Download Write a Thesis Statement For an Persuasive Essay

HOW TO
Write a Thesis Statement For an Persuasive Essay
Step 1: Find the FAT in the prompt.
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F is for FORMAT: Is the prompt asking you to write a letter, an editorial, or a speech? If it does not
specify, then the format is a regular, academic essay.
•
A is for Audience: Does the prompt specify the audience? If not, then you are to assume the audience
is your classmates and teachers.
•
T is for Topic: Persuasive essays are asking you to take a side on a specific topic or issue. What is that
issue?
Example:
Prompt 1: Decide whether or not technology is having negative effects on students who are graduating
high school now compared to students who graduated 10 years ago.
•
•
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F: No specified format, so it is a regular, academic essay.
A: No specified audience, so it is my teachers and classmates.
T: Whether or not technology has created negative effects for modern-day students more than students from 10
years ago.
Prompt 2: Write a letter to the editor of your school newspaper with supporting or opposing whether
violence in the media has negative effects on young adults. Support your position with reasons, examples,
facts, and/or other evidence. Convince your readers to take your position seriously.
•
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F: Letter
A: Editor of school newspaper, anyone who reads school newspaper (students, teachers, administration)
T: Whether or not media has negative effects on teenagers.
For the purposes of this “How To” handout,
Prompt 1 will be used in the rest of the examples.
Step 2: Determine the two opposing sides.
Example:
Prompt 1: Decide whether or not technology is having negative effects on students who are graduating
high school now compared to students who graduated 10 years ago.
Side One
Side Two
Technology has negative effects on today’s students.
Technology does not have negative effects on today’s
students.
or
Technology has positive effects on today’s students,
compared to students 10 years ago.
Step 3: Choose the side that you can argue more easily. This may not be the side you particularly
believe in your heart, but it is the side you have the most evidence to use as support.
Step 4: Brainstorm a list of reasons or pieces evidence that will help you prove your side and persuade
others to adopt your point of view.
Example:
Technology’s negative effects on students
•
unable to problem-solve, because accustomed to
getting automatic answers
•
reading skills deteriorated, because more
involved in technology than reading longer works
of literature
•
short attention spans
•
•
vocabulary deteriorate, because of text
messaging
interpersonal communication deteriorated
less patient
•
unable to use resources wisely
•
Step 5: Choose the three ideas that you would be able to write the most about and for which would
have the most evidence. Order them from least important to most important.
YOUR POSITION ON THE TOPIC Reason/
Supporting
Detail 1
Reason/
Supporting
Detail 2
Reason/
Supporting
Detail 3
Example: Technology negatively affects
Technology
ESSAY TOPIC modern-day high school graduates
negatively
Reason/
lack
of
Supporting
reading
Detail 1
skills
deterioration
deteriorati
Reason/ of
interpersonal
onSupporting
of
skills
Reason/ to
inability
Supporting
problem
Detail 3
solve
Detail 2
Step 6: Combine the ideas from your diagram to compose a complete sentence.
Example:
This sentence is your thesis statement.
Technology negatively affects modern-day high school
graduates, because of the lack of reading skills, deterioration
of interpersonal skills, and inability to problem solve.