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How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Tips and Tricks

By Allison Bressmer

Most composition classes you’ll take will teach the art of persuasive writing. That’s a good thing.

Knowing where you stand on issues and knowing how to argue for or against something is a skill that will serve you well both inside and outside of the classroom.

Persuasion is the art of using logic to prompt audiences to change their mind or take action , and is generally seen as accomplishing that goal by appealing to emotions and feelings.

A persuasive essay is one that attempts to get a reader to agree with your perspective.

Ready for some tips on how to produce a well-written, well-rounded, well-structured persuasive essay? Just say yes. I don’t want to have to write another essay to convince you!

How Do I Write a Persuasive Essay?

What are some good topics for a persuasive essay, how do i identify an audience for my persuasive essay, how do you create an effective persuasive essay, how should i edit my persuasive essay.

Your persuasive essay needs to have the three components required of any essay: the introduction , body , and conclusion .

That is essay structure. However, there is flexibility in that structure.

There is no rule (unless the assignment has specific rules) for how many paragraphs any of those sections need.

Although the components should be proportional; the body paragraphs will comprise most of your persuasive essay.

How Do I Start a Persuasive Essay?

As with any essay introduction, this paragraph is where you grab your audience’s attention, provide context for the topic of discussion, and present your thesis statement.

TIP 1: Some writers find it easier to write their introductions last. As long as you have your working thesis, this is a perfectly acceptable approach. From that thesis, you can plan your body paragraphs and then go back and write your introduction.

TIP 2: Avoid “announcing” your thesis. Don’t include statements like this:

• “In my essay I will show why extinct animals should (not) be regenerated.”
• “The purpose of my essay is to argue that extinct animals should (not) be regenerated.”

Announcements take away from the originality, authority, and sophistication of your writing.

Instead, write a convincing thesis statement that answers the question "so what?" Why is the topic important, what do you think about it, and why do you think that? Be specific.

How Many Paragraphs Should a Persuasive Essay Have?

This body of your persuasive essay is the section in which you develop the arguments that support your thesis. Consider these questions as you plan this section of your essay:

• What arguments support your thesis?
• What is the best order for your arguments?
• What evidence do you have?
• Will you address the opposing argument to your own?
• How can you conclude convincingly?

TIP: Brainstorm and do your research before you decide which arguments you’ll focus on in your discussion. Make a list of possibilities and go with the ones that are strongest, that you can discuss with the most confidence, and that help you balance your rhetorical triangle .

What Should I Put in the Conclusion of a Persuasive Essay?

The conclusion is your “mic-drop” moment. Think about how you can leave your audience with a strong final comment.

And while a conclusion often re-emphasizes the main points of a discussion, it shouldn’t simply repeat them.

TIP 1: Be careful not to introduce a new argument in the conclusion—there’s no time to develop it now that you’ve reached the end of your discussion!

TIP 2 : As with your thesis, avoid announcing your conclusion. Don’t start your conclusion with “in conclusion” or “to conclude” or “to end my essay” type statements. Your audience should be able to see that you are bringing the discussion to a close without those overused, less sophisticated signals.

If your instructor has assigned you a topic, then you’ve already got your issue; you’ll just have to determine where you stand on the issue. Where you stand on your topic is your position on that topic.

Your position will ultimately become the thesis of your persuasive essay: the statement the rest of the essay argues for and supports, intending to convince your audience to consider your point of view.

If you have to choose your own topic, use these guidelines to help you make your selection:

• Choose an issue you truly care about
• Choose an issue that is actually debatable

Simple “tastes” (likes and dislikes) can’t really be argued. No matter how many ways someone tries to convince me that milk chocolate rules, I just won’t agree.

It’s dark chocolate or nothing as far as my tastes are concerned.

Similarly, you can’t convince a person to “like” one film more than another in an essay.

You could argue that one movie has superior qualities than another: cinematography, acting, directing, etc. but you can’t convince a person that the film really appeals to them.

Once you’ve selected your issue, determine your position just as you would for an assigned topic. That position will ultimately become your thesis.

Until you’ve finalized your work, consider your thesis a “working thesis.”

This means that your statement represents your position, but you might change its phrasing or structure for that final version.

When you’re writing an essay for a class, it can seem strange to identify an audience—isn’t the audience the instructor?

Your instructor will read and evaluate your essay, and may be part of your greater audience, but you shouldn’t just write for your teacher.

Think about who your intended audience is.

For an argument essay, think of your audience as the people who disagree with you—the people who need convincing.

That population could be quite broad, for example, if you’re arguing a political issue, or narrow, if you’re trying to convince your parents to extend your curfew.

Once you’ve got a sense of your audience, it’s time to consult with Aristotle. Aristotle’s teaching on persuasion has shaped communication since about 330 BC. Apparently, it works.

Aristotle taught that in order to convince an audience of something, the communicator needs to balance the three elements of the rhetorical triangle to achieve the best results.

Those three elements are ethos , logos , and pathos .

Ethos relates to credibility and trustworthiness. How can you, as the writer, demonstrate your credibility as a source of information to your audience?

How will you show them you are worthy of their trust?

• You show you’ve done your research: you understand the issue, both sides
• You show respect for the opposing side: if you disrespect your audience, they won’t respect you or your ideas

Logos relates to logic. How will you convince your audience that your arguments and ideas are reasonable?

You provide facts or other supporting evidence to support your claims.

That evidence may take the form of studies or expert input or reasonable examples or a combination of all of those things, depending on the specific requirements of your assignment.

Remember: if you use someone else’s ideas or words in your essay, you need to give them credit.

ProWritingAid's Plagiarism Checker checks your work against over a billion web-pages, published works, and academic papers so you can be sure of its originality.

Find out more about ProWritingAid’s Plagiarism checks.

Pathos relates to emotion. Audiences are people and people are emotional beings. We respond to emotional prompts. How will you engage your audience with your arguments on an emotional level?

• You make strategic word choices : words have denotations (dictionary meanings) and also connotations, or emotional values. Use words whose connotations will help prompt the feelings you want your audience to experience.
• You use emotionally engaging examples to support your claims or make a point, prompting your audience to be moved by your discussion.

Be mindful as you lean into elements of the triangle. Too much pathos and your audience might end up feeling manipulated, roll their eyes and move on.

An “all logos” approach will leave your essay dry and without a sense of voice; it will probably bore your audience rather than make them care.

Once you’ve got your essay planned, start writing! Don’t worry about perfection, just get your ideas out of your head and off your list and into a rough essay format.

After you’ve written your draft, evaluate your work. What works and what doesn’t? For help with evaluating and revising your work, check out this ProWritingAid post on manuscript revision .

After you’ve evaluated your draft, revise it. Repeat that process as many times as you need to make your work the best it can be.

When you’re satisfied with the content and structure of the essay, take it through the editing process .

Grammatical or sentence-level errors can distract your audience or even detract from the ethos—the authority—of your work.

You don’t have to edit alone! ProWritingAid’s Realtime Report will find errors and make suggestions for improvements.

You can even use it on emails to your professors:

Try ProWritingAid with a free account.

How Can I Improve My Persuasion Skills?

You can develop your powers of persuasion every day just by observing what’s around you.

• How is that advertisement working to convince you to buy a product?
• How is a political candidate arguing for you to vote for them?
• How do you “argue” with friends about what to do over the weekend, or convince your boss to give you a raise?
• How are your parents working to convince you to follow a certain academic or career path?

As you observe these arguments in action, evaluate them. Why are they effective or why do they fail?

How could an argument be strengthened with more (or less) emphasis on ethos, logos, and pathos?

Every argument is an opportunity to learn! Observe them, evaluate them, and use them to perfect your own powers of persuasion.

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Allison Bressmer

Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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113 Perfect Persuasive Essay Topics for Any Assignment

General Education

Do you need to write a persuasive essay but aren’t sure what topic to focus on? Were you thrilled when your teacher said you could write about whatever you wanted but are now overwhelmed by the possibilities? We’re here to help!

Read on for a list of 113 top-notch persuasive essay topics, organized into ten categories. To help get you started, we also discuss what a persuasive essay is, how to choose a great topic, and what tips to keep in mind as you write your persuasive essay.

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

In a persuasive essay, you attempt to convince readers to agree with your point of view on an argument. For example, an essay analyzing changes in Italian art during the Renaissance wouldn’t be a persuasive essay, because there’s no argument, but an essay where you argue that Italian art reached its peak during the Renaissance would be a persuasive essay because you’re trying to get your audience to agree with your viewpoint.

Persuasive and argumentative essays both try to convince readers to agree with the author, but the two essay types have key differences. Argumentative essays show a more balanced view of the issue and discuss both sides. Persuasive essays focus more heavily on the side the author agrees with. They also often include more of the author’s opinion than argumentative essays, which tend to use only facts and data to support their argument.

All persuasive essays have the following:

• Introduction: Introduces the topic, explains why it’s important, and ends with the thesis.
• Thesis: A sentence that sums up what the essay be discussing and what your stance on the issue is.
• Reasons you believe your side of the argument: Why do you support the side you do? Typically each main point will have its own body paragraph.
• Evidence supporting your argument: Facts or examples to back up your main points. Even though your opinion is allowed in persuasive essays more than most other essays, having concrete examples will make a stronger argument than relying on your opinion alone.
• Conclusion: Restatement of thesis, summary of main points, and a recap of why the issue is important.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Essay Topic?

Theoretically, you could write a persuasive essay about any subject under the sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Certain topics are easier to write a strong persuasive essay on, and below are tips to follow when deciding what you should write about.

It’s a Topic You Care About

Obviously, it’s possible to write an essay about a topic you find completely boring. You’ve probably done it! However, if possible, it’s always better to choose a topic that you care about and are interested in. When this is the case, you’ll find doing the research more enjoyable, writing the essay easier, and your writing will likely be better because you’ll be more passionate about and informed on the topic.

You Have Enough Evidence to Support Your Argument

Just being passionate about a subject isn’t enough to make it a good persuasive essay topic, though. You need to make sure your argument is complex enough to have at least two potential sides to root for, and you need to be able to back up your side with evidence and examples. Even though persuasive essays allow your opinion to feature more than many other essays, you still need concrete evidence to back up your claims, or you’ll end up with a weak essay.

For example, you may passionately believe that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream flavor (I agree!), but could you really write an entire essay on this? What would be your reasons for believing mint chocolate chip is the best (besides the fact that it’s delicious)? How would you support your belief? Have enough studies been done on preferred ice cream flavors to support an entire essay? When choosing a persuasive essay idea, you want to find the right balance between something you care about (so you can write well on it) and something the rest of the world cares about (so you can reference evidence to strengthen your position).

It’s a Manageable Topic

Bigger isn’t always better, especially with essay topics. While it may seem like a great idea to choose a huge, complex topic to write about, you’ll likely struggle to sift through all the information and different sides of the issue and winnow them down to one streamlined essay. For example, choosing to write an essay about how WWII impacted American life more than WWI wouldn’t be a great idea because you’d need to analyze all the impacts of both the wars in numerous areas of American life. It’d be a huge undertaking. A better idea would be to choose one impact on American life the wars had (such as changes in female employment) and focus on that. Doing so will make researching and writing your persuasive essay much more feasible.

List of 113 Good Persuasive Essay Topics

Below are over 100 persuasive essay ideas, organized into ten categories. When you find an idea that piques your interest, you’ll choose one side of it to argue for in your essay. For example, if you choose the topic, “should fracking be legal?” you’d decide whether you believe fracking should be legal or illegal, then you’d write an essay arguing all the reasons why your audience should agree with you.

Arts/Culture

• Should students be required to learn an instrument in school?
• Did the end of Game of Thrones fit with the rest of the series?
• Can music be an effective way to treat mental illness?
• With e-readers so popular, have libraries become obsolete?
• Are the Harry Potter books more popular than they deserve to be?
• Should music with offensive language come with a warning label?
• What’s the best way for museums to get more people to visit?
• Should students be able to substitute an art or music class for a PE class in school?
• Are the Kardashians good or bad role models for young people?
• Should people in higher income brackets pay more taxes?
• Should all high school students be required to take a class on financial literacy?
• Is it possible to achieve the American dream, or is it only a myth?
• Is it better to spend a summer as an unpaid intern at a prestigious company or as a paid worker at a local store/restaurant?
• Should the United States impose more or fewer tariffs?
• Should college graduates have their student loans forgiven?
• Should restaurants eliminate tipping and raise staff wages instead?
• Should students learn cursive writing in school?
• Which is more important: PE class or music class?
• Is it better to have year-round school with shorter breaks throughout the year?
• Should class rank be abolished in schools?
• Should students be taught sex education in school?
• Should students be able to attend public universities for free?
• What’s the most effective way to change the behavior of school bullies?
• Are the SAT and ACT accurate ways to measure intelligence?
• Should students be able to learn sign language instead of a foreign language?
• Do the benefits of Greek life at colleges outweigh the negatives?
• Does doing homework actually help students learn more?
• Why do students in many other countries score higher than American students on math exams?
• Should parents/teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?
• What’s the best way to reduce cheating in school?
• Should colleges take a student’s race into account when making admissions decisions?
• Should there be limits to free speech?
• Should students be required to perform community service to graduate high school?
• Should convicted felons who have completed their sentence be allowed to vote?
• Should gun ownership be more tightly regulated?
• Should recycling be made mandatory?
• Should employers be required to offer paid leave to new parents?
• Are there any circumstances where torture should be allowed?
• Should children under the age of 18 be able to get plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons?
• Should white supremacy groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
• Does making abortion illegal make women more or less safe?
• Does foreign aid actually help developing countries?
• Are there times a person’s freedom of speech should be curtailed?
• Should people over a certain age not be allowed to adopt children?

Government/Politics

• Should the minimum voting age be raised/lowered/kept the same?
• Should Puerto Rico be granted statehood?
• Should the United States build a border wall with Mexico?
• Who should be the next person printed on American banknotes?
• Should the United States’ military budget be reduced?
• Did China’s one child policy have overall positive or negative impacts on the country?
• Should DREAMers be granted US citizenship?
• Is national security more important than individual privacy?
• What responsibility does the government have to help homeless people?
• Should the electoral college be abolished?
• Should the US increase or decrease the number of refugees it allows in each year?
• Should privately-run prisons be abolished?
• Who was the most/least effective US president?
• Will Brexit end up helping or harming the UK?

• What’s the best way to reduce the spread of Ebola?
• Is the Keto diet a safe and effective way to lose weight?
• Should the FDA regulate vitamins and supplements more strictly?
• Should public schools require all students who attend to be vaccinated?
• Is eating genetically modified food safe?
• What’s the best way to make health insurance more affordable?
• What’s the best way to lower the teen pregnancy rate?
• Should recreational marijuana be legalized nationwide?
• Should birth control pills be available without a prescription?
• Should pregnant women be forbidden from buying cigarettes and alcohol?
• Why has anxiety increased in adolescents?
• Are low-carb or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
• What caused the destruction of the USS Maine?
• Was King Arthur a mythical legend or actual Dark Ages king?
• Was the US justified in dropping atomic bombs during WWII?
• What was the primary cause of the Rwandan genocide?
• What happened to the settlers of the Roanoke colony?
• Was disagreement over slavery the primary cause of the US Civil War?
• What has caused the numerous disappearances in the Bermuda triangle?
• Should nuclear power be banned?
• Is scientific testing on animals necessary?
• Do zoos help or harm animals?
• Should scientists be allowed to clone humans?
• Should animals in circuses be banned?
• Should fracking be legal?
• Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
• What’s the best way to reduce illegal poaching in Africa?
• What is the best way to reduce the impact of global warming?
• Should euthanasia be legalized?
• Is there legitimate evidence of extraterrestrial life?
• Should people be banned from owning aggressive dog breeds?
• Should the United States devote more money towards space exploration?
• Should the government subsidize renewable forms of energy?
• Is solar energy worth the cost?
• Should stem cells be used in medicine?
• Is it right for the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement?
• Should athletes who fail a drug test receive a lifetime ban from the sport?
• Should college athletes receive a salary?
• Should the NFL do more to prevent concussions in players?
• Do PE classes help students stay in shape?
• Should horse racing be banned?
• Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
• Should children younger than 18 be allowed to play tackle football?
• Are the costs of hosting an Olympic Games worth it?
• Can online schools be as effective as traditional schools?
• Do violent video games encourage players to be violent in real life?
• Should facial recognition technology be banned?
• Does excessive social media use lead to depression/anxiety?
• Has the rise of translation technology made knowing multiple languages obsolete?
• Was Steve Jobs a visionary or just a great marketer?
• Should social media be banned for children younger than a certain age?
• Which 21st-century invention has had the largest impact on society?
• Are ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft good or bad for society?
• Should Facebook have done more to protect the privacy of its users?
• Will technology end up increasing or decreasing inequality worldwide?

Tips for Writing a Strong Persuasive Essay

After you’ve chosen the perfect topic for your persuasive essay, your work isn’t over. Follow the three tips below to create a top-notch essay.

Do Your Research

Your argument will fall apart if you don’t fully understand the issue you’re discussing or you overlook an important piece of it. Readers won’t be convinced by someone who doesn’t know the subject, and you likely won’t persuade any of them to begin supporting your viewpoint. Before you begin writing a single word of your essay, research your topic thoroughly. Study different sources, learn about the different sides of the argument, ask anyone who’s an expert on the topic what their opinion is, etc. You might be tempted to start writing right away, but by doing your research, you’ll make the writing process much easier when the time comes.

Make Your Thesis Perfect

Your thesis is the most important sentence in your persuasive essay. Just by reading that single sentence, your audience should know exactly what topic you’ll be discussing and where you stand on the issue. You want your thesis to be crystal clear and to accurately set up the rest of your essay. Asking classmates or your teacher to look it over before you begin writing the rest of your essay can be a big help if you’re not entirely confident in your thesis.

Consider the Other Side

You’ll spend most of your essay focusing on your side of the argument since that’s what you want readers to come away believing. However, don’t think that means you can ignore other sides of the issue. In your essay, be sure to discuss the other side’s argument, as well as why you believe this view is weak or untrue. Researching all the different viewpoints and including them in your essay will increase the quality of your writing by making your essay more complete and nuanced.

Summary: Persuasive Essay Ideas

Good persuasive essay topics can be difficult to come up with, but in this guide we’ve created a list of 113 excellent essay topics for you to browse. The best persuasive essay ideas will be those that you are interested in, have enough evidence to support your argument, and aren’t too complicated to be summarized in an essay.

After you’ve chosen your essay topic, keep these three tips in mind when you begin writing:

• Do your research
• Make your thesis perfect
• Consider the other side

What's Next?

