Persuasive Writing: Purpose

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

The purpose of an argument in persuasive writing is to convince or persuade someone to change their mind about an issue or how they feel about something.

It is not the same thing as arguing with your brother, sister, or even a friend to try to get your way. This type of persuasive writing is used to change someone's mind about something.

For example, you might want to convince your parents to allow you to stay up later at night.

There are five main parts to an argument. Take out a piece of paper and pencil. As you watch the video below, write down the steps to writing an argument.

The five main parts of an argument are:

• purpose
• claim
• counter-claim
• reasoning
• evidence

The purpose is why you are making the argument. It should be similar to your claim.

• What is a claim?

A claim tells what you think is true, not based on your opinion but on your knowledge or research.

• What is a counter-claim?

A counter-claim is the exact opposite of your claim.

Reasons explain your claim. They tell your audience why you are making the claim. They show the claim's importance and need to be provable.

Evidence supports your reasons. It is facts, research, or experiences you have that prove your claim. When you write your argument, you want to make sure you provide evidence that supports your claim.

You also want to ensure you are not arguing both sides. You need to make your stance clear and stick to it. Otherwise, you might confuse your audience about what you are trying to convince them.

When you write your argument, you want to include strong descriptive adjectives and action verbs in your sentences. Use a thesaurus to help you use the best words to be specific and convincing.

For example, instead of saying, “ I need a new cell phone because mine is old.” You could say, “ I need a smartphone because my old phone does not have internet capabilities.”

The better your word choice, the more likely the person is to agree with your argument.

Continue to the Got It? section, where you will practice using strong, specific words.