Instructions for the Persuasive Essay
Write a persuasive essay of about 1200 words (4-5 double-spaced pages) that develops your own argument about an issue of social concern. Choose an issue that matters to you. The issue may be local, national, or international. Assume that your readers’ understanding of the issue is incomplete; work to further their understanding and convince them to perceive the issue your way. As explained in SCC 3.8, a persuasive essay makes an argument—which is, “a reasoned opinion supported and explained by evidence” (122). A thesis is a concise and specific statement of an argument. Formulating a thesis for this essay will require you to find and analyze evidence (ideas and examples) relevant to your issue. Identify the issue by keywords, and determine one main question and several sub-questions to guide your research. Some of the evidence you use may come from your own experiences or observations. Some evidence may come from sources assigned in the course (see the assigned sources in the schedule in the syllabus). Some must come from credible sources that you find on your own.
A credible source is one written or presented by a professional who has researched the topic. You must use at least four …show more content…
In the body of your essay, break up your argument into discrete parts; develop supporting claims (sub-points) as topic sentences for body paragraphs. Develop at least four body paragraphs. In each body paragraph, analyze evidence from at least one researched source to support that paragraph’s topic sentence. Organize your body paragraphs logically to evolve your thesis. At least once in the body of the essay, acknowledge your main “argument’s limits” by explaining some “differing points of view on the subject” (125, 123). Follow the advice in SCC “to address opposing arguments earlier rather than later in your essay”
Write a persuasive essay of about 1200 words (4-5 double-spaced pages) that develops your own argument about an issue of social concern. Choose an issue that matters to you. The issue may be local, national, or international. Assume that your readers’ understanding of the issue is incomplete; work to further their understanding and convince them to perceive the issue your way. As explained in SCC 3.8, a persuasive essay makes an argument—which is, “a reasoned opinion supported and explained by evidence” (122). A thesis is a concise and specific statement of an argument. Formulating a thesis for this essay will require you to find and analyze evidence (ideas and examples) relevant to your issue. Identify the issue by keywords, and determine one main question and several sub-questions to guide your research. Some of the evidence you use may come from your own experiences or observations. Some evidence may come from sources assigned in the course (see the assigned sources in the schedule in the syllabus). Some must come from credible sources that you find on your own.
A credible source is one written or presented by a professional who has researched the topic. You must use at least four …show more content…
In the body of your essay, break up your argument into discrete parts; develop supporting claims (sub-points) as topic sentences for body paragraphs. Develop at least four body paragraphs. In each body paragraph, analyze evidence from at least one researched source to support that paragraph’s topic sentence. Organize your body paragraphs logically to evolve your thesis. At least once in the body of the essay, acknowledge your main “argument’s limits” by explaining some “differing points of view on the subject” (125, 123). Follow the advice in SCC “to address opposing arguments earlier rather than later in your essay”