Need ideas for a research paper topic as well? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

Thinking about taking an AP English class? Read our guide on AP English classes to learn whether you should take AP English Language or AP English Literature (or both!)

Deciding between the SAT or ACT? Find out for sure which you will do the best on . Also read a detailed comparison between the two tests .

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Persuasive Essay Writing

How to Write a Persuasive Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

13 min read

Published on: Jan 3, 2023

Last updated on: Jan 29, 2024

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It's the night before the essay is due, and you haven't even started. Your mind is blank, and you have no idea what words will persuade your teacher. 

The good news is that some tips and tricks can make the process of writing a persuasive essay much easier.

In this blog, we'll break down the components of a persuasive essay and provide helpful tips and examples along the way. By the end, you should have all the guidelines to create a winning essay that will persuade your readers to see things your way.

Let's take a closer look at all these steps.

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What is a Persuasive Essay?

A persuasive essay presents logical arguments with emotional appeal.

Typically, persuasive essays begin with a question that the writer spends the essay arguing in favor of or opposition to. 

For example: should kids be allowed to play video games on weekdays? 

The writer would then spend the rest of the essay backing up their claim with reasons and evidence. 

Persuasive essays often include counterarguments. These arguments oppose the writer's position. 

By including counterarguments, persuasive essays become more interesting. They also force the writer to think critically about their position.

For example, an opponent of the previous argument might say that playing video games leads to poor grades. 

The original writer could deny this claim by pointing to studies that show no correlation between bad grades and playing video games.

The best persuasive essays are well-researched and use data to support their claims. 

However, persuasive essays are not just about logic. They also need to include emotional appeal. 

After all, people are more likely to be persuaded by an argument that speaks to their feelings. 

Elements of a Persuasive Essay 

When a persuasive essay is a task, you must keep these three greek terms in mind. They are:

• Ethos (appeal to ethics) 
• Pathos (appeal to emotion)
• Logos (appeal to logic)

A good essay will use all of these elements to convince the reader that the argument presented is valid. 

Let's take a closer look at each one.

Ethos - the Credibility Element 

The persuasive power of ethos lies in the character or credibility of the person making the argument. 

For an argument to be persuasive, the person presenting it must be someone that the audience trusts. 

This could be because they are an expert on the subject or because they have first-hand experience with it. Either way, ethos establishes the speaker's credibility and makes the audience more likely to trust what they have to say.

Pathos -the Emotional Element 

While ethos deals with the character of the person making the argument, pathos has to do with the audience's emotions. A persuasive argument will tap into the audience's emotions and use them to sway their opinion.

This could be done through stories or anecdotes that evoke an emotional response or by using language that stirs certain feelings.

Logos - the Logical Element 

The final element of persuasion is logos, which appeals to logic. A persuasive argument will use sound reasoning and evidence to convince the audience that it is valid. This could be done through data or using persuasive techniques like cause and effect.

Using all these elements of a persuasive essay can make your argument much more effective. 

How To Write a Persuasive Essay

Writing persuasive essays can be challenging, but they don't have to be.

With the following simple steps, you can quickly turn an ordinary essay into one that will make a lasting impression. 

Tough Essay Due? Hire a Writer!

How To Start a Persuasive Essay 

Here is a complete guide on how to start a persuasive essay. Follow them to compose a perfect essay every time. 

Brainstorm All Possible Angles 

The first step in writing a persuasive essay is brainstorming. You need to develop an angle for your essay that will make it unique and interesting. 

For example, let's say you're writing about the death penalty. A lot has been said on this topic, so it might be hard to find an angle that hasn't been covered already. 

But if you think about it, there are many different ways to approach the issue. 

Maybe you could write about the personal experiences of someone affected by the death penalty. Or maybe you could write about the economic costs of the death penalty. 

There are many possibilities here - it's all about thinking creatively.

Select Your Topic

Once you've brainstormed a few ideas, it's time to choose your topic. Pick the angle you think will most effectively persuade your reader. 

Once you've chosen your topic, it's time to research. Use statistics, expert opinions, and real-life examples to support your position. 

Choose Your Side

Now that you've researched, it's time to take a side in the debate. Remember, you must take a strong stance on one side of the issue. 

After deciding your stance, research and support it with evidence.

Appeal to Human Emotions 

One of the most effective ways to persuade someone is by appealing to their emotions. 

After all, we're not robots - we're human beings and always make decisions based on our feelings. 

Make your reader feel something, whether it's anger, sadness, empathy, or even amusement. You'll be well on convincing them of your point of view. 

Anticipate Possible Objections.

Of course, not everyone will agree, and that's okay! 

The important thing is that you anticipate some of those objections and address them head-on in your essay. 

This shows that you take your reader's objections seriously and are confident in your position. 

Organize Your Evidence 

Once you have all of your evidence collected, it's time to start organizing it into an outline for your essay.  

Organizing your essay is a key step in the writing process. It helps you keep track of all the evidence you've gathered and structure your argument in an organized way.

What Are The Steps To Write Your Persuasive Essay?

Now that you have your topic essay outline, it's time to move on to the actual writing.

Here are the steps you need to take:

Step 1: Create a Compelling Introduction

You want to hook your readers with a great opening for your persuasive essay, so they'll want to keep reading.

Here are 3 tips for writing an attention-grabbing introduction for your next essay.

• Use a strong hook statement

Your hook statement should immediately draw the reader in and make them want to learn more. 

A good hook statement will vary depending on whether you're writing for an academic or more casual audience. 

Still, some good options include a quote, an interesting statistic, or a rhetorical question.

• Make sure your thesis statement is clear and concise

Your thesis statement is the main argument of your essay, so it needs to be stated clearly and concisely in your introduction.

 A good thesis statement will be specific and limit the scope of your argument so that it can be fully addressed in the body of your paper.

• Use a transition

Transitions are important in writing for academic and non-academic audiences because they help guide the reader through your argument. 

A good transition will introduce the main point of your next paragraph while still maintaining the connection to the previous one.

Step 2: Write The Body Paragraphs

Here is a formula for structuring your body paragraphs in a persuasive essay. 

This formula will ensure that each body paragraph is packed with evidence and examples while still being concise and easy to read.

• The Topic Sentence

Every body paragraph should start with a topic sentence. A topic sentence is a key sentence that sums up the paragraph's main point. 

It should be clear, concise, and direct. 

For example, if you were writing a paragraph about the importance of exercise, your topic sentence might be this:

"Regular exercise is essential for good physical and mental health."

See how that sentence gives a clear overview of what the rest of the paragraph will be about.

• Relevant Supporting Sentences

Once your topic sentence is down, it's time to fill the rest of the paragraph with relevant supporting sentences. 

These sentences should provide evidence to support the claims made in the topic sentence. 

For the exercise example, we might use sentences like this:

"Exercise has been shown to improve heart health, reduce stress levels, and boost brain power."

"A sedentary lifestyle has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, heart disease, and type II diabetes."

See how each sentence ties back to the paragraph's main point. That's what you want your supporting sentences to do.

• Closing Sentence

Last but not least, every body paragraph should end with a closing (or transition) sentence. This sentence should briefly summarize the main points of the paragraph and introduce the next point that will be discussed in the following paragraph. 

For the exercise example, the closing sentence might look like this:

"So, as you can see, there are many compelling reasons to make exercise a regular part of your routine."

How to End a Persuasive Essay

The end of your essay is just as important as the introduction. You must leave your readers with a lasting impression and ensure your argument convinces them. 

To do this, you'll want to craft a persuasive conclusion that ties together all the points you have made in the essay.

Here is a video explaining the body paragraphs in a persuasive essay. Check it out for more information. 

Step 1: Write a Persuasive Conclusion

Here are a few tips to help make sure your persuasive essay conclusion is as effective and persuasive as possible. 

• Restate Your Thesis

Begin your essay conclusion by restating the thesis statement you began within your introduction. Doing so will remind readers of what you set out to prove and provide a sense of closure.

• Summarize Your Arguments

 You can also use your conclusion to summarize the main points of your argument. This will help readers recall the evidence you presented and reinforce why it supports your thesis. 

• Offer a Call to Action

Lastly, don't forget to include a call to action in your essay conclusion. This can be anything from a persuasive plea to a persuasive suggestion. 

Step 2:  Polish Up Your Essay

After you’re done with the essay, take a few minutes to read through it. Ensure that your persuasive points and evidence are clear, concise, and persuasive. 

Also, double-check for grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. Ensure that all of your persuasive points are properly explained and make sense to the reader. 

If you’re not confident in your persuasive writing skills, you can enlist a friend or family member to read through it and provide feedback.

You can follow a proofreading checklist after completing your essay to ensure you are on track.

By following these steps, you’ll end up with a persuasive essay that will impress anyone who reads it!

Format Of A Persuasive Essay 

Once you have your persuasive essay topic, it's time to craft an essay structure. Crafting the perfect persuasive essay format is essential for ensuring your paper has maximum persuasive power.

Here are some tips for formatting an effective persuasive essay.

• Increase the Readability of Your Text 

Ensure that you have adhered to all the paragraphing requirements of your instructor. 

Double-check that your margins are set properly. A margin of 1 inch (2.5 cm) on all sides is the standard for most written documents.

This makes it easier for readers to focus and extract important information quickly.

• Use Easy-to-Read Font

Choose a font that is easy to read and professional. Stay away from script fonts or anything too fancy or difficult to read. Stick with basic fonts like Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri.

• Keep a Defined Alignment

Align your persuasive essay to the left margin. This makes it easier for readers to follow along with your argument without having to do too much extra scrolling. 

By following these simple tips, you'll be able to craft the perfect persuasive essay format.

Persuasive Essay Examples

Here are some examples of persuasive essays that can help you get the gist of essay writing.

Persuasive essay on the preservation of nature

Persuasive essay examples pdf

Example of a persuasive essay about covid-19

Check out some more  persuasive essay examples  here for more inspiration.

Good Persuasive Essay Topics

The right persuasive essay topics can make or break your essay. Here are a few examples of persuasive essay topics that can help you. 

• Should the government increase taxes on sugary foods to reduce obesity? 
• Do standardized tests accurately measure student intelligence and aptitude? 
• Should studying a foreign language be mandatory in schools? 
• Should all high school students complete community service hours before graduating? 
• Are video games affecting the concentration and cognitive development of children? 
• Should genetically modified foods be labeled as such in stores? 
• Are the current copyright laws protecting artists and content creators enough? 
• Should college tuition be reduced for all students? 
• Is the use of animals in medical research ethical? 
• Should the use of drones be regulated by the government? 
• Should college athletes receive payment for their performance? 
• Should students be allowed to have cell phones in school? 
• Is drug testing in schools an effective way to prevent substance abuse? 
• Does social media promote a healthy lifestyle or contribute to cyber bullying? 
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16? 

If you’re stuck with choosing topics, these are great  persuasive essay topics  to get you started! 

Pick one of these and craft an essay that will leave your readers thinking. 

Tips to Write a Compelling Persuasive Essay

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you make a lasting impression on your reader:

Pick A Topic You're Passionate About

First, you need to choose a topic you're passionate about. It will be easier to write about the topic if you care about the essay. 

This will make it easier to develop persuasive arguments, and you'll be more motivated to do research.

Research Your Topic Thoroughly

After picking a persuasive essay topic, you need thorough research. This will help you gain a better understanding of the issue, which in turn will make your essay stronger. This will also ensure that you fully grasp all counterarguments on your topic.

Know Your Audience

Knowing your audience before writing is important. Are you writing to your classmates? Your teacher? The general public? Once you know your audience, you can tailor your argument to them. 

Knowing your audience will help determine the tone and approach of your essay.

Hook The Reader's Attention

The first few sentences of your essay are crucial - they must grab the reader's attention and make them want to keep reading. 

One way to do this is by starting with a shocking statistic or an interesting story. The reader will be instantly hooked and will be enticed to read more.

Research Both Sides 

A good persuasive essay will consider both sides of an issue and present a well-rounded view. This means researching both sides of the argument before taking a stance. 

Make sure to consider all the evidence before making up your mind - otherwise, your argument won't be as strong as it could be.

Ask Rhetorical Questions

Rhetorical questions are not meant to be answered but rather to make the reader think about the issue. 

For example, "How can we expect our children to succeed in school if they don't have enough resources?" 

Questions like this can help engage readers and get them thinking about solutions rather than just complaining about problems.

Emphasize Your Point

It's important to reiterate your main points throughout the essay so that readers don't forget what they are supposed to argue for or against by the time they reach the end of the paper.

Persuasive essays can be difficult to write, but following simple tips can help make the process easier. 

In this blog, we've outlined the components of a persuasive essay and provided some tips on how to write one. We also shared examples of persuasive essays that scored high marks on standardized tests. 

If you are looking for an essay writing service , look no further than CollegeEssay.org! Our experienced essay writer can provide the assistance you need to produce an essay that meets the highest standards.

Let our persuasive essay writer handle the hard work and get you started on your path to success.

Try our AI essay writer and elevate your writing to new heights today!

Frequently Asked Questions About Persuasive Essays

How long should a persuasive essay be.

Generally speaking, persuasive essays should be between 500-750 words. However, the length of your essay will depend on the instructions given by your teacher or professor.

What Techniques Are Used In Persuasive Essays?

Persuasive techniques include facts and statistics, emotion and logic, personal stories, analogies and metaphors, pathos, ethos, and logos.

How Do I Make My Persuasive Essay More Convincing?

To make your essay more convincing, cite reliable sources, use persuasive language, and provide strong evidence and arguments.

How Is Persuasive Writing Different From Argumentative Writing?

The main difference between persuasive and argumentative writing is that persuasive writing seeks to convince or persuade the reader. On the other hand, argumentative writing seeks to debate an issue.

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Top 5 Persuasive Writing Techniques for Students

“The purpose of a persuasive text is to convince , motivate , or move the reader towards a certain opinion or course of action.”

The Innovative Guide to Teaching Nonfiction Writing (2021)

Writing persuasively is an important skill for our students to develop. These skills will be helpful when writing a wide range of different persuasive text types, including these. Click the links for a detailed guide on each section.

●      Persuasive essays

●      Debate speeches

●      Advertisements

●      Editorials

●      Reviews

●      Letters

Though the structures of the text types listed above may differ, many of the persuasive strategies and skills used in them are common.

This article will examine the top five persuasive writing skills our students will need to convince their readers to do or believe something.

The Top 5 Persuasive Writing Techniques

1. understand the audience/build rapport.

One of the most important aspects of persuasive writing begins long before the student even puts their pen to paper.

Before students begin writing, they will need to determine who it is they are writing for. This is true regardless of the text type involved, but it’s especially imperative when persuasion is the name of the game.

When students respond to a writing prompt, they can often mine details of the intended audience from the prompt itself, either through a close analysis of the wording or by inferring an audience from the topic of the prompt itself.

Where a specific audience isn’t stated explicitly or implicitly, it is still good practice for the student writer to create an audience ‘avatar’ in their mind.

Having a clear picture of who they are writing to, helps students:

●      build a rapport with their audience that they can later leverage as a persuasive strategy.

●      create an intimate tone that builds trust with the reader.

●      choose an appropriate language level.

●      select the most relevant information to share.

●      decide on which persuasive tools to employ and what tone to adopt.

As the student writes their persuasive text, they should keep a clear picture of their intended reader in their mind at all times. This will help them make decisions on tone and choose an appropriate language register. It will also help the student decide on which specific persuasive strategies to use and when to use them.

Each audience is different, with their own preferences and biases. A persuasive writer needs to understand this and use the knowledge to maximize the persuasive effect of their writing.

Persuasive Writing Practice Task: Create a Reader Profile

One effective way to help student writers keep their target audience in mind is to have them create a profile of their target reader. Though this profile will be essentially fictional, it will serve to help the student develop a more vivid picture of their intended audience in their mind’s eye.

To create a reader profile, students should consider a number of details, including:

• The reader’s age
• The reader’s sex
• Their level of education
• Their economic status
• Their values
• Their beliefs
• Their interests
• Their location

Students can add other categories according to the specific needs of the text they are writing. Students should keep their reader profile close to hand and refer to it constantly throughout the writing process.

PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES TUTORIAL VIDEO (2:20)

2. Adopt a Strong Writing Structure

As we’ve mentioned, there are many different types of persuasive texts. Each of these has its own distinctive underlying structure. Over time, students will get to know the particular features of each of these many different persuasive text types, including persuasive essays, advertisements, letters, leaflets, and reviews. With experience, students will learn to select the appropriate structure for their specific text.

In the first instance, it is helpful for students to see these structures in action. To do this, gather together a selection of persuasive texts structured similarly to the one your students will write. In groups, have your students go through each text to identify and list the various structural features used.

Students can share their findings as a whole class at the end as you list the various elements and structural features on the whiteboard. They can then use this list as a guide when they come to produce their own persuasive text.

Persuasive Writing Practice Task: Use a Graphic Organizer

The chances are that your students will be familiar with graphic organizers and have used them in the past. For this activity, however, they’ll be challenged to design their own.

Designing their own graphic organizers forces students to pay attention to the various structural elements of the text type itself. They will also have to consider the relative position of each element as they lay out their template in a visual form. Finally, their graphic organizer will serve as an excellent planning tool and, best of all, it’s reusable!

This activity often works most effectively when completed as a group activity, as students will be able to share and discuss the merits of different ways of laying out their graphic organizer. While students can design their organizer freehand on paper, there are many excellent tools online that students can use to design professional-looking templates. One of the best of these graphic design tools is Canva. [2]

3. Support with Evidence

We live in a cynical age. In days gone by, even the most outlandish of claims could work if delivered with a smile and some confidence. But times are getting harder and harder for the snake-oil salesmen among us. For a persuasive text to convince an educated reader to do or believe something, the writer better brings some proof along with their claims.

There are several types of evidence which students can use to support their persuasive efforts. The most common of these are:

●      Facts

●      Statistics

●      Quotes

●      Anecdotes

Let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

Facts: As facts are indisputable by nature, they are perhaps the most powerful form of evidence available to our students. Facts are usually gathered during the planning and research stage of the writing process, though if the student is well-informed on the subject already they may already retain some relevant facts to support their assertions. It’s important that students do not confuse opinions and facts , especially as opinions are often presented as if they were facts.

Example Fact: All dogs are mammals.

Statistics: Numbers are concrete – or at least have the appearance of solidity. Though most of us are familiar with the phrase ‘There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics’, most of us still find numbers to be highly persuasive. Although the careful selection of statistics can be used to prove almost anything, sourcing statistics from reliable and respected sources can go a long way to persuading even the most sceptical of readers. Often, the writer will also cite the source of any statistics to be used as evidence.

