Writing a

Persuasive Essay
Higher Folio

Contents
1) Getting Started
A) Facts and Opinions
B) What issue should I write about?
C) Steps towards creating a Persuasive
essay

2) Types of Evidence
A) Using Anecdotal Evidence
B) Using Facts
C) Using Statistics
D) Using Someone's Opinion

3) Research and Note t

aking advice

4) Creating a Catchy Ti
tle
5) Suggested Essay St
ructure
6) Writing your Introdu
ction

A) Playlet Introduction
B) Banner Headline Introduction
C) Vox Pops Quote Introduction
D) Statistical Introduction
E) Emotive Introduction
F) Anecdotal Introduction

7) Making your Argument

1) Forms of Evidence
2) Recommended Structure
3) Rebutting Counter Arguments

8) Using Techniques

General Approaches

i) Take ownership
ii) Provide information on the history of your
issue
iii) Provide information on the geography of
your issue

Contents

Specific Techniques

1) Use a Rhetorical Question

2) Use Statistics
3) Use Personal Experience
4) Use the Language of Persuasion
5) Ask a question and answer it
6) Use Emotive Language
7) Set out quotations correctly
8) Repetition
9) Create Flow (Link Words)
10) Using a one sentence paragraph to finish
11) Link conclusion to the introduction
12) Finish with a quotation

9) Writing your
Conclusion

A) Basic Conclusion
B) Effective Conclusion
C) Advanced Conclusion

10) Bibliography
11) Persuasive Essay
Features Checklist
12) Persuasive Essay
Model
Exemplar Link

1) Getting Started

CONTENTS

Introduction
When you write a Persuasive essay you form
arguments and present them for or against an issue.
You have a strong personal stance and aim to
persuade the reader that your view on the issue can
be fully supported.
It is important, however, to be clear about the
difference in writing a Persuasive essay, as outlined
above, and in writing a Discursive essay (sometimes
called Argumentative Writing).

Difference between
Discursive and Persuasive
In writing a Discursive essay the writer examines both sides of
an issue in a balanced way, without a clear personal stance and
(usually) in a formal neutral tone.
In a Persuasive essay the emphasis is on a more personal,
more emotional way of writing.
This is why in a Persuasive essay you are encouraged to use
techniques. Techniques help convey emotion.
Think of your essay as 50% argument and 50% emotion. This
should help you write an effective essay.
Please note that each type of essay has its own individual
structure.

FACTS AND OPINIONS

CONTENTS

FACTS AND OPINIONS

When you write your persuasive essay you will be writing both
facts and opinions so it is important to know the difference
between the two.
Facts are things known for certain to be true.

The following are facts:

Edinburgh is the capital of Scotland.
The main character of J K Rowling's novels is Harry Potter.

Opinions are things believed to be true.

The following are opinions:
Edinburgh is a great city.
J K Rowling is the greatest living novelist.

Continued
These are opinions and not facts because facts
are true regardless of people's view.
For example, a person living in Edinburgh may
not consider it to be "great", and many people
prefer other writers to J K Rowling despite her
huge success.
In a convincing persuasive essay opinions are
supported by facts. This makes an argument.

What issue should I

write about?

CONTENTS

What issue should I write

about?
Before you can choose your issue you have to think
about your own opinions.

The list below shows you the kind of issue students

have written about in recent years:
the war in Afghanistan, voting at 16, size zero
modelling, abortion, Scottish Independence,
downloading music on the internet, film classification,
testing cosmetics on animals.
Choose an issue that you genuinely feel strongly
about. This can help your writing.

Issue Types
Your choice could be about:

an international issue (...Third World poverty)

a national issue (...student fees at universities)
a local issue (..the building of a new bridge over the
Forth)
a personal issue (...your school should be given better
facilities)

Once you have decided on the issue to write about you have
to form arguments which you use to present your case.

some issues overlap in categories, for example, a

local issue could also be a national issue

Exemplar
In this PowerPoint, whenever we look at
the idea of persuasive writing, we will do
this in the context of a student who is
arguing the issue that the tax on
tobacco should be increased.

Steps towards
creating a
Persuasive essay
CONTENTS

Once I have chosen

myissue how do I write
my persuasive essay on
it?
You prepare notes by following
these steps:

STEP 1
Decide your point
of view on the
issue

STEP 1 - Decide your point of

view on the issue
Let us say that in your persuasive essay you
intend to persuade the reader that the tax on
tobacco should be increased so that the
demand for cigarettes will be reduced.
You start the note preparation with the simple
statement:
I think that the tax on tobacco should be
increased.
All points made in the essay are written to
convince the reader of this view .

STEP 2
- Create points that
support your point
of view -

STEP 2 - Create points that

support your point of view
You now produce a list of
points, in any order,
FOR the tax on tobacco
being increased.
Here, we have produced
a list of five points,
although we could have
listed more.

Points FOR the tax on tobacco

being increased
1) less demand for cigarettes improvement in health
2) less demand - reduces costs
for NHS + increased
income for Gvt
3) less demand - fire risk
reduced
4) less demand influence
on children more limited
5) less demand - fewer packets,
less litter

STEP 3
- You now have to
choose the points you
are going to develop -

STEP 3 - You now have to

choose the points you are
going to develop

In most cases, to present a convincing

argument for your point of view, it is sufficient
to select three persuasive points.
However many you choose to develop, the
points you select form the basis of your essay.
In the table that follows we have selected the
three points (*) that we will develop in the
essay.

