Once the thesis is written, here are some questions we need to ask: Why do I feel the way I do about the issue? What facts, statistics, examples, quotations, anecdotes, or expert opinions support my view? What reasons will convince my readers that my position is the best one? What evidence can I present to answer their objections?

Let’s return to the topic of morning start times for high schools. So far, most of what I have read says that teenagers need almost 12 hours of sleep a day. It’s almost impossible for teenagers to get that much sleep and lead a normal life. Most teenagers would have to go to bed at 7 p.m. to get anywhere near 12 hours of sleep and get to school on time in the morning. However, if school began between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m., then it would be easier for teenagers to get the recommended amount of sleep. Given this information, I think I know the direction my essay will take. I will try to persuade my audience that high school should start later in the day. This will be my working thesis statement. You’ll notice in the graphic that follows that the next step is to revise thesis statement. The revised thesis is a little different because it tells the reader how I plan to prove my position.

Support your position

To be convincing, you need to provide strong reasons or justification to support your position. Each reason should be unique and supported with evidence. Reasons get their strength from the evidence that supports them. Effective evidence is relevant; it is clearly related to the issue.

Support for Your Argument		What It Looks Like
Statistics	Facts that are stated in numbers	Only 15 of every 20 students are getting more sleep than their parents.
Examples	Specific instances that explain points in the essay	For example, teens who work often get home after midnight.
Observations	Events or situations you have witnessed	Most of my peers fall asleep in their first period class.
Anecdotes	Brief stories that illustrate points	My grandfather says that when he was in school, students went to school later and were better rested.
Quotations	Direct statements from authorities on the topic	Our principal said, “Students in first-period classes tend to score lower on standardized math tests than their peers who take the same classes later in the day.”
Analogies	Comparisons that show similarities between otherwise unrelated ideas	We should be as concerned about disturbing students’ natural sleep patterns as we are about truancy.
Commonly accepted beliefs	Ideas that most people share	People learn better when they’ve had enough sleep.

Four Questions Strategy

The Four Questions Strategy will help you figure out the reasons that will support your position. The questions won’t necessarily provide your paragraph topics, but they will guide how you organize your ideas and support for the essay. Read through the following four questions and the sub-questions that result from each:

1. Define the problem – What is the issue at hand? What is the history of the problem? In this case, the problem is the time that high school starts. This question leads me to ask, “Should high schools begin later in the day?”
2. Get Specific – Now that you have a general idea about the topic, what will be the SPECIFIC FOCUS? To get to this point, you will probably need to brainstorm or free write. What are some reasons you believe that school should begin later in the morning? You might have heard something about your topic that caused you to have an interest in the discussion about school start times. For example, I’m interested because of a program I watched on TV. The program discussed the teenage brain’s need for sleep and the number of teenagers who are sleep deprived in this country. I will use what information I remember from this program and specifically focus my essay on the several questions. Answering these questions will provide reasons to support my position.
• How does lack of sleep affect the development of the teenage brain?
• How much sleep is necessary for teenagers?
• How does the U.S. compare to the high school starting times in other countries?
• Is there evidence that high school students’ grades improve with later starting times?
3. Take a Stand – What is your opinion on the issue or problem? Based on what I know so far, I am going to take this position: “High schools should begin later in the day.”
4. Address Counterarguments – Who disagrees with my thesis and why? You must address the counterargument of those who disagree with your opinion. I will address counterarguments in my essay by answering these questions:
• If high schools start later, will they end later too? Who will watch younger brothers or sisters of high school students if this occurs?
• Will after-school jobs and extra-curricular activities be affected?

Testing Tip: Persuasive Essays can vary in length. Keep in mind that your topic needs to be addressed within the parameters of your testing directions. Sometimes in a testing situation, you won’t be able to do research. Look at the chart above and determine which of the examples of evidence you could use in a situation where research isn’t possible.

Now you’re ready to start organizing the structure of your persuasive essay. Remember that a persuasive essay can be powerful enough to change people’s minds, inspire others to take action, and make a difference in the world!