasion.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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How to Write a Persuasive Essay That Captivates Your Reader

After students progress from simple sentences to their first structured story, it’s time to enter the wonderful world of essay writing. 

Though there are many types of essays , today’s post focuses on how to write a persuasive essay . 

This is your (or your student’s) chance to make your voice heard and champion your cause. 

If you are nervous about writing your first persuasive essay, don’t be. Perhaps you’ll find it as exciting a form of writing as I do. 

Let’s walk through the writing process step-by-step. 

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

The point of a persuasive essay is to—you guessed it—persuade. Also referred to as an argumentative essay, your goal is to convince your reader of your point-of-view through a presentation of sound arguments. 

Ultimately, you want to move your reader to respond positively to points that you prove to be true. 

The proof you provide can be in the form of facts, data, experiments, anecdotal evidence, and more. 

Components of a Persuasive Essay 

How do you master the art of persuasion?

What makes a great persuasive essay?  

A persuasive essay that convinces its reader requires a few fundamental building blocks that include the following: 

• A topic that’s debatable
• A thorough understanding of arguments from both sides
• A straightforward thesis statement
• Closely examined arguments 
• A sturdy structure
• A harmonious balance of logic and emotion 
• A sound and compelling conclusion

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About The Author

Jordan Mitchell

How to Write a Persuasive Essay (This Convinced My Professor!)

Table of contents

Meredith Sell

You can make your essay more persuasive by getting straight to the point.

In fact, that's exactly what we did here, and that's just the first tip of this guide. Throughout this guide, we share the steps needed to prove an argument and create a persuasive essay.

This AI tool helps you improve your essay > This AI tool helps you improve your essay >

Key takeaways: - Proven process to make any argument persuasive - 5-step process to structure arguments - How to use AI to formulate and optimize your essay

Why is being persuasive so difficult?

"Write an essay that persuades the reader of your opinion on a topic of your choice."

You might be staring at an assignment description just like this 👆from your professor. Your computer is open to a blank document, the cursor blinking impatiently. Do I even have opinions?

The persuasive essay can be one of the most intimidating academic papers to write: not only do you need to identify a narrow topic and research it, but you also have to come up with a position on that topic that you can back up with research while simultaneously addressing different viewpoints.

That’s a big ask. And let’s be real: most opinion pieces in major news publications don’t fulfill these requirements.

The upside? By researching and writing your own opinion, you can learn how to better formulate not only an argument but the actual positions you decide to hold. 

Here, we break down exactly how to write a persuasive essay. We’ll start by taking a step that’s key for every piece of writing—defining the terms.

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

A persuasive essay is exactly what it sounds like: an essay that persuades . Over the course of several paragraphs or pages, you’ll use researched facts and logic to convince the reader of your opinion on a particular topic and discredit opposing opinions.

While you’ll spend some time explaining the topic or issue in question, most of your essay will flesh out your viewpoint and the evidence that supports it.

The 5 Must-Have Steps of a Persuasive Essay

If you’re intimidated by the idea of writing an argument, use this list to break your process into manageable chunks. Tackle researching and writing one element at a time, and then revise your essay so that it flows smoothly and coherently with every component in the optimal place.

1. A topic or issue to argue

This is probably the hardest step. You need to identify a topic or issue that is narrow enough to cover in the length of your piece—and is also arguable from more than one position. Your topic must call for an opinion , and not be a simple fact .

It might be helpful to walk through this process:

• Identify a random topic
• Ask a question about the topic that involves a value claim or analysis to answer
• Answer the question

That answer is your opinion.

Let’s consider some examples, from silly to serious:

Topic: Dolphins and mermaids

Question: In a mythical match, who would win: a dolphin or a mermaid?

Answer/Opinion: The mermaid would win in a match against a dolphin.

Topic: Autumn

Question: Which has a better fall: New England or Colorado?

Answer/Opinion: Fall is better in New England than Colorado.

Topic: Electric transportation options

Question: Would it be better for an urban dweller to buy an electric bike or an electric car?

Answer/Opinion: An electric bike is a better investment than an electric car.

Your turn: Walk through the three-step process described above to identify your topic and your tentative opinion. You may want to start by brainstorming a list of topics you find interesting and then going use the three-step process to find the opinion that would make the best essay topic.

2. An unequivocal thesis statement

If you walked through our three-step process above, you already have some semblance of a thesis—but don’t get attached too soon! 

A solid essay thesis is best developed through the research process. You shouldn’t land on an opinion before you know the facts. So press pause. Take a step back. And dive into your research.

You’ll want to learn:

• The basic facts of your topic. How long does fall last in New England vs. Colorado? What trees do they have? What colors do those trees turn?
• The facts specifically relevant to your question. Is there any science on how the varying colors of fall influence human brains and moods?
• What experts or other noteworthy and valid sources say about the question you’re considering. Has a well-known arborist waxed eloquent on the beauty of New England falls?

As you learn the different viewpoints people have on your topic, pay attention to the strengths and weaknesses of existing arguments. Is anyone arguing the perspective you’re leaning toward? Do you find their arguments convincing? What do you find unsatisfying about the various arguments? 

Allow the research process to change your mind and/or refine your thinking on the topic. Your opinion may change entirely or become more specific based on what you learn.

Once you’ve done enough research to feel confident in your understanding of the topic and your opinion on it, craft your thesis. 

Your thesis statement should be clear and concise. It should directly state your viewpoint on the topic, as well as the basic case for your thesis.

Thesis 1: In a mythical match, the mermaid would overcome the dolphin due to one distinct advantage: her ability to breathe underwater.

Thesis 2: The full spectrum of color displayed on New England hillsides is just one reason why fall in the northeast is better than in Colorado.

Thesis 3: In addition to not adding to vehicle traffic, electric bikes are a better investment than electric cars because they’re cheaper and require less energy to accomplish the same function of getting the rider from point A to point B.

