ENGLISH 9 Lesson 18: Persuasive Essay & Speech PDF

## Lesson 18: Writing a Persuasive Essay and Speech ### Skills in Focus * **With the conviction that British and American essays are great expressions of ideas and personal points of view, articulate and convince people to act and change for a significantly better knowledge of the world and society...

## Lesson 18: Writing a Persuasive Essay and Speech ### Skills in Focus * **With the conviction that British and American essays are great expressions of ideas and personal points of view, articulate and convince people to act and change for a significantly better knowledge of the world and society** * Write a persuasive essay presenting logical argument * Follow the persuasive writing graphic organizer * Follow the steps in prewriting, writing, postwriting, and presenting the persuasive essay and speech ### Understanding Persuasive Writing Persuasive writing attempts to persuade the reader to accept the writer's opinion. It appears in editorials, speeches, advertisements, and reviews of films, plays, and books. It is also used in writing that offers interpretations of other works. Persuasive writing attempts to change the reader's mind, to make the writer's opinion or interpretation so convincing that the reader agrees with it. In order to accomplish this goal, the persuasive writer must find arguments and language that attract the reader's interest and appeal to his or her reason. An irrational tone can destroy the premise at which writing begins. The main features of persuasive writing are a persuasive purpose and a reasonable convincing tone. The following examples demonstrate the difference between two appropriate and two inappropriate persuasive opinions on which persuasive papers might be based. | Significant opinion: | Nuclear power presents too great a hazard to public safety to be used as a major energy source. | |---|---| | Insignificant Opinion: | I don't like nuclear power. | | Supportable Opinion: | Of all the American Presidents, Abraham Lincoln faced the greatest problems. | | Unsupportable Opinion: | No other President, past or future, can match Lincoln's greatness. | Readers of persuasive writing also look for specific examples, strong evidence, and logical arguments. Clear, relevant information, firm, reasonable language, exact concrete language, and relevant comparisons work to establish credibility and to hold reader's attention. ### Steps in Writing a Persuasive Essay and Speech #### I. Prewriting Traffic, Pollution, Drug Addiction, Garbage, Illegal Logging/Fishing, Floods, Peace, and Order Situation Which of these concerns do you feel strongly about? If you are residing in Metro Manila, you will probably check heavy traffic, pollution, garbage disposal, or peace and order situation. If you are based in the province, you will perhaps point to illegal logging/fishing, or drug addiction. What are the causes and effects of these various concerns? What can be done to minimize or solve these problems? What is your vision of the world without these concerns? To write a persuasive essay and speech, follow these steps. 1. With a small group, brainstorm on your concerns, their causes and effects. Present your findings in a chart similar to the one shown on p. 355. | Concerns | Causes | Effects | |---|---|---| From the chart drawn up by the group, select the concern which you feel most strongly about. 2. Collect information on your concern. Read newspapers and magazines. Learn from TV reports, personal experience and observation, interviews with teachers and authorities, etc. Take down notes of causes and effects. 3. Formulate a vision. Imagine what the world would be like without this concern you have selected. Visualize this better world and make notes of what you see. 4. Plan your essay. Organize your notes into a writing plan like the one that follows: I. Introduction - your concern Its causes Its effects II. Body - what the world will look like if the problem is solved First difference Second difference III. Conclusion Urge audience/readers to share your vision and work toward it. Model: Read the following essay and speech. Observe how it follows the organizational pattern suggested. #### II. Drafting After writing the introduction, try to revise it before going to the body, or write the body first and the introduction later. Use repetition of key words and phrases to help persuade and move readers/listeners to consider your ideas and opinions. #### III. Revising Ask your seatmate for comments on your draft before you revise it. Use repetition as a persuasive device. **Example** Parents must be role models for their children. Parents must teach by example rather than by words. Parents must show their children what is right and what is wrong and teach them what will happen if they make the wrong choice. Parents must teach their children about values — what should be important to them. #### IV. Editing Exchange your revised draft with your seatmate's. Look for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Then, write the final draft. #### V. Presenting Prepare a speech based on your essay. Read your essay paragraph by paragraph and make note cards (3" x 5" index cards) for your speech. You may follow an outline format for this purpose. Highlight significant words and items you want to emphasize in your speech. ### Delivering the Speech Here are some suggestions for oral delivery: 1. Show the audience the importance of your ideas. 2. Be reasonable and logical. 3. Arouse curiosity. 4. Appeal to dominant motive – physical, psychological, social. 5. Stress action/restraint of action.