Example Statistic: Mandarin Chinese is the language with the largest number of native speakers in the world. Source: Ethnologue (2019, 22nd edition)

Quotes: Using quotes from experts in the field, or similar authorities, can lend weight to students’ arguments. However, as with statistics, students need to choose their sources carefully. A poorly selected source can do more harm than good. For a quote to carry its full weight, the reader will often need to know who that source is and why they should be listened to on that topic. Therefore, if the reader cannot be reasonably expected to know who the source is, then the writer must identify them adequately in the text.

Example Quote: However, not everyone believes the Olympic Games offer good value for money. Paula Radcliffe, a six-time world champion runner, argues that “the money could be thrown at other areas such as grass-roots sports.”

Anecdotes: Anecdotes are a form of evidence usually based on personal observations or experiences. Unlike statistics, this form of evidence is collected in a casual, non-systematic manner. Given their informal nature, anecdotes are sometimes looked down on as a form of evidence. However, they can be very effective, as the widespread use of testimonials in advertising reveals.

Example Anecdote: It is time that zoos are banned. A recent visit to my local zoo revealed cramped, inhumane conditions for the majority of animals who all appeared miserable and poorly cared for.

Persuasive Writing Practice Task: Put the Tools to the Test

For this activity, provide students with or allow students to choose a debate topic. For example:

●      All zoos should be banned.

●      Physical education is as important as academic education.

●      The Olympic Games are a waste of money.

Students should choose a side on the issue and then provide an example of each of the four different evidence types supporting their position.

4. Employ Powerfully Persuasive Writing Strategies

As with any text type, persuasive writing has its own tools and tricks specific to its purpose. Your students won’t be able to produce truly compelling persuasive writing without a firm grasp of at least some of these strategies.

There are many possible persuasive strategies for students to choose from, and it will take time to familiarize your students with them all, but here are five of the most effective.

i. Directly Addressing the Reader: This persuasive strategy works by connecting directly with the reader using second-person pronouns such as you and your . While a very effective technique, readers don’t like to be ordered around, so it’s essential to first build rapport with the reader. Which very smoothly brings us to our next strategy!

ii. Build Rapport and Trust with the Reader: Persuasion is an art, and we are much more likely to be persuaded by someone we like and trust. One way to create a sense of intimacy in writing is to adopt a conversational style. This will be much easier to do if the writer has already clearly defined their reader persona. To help create trust in the reader, students might establish their credibility at the outset by relating why they are qualified to speak on this topic.

iii. Humor: Using humor in a text also helps build that all-important rapport with the reader, but it also makes the idea expressed more memorable. For this reason, it is a common strategy employed in advertising and debates especially. Of course, students will need to consider whether or not it is appropriate in each instance. For some more serious topics, humor is more likely to offend than persuade.

iv. Flattery: Praising the reader can help convince them to give up one idea for another. Sometimes our student writers make the mistake of thinking that if they aggressively attack the current beliefs of the reader, this will help convince them of the error of their ways. The reverse is often true. When we feel attacked, we often shut down and refuse to accept any of the arguments made by the person doing the attacking.

v. Presumption: This technique works by shutting down space for the reader to disagree with the writer’s position. It subtly implies that the matter has already been decided and that any opposition to it is foolish. It can be easily be identified by the use of phrases such as ‘As everybody knows,’ ‘Everyone agrees,’ or  ‘Of course, we all know that…’

Persuasive Writing Practice Task: Offer the students a range of persuasive writing topics to choose from, some topics are listed in the previous activity. Challenge your students to write a single paragraph using each of the persuasive strategies above for their chosen topic.

5. Use Persuasive Images

While not every persuasive genre requires the use of images, text types such as advertisements and persuasive leaflets often use images to great effect.

Images and their accompanying captions can help catch and hold a reader’s attention. They can come in many forms, e.g. photos, pictures, infographics, diagrams, logos, etc. Visuals can help lead the reader’s eye into the text as well as support the text’s overall persuasiveness.

Persuasive Writing Practice Task: Create a Persuasive Image

Nowadays, many free stock photo websites such as Pixabay and Unsplash and online graphic design tools such as Canva and Gravit can help students create their visual masterpieces.

Challenge students to play with the above tools to create their own persuasive image to accompany one of the paragraphs they wrote in the previous activity. Can they write a suitable caption to accompany their image too?

As with any writing, when students have completed their persuasive text, it’s time to edit and proofread.

The main focus in these final stages of writing will be to establish whether or not the text succeeds in convincing the reader to do or believe something. This is the primary measure of success for any persuasive text and with mastery of the skills outlined above, the answer should be a resounding “Yes!”

OTHER GREAT ARTICLES RELATED TO PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES

How to Write Perfect Persuasive Essays in 5 Simple Steps

5 Top Persuasive Writing Lesson Plans for Students and Teachers

23 Persuasive writing Topics for High School students

How to Write an Advertisement: A Complete Guide for Students and Teachers

Teaching Proofreading and Editing Skills

The Ultimate Guide to Opinion Writing for Students and Teachers

The Ultimate Guide to Using Persuasive Techniques for English

What are the key techniques that you should use for a persuasive piece?

There are so many English techniques out there, that it’s hard to keep track of which technique to use when writing a persuasive essay. So, we’re here to help you! 

Here is a comprehensive guide on what persuasive techniques are, why these techniques are important as well as the types of persuasive techniques you can use to smash your English assessment! 

What are you waiting for?

Let’s dive in!

What Are Persuasive Techniques? Why Are Persuasive Techniques Used?  Why You Should Use Persuasive Techniques  Types of Persuasive Techniques  Glossary of Persuasive Techniques  Ethos Persuasive Techniques Pathos Persuasive Techniques Logos Persuasive Techniques

What Are Persuasive Techniques?

Persuasive techniques are the tools you use to enhance your argument in a persuasive piece . Think of persuasive techniques as the building blocks you use to make your point of view rise above the rest!

These techniques appeal to your audience’s logical thinking and emotions so that they are convinced t o agree with a specific viewpoint.  

What’s the Difference Between a Persuasive and Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay explores two or more perspectives and allows the audience to decide what they can agree with.

On the other hand, persuasive techniques nudge readers to one side of the argument , with counter arguments to undermine the other side .

Check out our ultimate guide to writing persuasive texts here !

Why Persuasive Techniques Are Used in Written and Verbal Communication

The main point of using persuasive techniques is to persuade others to agree with our arguments . These arguments can involve our own ways of thinking, opinions, values and comments on a certain idea, topic or event. 

If you look around, you can find persuasive techniques everywhere!

Persuasive techniques can be found in written sources such as newspapers , magazines and feature articles . For example, a newspaper advertisement that promotes its brand new toothbrush definitely uses persuasive techniques to convince you to buy it! 

You can also find them used in verbal communication such as speeches , podcasts and media advertisements .

These days, social media platforms such as Youtube , TikTok and Snapchat are the most common places where you can find persuasive techniques in verbal communication. 

Think about it, have you ever watched a youtube video where an influencer raves on about a new product ? That’s using persuasive techniques too!

How Should You use these Techniques?

Here are some examples of motives to use persuasive techniques, which includes appealing to the audience’s: 

• Desire to be an individual 
• Desire to belong in a group 
• Desire to become wealthy
• Desire to become healthy  

Why You Should Use Persuasive Techniques 

Mastering the use of persuasive techniques can be a very useful skill!

When it comes to your English assessments, these techniques can amplify the quality of your writing and help you compose better arguments! That’s why it’s so important to master them.

Persuasive techniques are just one way that you can boost your results. Our expert English tutors in the Hills District can help you find other ways to unlock better writing quality – learn more about how they can help!

These techniques can also allow you to influence others to believe in a cause and enact change . For example, a lot of charity campaigns use these techniques to encourage people to donate and make changes for the people, animals or the environment. 

For you, persuasive techniques can increase your chances of getting into your dream university course . You can also use these techniques in your future career — to pitch your project, inspire groups of people or build partnerships with world leaders. 

As you can see, they can take you beyond the classroom and help you build the effectiveness of your written and verbal communication for success in your career! 

Types of Persuasive Techniques 

Ethos, Pathos and Logos are the three modes of persuasion. These first coined by Aristotle , an ancient Greek philosopher who observes that these three factors are the core of what makes a great persuasive piece!

For the purposes of this article, we will include four types of techniques. The first one is an “overall” section as these techniques can be applied to either ethos, pathos or logos.

Next, we will dive into the three modes of persuasion as well as their unique techniques. 

Let’s jump right into it!

Glossary of Persuasive Techniques 

Allusions An allusion is a reference to a person, place, event or another text . It can allow readers to make links between the topic and other areas of their contextual understanding. This way, it creates a connection between the speaker and audience based on shared understanding. Example: “Be a Good Samaritan today and donate to our charities!” 

Analogy An analogy is a figure of speech that compares one thing to anothe r. Unlike other figurative devices, analogies identifies t he similarities between the analogy and reality . This provides another way for your audience to better understand where you are coming from. It works because the more you understand an idea, the more likely you are to agree with it.   It is important to note that analogies can fall flat if the message is lost. Try to create a clear image and draw clear similarities when using an analogy. If it is effective, you can use the analogy at the start of your persuasive piece to capture the attention of your audience although this is not a hard and fast rule.  Example: “I like to imagine that the world is a big machine. You know, machines never have any parts. They have the exact number and type of parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is a machine, I have to be here for some reason. And that means you have to be here for some reason, too.” by Brian Selznick, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. 

Contrast Contrast is used to compare between two things . It can draw similarities and differences between two things to allow your audience to understand its relationship better. Alternatively, it can also create an emphasis on your point or break down complex concepts so your audience can better understand your argument. Example: You may choose to contrast our approach to world hunger in the past and the present to emphasise that we have made minimal progress in addressing this global issue as of now. 

Hyperbole A hyperbole is an exaggeration to create emphasis for your argument . Although it can sound pretty extreme, it tells your audience that your point is important, immediate or impactful. It may also be used for humour to build a connection between the speaker and the audience.   Example: An advertisement for Gillette uses the hyperbole “the best a man can get” to encourage their audience of men to buy their products. 

Imagery  Imagery uses descriptive language to create a visual image in their audience’s mind to make the message easier to digest and understand. Once the audience has a mental view of the speaker’s message, it seems more realistic to them and convinces them to side with the speaker.  Imagery can be used throughout the persuasive piece, and is not isolated to one part. However, if you want to reel in your audience, perhaps feature an image at the start or the end of the persuasive piece to pack a punch! Example: “Imagine a world where our sons and daughters can live in a world of lush greenery, clear blue skies and fresh wind in their face.”

Metaphor A metaphor is another figure of speech where one thing represents another . Most of the time, metaphors establish the connection between a concrete object and an abstract concept to help audiences better understand your point.  How this works is that metaphors engage the right brain of creativity, which lowers your sense of rational thinking that defends against alternative thought. This is how metaphors work to persuade people into believing a whole new perspective.  Example: “I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” by Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” in 1963.

Simile  Simile belongs in the group of figurative language techniques that also compares one thing to another. The only difference is, simile uses words “like” and “as” to draw similarities between two things.  Like other figurative devices, similes help the audience better understand your point by allowing them to think about the similarities between two separate objects. When using a simile, try to use visual cues, relevant topics and avoid cliches to ensure your piece is engaging! Example: “Rain, somebody said, is like confetti from heaven. So even the heavens are celebrating this morning, joining the rest of us at this wonderful commencement ceremony” – USSC, Justice John Roberts, Cardigan Commencement Address.

Present Tense Present tense is used to refer to the topic as a present situation . It creates a sense of urgency among the audience towards the topic of your persuasive piece. This can be used at the end of your piece to drive action within your audiences.  Example: “We must take action to climate change now, to save our future!” 

Rule of Three (Tricolon/Tripling) The rule of three is used to list things out in groups of three t o create an accumulative effect so your points are more appealing and memorable to the audience. It can add a dramatic flair to your persuasive piece too, to compel your readers to agree with your point of view.  Example: “To succeed, we need perseverance, resilience and ambition.”

Repetition Repetition is the use of the same word or phrase over and over again to reinforce your point. It can also act as a reminder to your audience about what your main argument is, to allow them to remember it even after they have read or heard your persuasive piece.  Example: In Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, the repetition of “the people” in  “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” creates emphasis on the role of the public in politics. 

Rhetorical Question  A rhetorical question is a question that is posed by the speaker but does not expect an answer from the audience. It prompts the audience to think about the topic, although the answer is often obvious . This helps to lead the audience to reach a specific conclusion as they consider the topic and oftentimes, accept the author’s answer.  Example: “Do we really want to save our planet?”

Ethos Persuasive Techniques

Ethos is one of the three modes of persuasion.

In Greek, “Ethos” is defined as character and refers to ethics. In other words, ethos refers to the credibility and trustworthiness of the speaker. 

Here are a few techniques that appeal to the audience’s trust in the speaker:

Anecdotes Anecdotes is a short story of an experience. It can be a personal story that has happened to you, or a story that you have heard from someone you know. Some speakers like to use anecdotes at the start of their persuasive piece, to allow their audiences to relate to them from the get-go. Anecdotes can also be used to underline how real the topic of your persuasive piece is, to build your credibility for your audiences . Example: In Emma Watson’s HeForShe 2014 campaign speech, she features her own personal experiences of gender stereotypes in “when I was 8 I was confused at being called “bossy”, because I wanted to direct the plays we would put on for our parents — but the boys were not”.

Colloquial Language Colloquial language is the use of everyday speech . Hearing formal language may disconnect speakers from their audiences, so easy to understand everyday language works to help the speaker appear approachable, relatable and down to earth which increases the trust of their audiences .  Example: Instead of “it is required that we should engage in action immediately to secure racial equality for all”, we may say “it is up to you and I to make racial equality a reality for all.”

Expert Opinion The speaker may feature experts in the field to provide an evidence based point of view that supports their argument, making it more credible and trustworthy for the audience. The expert opinion may be an affirmation of your opinion, an explanation of your point or feature the latest research on your topic. As long as it supports your point, it can strengthen your persuasive piece.  Example: “According to Dr. John Smith at Herrod Hospital, social media has a tremendous impact on youth’s mental health.” 

Collaborating with Well-Known People  Persuasive pieces such as media advertisements often collaborate with well-known celebrities and influencers to promote their product. By having a famous person recommend your product, it encourages people to trust that your product is well above the rest since someone influential is using them exclusively!  Example: Dunkin’ Donuts collaborated with Charli D’Amelio, the TikTok influencer to create and promote a new cold beverage for young people. 

Diction Diction is the careful choice of words or phrases in your persuasive piece . The words you choose to use can depend on your purpose. Let’s say you want to present a new scientific finding at a TED talk, you would choose to use scientific terms. If you’re motivating an audience of young people, you may use modern slang.  Either way, diction is an important technique to build connection with your audience . When you speak the same language as them, they are more likely to relate to you and side with you too! Example: When speaking at the United Nations conference, instead of choosing opening phrases such as “what’s up everybody?”, you may choose to use the phrase “good morning to everyone attending today’s conference.”

Pathos Persuasive Techniques

Pathos is the second mode of persuasion which stands for “suffering” and “experience” in Greek.

It makes up part of the word “empathy”, which relates to emotions, beliefs and values . Pathos techniques appeal to the emotional aspect of the audience as it evokes specific feelings towards the message. 

Here are some of its techniques: 

Adjectives  Adjectives are descriptive words that shape meaning to a topic, idea or opinion . It prompts the reader to feel a certain way about the message. Try not to overload your adjectives , as your message can become lost in the bombardment of words.  Example: “Our new mouthwatering recipe for roast chicken and its light, creamy sauce is sure to make your family hungry for more!”

Adverbs Adverbs is a word that adds expression to a verb, an adjective, another adverb and also an entire sentence. Like adjectives, adverbs can sway the audience to feel a specific way .  For verbs, adverbs can describe how an action has occurred. When paired with adjectives, adverbs can add a level of intensity . Try to avoid using adverbs with adverbs , as it can sound a bit chunky and disrupt the flow of your pieces. Adverbs can also modify an entire sentence with words like generally, accordingly and fortunately.  Example: “Fortunately (sentence adverb), our movement always dedicates (adverb with adjective) itself towards social equality as we have stood loud and proud (adverbs with verb) about our cause.”

Connotations Connotations are words that are associated with an emotional meaning . Speakers choose words carefully with the best connotation that suits their message. This way, the audience can sense the tone in your message to encourage them to agree with you.  Example: Instead of using the word “terrorists” to describe people from the Feminist movement, you may choose to use the word “freedom fighter” to paint them in a positive light and encourage others to support the movement too. 

Emotive Language  Emotive language involves choosing certain words to evoke a particular emotion from your audiences. Speakers may use emotive language to help the audience understand how the speaker or character is feeling, forming an emotional bond with their audiences. This can be effective when you need to harness sympathy or empathy from your audiences.  Example: “The poor Polar Bears have nothing but tiny islands of ice to cling onto, as their homes melt around them.”

First Person Narration In first person narration, the speaker narrates the story from their perspective . They refer to themselves with “I” and “Me” to make the story appear more personal, which allows the audiences to relate to them and empathise with the speaker more.  Example: “I, myself, am one of the few who have been affected by this issue.” 

Inclusive Language  Inclusive language such as “we”, “us” or “our” can unite audiences with the speaker. It makes the speaker’s message more universal, so audiences feel that they are part of the speaker’s cause . Inclusive language can be especially effective, if you are writing to catch the attention and promote change within a group.  Example: “It is up to us – we must reclaim our freedom!”

Tone Tone refers to the general vibe of the persuasive piece . For written persuasive pieces , the tone could be detected through the c hoice of words and sentence structures . As for verbal persuasive pieces , tone can be set through the speaker’s pace or volume . Tone is important because it can influence the way the audience feels towards your message. A persuasive piece can have a formal tone, a humorous tone, a respectful tone or an enthusiastic tone. Be sure to choose which tone you’d like to set your persuasive piece in before you start writing! Example: For a persuasive piece with a humorous tone, you may choose to use satirical humour, irony or overstatements throughout your piece to appeal to the light hearted emotions of your audiences.  

Logos Persuasive Techniques

Last but not least, Logos is the Greek word for “word”  or “speech”. For us, logos sound familiar because it is also found in the modern word “logic”. In short, Logos appeals to the logical thinking of our reader by using rational reasoning. 

Here are some of its techniques!

Anecdotal evidence  As discussed, anecdotes are the retelling of real life experiences . It can be used to appeal to the rational thinking of audiences as it provides a true story that acts as evidence to support the credibility of the speaker’s claim.  Example: “I was one of the few who survived the 2005 Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, and here is my experience.” 

