Understanding the Components of Persuasive Essays
Throughout the semester, our lectures have always asked us to be reflective of our academic objectives and goals. Even though most students do not like writing reflective essays, it is one of the most critical activities in the educational field. There are many things that I have learned since I started my course. And by the way, writing a reflective essay is among the things that I learned. Throughout the course, I have attended different classes, among them being; tackling rhetorical analysis, enhancing my grammar when writing, and improving my description and narration ability when writing essays. This essay will discuss how the above classes helped me understand the components of the persuasive essay I did during the course.
Understanding the components of the persuasive essay was very crucial. At first, the course made me know what precisely a persuasive essay is. In the first semester of my class, I came to understand that a persuasive essay is a written text to convince the reader of something. When time went by and adequately studied about essays, my knowledge about persuasive essays improved. At this particular time, I knew that a persuasive essay is a written essay with multiple paragraphs designed to influence the actions of the targeted audience on a specific issue. The number of paragraphs is, however, not predetermined. Besides, I learned that there are three necessary parts in the essay; that is a beginning, which is generally referred to as an introduction, the middle, commonly known as a body, and lastly, an end, which is also referred to as a conclusion.
When writing a persuasive essay, I also learned that it is vitally important to establish my position as a writer with detailed and relevant evidence that is logically organized to support my point of view. Besides, the essays bring on the table the differences existing between facts and opinions. While writing the pieces, I learned that it is also essential to consider other people’s views and effectively respond to them. While doing so, I usually anticipate the readers’ reasoning and address their concerns and counterclaims. After submitting a few of my essays to the lecturer, I learned that various factors are being considered while grading persuasive essays. Persuasive essays were well-written since my reasoning was sound, the pieces of evidence were detailed and relevant, and lastly, I always used smart considerations of alternatives. The following are the elements of persuasion I learned during the course.
The first component is about clarity, concise, and a well-defined thesis. In the introductory part of the essay, I learned that there should be a final and argumentative thesis. This is one of the most critical parts of the essay since it usually presents the writer’s strong position on the issue. The thesis needs to be open since some readers may have differing opinions on the subject being debated. Recently, towards the end of the semester, I realized that a thesis statement is not limited to debatable topics only but can also include recommendations of actions.
Besides, a thesis should be narrow in focus. As an essay writer, I learned that an argument of any essay should be supported by tangible shreds of evidence to make it argumentative. There are times when I chose too broad theses. Under this circumstance, I had to gather more evidence to support my argument and convince the reader about my position. Before writing an essay, it was always vital for me to effectively select the topic I would like to write about, then choose an appropriate approach to defend the position I took in the essay. Before tackling any persuasive essay, I typically came with a plan on how to approach the topic effectively. In other words, I had to know the side I would take in the essay. By adhering to the procedure, I usually narrowed the focus of the thesis from a broader discussion. As a result, I learned that as an essay writer, it is important to consider my position and knowledge about the issue I would want to discuss, my audience, and, most importantly, the essay’s context.
When writing a persuasive essay, a writer should not limit their claims. Before the end of the last semesters, I wrote a persuasive essay about legalizing text-driving in Florida, the United States. In this essay, I used a single claim to support my argument. The tutor was so much unpleased with the work. She told me that my essay was so dull since I used only a single claim. She let me know that even if a student uses a single type of contention within their writing, they can develop several other examples to improve an argument within their essay. Learning the above concepts helped me write a clear, concise, and well-defined thesis every time I wrote a persuasive essay.
Developing a strong introduction was the second element of a persuasive essay. Thanks to all my lectures, which made me learn how to write a strong introduction when persuading my audience on an issue or action. When writing persuasive essays, I learned that it is crucial to have an opening that captures the attention of the readers and also gives a debatable issue. The introduction also has to establish the position taken by the writer on the subject being discussed in the essay. This is typically portrayed in the thesis statement, which comes as the last sentence in the first paragraph.
Furthermore, the introductory part has to convey to the readers the importance of choosing the topic. In my previous persuasive essays, I made sure that when stating the reasons for selecting the subject, I presented background information related to the main problem. Strictly following this procedure helped me entice my readers to read on and also consider my position in the argument. The most crucial factor that should always be considered by all writers when writing their introduction is the language they use, which has to be straightforward and sincere rather than using emotional words that may offend the audience.
The third component of understanding a persuasive essay is a well-created argument with strong evidential support. After defining my position in the thesis statement, I am responsible for providing a solid case that would defend my thesis. In my essay, it was essential for me to consider my readers. To do it, I had to put into consideration some questions. The first concern was to know whether the reader was familiar with the topic or not, if they are, what exactly do they already know?
Additionally, it was essential to know the reader’s point of view about the topic. Did they agree or disagree with my claim? Then, if they disagreed, what were the chances of convincing them to take my position? Last but not least, were there some sensitive issues that I had to be aware of? Competent answers to these questions helped develop strong evidential support for my position on the topic.
Nonetheless, I learned how to develop my argument using specific evidence. Basing my argument on specific reasons helped me convince my readers to take my side of position in the essay. Since persuading the readers is always the hardest objective to achieve when writing an essay, I had to build logical arguments that entailed facts so that they led the argument to a reasonable conclusion. Besides supporting my opinion with enough evidence, I learned that it is vitally important to consider differing opinions, which can be referred to as counterarguments of the readers on the issue. At this point, I had to explain why their counterclaims do not align with the thesis.
Building a clear and organized structure is also among the components. Each time I attended a class, I learned new ideas about writing. In the last semester, my lectures convinced me that an organized structure of a persuasive essay should clearly define my position and ensure that both the claims and the counterclaims are well-related to the main topic of discussion. After practicing this objective multiple times, I realized that maintaining this focus throughout the paper made me create an argument that is coherent and unified. Also, I learned that my progression of ideas always has to be logical and well-controlled to maintain clarity and the organized structure of the essay. As I was taught, there are different types of organizations that can be used to write an essay. However, when writing a persuasive essay, the lectures recommended me to use a conventional type known as the order of importance.
The final and most crucial component is a definite conclusion. Before I joined the class, I always thought that the best conclusion typically restates the thesis. However, this wasn’t the case. I came to learn that a strong conclusion rather readdresses the thesis based on the evidence provided in the essay. Besides, the conclusion should be logically drawn from the shreds of evidence and arguments a writer gives. During the class, it was crucial to note that no new ideas were supposed to be introduced in conclusion; rather, the opinions in the body of the essay are the ones to be synthesized. This section can also entail some recommendations if the writer needs their readers to take some action on the issue discussed in the paper.
In conclusion, even though I learned numerous new concepts in English, I found that understanding the components of persuasive essays was the most beneficial. Currently, I feel like I have the hang of issues when it comes to writing persuasive essays. The lessons I have learned will not only help in improving my writing skills but also, in the long run, they will help me improve my communication skills. I kindly take this opportunity to shower my gratitude to my lectures that helped me achieve this critical class objective. They also made me understand the type of learner I am.