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Down and Dirty Tips: Persuasion Essay: Organizing

Tips for students on writing a Persuasive essay. While this guide is not comprehensive, it does provide enough information for to students to follow and pass the assignment. This guide is especially helpful for those who don't have much time.

Step 4: Organize the Essay

Step 4: Organize the Essay


Introduction Paragraph  

  • Thesis statement (Last sentence)

 

Background Paragraph

  • Identify issue without bias (if needed)

 

Body Paragraph #1 (Could be last the body paragraph instead of the first if it works better there)

  • Provide the opposition’s main points
  • Refute, Concede, or Qualify those points

 

Body Paragraph #2

  • Your first main point

Body Paragraph #3

  • Your second main point

Body Paragraph #4  (Optional)

  • Your third main point

Conclusion

Rephrase thesis statement (First sentence)

 

 

 

 

 

Addressing the Opposition

State the opposition’s point-of-view. Then do one of the following:

Refute (show how the opposition’s point is not valid)

 

Concede (admit that the opposition is right about this point to find a common ground, and focus on points of agreement)

 

Qualify (admit the opposition is right about this point, but show how their views are less compelling than yours)