Points FOR the tax on

tobacco being increased

Point

less demand for cigarettes

improvement in health

less demand - reduces costs for

NHS + increased income for Gvt

less demand - fire risk

reduced

less demand - influence on

children more limited

less demand - fewer packets, less

Litter

Deciding the order of your

points
You now have to decide the order in which the
points will be used in the essay.
This exemplar takes the approach that you can
lead up to your most convincing point, but there
are others.
It is suggested you decide from your list
what your most convincing point is and
number it "1".

Exemplar
In the essay
on increasing
the tax on
tobacco, our
three points
are prioritised
like this:

Points FOR the tax on tobacco

being increased

No.

less demand for cigarettes improvement in health

less demand - reduces costs

for NHS + increased income
for Gvt

less demand - influence on

children more limited

STEP 4
- Show that you aware
of opposing arguments -

STEP 4 - Show that you aware

of opposing arguments
You will impress the marker by showing that
you understand both sides of the issue and
that you can argue against objections to
your point of view. This will strengthen your
persuasive essay.
You make a list of two or three points
which oppose yours and introduce these points
in your essay explaining why you do not find
them convincing.

Example of two opposing

points on the smoking
issue:
Points AGAINST the tax on tobacco being increased
less demand - thousands of tobacco workers would
become unemployed
it is unfair to tax people who are addicted to tobacco
you do not need to prioritise
opposing arguments

Final Point
If you have followed STEP 1 to STEP
4 you are ready to find "Types of
Evidence" to support the points you
have chosen to develop.

Types of Evidence

CONTENTS

Types of Evidence
There are many types of evidence you can use in your
persuasive essay to support the points made by each
side.
You can use any type as many times as you want,
although it always shows skill to use more than one
type, maybe even three or four types. Being good at
using several types of evidence makes a stronger
essay and shows more evidence handling skills.
(All the examples are based on a persuasive essay
arguing for an increase in tobacco tax.)

Using Anecdotal
Evidence

CONTENTS

Using Anecdotal Evidence

Anecdotal evidence is 'story' evidence. A story is told
and the facts of the story are the evidence. A story is
used to back-up the point made by one side. It is
important that the evidence is true (remember where
you get it from as you will have to reference it in a
bibliography at the end of your essay).
You can see that the anecdotal evidence can be used
to support the point that, because if Michelle Boisvert
had found cigarettes too expensive then she would not
have smoked. She would not then have to seek
expensive and ongoing treatment for her serious
illness.

Example:
Point: Less smoking means less demand for NHS services.
Anecdotal Evidence: Ex-smoker Michelle Boisvert suffers from
degenerative disc disease (DDD). Diagnosed at the age of 33,
she has since learned that cigarette smoking is a leading risk
factor for DDD.Michelle says, "I was diagnosed with severe
DDD in 1998 when I was 33 years old and still a smoker.
Although genetic predisposition is the number 1 risk factor, a
growing number of studies indicate that smoking is a leading
risk factor for DDD, both in the lumbar discs (lower back) and
cervical discs (neck).
(Source: www.about.com/smoking-relateddiseasestories/)

Impact of Evidence
You can see that the anecdotal evidence can
be used to support the point that, because if
Michelle Boisvert had found cigarettes too
expensive then she would not have smoked.
She would not then have to seek expensive
and ongoing treatment for her serious illness.

Using Facts

CONTENTS

Using Facts
A fact is a piece of information that is true. The Earth
goes round the Sun is a fact. It is a piece of information
that has been proved true.
Facts can be used to support points in a discursive
essay. (Again, remember where you got the facts from the source - as you will need to reference your sources
in the bibliography.)
If you use facts, try to use more than one.
A series of facts supports a point far better than just
one fact. Very rarely can one fact support a point, some
may call it a coincidence rather than real evidence!

Example:
Point: Higher tobacco taxes means more income for the
government.
Factual Evidence: According to Government figures, in 2011 the
UK government received 11 billion by taxing tobacco products.
This is a major contribution to Education spending which is 90
billion. Year-on-year tax rises have slowly increased the amount
that government earns.
(Source: www.the-tma.org.uk/tma-publications-research/factsfigures/tax-revenue-fromtobacco/;www.ukpublicspending.co.uk/index.php?year=2011)
By piling on the facts that support a point , you make the point
stronger and more convincing.
It also shows that you are handling evidence well.

Using Statistics

CONTENTS

Using Statistics
'There are lies, damned lies and statistics'. This was
said by former British Prime Minister, Benjamin
Disraeli.
However, if used correctly, statistics can be used as
powerful evidence as they seem like scientific truth.
When using statisitcs it is crucial that you
understand what they show.
It is all too easy to use statistics incorrectly and end up
contradicting the point you want them to support.

Example:
Point: If there is less smoking then health risks are reduced.
Evidence: 85%-90% of all lung cancer deaths in the United States are
caused by active cigarette smoking. In the UK 25% to 40% of all smokers will
die in middle age (35 to 69).
(Source:
www.info.cancerresearchuk.org/healthyliving/smokingandtobacco/howdowekn
ow/#Lung)
It is possible to use statistics that are weaker than others. The fact that the
statistic isn't clear about how many smokers will die in middle age makes it
slightly weaker.
The problem with statistics is that they are only as accurate as what can be
written down and recorded. There is no context for much of the figures (10%
of the statistic about smokers may be non-smoking related).
But statistics can be powerful evidence, especially if the recording is very
tight. For example, pass or fail rates in exams - it is known exactly how many

Using Someone's
Opinion

CONTENTS

Using Someone's Opinion

The weakest type of evidence is using someone's or a
group of people's opinion. After all, an opinion is only a
belief, and beliefs can very often be wrong. Holding a
belief does not make it true.
However, when the opinion or belief comes from
someone with expertise and experience in the area you
are examining then it becomes stronger.
Eg. The opinions of a doctor can carry greater weight
with people as evidence than the opinions of nonexperts with little experience in the area.
Points in your essay can be supported by opinions and
beliefs - the more expert and experienced in the area of
your persuasive essay, the better.