Evidence   Evidence refers to true information that are used to build the credibility of one’s argumen t. Evidence can include scientific facts, statistics, research findings, graphs and tables . By providing evidence-based arguments that highlight the pros or cons of the topic, it pushes your audience’s rational thought to lean towards your side.  Example: “Due to climate change, more than 1 million species are at risk of extinction across our world.” 

Expert Quotes Expert opinion can be used to influence the rational thinking processes of your audiences . By inserting a quote from an expert in the field, it not only builds the credibility of your argument, but also appeals to the audience’s decisional thinking to agree with your point. You may choose to quote from well known professionals, associations or groups to add weight to your argument! Example: According to Dr. Christopher Austin, a former director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Chemical Genomics Center, “Traditional animal testing is expensive, time-consuming, uses a lot of animals and from a scientific perspective the results do not necessarily translate to humans.”

On the hunt for other useful resources?

Check out some of the other Year 11-12 articles we’ve created below:

• The Essential List of Language Features You Should Know for English
• How to Write a TEEL Paragraph for Your English Essay
• Your Kickass Guide to Analysing Visual Texts for HSC English
• How to Elevate Your Essays in English Using the Thesis + 3 Technique
• The Ultimate List of Key Verbs for HSC English

For students in Years 10 and below:

• How to Study for English in Years 7 and 8

The Essential List of High Modality Words for Persuasive Writing

• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Feature Article
• How to Write an Extended Response in High School
• The Essential Year 7 and 8 Reading List
• The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Recount in Primary School

The Year 7-10 English syllabus has been updated recently! Here are the major things you need to know!

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A Comprehensive Guide on How to Write a Persuasive Essay

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A persuasive essay is a potent literary tool designed to sway the reader's opinion and evoke a response. Unlike other types of essays , the primary goal here is not merely to inform or entertain but to persuade. In this guide, we'll explore what exactly a persuasive essay is, delve into its main components, and provide practical tips on how to write a persuasive essay that leaves a lasting impression.

What is a Persuasive Essay?

At its core, a persuasive essay aims to convince the reader to adopt a particular viewpoint or take a specific action. It's an artful blend of logical reasoning and emotional appeal, carefully crafted to sway opinions and inspire action. Whether addressing a controversial social issue, advocating for a change in policy, or expressing an individual opinion, the persuasive essay is a vehicle for influencing minds.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay: The Main Components

1. Introduction: Capturing Attention and Stating the Thesis The introduction serves as the gateway to your persuasive essay. Begin by grabbing the reader's attention with a compelling hook—an anecdote, a surprising fact, or a thought-provoking question. After capturing their interest, clearly state your thesis, which should encapsulate the main argument you'll be advocating throughout the essay. Make sure it's concise, focused, and sets the stage for what follows.

2. Body Paragraphs: Building the Argument The body of your persuasive essay is where you present your case in detail. Each paragraph should focus on a single point that supports your thesis. Begin with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea of the paragraph, followed by supporting evidence, examples, and logical reasoning. Be sure to anticipate counterarguments and address them in a respectful manner. This not only strengthens your position but also demonstrates a thorough understanding of the topic.

3. Ethos, Pathos, and Logos: The Triad of Persuasion A persuasive essay is most effective when it appeals to the audience's emotions, ethics, and logic. Ethos involves establishing credibility and showcasing your expertise or authority on the subject. Pathos appeals to the reader's emotions, invoking empathy or stirring passions. Logos relies on logical reasoning, presenting evidence and sound arguments to support your claims. Striking a balance between these three elements ensures a well-rounded and convincing essay.

4. Counterarguments and Rebuttal: Strengthening Your Position Acknowledge opposing viewpoints to demonstrate fairness and open-mindedness. Addressing counterarguments head-on not only strengthens your position but also shows that you've thoroughly considered different perspectives. Craft a persuasive rebuttal by presenting additional evidence or showcasing flaws in the opposing argument. This not only reinforces your stance but also reinforces your credibility as a thoughtful and informed writer.

5. Conclusion: Leaving a Lasting Impression End your essay with a powerful conclusion that backs your thesis and leaves a lasting impression. Summarise the key points from the body paragraphs and restate your thesis in a compelling way. Avoid introducing new information in the conclusion; instead, focus on leaving the reader with a clear understanding of your perspective and a sense of urgency or importance regarding your argument.

Writing a Persuasive Essay: Practical Tips

Know Your Audience: Tailor Your Approach Understanding your audience is crucial when crafting a persuasive essay. Consider their values, beliefs, and potential biases. Tailor your language and arguments to resonate with your target audience, making your persuasive efforts more effective.

Thorough Research: The Foundation of Persuasion Before diving into writing, conduct thorough research on your chosen topic. Familiarise yourself with relevant facts, statistics, and expert opinions. A well-researched essay not only strengthens your argument but also enhances your credibility as a writer.

Craft a Strong Thesis Statement: The Heart of Your Essay Your thesis statement is the focal point of your persuasive essay. Ensure it is clear, concise, and debatable. A strong thesis sets the tone for the entire essay and provides a roadmap for both the writer and the reader.

Use Persuasive Language: Engage and Convince Choose your words carefully to create a persuasive impact. Employ strong, vivid language that evokes emotion and captivates the reader. Be mindful of your tone, striking a balance between confidence and humility.

Revise and Edit: Polish Your Persuasive Gem The final step in crafting a persuasive essay is thorough revision and editing. Review your essay for clarity, coherence, and consistency. Check for grammatical errors, ensure a smooth flow of ideas, and confirm that your arguments are well-supported by evidence.

The refinement of your work is just as crucial as its creation. Let our team of skilled editors meticulously edit and proofread your essay , providing valuable insights to elevate your writing to its highest potential.

Writing a Persuasive Essay: A Skill That Goes Beyond Academia

Mastering the art of persuasion through essay writing is a valuable skill that extends beyond academia. Whether advocating for social change or expressing a personal viewpoint, a persuasive essay equips you to articulate your ideas effectively and influence others. By understanding the main components and following practical tips, you can confidently navigate the terrain of persuasive writing, leaving a lasting impact on your readers.

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What is Persuasive Writing: Examples, Format and Style

• December 11, 2023

In a world brimming with information, persuasion is a valuable skill. Whether you’re a marketer aiming to sway consumers, a politician seeking votes, or a writer hoping to engage and inform, persuasive writing is your secret weapon. It’s the art of crafting words and arguments that convince, influence, and inspire action, presenting many persuasive writing examples to underscore your viewpoint.

Have you ever wondered what sets persuasive writing apart from the rest? How does it work, and why is it so powerful? In this blog, we’ll delve deep into the world of writing persuasive essays, exploring its techniques, psychology, and real-world applications, including persuasive writing examples. When you finish reading, you’ll understand the fundamentals and have the tools to apply persuasive writing in your endeavors.

So, let’s embark on a journey into the realm of words and ideas, where the power of persuasion awaits. Join us as we uncover the strategies and secrets behind compelling narratives and convincing arguments and learn how to master the art of persuasive writing.

Understanding Persuasive Writing

Persuasive writing is an art that shapes our decisions, beliefs, and actions daily. Whether convincing a friend to try a new restaurant, supporting a political candidate, or buying a product, persuasive elements are ever-present. To master persuasive writing, it’s crucial to comprehend the underlying psychology that drives it.

writers must understand how people think and make choices. One of the key foundations of writing persuasive essays is Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. These principles are the building blocks of effective communication. Understanding and utilizing persuasive writing examples that incorporate ethos (ethical appeal), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logical appeal) can significantly enhance the impact of persuasive writing by appealing to the audience’s emotions, ethics, and reasoning.

Ethos involves establishing the credibility and authority of the speaker or writer. It’s about showcasing your expertise, trustworthiness, and authority on the subject matter. An audience is more likely to be persuaded by someone they perceive as a credible source. Exploring persuasive writing examples that effectively utilize ethos can provide a deeper understanding of how credibility and authority are established to influence an audience.

Pathos taps into emotions. It’s about crafting your writing to resonate with your audience’s feelings, values, and desires. Emotional appeal can be a potent tool in persuasion to convince the reader, as it forges a connection with readers on a personal level.

Logos employs logic and reasoning. It involves using evidence, data, and well-structured arguments to support your claims. A logically sound argument can bolster your persuasive efforts, especially when dealing with a rational or analytical audience.

In addition to these three principles, it’s important to recognize the role of cognitive biases in persuasion. Human brains often take cognitive shortcuts, resulting in biases that influence decision-making. By understanding these biases, such as confirmation bias, anchoring, and the bandwagon effect, writers can strategically shape their persuasive content to convince the reader to work with, rather than against, these cognitive tendencies.

Furthermore, the power of storytelling should not be underestimated. People are naturally drawn to write narratives. A well-told story can captivate, resonate, and persuade better than a dry recitation of facts. By weaving persuasive elements into a compelling narrative, writers can engage their audience on a deep, emotional level.

Persuasive Writing in Professional Life

Effective writing to write persuasive content is a versatile and significant tool in numerous professional scenarios. Whether in a corporate setting or freelancing, knowing how to wield the power of words can greatly enhance your career prospects and bring about desired outcomes. Here are five situations where persuasive writing is particularly effective:

1. Marketing and Advertising Campaigns

To write persuasive essays lies at the core of marketing and advertising efforts. Crafting compelling and engaging copy that resonates with the target audience can persuade consumers to purchase products, subscribe to services, or take specific actions. Successful marketers use persuasive language, storytelling, and emotion-evoking content to connect strongly with potential customers.

2. Business Proposals and Reports

When presenting business proposals, reports, or recommendations, a persuasive essay can make a substantial difference. Convincing stakeholders or decision-makers to endorse your ideas, allocate resources, or support your strategies often hinges on how effectively you can articulate the benefits and potential returns on investment.

3. Sales Emails and Correspondence

Sales professionals and account managers frequently employ persuasive writing techniques in their emails and client communication. Skillful use of persuasive language, personalized content, and the presentation of unique selling points can win over potential clients, retain existing customers, and close deals.

4. Job Applications and Resumes

In the competitive job market, a persuasive essay is vital for crafting attention-grabbing resumes and compelling cover letters. The ability to present your skills, experiences, and qualifications persuasively can help you stand out among a sea of applicants, ultimately securing interviews and job offers.

5. Public Relations and Crisis Management

Persuasive writing plays a crucial role in managing public relations and handling crises. Communicating effectively during challenging situations requires language that can restore trust, mitigate damage, and convey a sense of responsibility and accountability.

As we’ve explored the power of persuasive writing in professional life, let’s now delve into crafting a persuasive message for specific scenarios.

Crafting A Persuasive Message

Creating a persuasive message is an art that combines the mastery of language, psychology, and strategy. To write a great persuasive message, you need to consider various elements and techniques that can captivate and influence your audience effectively. Here are some techniques how:

Establish Compelling Statement

Your persuasive message should begin with a concise and powerful thesis statement. This statement serves as the core idea you want to convey to your audience. It should be clear, specific, and easily understood. For example, suppose you’re writing a persuasive essay on the importance of recycling. In that case, your thesis statement might be: “Recycling reduces waste and conserves resources, making it an essential practice for a sustainable future.”

Structure Your Arguments

The structure of your message plays a crucial role in how persuasive it is. Arrange your arguments logically, beginning with the strongest points and gradually leading to the supporting details. This structure not only reinforces your main thesis but also ensures your audience remains engaged. An effective structure guides the reader from their initial skepticism to a point of agreement or action.

Use Persuasive Language

Employ persuasive language and rhetorical devices to make your message more convincing. These include metaphors, analogies, vivid imagery, and emotionally charged words. For example, in a persuasive speech advocating for better healthcare access, you could use the metaphor, “Healthcare is the cornerstone of a strong, healthy society,” to evoke a powerful image.

Address Counterarguments

Acknowledging and addressing potential counterarguments in your message demonstrates that you’ve thoroughly considered the issue. Anticipating and refuting opposing viewpoints adds credibility to your argument and reassures your audience. For instance, if you’re advocating for a particular environmental policy, address common objections and provide compelling counterarguments to debunk them.

Engage Reader’s Emotions

One of the most powerful tools in persuasive writing is emotional appeal. Engage your audience’s emotions by telling relatable stories, sharing personal anecdotes, or using emotional language. Suppose you’re writing a persuasive message to encourage donations to a charitable cause. In that case, a heartwarming story about a beneficiary can resonate deeply with your readers and inspire them to take action.

Having discussed the art of crafting a persuasive message, let’s now shift our focus to the broader skill of developing persuasive writing for various professional contexts.

Developing Persuasive Writing

Mastering the art of persuasive writing requires practice, dedication, and a deep understanding of the key principles and techniques. Here are some essential steps to help you develop persuasive writing skills:

Understanding Your Audience

Start by researching your target audience. Understand their demographics, interests, and the concerns. Engage with your readers or listeners to gain insights into what motivates them and what matters most to them. Use surveys, social media, and other feedback mechanisms to gather information. Once you have a clear understanding of your audience, tailor your writing to address their specific needs and the desires. Speak directly to their concerns, values, and goals. Use language and examples of persuasive essays and writing that resonate with them, demonstrating empathy and a deep connection.

Compelling Storytelling

Study the art of storytelling. Read books and articles and listen to speakers known for their storytelling skills. Practice storytelling in various contexts, from personal anecdotes to fictional narratives. Weave stories into your writing to illustrate key points and connect with your readers emotionally. Craft narratives that evoke feelings and provide relatable examples of persuasive storytelling. A well-told story enhances the impact of your message.

Call To Action

Study successful examples of persuasive calls to action in various contexts, from marketing campaigns to political speeches. Understand the elements that make a call to action compelling and actionable. Practice creating calls to action in different scenarios. Conclude your piece with a strong and specific call to action. Clearly state what you want your readers to do, believe, or think after reading your content. Make it actionable and inspiring, motivating your audience to engage or take the desired steps.

Impact Of Persuasive Writing: Examples

The impact of persuasive essays extends far beyond the written words on a page or screen. It can potentially effect significant change, influence decisions, and shape opinions in various domains. Here’s a closer look at the profound impact of persuasive writing:

Shaping Public Opinion

Persuasive writing is a formidable force in shaping public opinion and influencing policy. Op-eds, research papers, and advocacy campaigns can sway lawmakers, prompting them to adopt new laws or regulations in alignment with the writer’s perspective. Additionally, a persuasive essay has a significant impact on how the public perceives issues, organizations, or individuals. Media outlets, public relations campaigns, and persuasive speeches play a vital role in generating both positive and negative public perceptions, which, in turn, can affect public behavior, from supporting a cause to boycotting a product.

Greta Thunberg’s Climate Change Speech (2019)

Greta Thunberg’s speeches on climate change have ignited a global movement. Her speeches are characterized by their passionate and urgent pleas for environmental action (pathos). Thunberg’s use of moral and ethical arguments, reinforced by her ethos as a young environmental activist, has spurred climate strikes and rallies worldwide, leading to increased awareness and calls for policy changes.

Effective Leadership

Persuasive writing is an indispensable tool for effective leadership. Leaders across various domains use persuasive communication to motivate their teams. Whether through an inspirational email, a compelling speech, or a well-structured persuasive essay, compelling writing fosters a shared sense of purpose, drives high performance, and encourages team members to embrace a common vision. Additionally, leadership’s persuasive writing plays a fundamental role in shaping an organization’s culture. By communicating core values, vision, and expectations through written messages, leaders contribute to a cohesive and thriving workplace culture, positively impacting team dynamics and overall success.

Barack Obama’s 2008 Inaugural Address

In his inaugural address, President Barack Obama used eloquent language and a message of hope and unity to inspire the nation. He appealed to the audience’s emotions (pathos) by emphasizing common values and dreams, fostering a sense of national purpose and unity (ethos).

Motivating Action

Persuasive writing is a catalyst for motivating action on multiple fronts. It is a driving force behind social change, as activists, NGOs, and grassroots organizations use persuasive content to mobilize individuals to take action, whether signing petitions, participating in rallies, or donating to causes they believe in. Additionally, persuasive essays are instrumental in personal growth and development. Self-help books, motivational articles, and life coaching resources harness persuasive language to inspire people to adopt positive behaviors, set and achieve goals, and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Emma Gonzalez’s “We Call B.S.” Speech (2018)

Emma Gonzalez, a survivor of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, delivered a passionate speech advocating for gun control. Her speech combined personal anecdotes and data-driven arguments (logos) to emphasize the need for policy changes. The emotional impact of her speech (pathos) resonated with many and fueled the gun control movement, contributing to legislative reforms and activism.

Empower Yourself With Persuasion

In an era of information overload and constant communication, the ability to wield persuasive communication is a powerful tool that can transform your personal and professional life, so empower yourself with persuasion. Acquire the skills to express your ideas effectively, build authentic connections, and drive positive change. With the art of persuasion in your toolkit, you hold the key to leaving a lasting mark on the world and shaping your unique history.

Rishabh Bhandari

Rishabh Bhandari is the Content Strategist at Kapable. Rishabh likes to transform complex ideas into captivating narratives relatable to the target audience. He loves telling stories through his content. He believes that stories have the power to shift mindsets and move mountains. He has 3 years of experience in educational blog writing and copywriting.

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31 Powerful Persuasive Writing Techniques

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Writing persuasive copy is the goal of every professional copywriter. Persuading readers to agree with you can help convert them into paying customers. While it can prove challenging at times, persuasive copywriting can be learned and perfected by following some basic techniques.

Here are 31 persuasive writing techniques that are a combination of psychological methods and proven strategies to gain your readers’ trust and get them to agree with you.

1. Focus On Your Best Audience

Writers tend to cast a wide net, hoping to influence everyone. However, focusing on the people who are most likely to benefit from the content and  writing for them will bring better results.

2. Tell Them Why

Readers are constantly bombarded with messages on a daily basis. If you want their attention, justify it with a good reason up front, preferably something that will benefit them.

3. Rely on a Proven Copywriting Formula

Copywriting formulas exist solely to help copywriters persuade readers. There are several excellent copywriting formulas that are both effective and easy to remember, and it’s well worth your time to learn a handful of them.

4. Use the Right Tone of Voice

What you say is important, but how you say it is vital. Tone influences how your reader perceives your message, so decide which one will be most effective then use it consistently.

5. Be Authoritative

Establish yourself as an authority up front and be consistent in backing up that authority with proof, statistics and examples. Be honest and transparent, don’t waver, and pretty soon your audience will believe you.

6. Take The Reader’s Point of View

If you were the reader, what would grab your attention? When you are writing persuasive copy, you have to become the reader to understand what appeals to them.