Your turn: Dive into the research process with a radar up for the arguments your sources are making about your topic. What are the most convincing cases? Should you stick with your initial opinion or change it up? Write your fleshed-out thesis statement.

3. Evidence to back up your thesis

This is a typical place for everyone from undergrads to politicians to get stuck, but the good news is, if you developed your thesis from research, you already have a good bit of evidence to make your case.

Go back through your research notes and compile a list of every …

… or other piece of information that supports your thesis. 

This info can come from research studies you found in scholarly journals, government publications, news sources, encyclopedias, or other credible sources (as long as they fit your professor’s standards).

As you put this list together, watch for any gaps or weak points. Are you missing information on how electric cars versus electric bicycles charge or how long their batteries last? Did you verify that dolphins are, in fact, mammals and can’t breathe underwater like totally-real-and-not-at-all-fake 😉mermaids can? Track down that information.

Next, organize your list. Group the entries so that similar or closely related information is together, and as you do that, start thinking through how to articulate the individual arguments to support your case. 

Depending on the length of your essay, each argument may get only a paragraph or two of space. As you think through those specific arguments, consider what order to put them in. You’ll probably want to start with the simplest argument and work up to more complicated ones so that the arguments can build on each other. 

Your turn: Organize your evidence and write a rough draft of your arguments. Play around with the order to find the most compelling way to argue your case.

4. Rebuttals to disprove opposing theses

You can’t just present the evidence to support your case and totally ignore other viewpoints. To persuade your readers, you’ll need to address any opposing ideas they may hold about your topic. 

You probably found some holes in the opposing views during your research process. Now’s your chance to expose those holes. 

Take some time (and space) to: describe the opposing views and show why those views don’t hold up. You can accomplish this using both logic and facts.

Is a perspective based on a faulty assumption or misconception of the truth? Shoot it down by providing the facts that disprove the opinion.

Is another opinion drawn from bad or unsound reasoning? Show how that argument falls apart.

Some cases may truly be only a matter of opinion, but you still need to articulate why you don’t find the opposing perspective convincing.

Yes, a dolphin might be stronger than a mermaid, but as a mammal, the dolphin must continually return to the surface for air. A mermaid can breathe both underwater and above water, which gives her a distinct advantage in this mythical battle.

While the Rocky Mountain views are stunning, their limited colors—yellow from aspen trees and green from various evergreens—leaves the autumn-lover less than thrilled. The rich reds and oranges and yellows of the New England fall are more satisfying and awe-inspiring.

But what about longer trips that go beyond the city center into the suburbs and beyond? An electric bike wouldn’t be great for those excursions. Wouldn’t an electric car be the better choice then? 

Certainly, an electric car would be better in these cases than a gas-powered car, but if most of a person’s trips are in their hyper-local area, the electric bicycle is a more environmentally friendly option for those day-to-day outings. That person could then participate in a carshare or use public transit, a ride-sharing app, or even a gas-powered car for longer trips—and still use less energy overall than if they drove an electric car for hyper-local and longer area trips.

Your turn: Organize your rebuttal research and write a draft of each one.

5. A convincing conclusion

You have your arguments and rebuttals. You’ve proven your thesis is rock-solid. Now all you have to do is sum up your overall case and give your final word on the subject. 

Don’t repeat everything you’ve already said. Instead, your conclusion should logically draw from the arguments you’ve made to show how they coherently prove your thesis. You’re pulling everything together and zooming back out with a better understanding of the what and why of your thesis. 

A dolphin may never encounter a mermaid in the wild, but if it were to happen, we know how we’d place our bets. Long hair and fish tail, for the win.

For those of us who relish 50-degree days, sharp air, and the vibrant colors of fall, New England offers a season that’s cozier, longer-lasting, and more aesthetically pleasing than “colorful” Colorado. A leaf-peeper’s paradise.

When most of your trips from day to day are within five miles, the more energy-efficient—and yes, cost-efficient—choice is undoubtedly the electric bike. So strap on your helmet, fire up your pedals, and two-wheel away to your next destination with full confidence that you made the right decision for your wallet and the environment.

3 Quick Tips for Writing a Strong Argument

Once you have a draft to work with, use these tips to refine your argument and make sure you’re not losing readers for avoidable reasons.

1. Choose your words thoughtfully.

If you want to win people over to your side, don’t write in a way that shuts your opponents down. Avoid making abrasive or offensive statements. Instead, use a measured, reasonable tone. Appeal to shared values, and let your facts and logic do the hard work of changing people’s minds.

Choose words with AI

You can use AI to turn your general point into a readable argument. Then, you can paraphrase each sentence and choose between competing arguments generated by the AI, until your argument is well-articulated and concise.

2. Prioritize accuracy (and avoid fallacies).

Make sure the facts you use are actually factual. You don’t want to build your argument on false or disproven information. Use the most recent, respected research. Make sure you don’t misconstrue study findings. And when you’re building your case, avoid logical fallacies that undercut your argument.

A few common fallacies to watch out for:

• Strawman: Misrepresenting or oversimplifying an opposing argument to make it easier to refute.
• Appeal to ignorance: Arguing that a certain claim must be true because it hasn’t been proven false.
• Bandwagon: Assumes that if a group of people, experts, etc., agree with a claim, it must be true.
• Hasty generalization: Using a few examples, rather than substantial evidence, to make a sweeping claim.
• Appeal to authority: Overly relying on opinions of people who have authority of some kind.

The strongest arguments rely on trustworthy information and sound logic.

Research and add citations with AI

We recently wrote a three part piece on researching using AI, so be sure to check it out . Going through an organized process of researching and noting your sources correctly will make sure your written text is more accurate.

3. Persuasive essay structure

If you’re building a house, you start with the foundation and go from there. It’s the same with an argument. You want to build from the ground up: provide necessary background information, then your thesis. Then, start with the simplest part of your argument and build up in terms of complexity and the aspect of your thesis that the argument is tackling.

A consistent, internal logic will make it easier for the reader to follow your argument. Plus, you’ll avoid confusing your reader and you won’t be unnecessarily redundant.