Example:
Point: Smoking means more demands on NHS resources.
Evidence: A study commissioned by the British Heart Foundation has
found that smoking costs the NHS 5 billion a year. Study leader Dr
Steven Allender, said the increased costs were largely due to
increasing expense of treatment on the NHS with better treatment
and technologies, 'The story is not so much the increase (in costs)
but that 5bn is an enormous number regardless'. Betty McBride of
the British Heart Foundation said, 'This is money being drained out of
the NHS as a direct result of something we have the power to
prevent'.
(Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8086142.stm)
The opinion of experts can carry weight and support points
more effectively.
When points are made about what might happen then using
opinions of experienced experts may be the only evidence available.

Research and
Notetaking advice

CONTENTS

Researching
Researching your issue is very important
because you use the information from it to help
you to prepare convincing evidence for your
argument.
When researching, carefully fit your evidence
to each point.
It is useful sometimes to provide more than one
piece of evidence for a point.

Fonts of Information
You can access useful information from:

your school library

public libraries
the internet
interviewing family members/friends/fellow
pupils
teachers in school
contacting interested parties
conducting a survey

My advice for Research

Each point should be researched. It is better to have
too much than too little. It is easy to edit your essay
and make it shorter, but making it longer is harder
without having research. You can end-up waffling.
My advice:
1. Set out each point (For and Against) on a separate
sheet of paper.
2. Find trusted sources with information about your
topic and the points.
3. Write down the facts relevant to each point in note
form on each separate piece of paper.

Taking Notes of your

research
Set out the point and the evidence that
supports it.
You can easily record your evidence in note
form.
This will allow you to write your evidence up
using your own words and develop your
writing style.

Example:
Point: Less smoking means less demand for NHS services.
Anecdotal Evidence: Ex-smoker Michelle Boisvert suffers from
degenerative disc disease (DDD). Diagnosed at the age of 33, she has since
learned that cigarette smoking is a leading risk factor for DDD.Michelle says,
"I was diagnosed with severe DDD in 1998 when I was 33 years old and still
a smoker. Although genetic predisposition is the number 1 risk factor, a
growing number of studies indicate that smoking is a leading risk factor for
DDD, both in the lumbar discs (lower back) and cervical discs (neck)."
In note form becomes...
Point: Less smoking means less demand for NHS services.
Anecdotal Evidence: Ex-smoker Michelle Boisvert suffers - degenerative
disc disease (DDD). Diagnosed - 33 - cigarette smoking - leading risk factor
- Michelle " diagnosed - 1998 - 33 years old - still a smoker. - genetic
predisposition - number 1 risk factor studies - smoking leading risk factor DDD - in lumbar discs - cervical discs"

Final Summary
taking notes is quicker than copying it all
out
notes allow you to identify essential
evidence and understand it
writing style is rewarded in a persuasive
essay so using notes to write your essay
encourages you to use your own style
rather than the style of writing where you
found the evidence

Creating a Catchy
Title

CONTENTS

Creating a Title

The title of your persuasive essay will be the first words the marker reads.

Your title sends a strong signal to the marker about the quality of your essay.

A title can:
create immediate impact show your intelligence give information
make the reader think provoke emotion - anger, shock, disgust
be humorous convey your opinion make your issue clear
or provide a combination of these.
Common language techniques which gain the reader's attention are:
alliteration questions puns rhyme odd spelling repetition
emotive language command creative punctuation unusual use of
words

Examples:
many modern autobiographies have titles using these techniques
Examples of language techniques creating effective titles in persuasive
essays:

Title

Technique

Effect

The Nuclear Nightmare

alliteration

view on nuclear power clear,

emotive language

KO is not OK

pun

view against boxing

clear, unusual use of words,
humour

Bent Business of the Banana

Trade

alliteration, pun

Abortion - The Silent

Holocaust?

Emotive language, question

provokes shock/anger, issue

made clear

Universities should be
Universal

Pun

issue made clear, view made

clear

Attack of the Clones

Pun

issue made clear, view made

clear

There is Sense in Defence

rhyme

issue made clear, view made

clear

humour, issue made clear, view

made clear

Suggested Essay
Structure

CONTENTS

Suggested Essay Structure

You are now ready to begin to write the essay itself.
To get the grade for a persuasive essay that you
would like it is essential that your essay has a sound
structure.
There are other ways to structure a persuasive essay
than appears on the following slides but the one
outlined is tried and tested in making an argument
and creating successful essays at Higher.
We will now look at detailed explanations, with
examples, of each part of the structure in the slides
which follow.

Persuasive Essay Structure

PersuasiveEssayStructure
Title
Introduction
MakingyourArgumentusingtechniques
ParagraphsdevelopingthepointsFORyourviewinorderof
"strength"
followed by
Paragraphsshowingtheweaknessofsomepoints
AGAINSTyourview
Conclusion
an essay with a clear structure is a more persuasive essay

Writing your
Introduction

CONTENTS

Writing your
Introduction

After the title, the words you write in your introduction will be the
first that the marker reads.
You should, therefore, consider carefully how you are going to
start your essay.
This Section gives you constructive suggestions.

