Ten Commandments of Persuasive Writing

 

·       Thou shalt not announce in the opening paragraph the reasons for supporting a specific stand.

·       Thou shalt catch the reader’s attention with a quote, a startling fact, an interesting image, or a rhetorical question before stating a position.

·       Thou shalt not begin paragraphs with boring, repetitive transition words:  “the first reason,” “the second reason,” “the third reason,” etc.

·       Thou shalt use a variety of transitions between thoughts and ideas – transitions that show other connections – such as “moreover,” “nevertheless,” “not only . . . but also,” or “similarly.”  See Transitions Chart for additional examples.

·       Thou shalt not present a laundry list of reasons with little or no development.

·       Thou shalt critically think through the best reasons for the position taken and thou shalt develop these three or four reasons with examples, anecdotes, details, and explanations.

·       Thou shalt not restrict arguments to dry, formulaic listings of points.

·       Thou shalt express logic, but also emotion, humor, personality, and opinion.  The reader wants to hear the author’s “voice” speaking in the paper.

·       Thou shalt not conclude the essay by repeating whole phrases and sentences used earlier in the paper.

·       Thou shalt end on a positive note, leaving the reader with a strong image or a provocative questequest to consider the bigger implications of a particular stand or to take action on the issue.