Persuasive Essay: Getting Off to a Great Start

I. What should you know about your audience when you are writing persuasive essay?

II. What are some effective ways to hook your audience?

II. Exercise:

1) Write and present the opening for a persuasive essay on one of the following topics:

1. All Americans should be required to serve in the military for twenty months when they are 18.
2. Winchester High School students should be required to wear uniforms to school.
3. Winchester should institute a school day that runs from 8:30 to 4:30 every day or an eleven-month school year.

2) Come up with 3 persuasive reasons.

3) Identify--tell who they are--your audience as one of the following:

1. Receptive to your idea.
2. Hostile to your idea.
3. Neutral, or having no strong opinion, to your idea.

For example, I might argue that colleges should ban fraternities to a group of college trustees, many of whom were in fraternities when they were younger. (hostile audience)

Reasons: 1) alcohol abuse and dangers 2) Drop out rate is high for fraternity and sorority members 3) "Greek Life" values run counter to those of our school.

Hook: Talk about the good old days and how, when we grow up, we realize they weren't as good as they seemed. We forget the struggles and pain and stress. Thus, we need to provide young people with a healthy environment. (Appeal to desire to support teens on campus.)

More Topics:

1. people shouldn't smoke
2. people should give twenty percent of their income to charity
3. all teenagers should wear school uniforms

Your Audience is one of the following:

1. students at Winchester High School
2. war veterans at the local Elks Club
3. executives at Phillip Morris (one of the world's largest tobacco companies)