Source: New York Times Knowledgebase, C. J. Shivers
Once the thesis is written, we need to ask these questions: 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?
Thesis Statement: The media has an obligation to cover the front lines during a war.
If we incorporate reasons into the thesis statement, it will make the statement stronger. The reasons will explain why our position is worth considering.
Reason 1 |
Reason 2 |
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We can get first-person accounts of events rather than hearsay.
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Civilian reporting of soldier’s accounts and stories can be good, but professional journalists are trained to gather and report the news more objectively.
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To be convincing, you need to provide strong reasons or justification to support your position. Each reason should be different and supported with evidence. Reasons get their strength from the evidence that supports them. Effective evidence is relevant because it is clearly related to the issue.
Support for Your Argument |
What It Looks Like |
|
---|---|---|
Statistics |
Facts that are stated in numbers |
219 correspondents were embedded among troops in 2007. |
Examples |
Specific instances that explain points in the essay |
War correspondents may undergo additional training to prepare them for the front lines. |
Observations |
Events or situations that you have witnessed |
Having correspondents in the field with troops seems to ensure accuracy in reporting the news. |
Anecdotes |
Brief stories that illustrate points |
My grandfather says that when he was serving in Vietnam, reporters were as tough as soldiers. |
Quotations |
Direct statements from authorities on the topic |
General Powell said, “Turn your attention to television because you can win the battle or lose the war if you don’t handle the story right.” |
Analogies |
Comparisons that show similarities between otherwise unrelated ideas |
War correspondents are like tailors stitching stories together to form a whole. |
Commonly accepted beliefs |
Ideas that most people share |
Most people recognize that reporting on the front lines is dangerous. |
The Four Questions Strategy will help you figure out the reasons that support your position. The questions won’t necessarily provide the topic of each paragraph, but they will help you organize your ideas and supporting reasons. Read through the following four questions and the sub-questions that result from each one:
Pen and paper, Phil Gyford, Flickr
Now you’re ready to begin organizing the structure of your persuasive essay. Remember that a powerful persuasive essay can change people’s minds, inspire others to take action, and actually make a difference in the world!
Assignment: Pretend that you are writing about this topic for an in-class essay and that you won’t be allowed to do library research.
Teachers should limit the amount of homework they assign to 30 minutes per class.
Start |
Reason |
Example |
---|---|---|
Which One |
Collect information to make an informed choice |
Which twentieth-century president did the most to promote civil rights? |
How |
Understand problems and perspectives, weigh options, and propose solutions |
How should we solve the problem of water pollution in our neighborhood? |
What if |
Use knowledge to propose a hypothesis and consider options |
What if everyone refused to eat meat containing hormones and antibiotics? |
Should |
Make a moral or practical decision based on evidence |
Should we clone humans? |
Why |
Understand and explain relationships to capture the essence of a complicated issue |
Why should plastic bags be banned from retail and grocery stores? |