An argument or a persuasive paper has the power to make people change their minds about a topic, or allows them to really understand and accept your position as a valid one. You know how strongly people feel about their beliefs, so you can guess that writing a paper that will command the readers’ respect is challenging. So, in order to make strong arguments and to have the power to persuade people, follow some simple suggestions:
1. Pick a topic you feel strongly about. It doesn’t matter whether you agree with it, or disagree with it. The important part is to be able to take one side and really believe that you are right.
2. Make sure that there is reliable information available to support your position. You will need facts, statistics, and reports from sources you and your audience can trust.
3. Pay close attention to your audience. Think of what it believes in, and be prepared to discuss some of the points that would be most interesting to this group.
4. Be very well informed about the issue you want to discuss. Issues have different dimensions – there is always a social, a technical or scientific, an economic, or another type of intellectual aspect you will need to be aware of.
1. Assume that you will have many different opinions among your audience. Your readers will judge the strength of your arguments. Write your paper to convince them that your side makes the most sense.
2. Right in your introduction, establish credibility. Your readers need to know that you have studied the topic, that you are being open and fair-minded about it, and that you can understand their points of view.
3. Include your thesis at the end of the introduction.
4. Support your thesis with the 3 strongest arguments you can find. These will be the outline of your paper.
5. Back your arguments up with very strong, specific evidence:
| Use facts and statistics |
| Use examples |
| Borrow power from experts – give their credentials, then cite their work |
| Look for areas you and your opponents have in common. Your opponents need to feel that their ideas are important, that they are intelligent people. |
| Think of the other side, explain their belief, and then find arguments that oppose this view. |
1. Choose an academic model you feel comfortable with:
Model 1:
|
Introduction |
|
The other side, plus a transition back to your side |
|
Your second strongest argument |
|
Your weakest argument, in the middle |
|
Your strongest argument at the end |
|
Conclusion |
Model 2:
|
Introduction |
|
Strongest argument |
|
Weakest argument |
|
Second strongest argument at the end, and a transition to the other side |
|
The other side |
|
Conclusion |
Model 3:
|
Introduction |
|
The other side, then your side, then transition back to |
|
The other side, then your weakest point, and a transition back to |
|
The other side, then your strongest point at the end |
|
Conclusion |
Are you generalizing without sufficient data?
Are you stereotyping?
Are your analogies, (similarities between 2 things), based on things that are truly similar?
Are you sure that your causes and effects are really causes and effects, and are not related to something else instead?
Do you have enough options? Not much is really either one thing or another. There are usually other choices.
Do your conclusions follow your arguments logically?
Are you overusing emotions?
For more information, check Diana Hacker’s Bedford Handbook and your text for Composition class.