All You Need To Know About Persuasive Essays (With Examples!)
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In this article, find out what are persuasive essays and how you can go about writing them. We have also included examples of helpful phrases to use in your persuasive essays and a sample essay so make sure you check those out!
What Are Persuasive Essays?
Persuasive essays are also known as argumentative or opinion essays. The purpose of a persuasive essay is to convince the reader using facts and logical reasons about your point of view on a topic.
Think of it this way, persuasive essays are like debating but in written form! With persuasive essays, you get the chance to express yourself and share your opinions. Writing a persuasive essay is also a great way to practice brainstorming for ideas.
The structure or format of a persuasive essay is rather similar to any other essay as you will have an introduction, body paragraphs and a conclusion. In the introduction, you must state your opinion or point of view clearly. Then, you can elaborate on one argument in each body paragraph before summing up your thoughts in the conclusion. Make sure you outline your essays before you start writing to keep your essay well-organised and coherent.
The majority of your essay should focus on proving your point but you can also include points that acknowledge the opposing side and give counter-arguments. This helps to show off your thinking and writing skills.
For example, if you’re arguing that zoos should be banned, you can acknowledge that zoos allow people to view and get to know animals up close but this doesn’t mean that they will actually learn much about the animals. You can then suggest other more effective and humane ways for people to educate themselves about animals.
Keep on reading as we have also incorporated counter-arguments in the persuasive essay example below!
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Persuasive Essay Sample Questions
Many persuasive essay tasks are often phrased in the format of a question but they can also be in the form of statements. Here are some common examples of keywords that you can find in persuasive essay questions:
To what extent ...
Do you agree or disagree ...
Should this be …
Discuss …
Consider …
Besides that, any writing prompts that ask you to state your opinion or the pros and cons of something can also be written as a persuasive essay. We’ve got some examples of persuasive essay questions below that you can use to practice your writing skills!
A college degree is important to get a good job. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Should cell phones be allowed in schools?
Is social media causing more harm than good?
Violent video games should be banned. Discuss.
If you think that persuasive essays are only written about serious topics, we’re here to tell you otherwise. Here are some playful examples of persuasive essay topics for you to have fun with!
Iron Man is the best superhero of all time. Do you agree or disagree?
Pineapples do not belong on pizza. Discuss.
Which makes a better pet? Cats or dogs?
Would you rather be really big or really small?
Persuasive Essay Example
Persuasive Essay Task
There are increasing concerns that social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have a huge negative impact on society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
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Persuasive Essay Sample Answer
Social media has become part and parcel of many people's lives despite the dangers that it may bring. While social media has its uses, I believe that the harms of social media outweigh the benefits.
Social media is a great way for us to communicate and stay connected, especially for those who live far away. For example, the Stories feature on Instagram is an easy way to know what friends and family are up to. However, the downside is that the information shared on social media platforms can be misused by those with bad intentions and users face the risk of being hacked.
While social media has enabled like-minded people to form online communities where they can share and talk about their interests, some people take advantage of these platforms to spread hate. A platform that seems to bring people together actually ends up dividing people. Besides that, social media has also made the distribution of fake information easier which causes unnecessary confusion in society.
Lastly, social media has also become a platform for people to show off. People tend to post edited photos of themselves and flaunt their belongings on social media which can create a toxic culture as it may encourage people to keep comparing themselves with others.
Therefore, I believe that social media does more harm than good. If we do have to use it, we must remember to be wise users of social media apps so that we can protect ourselves from its dangers.
Persuasive Essay Cheat Sheet
If you’re looking for a little bit of help to get started, here’s a useful list for you! Supercharge your persuasive essay by using these examples of introductory phrases and sequence connectors to help you convey your arguments.
To express your opinion
In my opinion, …
I feel/think that …
I believe that …
To introduce new arguments
Furthermore, …
Moreover, …
In addition, …
To elaborate your argument
In other words, ...
Simply put, …
Similarly, …
Likewise, …
To give examples
For example, …
For instance, …
… such as …
To demonstrate contrast
However, …
On the other hand, …
Having said that, …
Although, …
In comparison, …
Despite …
To summarise
In conclusion, …
In a nutshell, …
To conclude, …
To sum up, …
In summary, …
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