What Is Persuasive Writing and How to Teach It

Persuasive writing is basically persuasion in written form. It is a form of writing in which the writer tries to convince the readers to see the topic from the writer’s opinion. It is a form of non-fiction writing and is helpful in various aspects of life. Be it in personal or formal situations, the ability to convince readers in one’s direction gives significant leverage.

Teaching the Basics of Persuasive Writing

Students must know how to present logical arguments and create write-ups that appeal to the readers’ sentiments. These basic writing skills will guide their writing structure, research findings, and choice of words. But the presentation of their viewpoint and ability to appeal to sentiments is what ultimately persuades readers.

When teaching persuasive writing, showing students real-world examples and letting them practice amongst themselves goes a long way in building their skills.

Some real-world examples of persuasive writing are:

News publications
Speeches
Health advisory texts
Adverts
Political campaigns

You could use any or all these examples as your teaching aids while introducing persuasive writing to your students.

Structure and Persuasive Writing Techniques

Besides letting students practice persuasive writing among themselves, teachers should introduce students to the general structure of persuasive essays.

A persuasive article has three main parts, the introduction, the body, and the conclusion.

The general structure of persuasive writing is pretty similar to many other types of writing. However, the choice of words, devices, passion, and goal of each part of a persuasive article is generally unique.

Students can use different techniques to drive conviction in their writings.

Crowd Mentality – appeal to the popular stance.

Emotion – appeal to feelings and sentiments.

Logic – drive the conversation with facts.

Authority – use trustworthy sources as the basis for your argument.

Familiarity – appeal to their sense of familiarity by making yourself out to be a regular person.

Reiteration – emphasize your opinion.

A clear introduction serves as a good background for the readers. Without one, the point of the write-up may be lost on them.

Students should also work with an outline. The outline should define the progression from one discussion point to the other. With an outline, it is hard to muddle things up or forget vital points.

To convince the reader, it also helps to address the reader with second-person pronouns, as you will in a person-to-person conversation.

Not to forget the importance of careful word choice. Reiterate your primary argument and main points with carefully chosen words.

Lastly, pose questions to the readers. Such questions should be easy for the readers to answer. They should also sway the reader closer to conviction.

Why Persuasive Writing Is Important for Students

Writing persuasive essays can help students become more confident and expressive in written and oral debates. Both qualities are invaluable in all spheres of everyday life. The skills gained from persuasive writing can help students become changemakers. Whether in correcting, stopping a classroom bully, or motivating teammates, convincing people by using persuasive words to express a certain opinion is vital.

By getting students to practice persuasive writing in argumentative essays, teachers can help them become more engrossed in academic activities.

It also helps students learn more about topics they are interested in. This could even be the basis of their first task on persuasive writing.