Your Introduction should:

capture the reader's attention
show you can write with style
make your issue clear
make clear what you are arguing for

an effective introduction will impress the marker

Types of Introduction
Examples of different types of introduction are explained below. You can
choose the type that you think works best for your essay.
To help you understand the effectiveness of each type of introduction, all
the examples given here are introductions to a student's persuasive
essay with the title: "Increase the tax on tobacco - NOW!".
The types of introduction explained in this Section are:

>
>
>
>
>
>

Playlet
Banner Headline
Person-in-the-street Quote (Vox Pops)
Statistical
Emotive
Personal Experience

Whichever type of introduction you choose it is essential that you

link it to your point of view.

Playlet Introduction

CONTENTS

Playlet Introduction
You create a dramatic human situation with setting, characters
and dialogue relating to aspects of your issue.
In the introduction on the next slide the student has created a playlet
involving two young girls smoking in a school playground.
The student could, of course, have used other situations involving
smoking, for example, a parent discovering cigarettes in a child's
drawer, or a hospital visit to a patient suffering from a smoking
related illness.
The appropriate conventions for a playlet are:

statement of scene
character's name(s) placed left followed by a colon (:)
inverted commas not used
spacing between speakers

Essay Example:
The playlet below makes some "costs" of smoking clear - its addictive nature
("dying"), how it adversely affects relationships ("granny's birthday money") its
secretive nature ("out-of-sight area"), its criminal nature ("thirteen", "bought
them yesterday")
(Scene: In an out-of-sight area of a school playground at break in a secondary
school.)
Mary: (opening a packet of cigarettes) I'm absolutely dying for one of these!
Jean: (pleading) Give me one, Mary. Remember, I gave you one yesterday.
Mary: (lighting up and inhaling deeply) OK. I've got plenty. I bought them with
my granny's birthday money. I was thirteen yesterday.
How often is this kind of conversation heard in our school playgrounds?
Tragically, tobacco smoking has taken its toll not only on our young people but
on our entire population. We have put up with the costs of this destructive
activity for too long. We have to reduce the demand for tobacco and the time
has now come to increase the level of taxation...

Banner Headlines

CONTENTS

Banner Headlines
You create your own newspaper banner
headlines. Three will be sufficient. Again, you
must link them to a statement of your point of
view on the issue.
This introduction immediately:

catches the reader's attention

places the reader in a dramatic situation
gives the reader information about the issue
makes the reader think

The appropriate conventions

for headlines are:
block capital letters
inverted commas (".... ") or italics
exclamation marks (!)
list form

Example:
"Lung cancer rates a major concern!"
"Teenage smoking - worrying statistics!"
"Smoking related illness - NHS under pressure!"
These types of headlines are common in newspapers
today as society battles against the tragic effects that
smoking has on the UK population. There is no doubt
that these headlines address a major problem about
tobacco use. For too long it has damaged the health of
our population and the time has now come to reduce
the demand for tobacco by increasing the tax on it...

Vox Pops Quote

Introduction

CONTENTS

Vox Pops Quote Introduction

This introduction creates immediate impact by using
typical expressions heard about your issue.
As always, you must link the quote to a statement of
your view on the issue.
Use the appropriate conventions when setting out the
quotes:
inverted commas ("......... ") or italics
exclamation marks (!)
list form

Essay Example:
"Addicted? No way! I could give up any time!
"I'm dying for a fag!
"My aunt smoked 40 a day all her life and lived till she
was 85!
These statements on smoking that we hear in our daily
lives reveal that some people in society have not
accepted the dangers that smoking can cause. Some
smokers will only respond to the immediate impact a
price rise has on them. It is now time to increase
taxation on tobacco.

Statistical
Introduction

CONTENTS

Statistical Introduction
This introduction presents a list of statistics
gathered from your research.
These statistics:
show you have done research
show you have knowledge of your subject
provoke thoughts and emotions in the reader

The appropriate conventions

in presenting the statistics
are:

all statistics must contain

numbers
list form

Essay Example:
Smoking causes 90% of deaths from lung cancer.
Smoking related diseases cost NHS 2.7 billion pounds a year.
Globally 600,000 deaths a year from passive smoking.
114,000 smokers in UK die annually as a result of their habit.
These statistics are a great cause for concern as they show the
widespread problem that the destructive effects of smoking are
having on the population. Now is the time to increase taxes on
tobacco to prevent more harmful effects and pay for dealing
with the harm already done.

Emotive
Introduction

CONTENTS

Emotive Introduction
The Emotive Introduction is used to:
make the reader feel
angry/shocked/sympathetic etc.
make clear what the issue is
show that your view is sincerely held
provide a link to your argument

Essay Example:
Think about this. You have a cough most of the time.
You are always short of breath. You cough up phlegm
with signs of blood in it. It is sore when you breathe or
cough. You have lost your appetite. You feel
permanently tired. You are losing weight. You would
hate this to be you but, unfortunately, this is what
sufferers of lung cancer have to face on a daily basis.
Not all lung cancer is caused by smoking but there is
no doubt that in many cases smoking tobacco has
been the main factor. Raising revenues by increasing
taxes on tobacco will reduce demand and is an act of
humanity.