7. Show That You Understand

Before you can persuade your reader, you must establish that you are just like them in some way. Perhaps you share the same problem or have similar desires. Find a mutual connection and state it early on.

8. Tell a Story

From the time we are old enough to understand language, humans are suckers for a good story that makes us feel . Anecdotes, especially when backed by facts, are a great way to connect with your readers on an emotional level.

9. Tell Both Sides of the Story

There is always another side of the story. Unlike addressing objections, telling the other side of the story allows you to paint a compelling picture of what life would be like without your product or service. It would be awful. Tell them.

10. Use Influential Words

To write persuasive copy, use persuasive “action” words like miracle, discovery, discount, and bargain. Use uplifting words like vitality, grace, wisdom, and confidence. Finally, make sure your copy has ‘Free’, ’How’, ’New’ and ‘You’ in abundance.

11. Simplify & Amplify

Simplify your core ideas into hard-hitting individual thoughts, then amplify them with the help of things that are important to the reader. Use words that help empower your readers. Get! Learn! Results! Now!

12. Be Specific

Place a laser focus on specific facts and benefits. For example:

• 90% of customers see results in 2 weeks or less!
• Results can be seen in 2 weeks.

The first line is more specific, making it more persuasive.

13. Be Repetitive

If you’ve said it once, you can say it again. Repetition is a time-honored tactic for remembering anything. Use it to your advantage.

14. Address Objections

Even the most agreeable readers will likely have objections, and you are much better off addressing them up front than waiting for your potential customer to voice them. This is another means of establishing authority, and also tells your reader that you have thought the matter through.

15. Show Proof

As previously mentioned, showing proof helps establish you as an authority on the subject, and shows your reader that you respect them.

16. Focus on Headline Psychology

Headlines matter. If the headline is not catchy enough for a click, the rest of the content will fall flat. Make sure that the headline is psychologically stimulating and interesting to your readers. However, don’t sacrifice clarity for the sake of flash. Your headlines should be catchy but concise.

17. Be Consistent

State your position up front, then proceed to be unfailingly consistent in backing it up with facts, stats and proof. Essentially, you want your readers to trust you. A reader who trusts you will tend to agree with you, and nothing builds trust more effectively than being consistent.

18. Use These Tips to Get Results Immediately

So you’ve delivered a punchy hook to start off your article. Your reader is intrigued.

But you want them to keep reading, right? Follow these tips to help your reader see it through to the end.

First, though, don’t go too far. If you promise your reader a spaceship when you can’t even afford a bike, they’ll be irritated – and you’ll lose trust points.

19. Use Simple Language

Don’t overload your content.

Write as simply as possible.

Make your message accessible to every reader.

Don’t use complex terminology unless you need to. If you do need to, explain it in simple words.

Copyblogger’s 21 juicy prompts that inspire fascinating content says that content which is simple, short and easy to understand leads to thousands of shares, which makes your work  affordable and pretty simple.

You should be able to explain even the most complex processes in simple phrases. We all have a lot going on in our lives –- your text should be a place where the reader can relax and enjoy interesting, straightforward information.

20. Be Precise

People love details. Using detail in your writing shows that you’re a person who really knows what you’re writing about – a person to be trusted. Be as specific as you can.

Visibility and accessibility should be your main principles.

Here is a simple example. Why is GSM Arena at the top of Google’s results for searches containing the words “phone review”? Because GSM Arena shows all the details the readers are looking for. Xiaomi Mi Max ’s review contains NINE pages of information about mobiles. It has details about anything that you could possibly ask for.

21. “Sir! Yes, Sir!”

Use all of your imagination to create a situation in which the reader will agree with you.

It’s very easy to do. Make some general statements or ask questions that are difficult to challenge. Ask questions where the only possible answer is YES.

Here are some examples:

• “Do you want to be healthy?”
• “Do you want to earn good money?”
• “Do you want to live in peace?”
• “You want to be great dad, right?”

A reader who agrees with the author is much easier to convince.

22. Predict Your Reader

Anticipate the reader’s questions, and answer them before they’re even asked – before they’ve even thought about.

Neutralize possible questions before they even appear. Comprehensive information is exactly what your reader is looking for.

23. Prove it!

It’s easy to write persuasive text if you can back up your claims with facts and studies. Numbers and percentages have the best effect. They’re your strongest tools for convincing readers.

24. Be Specific

Use real-life examples. We believe in examples we can relate to.

It’s easy to say: “Do this, do that.” But how can you apply it in real life?

Examples from the real world make material understandable. They make readers think, “If someone else achieved this, why can’t I?”

25. Touch the Emotions

Evoke emotion in the reader.

As we know, emotions are the main motivation behind making a purchases or sealing a business deal.

Emotions awaken desire. As Napoleon Hill said : “The starting point of all achievement is desire.”

26. Use Greatness

Cite great wisdom. Well-chosen quotes from successful people will elevate your text to the next level. A couple of good quotes from well-known experts in the field will help you to make your material more compelling.

27. Use Structure

Divide your articles into paragraphs, headings, subheadings and lists. These increase the visual appeal of the text. Paragraphs should contain between 2 and 5 sentences, and no more. That will make it much easier for your reader to digest your material. Numbered lists can:

• add interest
• give the reader a break
• help the reader to remember what you’re saying.

None of these techniques alone will win over your readers, but combined strategically and used wisely, they can help you write persuasive copy that will turn readers into customers.

28. Call to Action

Have conversations. Involve your readers. Make readers feel that you’re really interested in their comments, and that you won’t abandon them.

Create a community by asking questions, seeking opinions, inviting comments, initiating polls, setting up contests, and sparking controversy. Use your creativity.

Be sure it’s easy for readers to get involved, and always keep things polite and cheery.

29. Make it Right

The web is littered with low-quality content. No matter how interesting and useful your text is, grammatical errors will spoil the impression of your content – and give a bad impression of the author.

Text with grammatical errors is like a road with potholes.

In order to write well, read a lot. Use your dictionary, spell check and grammar check. Brush up on your school rules. Have someone proofread your article. And keep writing.

30. Draw Your Text

If you can express your idea in a few pictures, rather than 10 paragraphs of text, use the pictures! What would you rather share on social networks – a picture or a link to text?

Infographics are a great way to get your ideas across.

Modern readers are reluctant to spend a lot of time reading, but they’re quick to register and interpret visual information.

Images are an incredibly efficient way to organize information and make things a little less formal. They’ll also save your readers some precious time – and they’ll thank you for that.

31. Use Your Imagination

Writing that tells a story makes is so much more special than that which is only informative.

Story-telling awakens our imagination and makes your message relatable to the reader. It’s also far more interesting to read. Use words such as “imagine”, “see” and “remember”.

Want to learn more? Check out the Writtent Academy for information and tips on how to write effective and persuasive copy.

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• 5 Factors that Distinguish Great Copywriters
• 10 Things Epic Copywriters Do
• Career Advice for Writers: How to Become a Copywriter
• 5 Things You Need to Know About Copywriting

Karri Stover enjoys helping small business owners and entrepreneurs establish a competitive online presence through the use of valuable content and smart marketing strategies.

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Comment (1)

Karri, I really like your postings, and I feel its a great help for many of us, particularly for those of us who’s English is a second language. I am in the process of having to write for our website, in English, persuasively, and sufficiently different from other similar firms, while telling a compelling story… (sound easy, right?). Well, to complicate things, I to come up with slogans that are analogies (some complex), with accompanying photos to visually support the analogies…, but I actually like it…, just that I would like someone else to take a “final look.” Do you offer that type of services ? Is it affordable for a tiny company? I’d love to hear from you. Thanks, Juan

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40 Strong Persuasive Writing Examples (Essays, Speeches, Ads, and More)

Learn from the experts.

The more we read, the better writers we become. Teaching students to write strong persuasive essays should always start with reading some top-notch models. This round-up of persuasive writing examples includes famous speeches, influential ad campaigns, contemporary reviews of famous books, and more. Use them to inspire your students to write their own essays. (Need persuasive essay topics? Check out our list of interesting persuasive essay ideas here! )

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Persuasive Essay Writing Examples

From the earliest days of print, authors have used persuasive essays to try to sway others to their own point of view. Check out these top persuasive essay writing examples.

Professions for Women by Virginia Woolf

Sample lines: “Outwardly, what is simpler than to write books? Outwardly, what obstacles are there for a woman rather than for a man? Inwardly, I think, the case is very different; she has still many ghosts to fight, many prejudices to overcome. Indeed it will be a long time still, I think, before a woman can sit down to write a book without finding a phantom to be slain, a rock to be dashed against. And if this is so in literature, the freest of all professions for women, how is it in the new professions which you are now for the first time entering?”

The Crisis by Thomas Paine

Sample lines: “These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value.”

Politics and the English Language by George Orwell

Sample lines: “As I have tried to show, modern writing at its worst does not consist in picking out words for the sake of their meaning and inventing images in order to make the meaning clearer. It consists in gumming together long strips of words which have already been set in order by someone else, and making the results presentable by sheer humbug.”

Letter From a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sample lines: “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was ‘well timed’ in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word ‘Wait!’ It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This ‘Wait’ has almost always meant ‘Never.’ We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that ‘justice too long delayed is justice denied.'”

Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

Sample lines: “Even voting for the right is doing nothing for it. It is only expressing to men feebly your desire that it should prevail. A wise man will not leave the right to the mercy of chance, nor wish it to prevail through the power of the majority. There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men.”

Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Roger Ebert

Sample lines: “‘Kindness’ covers all of my political beliefs. No need to spell them out. I believe that if, at the end of it all, according to our abilities, we have done something to make others a little happier, and something to make ourselves a little happier, that is about the best we can do. To make others less happy is a crime.”

The Way to Wealth by Benjamin Franklin

Sample lines: “Methinks I hear some of you say, must a man afford himself no leisure? I will tell thee, my friend, what Poor Richard says, employ thy time well if thou meanest to gain leisure; and, since thou art not sure of a minute, throw not away an hour. Leisure is time for doing something useful; this leisure the diligent man will obtain, but the lazy man never; so that, as Poor Richard says, a life of leisure and a life of laziness are two things.” ADVERTISEMENT

The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Sample lines: “Of course all life is a process of breaking down, but the blows that do the dramatic side of the work—the big sudden blows that come, or seem to come, from outside—the ones you remember and blame things on and, in moments of weakness, tell your friends about, don’t show their effect all at once.”

Open Letter to the Kansas School Board by Bobby Henderson

Sample lines: “I am writing you with much concern after having read of your hearing to decide whether the alternative theory of Intelligent Design should be taught along with the theory of Evolution. … Let us remember that there are multiple theories of Intelligent Design. I and many others around the world are of the strong belief that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. … We feel strongly that the overwhelming scientific evidence pointing towards evolutionary processes is nothing but a coincidence, put in place by Him. It is for this reason that I’m writing you today, to formally request that this alternative theory be taught in your schools, along with the other two theories.”

Open Letter to the United Nations by Niels Bohr

Sample lines: “Humanity will, therefore, be confronted with dangers of unprecedented character unless, in due time, measures can be taken to forestall a disastrous competition in such formidable armaments and to establish an international control of the manufacture and use of the powerful materials.”

Persuasive Speech Writing Examples

Many persuasive speeches are political in nature, often addressing subjects like human rights. Here are some of history’s most well-known persuasive writing examples in the form of speeches.

I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Sample lines: “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Woodrow Wilson’s War Message to Congress, 1917

Sample lines: “There are, it may be, many months of fiery trial and sacrifice ahead of us. It is a fearful thing to lead this great peaceful people into war, into the most terrible and disastrous of all wars, civilization itself seeming to be in the balance. But the right is more precious than peace, and we shall fight for the things which we have always carried nearest our hearts—for democracy, for the right of those who submit to authority to have a voice in their own governments, for the rights and liberties of small nations, for a universal dominion of right by such a concert of free peoples as shall bring peace and safety to all nations and make the world itself at last free.”

Chief Seattle’s 1854 Oration

Sample lines: “I here and now make this condition that we will not be denied the privilege without molestation of visiting at any time the tombs of our ancestors, friends, and children. Every part of this soil is sacred in the estimation of my people. Every hillside, every valley, every plain and grove, has been hallowed by some sad or happy event in days long vanished. Even the rocks, which seem to be dumb and dead as they swelter in the sun along the silent shore, thrill with memories of stirring events connected with the lives of my people, and the very dust upon which you now stand responds more lovingly to their footsteps than yours, because it is rich with the blood of our ancestors, and our bare feet are conscious of the sympathetic touch.”

Women’s Rights Are Human Rights, Hillary Rodham Clinton

Sample lines: “What we are learning around the world is that if women are healthy and educated, their families will flourish. If women are free from violence, their families will flourish. If women have a chance to work and earn as full and equal partners in society, their families will flourish. And when families flourish, communities and nations do as well. … If there is one message that echoes forth from this conference, let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights once and for all.”

I Am Prepared to Die, Nelson Mandela

Sample lines: “Above all, My Lord, we want equal political rights, because without them our disabilities will be permanent. I know this sounds revolutionary to the whites in this country, because the majority of voters will be Africans. This makes the white man fear democracy. But this fear cannot be allowed to stand in the way of the only solution which will guarantee racial harmony and freedom for all. It is not true that the enfranchisement of all will result in racial domination. Political division, based on color, is entirely artificial and, when it disappears, so will the domination of one color group by another. … This then is what the ANC is fighting. Our struggle is a truly national one. It is a struggle of the African people, inspired by our own suffering and our own experience. It is a struggle for the right to live.”

The Struggle for Human Rights by Eleanor Roosevelt

Sample lines: “It is my belief, and I am sure it is also yours, that the struggle for democracy and freedom is a critical struggle, for their preservation is essential to the great objective of the United Nations to maintain international peace and security. Among free men the end cannot justify the means. We know the patterns of totalitarianism—the single political party, the control of schools, press, radio, the arts, the sciences, and the church to support autocratic authority; these are the age-old patterns against which men have struggled for 3,000 years. These are the signs of reaction, retreat, and retrogression. The United Nations must hold fast to the heritage of freedom won by the struggle of its people; it must help us to pass it on to generations to come.”

Freedom From Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi

Sample lines: “Saints, it has been said, are the sinners who go on trying. So free men are the oppressed who go on trying and who in the process make themselves fit to bear the responsibilities and to uphold the disciplines which will maintain a free society. Among the basic freedoms to which men aspire that their lives might be full and uncramped, freedom from fear stands out as both a means and an end. A people who would build a nation in which strong, democratic institutions are firmly established as a guarantee against state-induced power must first learn to liberate their own minds from apathy and fear.”

Harvey Milk’s “The Hope” Speech

Sample lines: “Some people are satisfied. And some people are not. You see there is a major difference—and it remains a vital difference—between a friend and a gay person, a friend in office and a gay person in office. Gay people have been slandered nationwide. We’ve been tarred and we’ve been brushed with the picture of pornography. In Dade County, we were accused of child molestation. It is not enough anymore just to have friends represent us, no matter how good that friend may be.”

The Union and the Strike, Cesar Chavez

Sample lines: “We are showing our unity in our strike. Our strike is stopping the work in the fields; our strike is stopping ships that would carry grapes; our strike is stopping the trucks that would carry the grapes. Our strike will stop every way the grower makes money until we have a union contract that guarantees us a fair share of the money he makes from our work! We are a union and we are strong and we are striking to force the growers to respect our strength!”

Nobel Lecture by Malala Yousafzai

Sample lines: “The world can no longer accept that basic education is enough. Why do leaders accept that for children in developing countries, only basic literacy is sufficient, when their own children do homework in algebra, mathematics, science, and physics? Leaders must seize this opportunity to guarantee a free, quality, primary and secondary education for every child. Some will say this is impractical, or too expensive, or too hard. Or maybe even impossible. But it is time the world thinks bigger.”   

Persuasive Writing Examples in Advertising Campaigns

Ads are prime persuasive writing examples. You can flip open any magazine or watch TV for an hour or two to see sample after sample of persuasive language. Here are some of the most popular ad campaigns of all time, with links to articles explaining why they were so successful.

Nike: Just Do It

The iconic swoosh with the simple tagline has persuaded millions to buy their kicks from Nike and Nike alone. Teamed with pro sports-star endorsements, this campaign is one for the ages. Blinkist offers an opinion on what made it work.

Dove: Real Beauty

Beauty brand Dove changed the game by choosing “real” women to tell their stories instead of models. They used relatable images and language to make connections, and inspired other brands to try the same concept. Learn why Global Brands considers this one a true success story.

Wendy’s: Where’s the Beef?

Today’s kids are too young to remember the cranky old woman demanding to know where the beef was on her fast-food hamburger. But in the 1980s, it was a catchphrase that sold millions of Wendy’s burgers. Learn from Better Marketing how this ad campaign even found its way into the 1984 presidential debate.

De Beers: A Diamond Is Forever

A diamond engagement ring has become a standard these days, but the tradition isn’t as old as you might think. In fact, it was De Beers jewelry company’s 1948 campaign that created the modern engagement ring trend. The Drum has the whole story of this sparkling campaign.

Volkswagen: Think Small

Americans have always loved big cars. So in the 1960s, when Volkswagen wanted to introduce their small cars to a bigger market, they had a problem. The clever “Think Small” campaign gave buyers clever reasons to consider these models, like “If you run out of gas, it’s easy to push.” Learn how advertisers interested American buyers in little cars at Visual Rhetoric.

American Express: Don’t Leave Home Without It

AmEx was once better known for traveler’s checks than credit cards, and the original slogan was “Don’t leave home without them.” A simple word change convinced travelers that American Express was the credit card they needed when they headed out on adventures. Discover more about this persuasive campaign from Medium.

Skittles: Taste the Rainbow

These candy ads are weird and intriguing and probably not for everyone. But they definitely get you thinking, and that often leads to buying. Learn more about why these wacky ads are successful from The Drum.

Maybelline: Maybe She’s Born With It

Smart wordplay made this ad campaign slogan an instant hit. The ads teased, “Maybe she’s born with it. Maybe it’s Maybelline.” (So many literary devices all in one phrase!) Fashionista has more on this beauty campaign.

Coca-Cola: Share a Coke

Seeing their own name on a bottle made teens more likely to want to buy a Coke. What can that teach us about persuasive writing in general? It’s an interesting question to consider. Learn more about the “Share a Coke” campaign from Digital Vidya.

Always: #LikeaGirl

Talk about the power of words! This Always campaign turned the derogatory phrase “like a girl” on its head, and the world embraced it. Storytelling is an important part of persuasive writing, and these ads really do it well. Medium has more on this stereotype-bashing campaign.   