The essay structure usually includes the following parts:

• Intro - Hook, Background information, Thesis statement
• Topic sentence #1 , with supporting facts or stats
• Concluding sentence
• Topic sentence #2 , with supporting facts or stats
• Concluding sentence Topic sentence #3 , with supporting facts or stats
• Conclusion - Thesis and main points restated, call to action, thought provoking ending

Are You Ready to Write?

Persuasive essays are a great way to hone your research, writing, and critical thinking skills. Approach this assignment well, and you’ll learn how to form opinions based on information (not just ideas) and make arguments that—if they don’t change minds—at least win readers’ respect. ‍

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Persuasive Essay Writing Techniques: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

Persuasive writing is a delicate endeavor. There are those who make an art out of it, and those who make a mess out of it. When persuasive essay is written by an experienced author, it can be inspiring, moving and, dare I say, persuasive. But, when it’s done poorly, it will turn the reader off, confuse them rather than draw them in.

So, how do you do it right? Here are some guidelines for writing great persuasive essay.

Things to avoid in persuasive writing

• Hyperbole . Don’t exaggerate. If your argument is that President Reagan’s economic policies damaged the American middle class, don’t write “Ronald Reagan destroyed America and threw our economic progress back to the Stone Age.” It’s too dramatic and only serves to undermine your authority. The reader won’t trust the rest of your argument if you come out guns blazing without any facts, stats or historical analysis to back you up.
• Don’t use first person . A persuasive essay earns its credibility by achieving a certain level of objectivity. By making it personal and using “I” statements, you make it sound more like a personal opinion, rather than a well-researched analysis.
• Don’t leave out opposing arguments . One of a persuasive essay’s greatest strengths is recognizing the arguments that exist against your position. That way, you’re presenting the reader with all the facts and allowing them to choose which side they find more valid. By ignoring the other side, you lose the opportunity to address it directly, and discredit it with your own argument. Providing an analysis of the opposition’s opinion also shows that you’re an expert on the subject: you’ve studied both sides of the issue before making your decision.
• Don’t rant . Nobody appreciates being on the receiving end of a rant. Even if you’re convinced that the Republican or Democratic party are spawns of the devil, unless you have specific facts and evidence to prove it, your words won’t be taken seriously. If you go rambling on with no structure or organization and pure emotional impulse, then your readers may get bored and stop reading.
• Don’t be mean, catty or rude . No name-calling or swearing. Strong language and insults once again do more damage to your reputation than they do to your opponents. Nobody wants to be verbally assaulted, and reading offensive and aggressive commentaries will turn the reader against you.

Things to use in your persuasive essay

• A good hook . Get the reader’s attention right off the bat with a powerful quote, an anecdote or a statistic. Quote . “I like your Christ. I don’t like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ.” -Mahatma Gandhi Anecdote . Last week’s scandal of financial corruption and pedophilia that shook Smalltown, USA’s church community poses the following question: are church leaders really following Christ’s example? Statistic . A shocking 40% of Catholic Churches in the United States have been the subject of investigation over pedophilia charges.
• Refine your thesis statement . Your essay’s thesis statement is the crux on which the rest of your essay hangs. If it’s strong and solid, then you’ll have an easier time backing it up. If it’s weak and rambling, then it will be harder to defend. It should be a polemical statement, meaning that someone could easily argue the other side of the issue.

Example of a weak thesis statement: “College graduates are facing hard times.” It’s okay. You’ll be able to find research to defend this. But it’s not polemical enough. There’s no counter-balance to it. It would be difficult to find a counter-argument.

Example of a strong thesis statement: “This year’s college graduates will have a harder time finding a job than their parents did thirty years ago.” It’s easy to find credible research to back it up and it provides two specific groups that are being compared: this year’s college graduates, and college graduates from thirty years ago. There could be a strong counter-argument for this statement, so it’s a better choice than the first one, even though they’re both expressing a similar idea.

• Provide credible research from reputable sources . Personal blogs that spout opinions by people who hold no degree in the subject they write about aren’t credible sources. Wikipedia is not a credible source. Newspaper articles, reputable magazines and specialized publications should be used to support your ideas.
• Include your research in well organized supporting paragraphs . Structure your essay in a way that’s easy to follow and that provides clear examples to support your thesis statement. Don’t forget to include opposing arguments.
• Reinforce a point already made.
• Alert the reader of a contrasting statement.
• Signal the introduction or conclusion of an idea.
• Take advantage of the conclusion . Don’t just summarize the main points of your essay. They’ve already read your essay and know what it says. The concluding paragraph is an opportunity for you to explore further questions to be answered about your subject.

If you’re writing about conflict in the Middle East, raise the question about the next steps. What are the risks of withdrawal? What are the benefits of continued presence?

If you’re writing about global warming: who can provide answers or offer guidance? What kind of research is needed to solve the problems presented?

The conclusion should demonstrate your expertise on this subject and should leave the reader inspired, intrigued and, hopefully, on your side.

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The Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Persuasive Essay

It is important to be able to write persuasive essays as a student. Persuasive essays, a type of academic writing task, requires you to convince an audience to agree with your view on a specific issue. There are a few things you need to remember when writing persuasive essays that are convincing and effective. This blog post will focus on the key do’s and don’ts for writing persuasive essays, with a particular emphasis on the keyword buy college essay online .

• A strong introduction is the first step to a persuasive essay. It should grab attention and be interesting enough to catch your reader’s attention from the beginning. Start your essay with a hook sentence, question, or quote. Make sure your thesis statement is precise and clear.
• Do your Research: Make sure you do thorough research before writing persuasive essays. This will allow you to back up your argument with facts and examples that will make your essay more persuasive.
• Knowing Your Audience is crucial when writing persuasive essays. This will allow you to tailor your argument for their interests, needs, beliefs . If your audience is college students who are looking for essays online, then you can tailor your argument so that it highlights the advantages of purchasing essays online.
• Use strong evidence: Strong evidence should back up your persuasive essay. To make your argument stronger, use statistics, facts and real-life examples.
• You can address counterarguments to make your persuasive essay more compelling. You can anticipate objections and respond to them with evidence and logic.