Anecdotal
Introduction

CONTENTS

Anecdotal Introduction
In this introduction you write about your
personal experience of any aspect(s) of your
issue.
It is used to:

show your personal experience of the issue

show your knowledge of the issue
show you have thought about the issue
show you are an individual
provide a link to your argument

Essay Example:
When my aunt Annie, who lived alone, died last year,
my sister and I helped to clear out her house. I took a
family picture off the wall in her living room. Where the
picture had been a perfect white square was left. I had
always thought that the wallpaper in her living room
was a light brown colour but I then realised it was, in
fact, white. Her lungs must have been a similar colour
when she died because she smoked 40 cigarettes a
day sitting in that room for thirty years. What makes
someone risk their health in this way? If cigarettes had
been more expensive would she have used them so
much? It is time to increase price through a tax rise on
cigarettes.

Making your
Argument

CONTENTS

Making your Argument

When you write a persuasive essay you make and present
arguments to convince the reader that your point of view on an
issue is the right one.
The success of your essay will largely depend on how well you do
this.
To make your essay more persuasive:

prepare a number of points FOR your point of view

have evidence for them
undertake research and make notes

Evidence can take different forms.

Common ones are anecdotes, statistics, opinions of experts
and facts.

Forms of Evidence

CONTENTS

Forms of Evidence
Let us consider preparation of points with evidence and notes from
research for the essay, "Increase the tax on tobacco - NOW!"
A student researching for this persuasive essay might use the following
sources:
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/type/lung-cancer/living/copingwith-lung-cancer
http://www.ash.org.uk/information/facts-and-stats/fact-sheets
http://kats.roycastle.org/facts_stats.htm
interviewing an aunt who has smoked 20 cigarettes a day
since she was fifteen
borrowing a book from the school library on social issues
obtaining leaflets from a local doctor's surgery
The points listed in the table on the next slide are the ones that will be
developed in depth after they have been researched.

Main Points

Points FOR the tax on

tobacco being increased

No.

less demand for cigarettes

improvement in health

less demand - reduces costs for

NHS + increased income for Gvt

less demand - influence on

children more limited

The table below shows evidence gained from researching for

the points listed above.

Points

Evidence

Evidence

Evidence

more income for

government

less smoking:
reduces fire risks

increased price
children less
likely to
start/influence
more limited

Treasury earned
8.8 billion from
tobacco duty in
2009

fires caused by
smoking
materials
biggest killers in
accidental house
fires

"Price of
cigarettes
a major effect
on consumption
Action on
Smoking and
Health

NHS 2.7 billion

pounds a year for
treating smoking
related illnesses

80% of deaths
from bronchitis
and emphysema

in 2008 16
billion
spent on tobacco
-

nationally,
someone
dies every three
days from a fire
caused by
cigarettes

every day in UK
450 children
start smoking

costs to NHS in
hospital
admissions,
doctors
consultations,
prescriptions,
Sickness/
Invalidity benefit

one third of all

cancer deaths
attributed to
smoking

Gvt pays for

sickness/invalidiy
benefits, widows
pensions and
other social
security benefits
for dependants
from smoking
related deaths

"The best way to

reduce fire in the
home is to give
up smoking"
Staffordshire
Fire Services

children whose
parents or
brothers and
sisters smoke
90 per cent more
likely to grow up
to become
smokers
themselves

reducing
smoking
results in a net
annual
benefit of

less smoking:
improvement in
health

causes almost
90% of deaths
rom lung cancer

reduce costs for

NHS

Final Point
When you have decided on your
points, and have evidence to support
them from your research, you are
ready to develop them in your
argument.

Recommended
Structure

CONTENTS

Recommended Structure
This is the recommended paragraphing
structure to make your argument convincing:
statement of your viewpoint
explanation of your viewpoint
evidence for your viewpoint

Essay Example:
So, making the argument that there would be less demand on
the NHS if the tax on tobacco was increased, would be written,
using the above structure, like this:
Increasing taxation on tobacco would mean that NHS
resources were in less demand. [P] Higher taxes on tobacco
would mean less people smoking. In turn, there would be fewer
patients needing to use the NHS for help with smoking related
diseases. [Ex] In one way or another, smoking costs the NHS
2.7 billion pounds a year for treating these diseases. These
costs include the hospital admissions, doctors' consultations,
prescriptions and care. Betty McBride from the British Heart
Foundation claims, based on a BHF study conducted by
doctors, that the cost is 5 billion a year. She says, 'This is
money being drained out of the NHS as a direct result of
something we have the power to prevent'. [I] Clearly, billions of
pounds could be saved if the numbers of people with smoking
related diseases could be reduced.

Summary
Structure:
[P] Point you are making
[Ex] Explanation of your point
[I] Evidence for your point
Having a clear structure to your points helps your own
understanding as well as the reader's.
your evidence must support the specific point
you are making

Rebutting Counter
Arguments

CONTENTS

Rebutting Counter
Arguments
When you have made all the arguments for your point
of view, you are advised, as part of the structure of
your essay, to deal with and rebut one or
two arguments which oppose yours.
This shows the marker that you:

have good knowledge of your subject

have considered both sides of the argument
can use opposing arguments to strengthen your
case

Essay Example:
Firstly, you have to list one or two arguments against
your point of view. For the essay on smoking from the
previous pages, these arguments could be:
Arguments AGAINST the tax on tobacco being increased
8000 tobacco workers would become unemployed
it is unfair to tax people who are addicted to tobacco

 In the paragraph(s) in which you expose the weakness of opposing

arguments the normal structure of Statement, Explanation, Evidence can
be reversed.
The example below illustrates how the normal structure has been
reversed to Evidence, Explanation, Statement.
People argue that the tobacco industry employs eight thousand people
[d1] who, if made redundant, through a reduction in demand for
cigarettes, would not be able to provide for their families and so
contribute to the economy or pay taxes that pay for other
services. [d2] However, think of the benefit to the country if these eight
thousand workers were not involved in the destructive industry that
cigarette production is, but were retrained by the government, using the
increased money from tobacco taxation, to use their skills in emerging
industries, such as green technologies. They would still pay taxes and
give the UK a leading edge in selling these technologies around the
world. [d3] Therefore, raising taxes on tobacco can have further benefits.

