Name: Date:

Essay Rubric
Directions: Your essay will be graded based on this rubric. Consequently, use this rubric as a guide when writing your
essay and check it again before you submit your essay.

Traits 4 3 2 1
Focus & There is one clear, well- There is one clear, There is one topic. The topic and main
Details focused topic. Main well- focused topic. Main ideas are ideas are not clear.
ideas are clear and Main ideas are clear somewhat clear.
are well supported by but are not well
detailed and accurate supported by detailed
information. information.
Organization The introduction is The introduction states The introduction states There is no clear
inviting, states the main the main topic and the main topic. A introduction, structure,
topic, and provides provides an overview conclusion is included. or conclusion.
an overview of the of the paper. A
paper. Information is conclusion is included
relevant and presented and sources are
in a logical order. The relevant.
conclusion is strong
and sources are
appropriate.
Voice The author’s purpose The author’s purpose The author’s purpose The author’s purpose of
of writing is very clear, of writing is somewhat of writing is somewhat writing is unclear.
and there is strong clear, and there is some clear, and there is
evidence of attention evidence of attention evidence of attention
to audience. The to audience. The to audience. The
author’s extensive author’s knowledge author’s knowledge
knowledge and/or and/or experience with and/or experience with
experience with the the topic is/are evident. the topic is/are limited.
topic is/are evident.
Word Choice The author uses vivid The author uses vivid The author uses words The writer uses a
words and phrases. words and phrases. The that communicate limited vocabulary.
The choice and choice and placement clearly, but the writing Jargon or clichés may
placement of words of words is inaccurate lacks variety. be present and detract
seems accurate, at times and/or seems from the meaning.
natural, and not forced. overdone.
Sentence All sentences are well Most sentences are Most sentences are well Sentences sound
Structure, constructed and have well constructed and constructed, but they awkward, are
Grammar, varied structure and have varied structure have a similar structure distractingly repetitive,
length. The author and length. The author and/or length. The or are difficult to
Mechanics, &
makes no errors in makes a few errors in author makes several understand. The author
Spelling
grammar, mechanics, grammar, mechanics, errors in grammar, makes numerous errors
and/or spelling. and/or spelling, but mechanics, and/or in grammar, mechanics,
they do not interfere spelling that interfere and/or spelling
with understanding. with understanding. that interfere with
understanding.
Reviewer’s
Comments
Other Guidelines:
1. The essay must be delivered in the day determined by the teacher during class hour (absent students will send it
digitally by 7 a.m. to wisdomhistory22@hotmail.com).
2. The essay must be written on separate white paper by hand with a pen and a moderate letter size.
3. The portrait must contain student’s name, its grade and the topic of the essay.
4. Essay must contain an introduction, a body (3 paragraphs) and a conclusion; it’s minimum length its 2 pages (excluding
the portrait).
5. The bibliography must contain a minimum of 2 sources APA style.

Persuasive Essay Definition

A persuasive essay, meaning an argumentative essay, is a piece of writing in which the author uses logical reasonings to
validate their stance. It is not different from a lawyer presenting his case to a judge, trying to convince the jury of his
perspective.

In this, a writer chooses one side of an issue and prepares their argument with supporting evidence. The purpose of
persuasive writing is to discuss why the writer’s point of view is correct as opposed to the other viewpoint.

Although commonly used in marketing campaigns, persuasive writing is not limited to this domain. Students are assigned
this type of essay to sharpen their critical thinking skills.

How to Write a Persuasive Essay?

Introduction
The introduction section is the first part of the essay. Here the writer introduces the main topic and argument of the essay.
The introductory paragraph of a persuasive essay has the following element:
Hook
Thesis statement

Body Paragraphs
The body paragraphs of the essay contain all the details that back the main argument. All the reasoning of the writer is
provided in this section which convinces the audience of the thesis statement. According to the traditional outline, the body
paragraphs are divided into three paragraphs.

Each paragraph in the body section of your persuasive essay includes sub-arguments that prove the thesis statement. In
addition, an influential body paragraph is started with a topic sentence that introduces the idea to be discussed.