Don’ts:

• Do not rely on emotions alone in persuasive essays. While emotions are powerful, it can lead to weakening your argument. Your argument should be supported by logic and facts.
• Avoid biased language: Don’t use biased language in persuasive essays. This could make your argument seem one-sided and can undermine your credibility. Instead, avoid using partisan language and instead focus on supporting your argument with evidence.
• Don’t Overgeneralize: Avoid overgeneralizing in your persuasive essay. Avoid statements that are too general or broad, like “everyone knows that purchasing college essays online is bad.” Use specific examples and evidence to support the argument.
• Do not ignore the opposing view: Neglecting the opposing viewpoint could weaken your argument. Recognize the opposing view and respond with evidence and logic.
• Avoid using weak evidence: A persuasive essay that uses weak evidence can be detrimental to your argument. Be sure your evidence comes from reliable sources.

Writing a persuasive essay takes planning and execution. You can write a persuasive essay that is both compelling and effective by following these do’s and don’ts. Do your research and tailor your argument for your audience. Use strong evidence. Address counterarguments. Avoid emotional appeals, bias, generalizations, ignoring opposing views, and using weak evidence. These tips will help you write persuasive essays that are convincing and powerful. Consider these benefits if you’re a student who is looking to purchase college essays online. You can then use them to support the argument in your persuasive essay.

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Chapter 6-5-1: Basic and Essential “Do’s and Don’ts”

Peculiarities.

When writing an academic paper, take note of the following peculiarities:

You must provide a title, without being asked. At this stage of the game, you are just expected to know that this is an essential part of any paper. What is more, your title must be informative—not artistic. A title such as "The Death of a Sentence" is a wonderfully artistic title, but it doesn't inform readers what the essay will be about. Instead, something such as "Death Sentences Fail to Dissuade People from Committing Murder" makes for a clear and informative title. Next, the title should resemble the thesis statement for the paper. Finally, English has special capitalization rules for titles that you should be aware of.

Contractions are not permitted: don’t do not use contractions in an academic essay.

Introductions

Write a worthy introduction. It has a purpose. Use it to impart “real” information to your reader. Do not use the following overused, empty “filler” phrases (or anything that resembles them) anywhere in the introduction. What follows are examples of poor introductory sentences. The blank line represents your topic:

_______________ now occupies an increasingly important place in our everyday life.

_______________ is a hotly-debated topic. /// _______________ is now a subject of debate.

_______________ has been discussed a lot in the news recently.

_______________ has been making the headlines recently.

_______________ has come a long way (and it is not going to stop anytime soon).

_______________ is a controversial subject.

Within the topic of _______________, a lot of controversy exists.

A lot of controversy surrounds the notion of _______________

In our modern society, _______________

This debate is ongoing and there are arguments from both sides.

Nowadays, blah blah blah... /// These days, blah blah blah… /// Ever since ancient times, blah blah blah... /// Ever since the dawn of time, blah blah blah... /// Since early days, blah blah blah...

Things to Avoid

"This proves that..." Avoid using the "this proves that" method for your clarification. Telling your readers that you've just "proved that" your proof supports your mini-claim does not help your reader understand how it supports it if they didn't understand it in the first place! A writer that uses this method demonstrates that they do not understand the true purpose of the clarification. Remember, your clarification is intended to help the "intelligent yet ignorant reader" have a second chance at understanding why your mini-claim makes sense.

"Obviously, ..." Avoid telling readers that something is "obvious." Remember that the purpose of your paper is to educate, to instruct. If something is obvious, you should not be using up precious word count to tell your reader something they already know. Besides which, if your reader didn't understand your proof, you may be insulting them by telling them that it's "obvious." Things are not obvious to your intelligent-yet-uninformed reader.

"As stated earlier, ..." Once again, word count is precious. Only tell your reader something once. Do not ever repeat yourself unless you're writing an extremely long essay or are summarizing in something like a conclusion.

"So-and-so says that..." If you are quoting, citing, paraphrasing, or summarizing someone, avoid using the verb “to say” unless the person physically spoke. Instead, use words such as “According to X,” “As X observes,” “As X states,” “X agrees that…” “X argues that…” “X asserts that…” “X claims that…” “X comments that…” “X concludes that…” “X contends that…” “X maintains that…” “X notes that” “X proposes…” “X reports…” “X states that…”

Speculative language Avoid speculative and tentative statements in argumentative/persuasive presentations, also known as hedges. Authors should present ideas with a certain degree of solidity in these types of texts. Regarding claims and mini-claims (assertions), writers should word their texts strongly. In the case of support such as details, proof, substantiation or clarification, authors should avoid hedging. Instead, they should provide tangible information.

Depending on the context, some keywords that suggest speculation is occurring in a presentation are: may, might, could, would, should, suggest, indicate, speculate, believe, assume, appear, seem, infer, deduce, likely, probable, possible, probably, possibly, perhaps, generally, possibility, and suggestion.

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Choosing a Persuasive Essay Topic: Dos and Don’ts

If you have been asked to write an expository essay, take a look at our guide to expository essays .

Professors grade a lot of papers. They are not only looking for essays that fulfill the terms of the assignment — they’re looking for work that exceeds those expectations and stands out from the rest . A great way to distinguish your persuasive essay from the very first sentence is to choose a persuasive essay topic that your professor has never read about before. Learning about an absorbing new topic is one of the most enjoyable things a reader can experience. If you can achieve this, you’ll immediately have an advantage over other essays that have chosen topics your professor has seen dozens of times before. For a moment, put yourself in your professor’s position. How many times has your professor read a persuasive essay about instituting an NCAA Football playoff system? Your professor has read so many dull, unfocused papers about global warming that they’re all beginning to look alike. (Here’s another thing they had in common: none of them scored especially highly.)

