Essay Types
Help with essays - Types of Essays
The Persuasive Essay
Thesis
The persuasive essay is supposed to persuade the reader to adopt your point of view on an issue. Essentially all essays are persuasive essays. Sometimes you are assigned a controversial topic such as Gun Control for your persuasive essay, but an essay on the meaning of a poem is also a persuasive essay. The only difference is that you will marshall your arguement from the text and from critics instead of from statistical evidence or the words of experts.
In all essays, your thesis is a brief statement of your point of view. Don't jump right in and put it at the front of the essay. Introduce some facts first and gradually build up support for your thesis which comes at the end of a paragraph somewhere near the beginning of the essay.
For an example of how this is seen in an English Essay, see Essay Structure.
Click here to see how I answered some questions about Persuasive Essays
Body
Immediately following your thesis, present more detailed evidence supporting your case. Once you have done that, continue by presenting supporting evidence and contradictory evidence, side by side, if possible, and using the supporting evidence to refute the contradictory evidence. What is wrong with the contradictory evidence? Did the presenters of this argument fail to take into account some aspect of the situation? Did they base their arguments on some fact or evidence which has since been shown to be false?
Conclusion
Having presented overwhelming evidence supporting your argument, your conclusion simply restates the most compelling evidence or makes reference to the sum of your arguments. You can also end with a quote from a supporting authority.
What are markers looking for?
Again, organization is key. Make sure your arguments flow logically. Start with the strongest. Make sure you have seriously considered all opposing arguments. Always make sure your grammar is perfect.