Topic sentences are written to bind all the paragraphs in the body section and to maintain a logical flow in the content. After
this, all the details and examples are provided to prove the point.

Conclusion
Every paragraph in the body section leads the audience towards the conclusion. Here, the writer closes the whole discussion
by summarizing the major points and restating the thesis statement.

Moreover, the concluding paragraph includes a Call-To-Action that asks readers to adopt certain courses of action to deal
with the problem or issue discussed in the essay. The conclusion of the persuasive essay should be closed with the writer’s
final verdict or an invitation to future research on the topic.

Proofread and Edit

The last thing to do when finishing the writing process is to recheck your essay. This is to make sure that your content is
well written and structured. Revise and proofread your document a couple of times to get rid of all the mistakes and errors.

Persuasive Essay Examples

In order to get a better understanding of how persuasive essays are written, look at the sample carefully.
 Rich Does Not Mean Happy

The discussion on money and happiness has been going on for a long time. There are some who believe
that the more money you have, the happier you are. People are busy indulging in different activities while
trying to be happy. You can buy food, clothing, shelter and other things that people need but these are just
physical things. Money satisfies the physical needs of the person, but people need to understand that
happiness is not physical. It is an inner feeling that a person has.

Those who rely on money will always count on getting more and will never be satisfied with the money
they have. People who possess a lot of money have more things than others who have a moderate amount.

Luxuries and Focusing on Wants instead of Needs

They have access to more resources and can get more luxuries to make them happy. However, the
excitement that comes with the monetary things is only short-lived. After a while, the person becomes
bored and looks for other things. You will find people with more money indulging in dangerous activities
trying to fill the void that they cannot explain. Those with less money will not have the luxuries rich people
have, but they have learned to find happiness in their lives without relying on money.

Most wealthy people waste time focusing on their wants instead of their needs, which should not be the
case. Material things get old fast and after some time, people look for other new things to occupy
themselves with. The more money one has, the more they will want to spend on things that are not
considered valuable.

No Time

There will also be unnecessary competition among other people who try to get more money than those
surrounding them. They end up looking for ways they can make more money and end up losing focus on the
things that truly make them happy. People who are focused on money find themselves working all the time
that they do not have time to do the things they enjoy. Happiness comes in the form of having good health.
You can buy a good medical cover and pay for the best treatment but cannot guarantee good health. If you
are not healthy, you will not get to enjoy life.
The reason is that you will not be healthy enough to do the things you enjoy doing but will be limited.
Those with terminal illnesses can agree that money cannot heal them. They might get better treatment to
make them more comfortable, but the condition remains. Health is more important than money, and it is
better to have good health with no money than have all the money in the world and be sick. People realize
the value of good health, and that is why people are spending a lot of time doing research trying to find the
cure to different illnesses. Money also does not change the way people feel about you.

Money and Relationships

You might be rich but if you have a bad personality people will not want to be associated with you. If you
have a good and warm personality, people will be attracted to you and will not mind spending time with
you. However, if you have a bad personality, people will not want to be around you. You will not have
many friends, and those who will be your friends will most likely be there because of the money you have.

The same applies to love. The money will not make people love you. You cannot buy the feelings the
person has for you. It is not uncommon to find people who are married but do not love each other. They
end up being unhappy since they chose money over love. In relationships, time spent with friends and
family cannot be equated with money. You can use the money to get them gifts, but people appreciate the
time taken to stay and interact with them doing different activities. This gives them a sense of belonging
and appreciation and they treasure the memories.

Money is important as it gives people the ability to cater for their physical needs. However, people should
not rely too much on money as other things bring happiness. Money only brings temporary happiness as it
is only physical while happiness comes from within. Those who focus on money do not have time to spend
with others or do the things for fun. As a result, they might end up getting stressed and frustrated, and this
will take a toll on their health. People should spend time doing things they love and spending time with
individuals who care about them. You can develop hobbies that are fun for you and do them as a form of
relaxation. Having time to relax is good for the body, mind, and spirit and will contribute to good health.
Money is necessary but is not the determinant of happiness. There is more to life than money and the
things it can buy.