To get your creative juices flowing, here is a list of 150 example persuasive essay topics .

One common mistake college students make when tasked with writing a persuasive essay is writing about a topic that is too large for a typical college essay’s scope. Writing about a topic that is so wide-ranging and complicated that you can’t possibly cover it within your given page limit will just make your assignment more difficult than it has to be. Worse, it will result in writing that is generalized and dull. When it comes to persuasive essay topics, the more specific, the better. Rather than writing an essay about civil liberties, write about a specific event involving civil liberties. For example, an account of a First Amendment case involving a student-run newspaper could easily become a lively paper about what freedoms of expression you believe students should have.

An essay about the existence of aliens is possibly one your professor has read before, but what about one dealing with the ethics of scientists broadcasting messages into space without the rest of humanity’s approval? Specificity will not only make your arguments stronger, it will also differentiate your essay from the rest of the persuasive essays your professor will read when it’s time to assign grades.

The best papers call attention to themselves. Don’t be afraid to call attention to the paper you’re about to write — choose a topic that your paper can’t help but live up to.

If you need help perfecting your essays, check out our academic editing services .

1 thought on “Choosing a Persuasive Essay Topic: Dos and Don’ts”

Thanks, I have been procrastinating on this mostly because I’m at a point in life where I don’t want to push my views on anyone else, I don’t really care if anyone sees things the way I do, so the idea of writing a persuasive paper has been the antonym of my current pursuit in life.  

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12 Tips on Writing an Essay: The Most Common Do’s and Don’ts

EssayEdge > Blog > 12 Tips on Writing an Essay: The Most Common Do’s and Don’ts

This December has been a big month for the number 12. To continue in the spirit of 12/12/12 and even that beloved (or possibly, vehemently hated) holiday tune, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” today EssayEdge presents to you, ” The Twelve Dos and Don’ts of Writing and Essay.” Enjoy!

• DO give yourself time. Two weeks is ideal, but twelve days would work too. Even if you’re only a day or two away from your deadline, starting now is always better than starting later.
• DON’T plagiarize. Using someone else’s work will kill your chance of admission.
• DO be honest. Trying to make a four-week internship that you spent mainly answering phones sound like you were the CEO of a Fortune 500 firm for a year won’t improve your standing in the eyes of the admissions committee.
• DON’T exceed the length limit. Admissions officers have heard every excuse in the book for why a particular applicant desperately needs 700 words when the maximum specified was 500. The simple fact is that there is never a good reason to go over, and doing so will reflect poorly on you.
• DO be descriptive. One of the essay writing tips to do this is to use active verbs and dynamic nouns. “The red car stopped directly in front of my friend,” is nothing compared to, “The Ferrari squealed to a halt inches from Steve’s face,” and both use the exact same number of words.
• DON’T write a resume in essay form. If your essay or statement reads like a narrative listing of your various courses, clubs, jobs, and accomplishments over the past several years, it isn’t serving its intended purpose.

Need help? Check out EssayEdge editing services:

• DO respond to the prompt. It’s amazing how many applicants write essays that, while generally solid, aren’t actually relevant to the prompt at hand. If the prompt asks a specific question (or several), make sure your essay provides an answer.
• DON’T use cliches or overuse idioms. If you do not know how to make an essay better, expert writers recommend deleting unnecessary idioms and phrasal verbs. This one should be a piece of cake, like taking candy from a baby.
• DO take breaks. Writing comes in fits and starts. If you feel like you’re making good progress, then by all means continue. If you’re stuck with a nasty case of writer’s block, though, the best cure is often a nap, some exercise, a movie, or anything else that takes your mind off the essay for a while.
• DON’T rely on spell check. Automatic functions in programs like Microsoft Word are helpful tools, but they’re not infallible. Mistakes can make it though unchecked. See?
• DO have someone else review your work. Whether a close friend, parent, teacher, counselor, or professional, having someone else read through your essay will give you valuable feedback. Sometimes it takes a new perspective to spot problem areas that you would otherwise miss.
• DON’T completely stress out. Yes, this is important, and yes, it takes a lot of work, but it’s not the end of the world. Make sure you still find time for relaxation and the things that are important in your life.

These do’s, and don’ts of essay writing are basic rules of writing one must memorize. Apply them regardless of the type of paper you’re working on. The last ‘Do’ is a must. If you can’t find the right person to proofread dissertation or essay, press ‘Order Now.’ You’ll find it here.

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How to Write a Persuasive Speech

How to write a persuasive speech — a detailed guide for beginners.

Are you required to write a persuasive speech, but have no idea where to start?

Many students struggle with writing a speech that does not read awkwardly. To help you out, this guide has everything you need to know about writing persuasively.

What is a Persuasive Speech? The Simple Definition

The persuasive speech definition is quite simple — a speech intended to convince the audience about a given subject. To write a good speech, you must practice a lot. The points in this guide will help you get started.

A persuasive speech does not merely inform the audience on a subject. As you write, avoid spending time on the background story because it does not help you achieve the goal. Do not write a speech merely to complain about something. If you have identified a problem, persuade your audience to do something about it.

How to Write a Good Persuasive Speech in 3 Steps

Generally, persuasive speech guidelines dictate that you must use facts, write clearly, and convincingly. However, there is much more to consider if you want to write a good persuasive speech.

Write the Way You Talk

Bear in mind that a speech is meant to be spoken. Do not write it the way you would an essay or research paper. Once you are done writing, read the speech aloud, and hear the words. If there is any awkward wording that will confuse the speaker, simplify them.

Narrate a Story

Unless you want to bore your audience to death, tell them an interesting story. A good speech is about more than a compilation of facts and figures. Start with a relatable introduction, substantive body, and wholesome conclusion. Carry your audience with you from the introduction to the end of your persuasive speech.

Authenticity Is Key

As you write, know that your audience wants to hear something authentic. Think about the moment and what might be on your audience’s mind. Consider something you are passionate about and write something that feels true. Writing an authentic persuasive speech begins with choosing a topic you are passionate about.