Editorial Persuasive Writing Examples

Newspaper editors or publishers use editorials to share their personal opinions. Noted politicians, experts, or pundits may also offer their opinions on behalf of the editors or publishers. Here are a couple of older well-known editorials, along with a selection from current newspapers.

Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1897)

Sample lines: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.”

What’s the Matter With Kansas? (1896)

Sample lines: “Oh, this IS a state to be proud of! We are a people who can hold up our heads! What we need is not more money, but less capital, fewer white shirts and brains, fewer men with business judgment, and more of those fellows who boast that they are ‘just ordinary clodhoppers, but they know more in a minute about finance than John Sherman,’ we need more men … who hate prosperity, and who think, because a man believes in national honor, he is a tool of Wall Street.”

America Can Have Democracy or Political Violence. Not Both. (The New York Times)

Sample lines: “The nation is not powerless to stop a slide toward deadly chaos. If institutions and individuals do more to make it unacceptable in American public life, organized violence in the service of political objectives can still be pushed to the fringes. When a faction of one of the country’s two main political parties embraces extremism, that makes thwarting it both more difficult and more necessary. A well-functioning democracy demands it.”

The Booster Isn’t Perfect, But Still Can Help Against COVID (The Washington Post)

Sample lines: “The booster shots are still free, readily available and work better than the previous boosters even as the virus evolves. Much still needs to be done to build better vaccines that protect longer and against more variants, including those that might emerge in the future. But it is worth grabbing the booster that exists today, the jab being a small price for any measure that can help keep COVID at bay.”

If We Want Wildlife To Thrive in L.A., We Have To Share Our Neighborhoods With Them (Los Angeles Times)

Sample lines: “If there are no corridors for wildlife movement and if excessive excavation of dirt to build bigger, taller houses erodes the slope of a hillside, then we are slowly destroying wildlife habitat. For those people fretting about what this will do to their property values—isn’t open space, trees, and wildlife an amenity in these communities?”   

Persuasive Review Writing Examples

Book or movie reviews are more great persuasive writing examples. Look for those written by professionals for the strongest arguments and writing styles. Here are reviews of some popular books and movies by well-known critics to use as samples.

The Great Gatsby (The Chicago Tribune, 1925)

Sample lines: “What ails it, fundamentally, is the plain fact that it is simply a story—that Fitzgerald seems to be far more interested in maintaining its suspense than in getting under the skins of its people. It is not that they are false: It is that they are taken too much for granted. Only Gatsby himself genuinely lives and breathes. The rest are mere marionettes—often astonishingly lifelike, but nevertheless not quite alive.”

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (The Washington Post, 1999)

Sample lines: “Obviously, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone should make any modern 11-year-old a very happy reader. The novel moves quickly, packs in everything from a boa constrictor that winks to a melancholy Zen-spouting centaur to an owl postal system, and ends with a scary surprise. Yet it is, essentially, a light-hearted thriller, interrupted by occasional seriousness (the implications of Harry’s miserable childhood, a moral about the power of love).”

Twilight (The Telegraph, 2009)

Sample lines: “No secret, of course, at whom this book is aimed, and no doubt, either, that it has hit its mark. The four Twilight novels are not so much enjoyed, as devoured, by legions of young female fans worldwide. That’s not to say boys can’t enjoy these books; it’s just that the pages of heart-searching dialogue between Edward and Bella may prove too long on chat and too short on action for the average male reader.”

To Kill a Mockingbird (Time, 1960)

Sample lines: “Author Lee, 34, an Alabaman, has written her first novel with all of the tactile brilliance and none of the preciosity generally supposed to be standard swamp-warfare issue for Southern writers. The novel is an account of an awakening to good and evil, and a faint catechistic flavor may have been inevitable. But it is faint indeed; novelist Lee’s prose has an edge that cuts through cant, and she teaches the reader an astonishing number of useful truths about little girls and about Southern life.”

The Diary of Anne Frank (The New York Times, 1952)

Sample lines: “And this quality brings it home to any family in the world today. Just as the Franks lived in momentary fear of the Gestapo’s knock on their hidden door, so every family today lives in fear of the knock of war. Anne’s diary is a great affirmative answer to the life-question of today, for she shows how ordinary people, within this ordeal, consistently hold to the greater human values.”   

What are your favorite persuasive writing examples to use with students? Come share your ideas in the WeAreTeachers HELPLINE group on Facebook .

Plus, the big list of essay topics for high school (120+ ideas) ..

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16 Effective Persuasive Language Techniques

Persuasive language is the language being used when convincing others for something. It can be seen and heard around you every day. You’ll see it in TV commercials, social media, magazines, billboards, and any other medium where advertisement campaigns are placed. While you may think persuasive language is only for the ones who communicate with the public to convince, it is actually helpful to learn it. At one point or another, you may have used it without noticing it, and you may also need to use it in the future. Persuasive language can be employed when you want others to believe your viewpoints and conclusions, accept your facts, and get someone to take a certain action. It can be done verbally, nonverbal, or even written. To make your message easier and more compelling, different techniques can be used. Your audience and your motive become the basis on which technique to use. Scroll down and read to know the commonly used techniques in persuasive language.

Your claim is your main point. It is the gist of your argument. When delivering a persuasive message, state your claim as clearly as possible. This will enable you to get your point across vividly and have your message be understood by your audience correctly. It also ensures that there is only one interpretation thus prevents leading to other interpretations. 

“I’d like you to eat dark chocolates because it is a healthier option compared to other sweet foods.”

2. Repetition

To emphasize your point, and reinforce an argument, you can do repetition. As you keep on repeating words or phrases, it creates a familiarity with your main point or message. This eventually stays in the mind of your audience thus making your message more memorable. To do this, choose the key points that you want to emphasize. Keep on repeating those words throughout your text or speech, however, remember to do it judiciously. If you overdo it, people will think the content of your message is redundant. Do it fluidly by repeating your main point in different ways. You can put it on your details, evidence, examples, and summary.

“You can easily choose from the alternatives that I offered you. Both of them are easy solutions.”

3. Colloquial Language

Using colloquial language is effective when persuading others because it makes your message clearer to them. Since it is common for people to use it, they will understand your point easily. Your audience can identify with you and feel as if you are on the same wavelength as them. Moreover, it sounds more friendly and can make your point appear more practical and realistic. To do this you can use slang when delivering your message. 

“If you follow their demands then you’re a bunch of half-wits.”

“Did you travel abroad just to follow his instructions? What a joke!”

4. Jargon words

While we are often told not to use jargon or complex terminology as much as possible, using them in the persuasive language is effective. This is helpful if your audience is professional or intellectual. Using jargon words and formal language can make you sound knowledgeable thus making your point sound reasonable and rational. 

“Share your advocacy to your clients to guide them to be aware of value-based purchasing.”

5. Emotive appeals

Engaging people’s feelings is another technique used to convince others. Most of the time, emotions become the motivation for why people do things. When people emotionally get in touch with you and are swayed by their emotions, they are more likely to agree with you. Through carefully choosing your words, you can evoke emotion from them. It may invite them to feel sympathy, disgust, guilt, anger, or excitement. To do this use emotive language or euphemism. 

Learn more about emotive language by reading  our article:  How To Communicate Your Emotions Into Words

“In some places across the country, you can see people agonizing from poverty. The locals are living without food nor shelter to live in. That’s why giving something of what we have no matter how small or big it may be would mean a lot to them.”

6. Inclusive language

Inclusive language is a technique where you try to create an impression that you and your audience are on the same side and share the same viewpoint. This is effective in persuasive language because you position your audience to agree with you by showing that you belong in a team, campaign, or project that they can be part of. To employ inclusive language use ‘us’, ‘we’, and ‘our’.

“We are in this together.”

“By doing your part we can mitigate the effect of this virus crisis.”

7. Rhetorical question

Rhetorical questions are questions that are asked but not required to be answered. They are often used to get the audience’s attention, imply certain answers, emphasize a point, or guide audiences to draw certain conclusions. When a rhetorical question is asked, an obvious answer is already posed to a particular issue. You just ask to make the audience think about the same question and realize that your point is rational, and to disagree with it seems foolish.

“Who wouldn’t want to progress to live in comfort?”

“Should we allow this malpractice to continue?”

8. Hyperbole

Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration. It is often used to make a point or emphasize it. Overstating can be effective as your point can be viewed as greater than it actually is and more urgent and important. Using exaggeration can make two things, to communicate value, or make the situation seem worse. By describing an extreme version of events, it creates a dramatic impact. This provokes strong emotional responses from your audience which makes them more likely to accept your viewpoint.  However, when using exaggerations, make sure that it is done appropriately and can be backed up by proof. 

“They are selling the best ice cream in the country.”

“They can do it in one second.”

9. Anecdotal evidence

An anecdote is a short story involving real-life events. It is used to illustrate a point and simplify complex issues. It triggers imagination thus makes your point more vivid and relatable thus keeps your audience engaged. By providing real stories your persuasive message sounds more realistic, credible, and interesting. It is effective especially when backed up by facts.

To know more about storytelling read:  How To Tell A Story In English

“Recently a colleague of mine experienced this dilemma first-hand”

“To give you an example, I’d like to share my experience on this issue.”

Bias is providing only a partial or one side of an issue to influence others. It is commonly used to highlight good reasoning to motives and ignore counter-arguments. To make this effective, state your claim and biases then explain why this one-sidedness helps and makes sense to your audience. 

“Our product is environmentally-friendly thus assures you that it is safe, sustainable and value for money.”

“The newly released phone is the best in the market today.”

11. Expert opinion

Quoting expert’s opinions can help your persuasion message sound more credible. Not only does it add substance but also puts more weight on your argument. When people see that experts agree with you, people are influenced and believe that it would be rational to agree with you. Do this by including quotes that refer to experts who agree with your viewpoint. Make sure that the personalities you will quote are respectable and well-known to make your claim stronger and believable.

“Dr. Murphy’s extensive research on the virus proves that it can be transmitted via… “

12. Facts and statistical evidence

Add weight to your argument by incorporating statistics and facts into your persuasive message. This is effective especially to an analytical audience. Including facts and statistics in your message shows that you researched and investigated your claim. It makes you appear that you know what you are talking about. Your message will be seen as valid since facts and statistics are unquestionable and irrefutable. Make sure that when using statistics it is accurate and taken from reliable sources.

“According to the survey presented by ABC statistics, 90% are… ”

“A recent survey conducted by ABC Statistics found that…”

13. Generalization

Generalization is a statement that suggests that what is true for some is true for the majority. It is often used to simplify an issue, and to prove that your claim is logical because the effect is experienced by many. This is effective if your audience stance is already on the same side as yours, but uncompelling to those that have doubts and proofs to disprove it. If you are going to employ it, use generalizations that tell commonly held beliefs that many accept or support. 

“Teenagers today are more expressive, vocal, and bolder.”

“The locals are skillful and entrepreneurial.”

14. Comparison

Comparison is a technique where you compare two things to present a point. It is another way to simplify complex issues. It can guide your audience to see the connection of things thus will help in making your audience agree with your point. Similes, metaphors, and analogies are often used to illustrate comparisons. 

“The shade of the newly launched lipstick is like red roses.” 

“Our fabric is as soft as cotton.”

A pun uses homophones, homonyms, or rhymes to play with words. The use of words that sound similar is intended to suggest a double meaning. This other meaning often represents a positive or negative connotation that influences the audience’s viewpoint or response on the issue. It is effective because its humor catches the attention and interest of your audience. 

“She is returning the dress she purchased because she is experiencing post-traumatic dress syndrome.”

16. Clichés

A cliché is an overused phrase. Although it is normally discouraged to use cliché, it can be effective when delivering your persuasive messages. Clichés allow you to communicate your viewpoints quickly. Since the expressions you are using are familiar and uncomplicated your audience can easily grasp and understand your point. This enables them to easily accept your idea. 

“We are doing our best to resolve it but we are still uncertain about the outcome. Time can only tell.”

The techniques given above are easy and simple to follow. By employing them, you will deliver a message that is compelling and convincing. Keep in mind that your aim is not to be manipulative. While sharing your message, remember that you have to persuade your audience with something that makes sense and beneficial to them to create a win-win situation. 

Learn the commonly used expression and how to incorporate persuasive language into your conversations. LingualBox offers courses that can help you improve communicating in English effectively. Avail your free trial class today.

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Types of Persuasion: Six Techniques for Winning Arguments

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

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Six major types of persuasion are: ethos, pathos, logos, statistics, deliberation, and refutation.

The ability to use and apply each form of persuasion at the right time can help you to convince others to your side and embrace your perspective. Furthermore, in school debating, knowledge of each type can help you to steelman your perspective in order to convince an objective panel of judges to give you the win.

Note that many of these persuasion techniques might not be useful (or could even be counterproductive) in many situations. Pay close attention to the context of the examples to gather insights into when they might be useful, and when they may not.

Types of Persuasion

1. ethos (ethical appeal).

Ethos, also known as ethical appeal, is a persuasive technique that relies on the credibility and trustworthiness of the speaker or writer to influence their audience.

The concept of ethos is based on the belief that people are more likely to believe and accept ideas from someone they perceive as being reliable, honest, knowledgeable, and competent (Wrobel, 2015).

This means that if you want to persuade someone to take your side or adopt your position on an issue, it’s crucial that you establish yourself as a person with good character (Varpio, 2018).

There are several ways in which you can build and enhance your ethos.

One way is by presenting yourself as an expert in the relevant field or industry. For example, if you’re trying to persuade people to invest in a particular company, highlighting your expertise in finance or business can help bolster your credibility (although, beware, that doing this is engaging in the appeal to authority bias , which is why I prefer the next method).

My preferred method is by demonstrating your integrity and trustworthiness through what you say and the stories you tell. By showing your interlocutor that you’re a reliable source of information who has their best interests at heart, you increase the chances of them being persuaded by your arguments and suggestions.

Example of Ethos

Imagine I’m trying to convince my boss to promote me to a higher position within our company. To do so successfully, I would need to establish my ethos by showcasing that I am worthy, perhaps by demonstrating my work ethic and evidence of my successes. I could provide examples of successful projects I’ve completed in the past and highlight any awards or recognitions I’ve received for my work performance. Additionally, I could ask colleagues for testimonials about my abilities and professionalism . By doing so, I am able to present myself as someone deserving of the promotion based on merit rather than solely through favoritism.

2. Pathos (Emotional Appeal)

Pathos, also known as emotional appeal , is a persuasive technique that evokes strong emotions in the audience to encourage them to take a particular action or adopt a specific point of view (Meyer, 2017).

Pathos aims to sway people’s emotions by appealing to their fears, hopes, values, or desires. A critical reader would be able to tell already that pathos is widely used in advertising and marketing!

This type of persuasion typically uses vivid language and storytelling techniques to create an emotional connection between the speaker and their audience (Ihlen & Heath, 2018).

To be effective, the use of pathos should be appropriate for the context and audience.

For instance, it’s inappropriate to use tragic events or personal losses for mere political gain, as it may harm those affected by such events. Instead of exploiting people’s pain and sadness, pathos should be used responsibly and respectfully.

Example of Pathos

Consider a charity advertisement aimed at persuading viewers to donate money towards fighting poverty in developing countries. The advertisement may show images of impoverished children struggling with hunger and disease while sad music plays in the background. This appeals to the viewer’s emotions by invoking feelings of compassion and empathy for those less fortunate than themselves. The ultimate goal is for viewers to feel more inclined to take action after seeing how they can make a positive impact on someone else’s life through donating.

3. Logos (Logical Appeal)

Logos, also known as logical appeal, is a persuasive technique that relies on the use of reason and logic to influence an audience.

Logos is based on the idea that people are more likely to accept and adopt a particular position or argument if it coheres to rules of logic and doesn’t fall into heuristics or logical fallacies (Dillard & Shen, 2013). In other words, to be effective with logos, it is important to ensure that all claims made are supported by a rational thought-process and/or clear evidence.

This means that the information presented should be accurate and verifiable from credible sources. Additionally, the arguments presented must be logical and coherent with clear connections between each point presented (Baumlin & Meyer, 2018).

Example of Logos

Consider an ad campaign by a toothpaste company claiming that their product prevents cavities better than any other brand. In this case, the company might use data from clinical studies demonstrating how their product significantly reduced the incidence of cavities compared to competitors’ products. This provides objective evidence to support their claim and makes it more believable for consumers who care about having strong teeth without cavities.

4. Statistics (Appeal to Facts)

Statistics, also called statistical evidence or quantitative data , is a persuasive technique that relies on numerical information to support a claim. This method can be used alongside logos to support one another.

Statistics are often used as evidence in order to give credibility and support an argument with hard numbers (Dillard & Shen, 2013).

To use statistics effectively for persuasion, it is important to ensure that the statistics presented are accurate and relevant to the argument being made (Ihlen & Heath, 2018).

Any infographics or visual aids should be easy for the audience to comprehend and include enough context so that there can be no misconceptions about how they were derived.

Example of Statistics

Let’s say you want to persuade your school’s administration team to increase funding for arts programs by showing how popular these programs are with students. You could gather data from surveys showing the percentage of students participating in extracurricular music classes or art clubs at school as well as academic studies highlighting how music education improves cognitive development among teenagers. By presenting this data persuasively, you can help convince your school administrators of the value of these programs not just socially but academically too.

5. Deliberation (Dialectical Reasoning)

Deliberation, also known as dialectical reasoning, involves personal reflection and weighing of options in a critical and logical way. (Meyer, 2017)

This type of persuasion seeks to prompt individuals to reason for themselves, rather than being told what to think or do.

Deliberation involves using the socratic method to present competing ideas or arguments and encourage people to consider different perspectives. You should try to ask questions that lead the audience towards coming up with their own conclusions (Wrobel, 2015).

To use deliberation effectively, one must provide a space for open dialogue and encourage individuals to voice their opinions.

The goal is not necessarily to convince the audience but rather to initiate thoughtful debate on the topic at hand leading everyone involved closer towards arriving at a consensus.

Example of Deliberation

Imagine your school plans on banning certain types of plastic products such as water bottles or straws due to environmental concerns. Instead of simply telling students that they should abide by this regulation without further justification, you choose to host discussion sessions where students and teachers can express their views. This open deliberation can help increase buy-in among motivated parties who formerly may have opposed it otherwise. They will feel like they came to their own perspective, while you facilitated this by presenting new evidence for them. This approach can lead everyone involved closer towards arriving at a shared group consensus.

6. Refutation (Anticpating Counterarguments)

Refutation is a persuasive technique that involves anticipating and addressing counterarguments.

Refutation acknowledges that the audience may have objections or doubts about your argument and allows you to effectively neutralize those concerns before they become an issue. It is an excellent way to steel man your argument (Varpio, 2018).

