We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Language Humanities

Advertiser Disclosure

Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.

How We Make Money

We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently from our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Literature

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

By Renee Booker
Updated Feb 28, 2024
Our promise to you
LanguageHumanities is dedicated to creating trustworthy, high-quality content that always prioritizes transparency, integrity, and inclusivity above all else. Our ensure that our content creation and review process includes rigorous fact-checking, evidence-based, and continual updates to ensure accuracy and reliability.

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

Editorial Standards

At DelightedCooking, we are committed to creating content that you can trust. Our editorial process is designed to ensure that every piece of content we publish is accurate, reliable, and informative.

Our team of experienced writers and editors follows a strict set of guidelines to ensure the highest quality content. We conduct thorough research, fact-check all information, and rely on credible sources to back up our claims. Our content is reviewed by subject matter experts to ensure accuracy and clarity.

We believe in transparency and maintain editorial independence from our advertisers. Our team does not receive direct compensation from advertisers, allowing us to create unbiased content that prioritizes your interests.

There are a number of different ways in which an essay may be structured or formatted. Which essay should be used will depend largely on the purpose of the essay. A creative essay, for example, is a way for the writer to express himself or herself or to tell a story. A persuasive essay, on the other hand, is used to convince the reader of the essay to agree with, or adopt, a particular point of view about the subject of the essay. When writing a persuasive essay, logic and reason are used along with facts, statistics, and studies.

A persuasive essay begins by stating what position the writer will take on a given issue. For example, on the issue of capital punishment, the writer could write a persuasive essay in support of, or in opposition to, the use of capital punishment. As a rule, the introduction in a persuasive essay will explain the issue and inform the reader which position the writer intends to take on the issue.

During the body of the essay, the writer needs to both provide the reader with evidence to support his or her position and provide evidence that disproves the opposing point of view. Evidence used to support the writer's point of view should be logical, empirical evidence. Examples of evidence that may be used in a persuasive essay include results of scientific studies or research, established facts, or quotes by well-known and respected experts in the field. A good writer is able to use the logical evidence available to him or her in a way that leaves the reader with no other choice than to confer with the writer.

While providing evidence in support of his or her point of view is important in a persuasive essay, addressing the opposition is advisable as well. When a writer ignores the opposing point of view, it makes it easier to fault the writer's argument. By addressing, and dismissing, the opposing view point, the writer's argument is only stronger. A simple explanation of the prevailing opposing viewpoint with a well thought-out argument against it will increase the force of the writer's argument.

A short conclusion should be included in the essay. The conclusion generally briefly restates the writer's point of view and then summarizes the points he or she has made in favor of that point of view. No new evidence or argument should be introduced in the conclusion.

LanguageHumanities is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
See our Editorial Process Share Feedback

Related Articles

Discussion Comments

By MissDaphne — On Jan 06, 2012

@jennythelib - I've taught that essay! It has made the persuasive essay format the highlight of our year. Parents love it.

I teach the kids that there are basically three ways to deal with a counterargument. First, you can show that it is incorrect. If your parent states that having a cat would be too expensive, you can work out what you think it will really cost. Or you can show that it is poorly reasoned. If a parent thinks that you won't take care of the cat, give examples of how responsible you've been to argue that you'll do what is required. Finally, you can admit that a counterargument is correct, but argue that some other consideration is more important. You could admit that having a cat would be an expense, but argue that the joy it will bring the family will be well worth it.

By jennythelib — On Jan 06, 2012

I heard the most interesting persuasive essay topic from a homeschooling parent I met at the library where I work. I think she had gotten it from a website.

It's called the parent persuasion essay and it's great for middle school in particular. Basically, the audience is the parent and the child is trying to convince the parent of something they should be allowed to do, have, etc. - like a later bedtime or unlimited texting on their cell phone.

It has a couple of advantages. Because the parent is right there, they can provide the counterarguments! And no research is required, which can be nice if research just isn't on your agenda - it allows practicing with arguments and counterarguments without having to cover databases and citations and whatnot.

LanguageHumanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

LanguageHumanities, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.