Tips for Writing a Persuasive Speech from the Experts

Some persuasive speech tips will help you write with ease. Persuading an audience is an art. You cannot write an ordinary speech. Because people have opinions, changing their minds is not an easy task. However, if you write strategically, you will convince the audience to see things from your point of view.

Know the Difference between Persuasion and Confrontation

A persuasive speech is not meant to be confrontational. Although you need an “argument” to prove as you write, do not take it in the literal sense. Use logic to convince your audience of your beliefs without demeaning theirs. Check that your tone and choice of words do not leave a confrontational impression on your audience.

Keep the Statistics Simple

Numbers are great for proving points. They are even better when you back them up with references to credible sources. However, your audience might get confused if you write a speech with too many complicated statistics. Keep your statistics simple, and use them sparingly.

Three Points Are Plenty

The standard persuasive speech structure calls for three points. Your argument should be structured in this way to keep it simple and avoid overwhelming your audience. Do your research, settle on 3 major points you would like to make and write. Do not lose your audience while trying to give too many explanations.

How to Start a Persuasive Speech from Scratch

Build credibility from the first sentence you write. If your audience perceives you as an authority in a specific subject, they will pay more attention.

How can you build credibility from the minute you start your speech?

Below are some ways:

• Start with a relatable example;
• Use verified statistics that are simple yet relevant;
• Ask engaging questions that will make the audience think.

Whichever strategy you choose to start with, have your audience in mind. Know their preferences, and try to appeal to them. Be conscious of age, gender, and other societal constructs that may influence how your audience perceives your message.

How to End a Persuasive Speech Properly

Do not write a persuasive speech just for the sake of it. Know that there is a difference between speaking and saying something meaningful.

So, as you write the end of your essay you must ask yourself — have you provided valuable insights?

End your persuasive speech with a strong summary. It will restate all the main points you have made in the speech. Avoid sounding repetitive, so use different wording to emphasize your points. Using a slightly different language will help your audience rethink your argument.

Persuasive Speech Outline Explained

An outline is a great tool for organizing your thoughts before you write a persuasive speech. The initial outline has all the major sections you intend to write. Think of your outline as a skeleton that bodies your entire argument. Flesh out the main points with details based on your research.

A common misconception is that you have to have all the content ready as you write an outline. It is okay to figure things out as you go. That is the purpose of the outline. Think of it as an outlet for all the ideas you have, before you refine the essay.

Persuasive Speech Structure Explained

The standard persuasive speech format has 3 sections:

• Introduction — reels the audience in with interesting information;
• Body paragraphs — carry three main points that prove your argument;
• Conclusion — sums up the information presented in the speech.

This structure is important to follow because it keeps your essay simple. Bear in mind that speeches are meant to be read aloud, so making it too long is a bad idea.

Persuasive Speech Introduction Explained

The introduction of your persuasive essay must be compelling. Your audience will use it to decide whether to pay attention to what you have to say. Offer a hook that captures their attention.

The following are good hooks to use:

• Startling statements
• Rhetorical questions
• Relatable experiences

Other than reeling in your audience, the introduction should define the topic. It should hint at how you intend to solve the problem you claim exists. Write a well-worded thesis statement that serves this purpose.

Persuasive Speech Body Explained

The body of your persuasive speech is divided into paragraphs. Each paragraph should have a topic sentence, evidence, explanatory sentences, and a concluding statement. Although each paragraph should have an independent idea, they should all transition smoothly. When you read the body aloud, it should flow logically and present comprehensive information.

Persuasive Speech Conclusion Explained

The conclusion of your persuasive speech should reiterate the body without sounding repetitive. Achieving this is not easy — there are only so many ways you can say the same thing. So, try using different wording to describe your argument.

Finally, leave your audience with something to think about. A rhetoric question that is related to your topic would be appropriate.

Writing a persuasive speech is about more than stringing words together. You have to write your argument convincingly while sticking to a specific structure.

If you are having a hard time righting your persuasive speech, do not hesitate to reach out to us for help.

Our professional writers are one phone call away!

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Essay writing 101: Dos and Don'ts

Writing essays is one of the most important aspects of every student's education since it fosters their ability to reason and express themselves creatively.

You can use this information to explore academic subjects; after you have put it in writing, you will understand it more fully. Additionally, writing essays strengthens your logical reasoning and study techniques because it forces you to look up information on the issue.

Furthermore, it teaches students how to structure their ideas by dividing them into introductions, subtopics, and conclusions as well as how to conduct research and  try out explanatory writing .

Let us share with you the tips to follow while writing an essay :

·      Read the instructions and make sure that you understand them well before starting the essay. The instructions will state how many words you need to write, which content topics and supporting facts you should include in them, and all other details about the topic that you need to know thoroughly.

·      Ensure that your writing is easy to read and does not require any additional background knowledge for you or your readers to understand what you are trying to communicate.

·      To make sure the content is free of plagiarism, you can take references from other websites. However, ensure that the sources are properly cited and referenced so your audience will have no problem in understanding where you got your information.

·      It is quite common to notice sentences and punctuation errors in essays. The essay should be free of any grammatical errors, as they give readers a negative impression. The writer should pay special attention to this.

·      In order to effectively develop your essay, you need to consider what will be the major purpose of this argumentative essay. Make sure that all your arguments and points are in support of the central idea. If you can explain why something should be implemented or why something should not, then it is a good idea to do so.

Don’ts

·      The secret to writing an excellent essay is to address the essay themes that is being assigned to you. If you don't personally know any of the facts or figures, don't bother about stating them. This is one of the main errors that students make when trying to create essays.

·     A conclusion that doesn't make sense or doesn't engage with the main points of your essay can be a turn-off for readers. Remember that everyone wants to feel cared about and understood during their reading experience.

Therefore, it is the writer’s responsibility to create quality content for the readers.

·      There is no limit on the number of sentences and words you can use if it is coherent. Long sentences can be confusing, and it will be difficult for your reader to follow them.