This can be done by identifying potential objections ahead of time and figuring out how you will address each one, or examining your opponent’s best arguments and breaking them down (Baumlin & Meyer, 2018).

To use refutation effectively, it is crucial to make sure that you accurately understand the disagreement being presented so as not to distort it during rebuttal (what we’d call the strawman approach ).

Refutation helps to ensure the credibility of your response. Additionally, this technique should be used strategically and only when necessary rather than overusing it, which may create a confrontational atmosphere damaging receptiveness towards genuine non-hostile discussion.

Example of Refutation

Imagine you’re trying to persuade your employer to give every employee two weeks off for vacation, but there’s a concern that other employees will protest due to their workload. Instead of ignoring this objection, you might acknowledge the possible disruption while also highlighting potential benefits in improved employee happiness and retention rates resulting from more frequent performance breaks. Ultimately this would allow workers who recharge fully maintaining productivity over extended periods while reducing chances for burnout among stressed-out staff members.

See More: Examples of Counterarguments

Additional Forms of Persuasion

Persuasion can also be dissected into the peripheral route and the central route.

These routes represent a distinction between appeals to direct logical argumentation (central route) and appeals to secondary signals, such as credibility and emotional appeal (peripheral route).

Each are outlined below:

• The peripheral route to persuasion does not directly engage with the strength of the argument or its inherent logic. Instead, it appeals to heuristics that suggest the argument is sound, such as the speaker’s attractiveness, emotional appeals, and appeals to authority. Generally, it leverages a range of cognitive biases to convince disengaged, misinformed, or low-information interlocutors (Baumlin & Meyer, 2018).
• The central route to persuasion goes straight to the logic of an argument, presenting logical and rational perspectives as well as empirical evidence in order to convince a high-information or highly engaged audience. It encourages critical thinking as part of a deep, engaged, debate (Meyer, 2017).

You’ll note that we can place several of the different types of persuasion explored earlier into these two buckets: logos most obviously being placed in the central route bucket, while pathos might be more likely to be taking the peripheral route.

Strong knowledge of (and ability to execute) persuasion techniques can be extremely useful for getting your way, winning debates, and subtly convincing others of your point of view. However, it needs to be applied in contextually-approproate situations to minimize the chances of your methods backfiring.

Baumlin, J. S., & Meyer, C. A. (2018). Positioning ethos in/for the twenty-first century: An introduction to histories of ethos. Humanities , 7 (3), 78. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/h7030078

Dillard, J. P., & Shen, L. (Eds.). (2013). The Sage handbook of persuasion . London: Sage.

Ihlen, O., & Heath, R. L. (Eds.). (2018). The handbook of organizational rhetoric and communication . New York: John Wiley & Sons.

Meyer, M. (2017). What is rhetoric? Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Varpio, L. (2018). Using rhetorical appeals to credibility, logic, and emotions to increase your persuasiveness. Perspectives on medical education, 7 , 207-210. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40037-018-0420-2

Wróbel, S. (2015). Logos, ethos, pathos. Classical rhetoric revisited . Polish Sociological Review, 191 (3), 401-421.

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Green Flags in a Relationship
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Signs you're Burnt Out, Not Lazy
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Toxic Things Parents Say to their Children
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 15 Red Flags Early in a Relationship

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Copyblogger

10 Timeless Persuasive Writing Techniques

Want to use persuasive writing to convince your readers to do something or agree with your point of view?

OK, that was a silly question. Of course you do. You’re learning how to be a copywriter .

We all know how easy it is to get distracted these days, and you want your online business ideas to stand out and reach the audience you’re aiming to serve.

It’d be great if that happened by itself, but smart content entrepreneurs know it takes research, dedication, and skill to make a living online .

What is persuasive writing?

Persuasive writing is generally an exercise in creating a win-win situation. You present a case that others find beneficial to agree with …

You make them an offer they can’t refuse, but not in a manipulative way that violates marketing ethics .

It’s simply a good deal or a position that makes sense to that particular person. To make your job easier, though, there are techniques that you can learn to make your case more compelling.

Why learn persuasive writing?

If you’ve ever wondered why some blogs turn into businesses, and others stay hobbies, it’s likely because the blogger has studied persuasive writing and call to action examples .

Nothing’s more disappointing than having great blog post ideas that no one pays attention to … learning how to write a good blog post that persuades not only attracts people to your content, it also keeps them interested in your message.

More on that in a bit, but now let’s look at persuasive writing examples.

Persuasive writing examples

While this list is in no way a comprehensive persuasive writing tutorial, these 10 strategies are popular … because they work.

1. Repetition

Anyone who’s familiar with psychology will tell you repetition is crucial.

It’s also critical in persuasive writing, since a person can’t agree with you if they don’t truly get what you’re saying.

Of course, there’s good repetition and bad. To stay on the good side, make your point in several different ways, such as:

• A direct statement

You could also use inspirational quotes for writers when they’re appropriate, and restate your point once more in your summary.

2. Reasons why

Always remember the power of the word because .

Psychological studies have shown that people are more likely to comply with a request if you simply give them a reason why … even if that reason makes no sense.

The strategy itself does make sense if you think about it. We don’t like to be told things or asked to take action without a reasonable explanation.

When you need people to be receptive to your way of thinking, always give reasons why.

Want us to scale your traffic?

For the first time, The Copyblogger methodology is now available to a select few clients. We know it works. We’ve been doing it since 2006.

3. Consistency

It’s been called the “hobgoblin of little minds,” but consistency in our thoughts and actions is a valued social trait.

We don’t want to appear inconsistent, since, whether fair or not, that characteristic is associated with instability and flightiness, while consistency is associated with integrity and rational behavior.

Use this in your persuasive writing by getting the reader to agree with something up front in your headline writing and introduction that most people would have a hard time disagreeing with …

Then rigorously make your case, with plenty of supporting evidence, all while relating your ultimate point back to the opening scenario that’s already been accepted.

4. Social proof

Looking for guidance from others as to what to do and what to accept is one of the most powerful psychological forces in our lives.

It can often determine whether or not we take action in many situations.

Obvious examples of social proof can be found in testimonials and outside referrals, and it’s the driving force behind social media.

But you can also casually integrate elements of social proof in your writing and marketing stories , ranging from skillful alignment with outside authorities to blatant name dropping.

5. Comparisons

Metaphors, similes, and analogies are the persuasive writer’s best friends.

When you can relate your scenario to something that the reader already accepts as true, you’re well on your way to convincing someone to see things your way.

But comparisons work in other ways too. Sometimes you can be more persuasive by comparing apples to oranges (to use a tired but effective metaphor).

For example, when you’re learning how to create digital products , you won’t want to compare the price of your online course to the price of a similar one — compare it to the price of a live seminar or your hourly consulting rate.

6. Agitate and solve problems with persuasive writing

This is a persuasion theme that works as an overall approach to making your case.

First, you identify the problem and qualify your audience. Then you agitate the reader’s pain before offering your solution as the answer that will make it all better.

The agitation phase is not about being sadistic. It’s about empathy and writing better content .

You want the reader to know unequivocally that you understand his problem because you’ve dealt with it and/or are experienced at eliminating it.

The credibility of your solution goes way up if you demonstrate that you truly feel the prospect’s pain.

7. Prognosticate

Another persuasion theme involves providing your readers with a glimpse into the future.

If you can convincingly present an extrapolation of current events into likely future outcomes, you may as well have a license to print money.

This entire strategy is built on credibility. If you have no idea what you’re talking about, you’ll end up looking foolish.

But if you can back up your claims with your credentials or your obvious grasp of the subject matter, this is an extremely effective persuasive writing technique that also builds trust in relationships .

8. Unify … selectively

Despite our attempts to be sophisticated, evolved beings, we humans are exclusionary by nature.

Give someone a chance to be a part of a group that they want to be in — whether that be wealthy , or hip, or green, or even contrarian — and they’ll hop on board whatever train you’re driving.

The greatest sales letter ever written uses this technique. Find out what group people want to be in, and offer them an invitation to join while seemingly excluding others.

9. Address objections in persuasive writing

If you’ve ever presented your case and left someone thinking, “Yeah, but …”?

Well, you’ve lost.

This is why direct marketers use long copy — it’s not that they want you to read it all, it’s that they want you to read enough until you buy.

Addressing all of the potential objections of at least the majority of your readers can be tough, but if you really know your subject, the arguments against you should be fairly obvious.

If you think there are no reasonable objections to your position, see what happens if you enable comments on your content.

10. Storyselling

This is really a catch-all technique — you can and should use storyselling in combination with any and all of the previous nine strategies.

But the reason why storyselling works so well lies at the heart of what persuasion really is …

Stories allow people to persuade themselves, and that’s what it’s really all about. You might say that we never convince anyone of anything — we simply help others independently decide that we’re right.

Do everything you can to tell better stories, and you’ll find that you’re a terribly persuasive writer.

Persuasive writing, simplified

What if you could write in a way that automatically engaged your readers? What if your words had the power to persuade?

Many people don’t understand the true power of great copy. I remember when I was starting out with my business … I spent hours crafting blog posts that I thought would be useful and helpful for my desired audience.

But when I hit publish … crickets.

That’s because I didn’t yet understand the differences between content and copy.

Once I learned persuasive writing, a new world opened up to me.

Suddenly …

• My headlines generated clicks
• People subscribed to my newsletter
• Visitors stayed on my website longer

Best of all, I was generating sales and making money

Here’s the secret

Copywriting is not about trickery, manipulation, or even trying to convince people. Great copy is about storytelling, empathy, relatability, and service.

Without great copy, it’s unlikely you will ever be able to grow your online business. It’s that important.

To learn more, sign up below to keep your finger on the pulse of modern content marketing.

Brian Clark

Brian Clark is the founder of Copyblogger, the midlife personal growth newsletter Further, Unemployable, an educational community that provides smart strategies for freelancers and solopreneurs , and Creative Affiliate, affiliate marketing advice for creators .

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Reader Interactions

Reader comments (246).

September 26, 2007 at 6:51 pm

This is flat-out one of the best posts you’ve ever written.

One of the best posts I’ve ever read, for that matter.

This incredibly useful information is immediately being printed out and taped to my wall.

– Mason

September 26, 2007 at 7:06 pm

Yeah, I’m spreading this around to my friends in sales and marketing. Thanks for all the links back to older content, too. I haven’t been reading the site faithfully for very long, so that’s helping me catch up with the gems that have been posted earlier.

September 26, 2007 at 7:28 pm

great tips on writing techniques

September 26, 2007 at 7:35 pm

Wonderful post! I think the storytelling approach is one of the best. Readers of any background or age group can get into a good story and if it’s about how the writer (the normal guy/gal) sticks it to “the man” or “the system”, all the better. If “the man” or “the system” has horribly wronged the writer to some unbelievable degree, that works just as well. Thanks for the great info once again.

September 26, 2007 at 7:37 pm

you’ve done it again.

you repeated yourself, and at the same time sent us off to get some of your previously written top content.

thanks for repeating yourself 🙂 and nice list.

September 26, 2007 at 8:42 pm

Regarding consistency, when I read this post I couldn’t help remembering with a smile the characters in the movie Next Stop Wonderland . They reminded us that what Emerson actually said was that only “foolish” consistencies are the hobgoblins of little minds. The kinds of consistencies you describe are the good and useful kind.

Thanks for a great list. Very practical and, like the others, I’ll be taping it to the wall

September 26, 2007 at 8:47 pm

They reminded us that what Emerson actually said was that only “foolish” consistencies are the hobgoblins of little minds.

Ahhh… it’s moments like this when I regain my faith in humanity. Very smart recollection, David.

September 26, 2007 at 11:21 pm

This is fantastic! It’s going to really help me with the sales letter I’m working on.

Thanks, Brian!

September 26, 2007 at 11:54 pm

I’m gonna have to agree with the tribe, this is one of the finer posts of all time.

The comparison portion was worth the cost of admission all by itself.

Great info, great intra-links, great all around.

September 27, 2007 at 5:34 am

This amazing post is just the thing I need to compliment the amazing book The Writer Behind the Words . Absolutely a pleasure to come upon your site.

September 27, 2007 at 8:31 am

Like everyone said above, great post. I never stop learning from this site.

September 27, 2007 at 8:48 am

Many of these persuasive strategies are used in the development of white papers (although perhaps with different names like trends rather that social proof).

As usual you show your grasp of persuasion with elegance.

September 27, 2007 at 10:39 am

This post is like the cliff-notes of marketing! You just cost the gurus a lot of book sales, cd sales, membership and conference fees 🙂 All you need to know is right here.

September 27, 2007 at 10:51 am

The storytelling piece is the most important, as it will make someone more interested in reading.

September 27, 2007 at 10:52 am

Don’t forget about the power of writing lists in persuasive writing. In fact your post is in list form!

Nice run through.

September 27, 2007 at 11:03 am

I’m a big believer in the rule of threes. Typically, people believe something if they hear if from three different sources. Keep that in mind when attempting to write persuasively and it will give you an advantage.

September 14, 2011 at 4:49 pm

Nice. I like that theory. I’ll have to test it out.

September 27, 2007 at 11:10 am

Excellent post. Every time I read your posts I learn something new. Thanks.

September 27, 2007 at 11:12 am

I forget to really tie the reader back in during the ending. Thank you for the most crucial and important reminder.

You are like a waterfall of constant inspiration. thanks

What about odd numbers? Why did you use 10? I thought that was “bad”.

September 27, 2007 at 1:16 pm

Fantastic post. I have recently discovered this site and am now an avid reader.

September 27, 2007 at 2:24 pm

Thank you for the great website – a true resource, and one many people clearly enjoy.

September 27, 2007 at 3:59 pm

Great post. Like you said, these are things we already know, but it’s always good to be reminded.

Your point on consistency is supported by the fact we elected an idiot to be President, twice, because the masses assumed his consistent message meant that the man had integrity and was rational.

September 27, 2007 at 7:39 pm

i totally disagree with you, so this techniques didn’t really work…

just kidding… 🙂 it’s a great post!

September 27, 2007 at 10:50 pm

Very comprehensive plan to persuade – I would say you have succeeded in persuading me to use these techniques to persuade others 🙂

September 28, 2007 at 8:07 am

Very good reminders. It’s so easy to be caught up in my 4 little walls syndrome.

September 28, 2007 at 11:44 am

“Don’t compare the price of your home study course to the price of a similar course—compare it to the price of a live seminar or your hourly consulting rate.”

In some cases, you can also compare it to the cost of NOT buying the home study course (or whatever your product is).

September 28, 2007 at 11:38 pm

Brian, this is one of the best articles I have come across on the topic of Copywriting. I like your site and am definitely going to read the previous stuff.. Peace

September 29, 2007 at 2:30 am

Read, printed and cherished! Great article. Thanks

September 30, 2007 at 10:33 am

Excellent post! We have learned to use these techniques over the years, but to have them all tied together is a precious gift. Thanks!

October 1, 2007 at 9:00 pm

You forgot one… show pictures.

If reading is slower in on your computer, the adequate imagery is even more critical.

Your post is right though.

October 2, 2007 at 9:04 am

This is exceptional advice.

I think the only way it could be improved on is to use more of the techniques you recommend in the post.

October 4, 2007 at 10:59 am

It’s a great list, but why do you seem to never have numbers beside your Top X lists? I don’t know about others, but its nice to know which number I’m on so that I know how many I have left to read.

October 7, 2007 at 4:44 pm

Hello Brian, what you are telling here is really intresting, do you know where this is coming from? 😉 It is NLP (the other side of that self-healing stuff). Things like the use of negation (your unconsciousness does not recognise it) and storytelling (hypnosis, works also on single&flirt-websites^^), the use of “but” (it changes the meaning of the sentence before) a.s.o. All that is really interesting and it can be dangerous, but if you really have to persuade people, this stuff works – it is the dark side of the force. I’ve tried about a year in my main job and everyday conversations and I’ve been frighten about myself. Please excuse my english, I just can read it good 😉

October 8, 2007 at 3:53 am

Wonderful post! I think the storytelling approach is one of the best. and i know how to promote my site: http://www.healths-fitness.com

October 9, 2007 at 2:26 pm

this would really boost my english essays… you’ve done a good deed to the nation or perhaps … the world ! 😛

October 10, 2007 at 7:58 am

Having re-read it since it was first published, I noticed I still have learned something new. An awesome article. Thanks.

October 11, 2007 at 2:28 am

You forgot one… show pictures.

October 12, 2007 at 12:35 am

Then you agitate the reader’s pain before offering your solution as the answer that will make it all better. This sounds very much like Churchill. “Social proof”, anyone?

Anyway, thanks for the tips!

October 23, 2007 at 4:25 am

This is a good site but i suggest that this website needs a catergory of some samples of persuasive writing so it gives students the potential for them to understand persuasive writing and give them the oppotunity to express what persuasive writing they have in mind.

so yeah this is my suggestion of this website thank-you to allthe people who are reading my comment.

Mahonri.Manaia

October 24, 2007 at 12:13 pm

This I’ve been meaning to grasp! Thanks for the wonderful tips.

October 30, 2007 at 8:34 am

Definitely, this is the best write-up on Copy Writing I ever read in years.

October 30, 2007 at 2:38 pm

Definitely a great read, jam packed with content!! Thank you for allowing me, as well as my readers, the opportunity to your knowledge!!

November 1, 2007 at 3:30 am

nice post , thank you !

November 9, 2007 at 12:46 pm

Fantastic article!

This has really helped me out a ton. Thanks again for all the hard work.

November 27, 2007 at 10:10 pm

What writer, would be so kind, as to assist those who compete with him? Apparently, you have such grace of character, that you are able to resist the vanity inherent in writing. Thank you, for your surprisingly objective insights, and unexpected compassions.

November 28, 2007 at 5:39 pm

I’m a student, and this article here has been a big help in my persuasive letter writing. Thank you so much. ; )

December 15, 2007 at 6:07 pm

Thanks Brian, this post has helped clear up a few questions I was having about converting my traffic to registrations.

December 24, 2007 at 5:45 am

Great to read on your articles, inspire & thanks a lot,

Merry Christmas & Happy New year

Tracy Ho wisdomgettingloaded

December 29, 2007 at 12:25 pm

Thanks for the wonderful tips.

February 8, 2008 at 9:15 pm

thanks 4 all the tips

March 11, 2008 at 5:08 am

ingenious truly..

March 13, 2008 at 12:32 pm

This was really helpfull with my english coursework, thanks.

April 26, 2008 at 12:31 am

This is really a great posts and I really learn a lot from the techniques shared here about persuasive writing. I would use these techniques to attract readers to my site.