[d1] Evidence for opposing viewpoint

[d2] Explanation of opposing viewpoint
[d3] Rebuttal of the opposing viewpoint
[d4] Re-statement of your argument

8) Using Techniques

CONTENTS

Using Techniques
Your arguments will be more convincing if they
are presented with knowledge, sincerity and
style.
Features of writing which help you to present
your arguments in this way are explained in the
slides which follow.
Each feature contains an example relating to
the persuasive essay, "Increase the tax on
tobacco NOW!"

General Approaches

CONTENTS

i) Take ownership

CONTENTS

Take ownership
In your persuasive essay the point of view you
express is a very personal one.
What you write, therefore, should communicate your
personality.

You can do this effectively by:

using the personal pronoun 'I'
using expressions

Examples:
I believe... It seems to me In my opinion I feel
strongly that...

ii) Provide
information on the
history of your issue
CONTENTS

Provide information on the

history of your issue

Providing historical background

to your issue - relevant
information about the past shows knowledge and gives
you authority.

Essay Example:
Before the 1950s there was no
serious research into the health
effects of smoking. After that,
however, the first warnings were
sounded as links between
smoking and lung cancer started
getting reported. It is these
warnings that society has had to
heed in the last fifty years...

iii) Provide
information on the
geography of your
issue
CONTENTS

Provide information on the

geography of your issue
Providing geographical background to
your issue - relevant information
about other countries - shows
knowledge and gives your argument
authority.

Essay Example:
Smoking is a world-wide problem. China has
an estimated 350 million smokers - that's 1 in 3
of the world's smokers. In USA smoking kills
approximately half a million people per year.
Most of them die of lung cancer, heart disease
or emphysema. We should, therefore, be in no
doubt of the scale of the problem or its
dangers...

Specific Persuasive
Techniques

CONTENTS

Use a Rhetorical
Question

CONTENTS

Use a Rhetorical Question

A Rhetorical Question is a question asked for
its persuasive effect.
It does not expect an answer. The answer is
implied in the question itself.
Rhetorical questions can be used to engage
the reader and emphasise your point of view .

Example:
Who could argue that smoking is not damaging
to health? (Implied answer: No one)
Can anybody seriously doubt that the NHS
would benefit if there were fewer smokers?
(Implied answer: No)

Use Statistics

CONTENTS

Use Statistics
Statistics show you:

have done research

know your subject
can use facts to strengthen your case

Example:
Let us look at the toll that tobacco smoking is
taking on our population.
Today, tobacco consumption is recognised as
the UK's single greatest cause of preventable
illness and early death with 107,000 people
dying in 2007 from smoking-related diseases
including cancers. In addition, around 86% of
lung cancer deaths themselves are caused by
tobacco smoking. We need to act now to
change this situation...

Use Personal
Experience

CONTENTS

Use Personal Experience

Personal Experience:

shows knowledge of your subject

strengthens your case
reveals your individuality

Example:
I saw a television documentary about smoking once.
The programme started with a close up of a man's
face. He was smoking a cigarette. Half way through
the programme we were shown the man again sitting
in a wheelchair. He had lost one leg. He said that he
had had to have it amputated because his arteries had
hardened with smoking. He said he was told that if he
did not stop smoking he would lose his other leg, too.
At the end of the programme we saw the man again.
This time we could see that he had lost his other leg,
too. The programme shocked me because it showed
me how addictive smoking is and how dangerous it is
to health, and I vowed there and then never to
smoke....

Use the Language of

Persuasion

CONTENTS

Use the Language of

Persuasion
You can emphasise arguments, and show that
your point of view is important to you, by
including assertive expressions at
appropriate points in your essay.

Examples:
Example 1:
It cannot be denied that... It is undoubtedly true that...
My firm view is that...There is no alternative to the fact
that... Society must realise that... Informed opinion
accepts that... No one could question that...
Example 2:
No one could question that smoking poses great
health risks. Among these are...
Society must realise that the costs of tobacco to the
country can no longer be tolerated...

Ask a question and

answer it

CONTENTS

Ask a question and answer it

Asking a question, and answering it, is a stylish
way of introducing an argument, providing
information and making the reader think about
an aspect of your issue.
Types of questions to ask and answer are:
Why is this the case?
What are the reasons for this?
What can be done about this?

Example:
So what are the specific risks that smoking can
cause? Undoubtedly, smoking is a risk to
health. Among the smoking related diseases
there is lung cancer and emphysema...

Use Emotive Language

CONTENTS

Use Emotive Language

In your essay you want the reader to agree that
your point of view is one that can be supported.
Emotive language appeals to the reader's
emotions, for example, sympathy, outrage or
disgust and is a useful technique to make
your argument convincing.
The table on the next slide indicates how your
use of words can provoke emotion:

Neutral language

More emotive language

Most emotive language

crowd

gang

mob

said

shouted

roared

did not like

hated

abhorred

man

old man

pensioner

hurried

ran

raced

attractive

beautiful

gorgeous

Emotive Language working

in practice

The emotive language in this passage has been highlighted.