They also look bad when printed out. The title of your essay should be short, informative, and clear. Avoid using too many words for your title as it will take longer for a reader to recognize what topic you have written about.

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15 Essay Writing Dos And Don’ts to Help You Write Great Essays

by  Antony W

September 13, 2022

There’s nothing worse than scoring low marks for an essay that you’ve worked so hard to complete.  So before you start working on your essay, regardless of the type of essay your instructor has asked you to work on, it’s important to know about essay writing dos and don’ts.

This will help you stay on the right track from the time you start writing to the moment you put the final full stop to paper.

Key Takeaways

• Use short, simple sentences to make your essay easy to read.  
• Include a statement of declaration (thesis statement) in the introduction.
• Stick to the format for writing an essay.
• Do not share too many ideas in a single paragraph. Each paragraph should address one unique issue.
• Do not plagiarize your work.
• Do not address your reader in the essay but focus on the objectives while remaining detached and analytical.
• Do use this essay writing service if you don’t have enough time to write your essay from scratch.
• Do not start an essay with the phrase “My essay” or “In this essay”. 

The Dos and Don’ts of Essay Writing: 10 Things to Do and 10 Things to Avoid

Here are the dos and don’ts of essay writing:

1. Do Split Up Your Sentences if They Get Too Long

Make sure your sentences are not blocks of words. A block of words will undoubtedly turn off the readers because they will find the essay boring to read.

So, make sure your sentences are short and to the point.

Apart from easing your readers reading experience, splitting your sentence will even help you discover sentences that can stand alone during essay editing.

2. Do include a thesis statement in the Introduction

You should include a thesis statement in the introduction to summarize what the essay is.

Having a thesis statement in your introduction also helps the reader to understand what you are about to write about.

This statement should appear at the end of the introduction paragraph.

In this section, completely avoid the use of complicated words since it is a point where the reader gets a clue of what you intend to communicate.

3. Do Use Simple Sentence

As you write your essay, ensure the language and sentences you use are easy to digest. Use words so simple that even a high school student can understand.

What is the goal of using heavy words in your essay yet no one will understand what you’re trying to communicate?

Just help the reader to understand you more by using simple sentence constructions.

4. Do Remember to Proofread Your Work

Carelessness, laziness, unprofessionalism is what readers see in you when you submit unrevised essays for reading.

Typing errors, grammatical errors, and small spelling mistakes can make an essay you took time to right look bad.

It is your essay nobody else’s so, make the effort to go through it.

Revisiting your essays helps you identify errors. Once you eliminate each of the errors, your essay will have a good flow of ideas and be very easy to read.

5. Remember to Look for Formatting Requirements

Before you start writing an essay, make sure you have gone through the formatting requirements.

Reading these requirements is important because it shows that you can follow instructions.

The habit of reading through instructions, before anything else and implementing what the instructions command will help you score high marks for the essay.

6. Remember to Use Your Candidate Number, Tutors Name, and Page Numbers

Before submitting any of your essays for marking, ensure that you have included your candidate number as your file name.

Remember you are not the only student submitting his or her assignment, and that means if the assignment doesn’t have a candidate’s number you won’t get your results.

It is also important to include the name of your tutor and indicate the number of pages your work has.

7. Sufficient Spacing

As you write, leave some space for the tutor to leave comments as he or she marks your work. The space should be on both margins of the essay paper.

8. Do Discuss Literature in the Present Tense

Always use present tenses when writing essays.

Adhere to present tense especially when the essay an assignment based on literary works. Present tense on historic narratives makes your essay more engaging.

9. Choose the Correct Language

Your ability to investigate and explore topics is based on the language you choose to use write your essay in.

The language you use will also determine how well and how easy you will explain your points and prove your opinions.

The language you choose to use also determines the level of your language proficiency and grammar knowledge. It is therefore important that you ensure the language you choose favors you.

10. Make Good Use of Your Time

 A semester is usually 75 days or 15 weeks long.

This is enough time to prepare the 20-page assignment. Make good of the period to write an essay worth awarding good grades.

Our time management tips can help you use your time well.

11. Don't Give the Reader too Many Ideas in a Single Sentence 

Having all your essay ideas in a single sentence means the remaining part of the essay is a joint of words with no meaning and is only there to lengthen your essay.

Also, long and too complicated sentences will confuse essay readers.

So sprinkle the ideas you have all over your essay.

12. Do not Plagiarize Your Essay

Never should you ever use someone else’s research as your own. Markers always disqualify plagiarized essays .

Readers also distrust you once they learn a portion of your essay is a duplicate from an outside source. In case you find a piece of information so important, give credit to the author.

13. Do Not Address the Reader

While writing an essay, avoid addressing your readers. Instead, you should focus on your objectives.  Stay detached and analytical.

Avoid appealing to your reader’s personality and emotions because if you do, they will rightly lose the reading morale.

Essays that touch on the reader’s emotions and personality are as tasteless as water.

14. Do Not Open an Essay With “In this essay or My essay”

Of course, we already know it is your essay, so you should never start up your essay with such phrases.

Consider staying formal to the very end. Also, be careful about the kind of expressions you use in essays because some expressions might hurt your reader’s emotions and feelings.

15. Don’t List the Topic of each Body Paragraph  

Although this is a strategy taught to armature students to help them organize their work better, it has a few limitations.

First, it will work well on short essay projects on an essay. Second, listing the topic in each body of your paragraph may not lead to complex points.

Unless you are asked to do so by the instructions, avoid listing the topic of each body paragraph.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

What Are The Do’s And Don’ts In Writing A Persuasive Essay?

What are the do’s and don’ts in writing a persuasive essay.

10 Do’s and Don’ts for Argument Essays

• DO follow assignment guidelines. …
• DON’T preface a statement with phrases such as, “I believe,” or “I think.” These expressions only serve to weaken the statement. …
• DO take citation style seriously. …
• DO attribute all ideas to their source. …
• DON’T signpost. …
• DO integrate quotes smoothly.

