Persuasive writing, at its most basic function, tries to effect a change in the reader's opinions. While narrative writing has a theme this is much more thesis driven. Writing to persuade is a text intended to "sell" a person or audience on a particular thought or idea. Using words that express an opinion or that reflect facts the author, through a collection of supporting ideas and identifiable reasons, presents a viewpoint that is hopefully joined by the reader. The five steps of the writing process are used when writing a persuasive letter or text. Remember to always review these steps, (pre-writing/brainstorming, writing, revising, proofreading, and editing) with the students prior to writing. This review will help the students’ writing skill development.
Instruct students, as the author, to identify the purpose of the letter and write the text persuasively on a topic they care about. The ability to focus on the purpose identifies the intent of the letter or text. Use the sheets below to try to change the reader's view or personal thoughts on a topic, product, service, or process. The following collection of worksheets will give your students practice with different forms of persuasive work, including opinion essays, problem-solution essays, and more. Each individual set includes definitions, examples, tip sheets, checklists, and writing prompts with different topics, so instructors must be sure to print all of them.