May 17, 2008 at 1:30 pm

Nice post. There are even more you left out. Can you reference the psychological study you found which shows that telling people the reason why increases compliance? That doesn’t ring true for me. Personally, if someone tells me the “reason why” and it “makes no sense,” then I’m even less likely to comply, and it strengthens my resolve to keep not complying. Even with kids, I some point you have to give up giving reasons and say, “Because I said so.”

May 17, 2008 at 1:35 pm

Martin, there’s a link for you to follow at “makes no sense” that provides the source of the study and the actual results.

May 31, 2008 at 3:17 pm

I am applauding you on this end in the most worshipful manner I can muster.

June 6, 2008 at 4:47 am

I found this post and I thought to my self, wow, this is the best resume that a journalist could ever had on how doing his job. My profession? Guess what?

June 17, 2008 at 4:20 am

Some very good tips there, definitely will incorporate some of the points made here in to my own life.

June 17, 2008 at 3:48 pm

These tips seriously have to be the Ten Commandments of Persuasive Writing. I can definatly score a 6 on my Eng 12 speach w/ these techniques. Thks ;D

July 1, 2008 at 3:47 pm

What an excellent article? Does anyone know of any other resources on persuasive writing?

July 8, 2008 at 3:58 pm

Absolutely wonderful article. I will refer to it often and pass it on. Keep up the great work.

July 15, 2008 at 3:46 pm

Brilliant article. Bookmarked for the future!

August 6, 2008 at 11:05 pm

Wow! What a great post! You have written something which one can write if he is knowledgeable enough. Keep up the good work.

August 16, 2008 at 10:39 am

Getting all the objections can be hard especially if you are attached to the product yourself. I find it’s good if you ask people directly “Why wouldn’t you buy this?” and to ask myself that question too.

August 18, 2008 at 4:18 pm

nice list thanks good work

November 7, 2008 at 12:09 pm

This is fantastic! It’s going to really help me with the sales letter I’m working on. Thanks, Brian!

December 6, 2008 at 5:38 pm

I find too much repetition annoying. Some of these sales messages go on for pages until your eyes glaze over. Better than sleeping pills for insomniacs!

January 3, 2009 at 3:09 am

We all want more success, don’t we?

We all want to be respected and stay ethical, right?

Well that’s what real persuasive copywriting is all about.

Reaching out to the clients needs and showing them how our product will meet or benefit those needs, without disrespecting them or powerselling them.

Good copywriting is the essence of success when you are selling something and I found these tips definately helpful.

January 14, 2009 at 2:17 am

Hi! thanks for such a nice post, its very informative but the best thing i found in it and story telling and i believe in word of mouth marketing as it results best in the long run….any way keep it up….cheers!!!

February 16, 2009 at 12:10 am

I liked the Tribal thing. The people living in the western United states only 250 years ago were all totally tribal.

I didn’t understand that “because” is such a powerful word but I will try using it more just because. Rick

May 10, 2009 at 6:44 am

I’m gonna have to agree with the tribe, this is one of the finer posts of all time

August 11, 2009 at 11:51 am

I am starting to blogging and as a newbie I have to learn to write articles. This postng is giving much help.

September 5, 2009 at 6:22 pm

Having re-read it since it was first published, I noticed I still have learned something new. An awesome article. Really hanks.

September 16, 2009 at 11:13 pm

This is a great article. It would have been extremely beneficial if I knew all this information before I got started myself.

September 23, 2009 at 1:53 pm

October 2, 2009 at 11:01 pm

October 15, 2009 at 4:09 pm

A story tied in with other persuasive techniques results in the ultimate writing.

A personal story can show your experience and results – social proof. Your experience also acts as a prognosis for the reader’s future: if I could do it, so can you, and here’s how.

If your story is an amplified version of yourself, you go tribal and become super-relatable to those similar to you.

Add to the mix agitating and solving their problem while addressing any objections they have, and your writing becomes insanely persuasive.

Great tips Brian, they’re indeed timeless and will be used in whatever form writing evolves to next after blogging, Oleg

October 27, 2009 at 9:34 am

Prognosticate is my new favorite word for the day:)

November 25, 2009 at 4:19 pm

Great strategies for persuading. Thanks for this list and discussion. Each of these is a rhetorical strategy, with a fancy greek name, applied to persuasion. When combined with common strategies for impact, they are even more effective: http://preciseedit.wordpress.com/2009/04/06/guns-bullets-and-bang-combining-impact-strategies-in-writing/

November 25, 2009 at 4:21 pm

This is great. This will come in handy for our presentations as well.

November 25, 2009 at 6:16 pm

Great article! This should be required reading for all salespeople, marketing executives and small business owners.

November 28, 2009 at 11:48 pm

I got to agree this is one the best posts I have seen since I found copyblogger. It really strikes at the heart of what we all are trying to do “influence the reader to a point of action” very well done.

December 24, 2009 at 3:26 am

January 30, 2010 at 9:14 am

Thanks for the great article! Prognosticate – I think this one is definitely the most effective way of persuasion. I like your analogy – like having a license to print money!

February 10, 2010 at 10:50 pm

wow thanks so much for this!! really helped me with my english assignment!! they’re seriously good tips! thanks a million, maybe now I will pass college!

February 24, 2010 at 10:03 am

Bingo! Your insight is spot on & inspires to write with a purpose, which sometimes gets lost in the assignment or deadline to produce a well written, persuasive piece. Thank you copyblogger again (and again) for providing valuable and motivational copy for all writers!

March 1, 2010 at 11:00 am

Tremendous food for thought here. Using just a few of these tips will greatly improve my posts.

April 6, 2010 at 10:43 am

Oh! this is really like a God`s gift for novice students like me. really thank you Brian!

April 8, 2010 at 4:16 am

Nice post, thanks. The idea of storytelling (your last point) is a really important one.

Lots of people make sense of the world through political or religious narratives. And in their personal lives, people love casting themselves as the hero, villain or love interest depending on their circumstances. Just listen to people talking on their cell phones next time you’re out in town!

So stories are potentially very powerful tools for copywriters. If you can deliver you copy messages through a well-written story, you can make strong emotional connections with your readers. And that’s got to be a good thing. . .

May 24, 2010 at 5:33 pm

Great article, love it! Well written and concise.

June 3, 2010 at 5:43 am

Thank you so much for your help! This should really improve my GCSE English grade.

June 11, 2010 at 8:01 am

Found the article on Ten Timeless Persuasive writing techniques to be very good. Even though I’m a professional copywriter, I think the tips will help me write with even more persuasive impact.

June 24, 2010 at 2:54 am

I appreciate your ideas so much. I’m a content writer and writing content for 5 years. I used to take 1 hrs for write a article but now your technique would be more useful for me.

July 23, 2010 at 8:26 am

thanks for sharing this info. this is good article.

July 29, 2010 at 12:11 pm

gold for a copywriter/blogger

August 5, 2010 at 10:30 am

Quite a lucid and useful presentation. It saves the time of wading through Aristotle’s Rhetoric. Thanks.

August 5, 2010 at 10:33 am

I’m a content writer and writing content for 5 year

August 18, 2010 at 1:17 pm

Great post, will adopt them to my list of blogging strategies!

September 4, 2010 at 1:38 pm

Thank you for these tips. I will surely review this the next time I write.

September 19, 2010 at 8:52 pm

There is a Russian proverb: repetition is the mother of learning. Repetition you describe brings best results, the way it is intended.

September 23, 2010 at 10:11 pm

Having accumulated dozens of books and guides on the art (and science) of Copywriting – it’s always to go back to the basics – to the most important rules for writing a compelling and persuasive copy.

Great refresher!

September 24, 2010 at 12:01 am

I also know one of the best Japanese proverb: ” No One Ca Do this, so I am Sure I will DO this” well with this attitude thay made country very good in very recent time. nice article

September 28, 2010 at 3:22 am

Well, what can I say? This got me thinking. HARD. I think I read it like three times! Great, great article Brian! Thanks for reminding us what really matters.

October 29, 2010 at 2:07 pm

This was great! You’re right, there are sooooo many ways to be persuasive. One thing that I do (when it fits) is to take a subject or idea that I’m attempting to share and dramatize it. Exaggerate it. It helps to get a point across. For example, a friend of mine just wrote a great radio ad for a business that wanted to let everyone know of ALL their many services. Which is no easy feat if you’re trying to stay away from being boring. So, he wrote an ad for the business as if you were ordering their services at a drive-thru fast food joint. This particular concept also would fit into your “Comparison” tip.

November 11, 2010 at 8:57 am

This very helpful. Thanks a lot!

January 8, 2011 at 3:08 pm

wow, that really helped!! I’m in the eighth grade, and the writing test in a month or two is really important to pass. My ELA teacher has only taught us a few persuasive writing techniques, and I’m so glad to find more ways to persuade than just the few (maybe like, four) ways she has told us about. Wow, I feel a bit more confident about (probably) getting a persuasive topic for the writing test!

January 25, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Brian, i’m a freelance writer who would love to pull a quote from this blog and post it on my website in a tips section. what’s the protocol for doing so? thanks, Karen

February 18, 2011 at 1:04 am

Great methods! Have looked at some of these techniques on my website about persusasive techniques.

February 25, 2011 at 2:24 pm

Another persuasive technique to use is Scarcity – letting the reader think there is a limited availability of something.

It is used by Amazon a lot where they display things like – ‘only 5 copies of your DVD left’. Scarcity acts as a call to action prompting the reader to put more value in the product/ebook/service you provide.

This concept also works by showing a scarcity of time (‘only available today’) on sales sites.

It can work on information sites too when showing access to information may be hard to get at (e.g. membership only data, mailing list only special webcasts/information/etc).

Super post BTW

April 11, 2011 at 10:07 am

Combining the scarcity with exclusivity can be a killer plan. People want to know that they have the chance to be part of something that no one else is, and they love the idea that it is only for a limited time – stroking the ego!

September 14, 2011 at 4:48 pm

I agree with Mason Hipp that this is one of the best posts I’ve read here (interesting considering it was on the topic of persuasion). You convinced us you know your stuff! And the advice to study past advertising copy that works is EXCELLENT. Amazing how easy it is to overlook the simple things that can make the most difference.

November 14, 2011 at 4:19 am

A proffessional post,highly persuasive and educative.

May 7, 2022 at 1:25 pm

Brian, I knew what’s persuasive writing, only until I read your post. Having finished, I concluded I hadn’t known earlier. It’s a gem of a post. You’ve cited the techniques so clearly, one can keep the list in front for reference while doing a persuasive piece. Thanks. Looking forward to reading more articles from you.

May 10, 2022 at 3:07 pm

Thanks for the great tips! I especially love that you reference storyselling because it is such a critical part, not only of selling, but engaging readers in the first place so you can get them to a place where they’re ready to be sold to.

May 12, 2022 at 5:57 am

A succinct, well-curated list. Will be archiving this as a reference when writing. Thx!

May 12, 2022 at 10:04 am

Great tips! For someone like me who just started blogging, techniques like this will definenlty help me write better articles. Thanks a lot.

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The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language

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THE 108 MOST PERSUASIVE WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE

It’s a long known fact that the secret to persuasive writing isn’t in the adjectives, it’s in the verbs.

Copywriters know power verbs sell and convince.

Internally, we have a list of 108 verbs that we’ve been using for a good decade, and we recently thought we should share it with proper credit to the original author.

We found that although the list is being recirculated (and in many cases claimed as original by several different authors!), the original author is, in fact, nowhere to be found.

So, if anyone knows who wrote this, we’d love to know!

With or without the original author, it’s still a great list…here it is!

According to legendary advertising man, Leo Burnet, “Dull and exaggerated ad copy is due to the excess use of adjectives.”

To prove it, he asked his staff to compare the number of adjectives in 62 ads that failed to the number of adjectives in Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, and other age-old classics.

Here’s what he discovered:

Of the 12,758 words in the 62 failed ads, 24.1% were adjectives.

By direct comparison, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address contains only 35 adjectives out of 268 immortal words – only 13.1% adjective-to-total-word ratio.

Winston Churchill’s famous “Blood, Sweat and Tears” speech rates even lower and has a 12.1% adjective ratio (81 adjectives from 667 words).

Burnett found that similar ratios applied to great works such as The Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Conclusion: Use more verbs, not adjectives.

Verbs increase the pulling-power and believability of ad copy.

That’s why it makes sense to keep this 108-VERB “CHEAT-SHEET” close-by whenever you begin to draft your next space ad, sales letter, Website, or email campaign.

Still unsure how to incorporate these verbs into your marketing campaign? Or, perhaps, you just don’t have the time?

Then consider hiring a team of professional copywriters to do it for you! Talented advertising and marketing writers can take mediocre content and use power verbs to turn it into engaging copy that meets goals and produces results.

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3 thoughts on “ The 108 Most Persuasive Words In The English Language ”

It is remarkable, very amusing piece

Hi there, love your website. I am a teacher and my kids love using your amazing verbs you have provided us with in their writing. Email me and I could send you some drafts of their writing – you’ll be blown away!

Catch up soon 🙂

Thanks, Hope Brown

Hi Hope! We are so happy to hear that our blog has helped you and your students. We would love to see some of their writing!

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Which of these “Power Verbs” do you find most persuasive?

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What Are Persuasive Devices? (Examples and Activities)

Written by Emma (Teach Starter)

Since the introduction of NAPLAN, persuasive writing has taken on a new force in the classroom. Advertisements, letters of persuasion and debates haunt many a teacher’s dreams! With persuasive writing comes new vocabulary and new writing structures. Throw a few persuasive devices into the mix and you give your class the newfound opportunity to voice their opinion in brilliant ways!

So, What Are Persuasive Devices Exactly?

Persuasive devices are the language techniques that, when used strategically and appropriately throughout a piece of writing, work to sway the reader to a particular point of view .

Persuasive devices are used to:

• create a bond between the author and the reader or listener
• reinforce and emphasise the author’s viewpoint
• appeal to the emotions of the reader or listener
• make the author seem knowledgeable, reliable and correct
• make other views seem foolish, dangerous and wrong.

There’s no doubt that these persuasive tools are integral to producing a strong piece of writing. One which convinces others to agree with the writer’s opinion. So, what exactly are these techniques?

Persuasive Writing Techniques and Examples

We have a fantastic set of Persuasive Techniques Posters that explain each of these devices in simple terms. For even more, take a look at the eleven examples below, as well as some fun activities and ideas on how to teach them!

#1 Alliteration

You can’t deny how delightful these devices are when included in your writing!

Alliteration is the repetition of the same or similar kinds of sounds at the beginning of words or in stressed syllables. It can be a little tricky to master at first, but once your students have got their sounds and letters right, the sky’s the limit!

Check out these alliteration activities to give your students some alliteration practice:

[resource:8525][resource:3175550][resource:3195386][resource:3159850]

#2 Rhetorical Questions

Don’t you realise how important persuasive devices are?

Rhetorical questions get your reader thinking! They are used to emphasise a point and do not require an answer.

Ask your students to practise their rhetorical question skills by matching some opinion sentences on different topics with a question. Start the ball rolling with our  Rhetorical Questions Worksheet.

#3 Statistics

80% of teachers in the Teach Starter office say they always include persuasive devices in their writing!

When it comes to including statistics in persuasive writing, there’s a little bit more research involved. Sometimes, students may have to conduct a survey or data collection activity before they have any statistics to work with! For the bigger topics, why not help your students by encouraging them to find information that supports their opinion? This could include providing an infographic, such as our examples below:

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#4 Emotive Language

Think of how proud your students will be when they succeed by using persuasive writing techniques.

Tapping into a reader’s emotions helps to manipulate their opinion by pulling on the heartstrings! Give your students some practice with emotive language and then brainstorm together how to include these words in persuasive sentences.

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#5 Modality

I am absolutely certain your students will love learning about modality!

Modality is used to indicate the degree to which something is certain, possible or improbable. Using high modality words in persuasive writing is a great way to convince your reader that your point of view is the correct one! Our Modality Word Wall with Information  is a great visual reminder to display in the classroom.

#6 Repetition

It is up to us to teach our kids the importance of persuasive techniques. It is up to us to make learning persuasive devices fun. Finally, it is up to us to help them become the best writers they can be.

When important words or phrases are repeated, they are more likely to stick in the reader’s mind!

Read through some persuasive writing examples, such as this  Letter to the Editor (Sugary Snacks Ban) – Worksheet.  Then, have your kids highlight the different techniques they come across, paying attention to how many times important words or phrases are repeated.

‘Facts’ are one of eleven persuasive devices taught to school children.

Similar to statistics, facts are a little trickier. They require students to have a strong understanding of the difference between facts and opinion .

Luckily for you, we have a Distinguishing Between Fact and Opinion resource pack dedicated to helping students learn just that! Click the image below to be taken to all the resources you need:

I believe ‘opinion’ to be the most important of all the persuasive devices!

Unlike facts, sharing opinions seem to be incredibly easy when it comes to school children! Seriously though, we want to encourage our students to have strong opinions (that can be backed up by solid reasoning!). To strengthen their understanding of opinion, try out some of the following resources:

[resource:41725][resource:97765][resource:535866][resource:41709]

#9 Rule of 3

Writing to persuade is challenging, interesting, and above all, fun!

It may seem simple enough to persuade your reader by thinking of three describing terms to accompany your topic! Why not get your students to level up their Rule of 3 describing game by including some out-of-this-world adjectives ?

You can use our  Wheely Wonderful Words – Overused Adjectives   wheel to help your students improve their vocabulary. Brainstorm three terms that help to describe your students’ topic, and then challenge them with finding better and more advanced words that have the same meaning.

#10 Personal Pronouns

We can all band together to make learning persuasive devices fun!

There’s no better way to connect with a reader than by using personal pronouns! Using words such as we, I, you, our, your and us help your readers to feel as though they are part of the conversation and connect with your arguments . We have a  Personal Pronouns Worksheet  to help your students practise combining these with their other persuasive devices.

#11 Exaggeration

If you don’t include persuasive devices in your writing, you may as well not bother writing at all!

Have some fun with our  Persuasive Devices Sorting Activity   and have your students sort out the exaggerated sentences from the rest. Once they’ve got a grasp of what, exactly, an exaggeration is, then they can begin to think of some of their own hilarious examples!

If you’re still not quite sure about these persuasive writing techniques, we have some wonderful resources to help you out! Check out our persuasive writing   bump it up walls to help your students see the progression of how they can improve their writing:

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And if you’re still thirsty for more, you must check out our Persuasive Writing Teaching Resources  or check out Bron’s blog:

  28 Tips (and 10 Books!) for Teaching Persuasive Writing .

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