What should you not do in a persuasive essay?

Avoid These 4 Common Persuasive Writing Mistakes

• Back-loading your argument. Think about a piece of writing that convinced you of something. …
• Relying on faulty logic. …
• Writing without your audience in mind. …
• Underemphasizing logos.

What are the rules of persuasive writing?

Eight Easy Rules for Persuasive Legal Writing

• Keep paragraphs within 2 to 7 sentences. …
• Keep sentences under 60 words. …
• Avoid unnecessary detail. …
• Banish passive voice. …
• Use key words to signify your argument. …
• Define your opponent’s argument. …
• Edit as you go.

What are the 5 tips for persuasive essays?

If you want to ace that persuasive essay, dominate that debate, or learn how to effectively influence others, follow these five steps:

• Know your audience.
• State your position clearly.
• Draw a roadmap.
• Support your arguments with evidence, including data, examples, and experts.
• Anticipate and respond to objections.

How can I be a good persuasive writer?

8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing

• Pick a topic you’re passionate about. You’ll do your best persuading when it’s something you truly believe in. …
• Know your audience. …
• Hook the reader’s attention. …
• Research both sides. …
• Be empathetic. …
• Ask rhetorical questions. …
• Emphasize your point. …
• Repeat yourself.

What are the 3 parts of a persuasive essay?

A formal persuasive essay is made of three parts: Issue; Side; Argument . This is the type of essay you write for class. Many professional persuasive essays have these three parts, but they might be mixed around or woven together more creatively.

What should I write about in a persuasive essay?

Easy Persuasive Essay Ideas

• What should the punishment for cheating be?
• Should students be allowed to have phones at school?
• What’s the most interesting subject to learn?
• Should homework be required?
• Does your school handle bullying well?
• Are dress codes a good idea for schools?
• Is the school day too long?

Why persuasive writing is important?

As children mature as writers, it’s important to give them the opportunity to write using a variety of formats. Persuasive writing helps students formulate specific reasons for their opinions , and provides an opportunity to research facts related to their opinions.

What techniques are used to persuade?

Persuasive techniques

• Alliteration. The repetition of words starting with the same to create emphasis. …
• Appeals. Writers often appeal to different emotions, including a reader’s sense of or desire for:
• Analogy. …
• Anecdotes. …
• Colloquial language. …
• Cliches. …
• Emotive words. …

What are three things you should not do when writing an effective argumentative essay?

Read this quick refresher on the dos and don’ts of argumentative writing.

• DO: Understand the purpose of your argument. …
• DON’T: Come to an argument without evidence. …
• DO: Define the kind of argument you are making. …
• DON’T: Make your argument do too much. …
• DO: See these resources on argumentative writing.

How do you avoid persuasive arguments?

Avoid the ‘usual’ arguments in your persuasion attempt. Instead use a new angle they haven’t thought about before . When resisting persuasion: expose yourself to different types of arguments and counter-arguments you will likely face. When you know what’s coming it’s easier to defend yourself psychologically.

What should you never include in the conclusion of a persuasive essay?

1: AVOID summarizing .

Summaries are repetitive and boring, but conclusions are thought-provoking. Try to concisely reiterate your main ideas, but don’t dwell on them—extend your ideas to the bigger picture and answer the question “so what?”

Which one must not be done in writing an argumentative essay?

The trick is to say what you have argued in a concise way that does not just repeat what you have already said (don’t repeat your examples). Like introductions, conclusions should be one paragraph. And never include information—even if on topic—that you have not already discussed in the body of the essay.

What are the dos in writing an argumentative essay?

In argumentative essays, writers accomplish this by writing: A clear, persuasive thesis statement in the introduction paragraph . Body paragraphs that use evidence and explanations to support the thesis statement. A paragraph addressing opposing positions on the topic—when appropriate.

Do you put your opinion in a persuasive essay?

Persuasive texts are simple in structure. You simply need to clearly state your opinion around a specific topic and then repeatedly reinforce your opinions with external facts or evidence. A strong concluding summary should leave little doubt in the reader’s mind.

Where do we use persuasive writing?

Where Do We Find Persuasive Writing?

• Advertising. The most common place we see persuasive writing is in advertising. …
• Political Speeches. Like advertising, political speeches are selling something. …
• Opinion Pieces. Traditionally opinion pieces were published in a paper form. …
• Looking for more?

What are two purposes of writing a persuasive essay?

A persuasive essay has one main goal: to persuade the audience of a certain viewpoint . Like a sales pitch, your essay is selling your point of view. An effective persuasive essay appeals to the reader’s emotions and feelings to convince them that your side is correct.

What is persuasive writing and why is it important?

Persuasive writing intends to convince readers to believe in an idea or opinion. It’s a form of non -fiction writing the writer uses to develop logical arguments, making use of carefully chosen words and phrases.

What is a good topic to persuade about?

Top Persuasive Speech Topics for 2020 on Ethics

• Juvenile delinquency is acceptable.
• Prostitution should be legal.
• Underage driving should be punishable by law.
• Beauty pageants for children should be banned.
• Prisoner’s right to vote.
• Voting rights should not be universal.
• Guns should be banned from college campuses.

How do you start off a persuasive essay?

A persuasive paragraph starts with a topic sentence , which states an opinion about something. The body sentences give reasons that support the opinion, and the closing sentence may state the opinion in a new way.

What are the 5 elements of persuasion?

The five basic elements of persuasion –source, message, medium, public and effect .

What is the most important part of a persuasive essay?

The most important part of the introduction is the clear and concise thesis statements , which defines your point of view, as well as the direction that the entire essay is going to take.

How should an effective hook be writing?

7 Tips for Writing a Great Hook

• Your title is your first hook. …
• Drop your readers into the middle of the action. …
• Form an emotional connection. …
• Make a surprising statement. …
• Leave your reader with questions. …
• Stay away from description. …
• Once you have your reader’s attention, keep it.

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