Example:
Celebrity! Celebrity! Celebrity! Teenagers are obsessed by it. Celebrities are
in all the papers, in all the magazines, on television, every night - it just
never ever ends.... But why are young people (except me!) so fixated?
Maybe they feel their lives are dull and drab : 9-4 school with lots
of routine activity; 5-6 homework (not more English!); 6-7 tea , 7-9 mindnumbing soaps. Maybe by concentrating on all kinds of celebrities - film
stars/models/singers -they give their own lives colour and variety but, if you
ask me, there are other ways to do this.

Example:
I simply cannot fathom how someone would put their lives at risk by
smoking. After all, we all have free and open choices. There are
enough dangers in society - horrendous traffic accidents, violent crime,
the menace of pollution - without us choosing to risk ending our lives
prematurely.

Set out quotations

correctly

CONTENTS

Set out quotations correctly

Whatever the issue, you can
find quotations from interested parties.
These quotations should be set out as part of
the paragraph they are being used to support a
point.

mention the source of the quotation

introduce with a comma or a colon
open and close with quotation marks

Example:
Quotation from an expert person.
Of course, the health risks of smoking are not only confined to
the UK. It is a worldwide problem. According to Dr. Thomas
Frieden (U.S. Center for Disease), "More than five million
people die each year from smoking, many of them in
developing countries and fewer than ten per cent of the
world's nations are doing enough to prevent it." He also
says, "Other countries should follow their example.
Tobacco is now the world's leading single cause of death.
It kills more people than AIDS, TB (tuberculosis) and
malaria combined. And unlike those conditions which are
decreasing, it is increasing as a single cause of death". Dr
Frieden is someone whose opinion all smokers should listen to.

Repetition

CONTENTS

Repetition
Repeating questions, repeating phrases or
repeating words can be effective in conveying
your point.

Examples:
Is it right that smokers should pollute the air of others?
Is it right that other should risk cancer? Is it right?
Smoking kills. There are thousands of people dying
each year of lung cancer. Smoking kills. There are
thousands of people dying each year from secondary
smoke. Smoking kills.
Do we want smoking to continue as a money making
enterprise while people suffer? No. No. No!

Create Flow
(Link Words)

CONTENTS

Create Flow
To create a flow in your essay you link your paragraphs
with transitional expressions.
Transitional expressions bring ideas together.
They show you are leaving one thought and presenting a
new one.
If you think of these expressions as linking the old and opening
the new, it will help you to join the ideas in your essay.
Think of your essay as a house and the points you make in it as
bricks. The transitional expressions are the mortar that bonds
the bricks together so that the house will not fall apart. Using
them helps you to produce an essay which reads as a complete
whole.
You can see on the next slide what a good choice of transitional
expressions you have!

Toadd
Information

and, not only . . . but also, also, too, moreover, furthermore

toprovide
Examples

for example, for instance, specifically, in particular,

the first (second, another, etc.) example/reason is, in the case of, as revealed by, such as

toshow
Contrast

but, however, on the other hand, otherwise, whereas, instead of, alternatively, unlike,
while this is the case it is also true that, in contrast to this, moving on from this we see,
this is not the only important point

toqualify

yet, nevertheless, even so, however, although, even although, despite the fact that,
despite, or whether... or..., if

toshow
Similarity

likewise, similarly, in the same way

toshowcause
andeffect

so, as a result, therefore, thus, as a consequence, consequently

toshow
Sequence

firstly, secondly, finally, in conclusion, in summary, meanwhile, as well as this we also

see that, this is not the only point

tocompare

likewise, equally, similarly, as with, like

toemphasise

in fact, actually, in other words, above all, in particular, especially, significantlindeed,

notably

Example:
Not only is smoking a problem in the UK, it is a
world-wide problem. China, for example, has an
estimated 350 million smokers - that's 1 in 3 of the
world's smokers. Moreover, in USA smoking kills
approximately half a million people per year. Most of
them die of lung cancer, heart disease or emphysema.
We should, therefore, be in no doubt of the scale of
the problem or its dangers.
transitional expressions link
ideas between paragraphs or within paragraphs

Using a one sentence

paragraph to finish

CONTENTS

Using a one sentence

paragraph to finish
A dramatic stand alone sentence or minor
sentence can increase the impact.

Example:
When we think of these dangers our thoughts must go
to our children. Every day in the UK 450 children start
smoking. We need to look on this as an epidemic. The
organisation, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH),
has made it clear that, "The price of cigarettes has a
major effect on cigarette consumption". We need to
increase the price of tobacco immediately to protect
our children so that they do not become part of these
frightening worldwide statistics.
Otherwise the cost is simply too high.

Link conclusion to the

introduction

CONTENTS

Link conclusion to the

introduction
You can bring a satisfying circularity to your
arguments by finishing where you began.

Example:
Introduction
Smoking causes almost 90% of deaths from lung cancer.
Smoking costs the NHS 2.7 billion pounds a year for treating
smoking related illnesses.
Conclusion
When we think of these dangers our thoughts must go to the
families and individuals who suffer from lung cancer: 90%
smoking related. The drain on the NHS which is starved of funds
to do everything we would want at the best of time: 2.7 billion
spent on smoking-related diseases. When we know that every
day in the UK 450 children start smoking, then it has to be time
to raise the taxes on tobacco.

