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Structure,
Sound & Sense:
Essay Writing:
Persuasive Essay
Task 4: Outline
With your thesis
statement and objective in place, it’s time to organize your
ideas—that is, to outline your essay.
1. Put your thesis
statement at the top of a sheet of paper, and then list the
points you intend to use to support your thesis. A strong
essay needs at least three supporting points. Example:
A new, $.01/gallon tax on gasoline will reduce
automobile pollution in the greater metropolitan area.
·
Revenues from the new tax
will go directly to cleaning up automobile pollution near
freeways and major thoroughfares.
·
The hike in gasoline
prices will encourage people to drive less by taking the
bus, carpooling, or walking instead.
·
The hike in gasoline
prices will make new car buyers more likely buy a fuel
efficient car.
2. Read each point in
your list and ask yourself, “Can I support this point with
fact?” In essays, you can draw on personal experience as
well as research to support your points. If you can’t
support a point with the information you already have, do a
little research to find supporting information. If you are
unable to turn up supporting information, take that point
off the list. Tip: If your teacher requires you to hand
in a bibliography with your persuasive essay, take a few
minutes now to determine what information on each source you
need. Jot this information down as you do your research. For
example, does your teacher require you to list your source’s
publisher and where it was published? Knowing exactly what
you need now will save you the hassle of going back to look
it up later.
3. Read through your
points and consider the order in which they appear. Does the
sequence of your points work? Could your essay be stronger
if you presented your points in a different order? If
necessary, rearrange your points.
Task 5: Body
Writing the body of your
essay can be a formidable task, but it doesn’t have to be if
you let the tools you’ve amassed—your thesis statement, your
objective, and your outline—do the heavy lifting for you.
1. With your outline as a
guide, turn each of your points into a paragraph using facts
and personal experiences to support that point.
2. Once you’ve fleshed
out the bones of your essay, go back and connect the
paragraphs into a cohesive narrative. Be sure to use strong
topic sentences as transitions between the paragraphs. Your
goal is to make clear to the reader why you presented the
information in the order you did. Tip: Be sure to cite
any information you borrowed from another author—that is,
any fact or opinion that is not your own.
3. Read through your
essay with a critical eye. Does each topic sentence clearly
summarize the point of the paragraph? Does the sequence of
your paragraphs work?
4. If time permits, take
a break. Put your essay out of sight for a day or two and
forget about it. This way your eye and your perspective will
be fresh when you next review the essay.
Task 6: Final thesis
statement
It’s common to get
sidetracked while writing. Occasionally, you’ll discover
that what you’ve written deviates from your original
premise. This is OK. It’s why your original thesis statement
is called a working thesis statement.
1. Reread the body of
your essay. As you do so, ask yourself: “Did I make my
point?”
2. If the
arguments you’ve made don’t support your working thesis
statement, refine it. You can broaden your thesis statement,
narrow it, or restate it altogether. Just be sure that your
final opinion-based statement is supported by the facts and
arguments in your essay.
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