Finish with a quotation

CONTENTS

Finish with a quotation

Finishing with a quotation can leave the reader
with a pointed, almost advert-like message to
think about.

Example:
We must raise taxes on tobacco to stop
suffering and save lives. When we think of
these dangers our thoughts must go to our
children. Every day in the UK 450 children start
smoking. We need to look on this as an
epidemic. Our weapon in the war against
tobacco and its costs should be to increase the
tax on tobacco now because as Action on
Smoking and Health (ASH) makes absolutely
clear, "The price of cigarettes has a major effect
on cigarette consumption".

9) Writing your
Conclusion

CONTENTS

Writing your Conclusion

The words you write in your conclusion will be the last in
the essay that the marker reads.
Carefully consider how you can create a positive lasting
impression.
This Section gives you constructive suggestions.

The conclusion should:

summarise your line of argument

emphasise the point you are arguing for
provide an opportunity to show style
allow for further evaluation

A) Basic Conclusion

CONTENTS

Basic Conclusion
A basic conclusion keeps it very simple. It:
sums up your main point
re-states what you are arguing for
In conclusion, we see how smoking can be
very damaging to the smoker's health and why
taxes should be raised on all tobacco products.

B) Effective Conclusion

CONTENTS

Effective Conclusion
An effective conclusion can afford to show
more style. It:

summarises the points made

uses style
re-states the point being argued for as
effectively as possible

Example:
What have we learned, then, about the cost of
smoking? We have learned that exposure to other
people's tobacco smoke is a cause of ill health
including respiratory illnesses, increased severity of
asthma symptoms and, tragically, terminal illnesses in
adult non-smokers. We have learned, too, that
smoking can cause lung cancer and cancers in other
parts of the body, and death from emphysema,
bronchitis and heart conditions. We have learned
about the costs to the NHS and to society in general.
Given all the disease, suffering and death that
smoking causes is it not now right to make tobacco
more expensive? It it time to raise taxes on tobacco.

C) Advanced Conclusion

CONTENTS

Advanced Conclusion
The advanced conclusion should aim for more
style and emotional power. It:
states your point of view
summarises the statements and evidence
evaluates the issue - comments on it in a
stylish way
varies vocabulary and sentence structure

Example:
What do these statistics, personal experiences and facts tell us
about the cost of smoking? They tell us that the 4000 chemical
compounds in tobacco, including carbon monoxide, arsenic,
benzine and cyanide, are very, very harmful to our health. We
all know that they can cause lung cancer but they can be
attributed to deaths from cancers in other parts of the body, too,
- the mouth, lip, bladder, throat, kidney, stomach, liver and
cervix. And deaths from emphysema, bronchitis and heart
conditions. By "our health" I mean the health of non-smokers,
too, because, as has been shown, second hand smoke is a
cause of ill health. It causes respiratory illness, increased
severity of asthma symptoms, glue ear and, tragically, causes
of death - lung cancer and heart disease - in adult nonsmokers. Remember, too, the demands made on the NHS and
the price society at large pays for smoking. It is a very, very,
costly business making us all pay too high a price.

10) Bibliography

CONTENTS

Bibliography
A bibliography is important as it shows you have researched your
material and proves you have the skills to find appropriate
evidence.
It also gives credit where credit is due.
Often other people will have done work that contributes to
another person's work, in this case, your essay.
Finally, it allows any person interested in the arguments and
evidence provided to discover more by referring to your
bibliography.
Different sources are presented in different ways in a
bibliography:

For Example:

A book
Schlosser, E, Fast Food Nation: What The All-American Meal is Doing to the
World, Penguin (2002)

A magazine or newspaper
Klein, J, Outsiders vs. Insiders: The Struggle for the GOP's Soul, Time
Magazine (June 2011)

An encyclopedia
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Obesity, Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc (1991)

A website
NHS, Obesity: Brendon and Debbie's Story,
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/pages/realstories.aspx (Accessed on
31/5/2010)

A documentary
Spurlock, M, Supersize Me (documentary), Independent Film (2004)

11) Persuasive Essay

Features Checklist

CONTENTS

Persuasive Essay Features

Checklist
Why should I use a checklist?
A checklist ensures that you have used
techniques in your persuasive writing.
Using techniques shows that you can present
a convincing argument in a skilful way.
You can use the checklist as you write your
essay as well as after you have written it.

Higher English: Persuasive

Essay
CHECKLIST
Before submitting your folio essay it is
advisable to check that you have included
many of the features of persuasive writing listed
below.
Print out the checklist and tick each one as
appropriate.

Have you...? TECHNIQUE

used several arguments FOR your point of view
prioritised them
shown the weakness of some arguments AGAINST
used an effective opening
included a bibliography
given information on the History of your issue
given information on the Geography of your issue
taken ownership
used a rhetorical question
used statistics
used personal experience
used the language of persuasion
asked a question and answered it
created an impressive title
appealed to the readers emotions
included quotations from interested parties
linked your paragraphs

Yes or No

12) Writing a Persuasive

Essay
PersuasiveEssayModel

CONTENTS

PersuasiveEssayModel
The model provided contains the structure and
techniques explained in the Sections.
Each technique has been explained with a
comment.
The essay follows the recommended Structure:
Link to Essay

Persuasive Essay Structure

1) Title
2) Introduction

3) Making your Argument using techniques

Paragraphs developing the points FOR your view in order of "strength
followedBy
4) Paragraphs showing the weakness of some points AGAINST your view

5) Conclusion