Writing a

Persuasive
or Critical
Essay

Christian Giguère
Languages Department
Collège de Bois-de-Boulogne
 The 5-Paragraph Essay
1. Theme (grabber) Dont:
Introduction: 2. Problem / Question List the arguments
3. THESIS STATEMENT

Argument 1: Topic Sentence + Support + closing sentence

Body:
2 or 3 Argument 2: Topic Sentence + Support + closing sentence
argument
paragraphs Argument 3: Topic Sentence + Support + closing sentence

Restate the thesis – don’t summarize the arguments

Conclusion Find something to symbolize the message:
metaphor/quote/anecdote, etc.
Before you start writing the essay

Read and analyze the QUESTION

Think about the PROBLEM

Try to read a short REFERENCE (a text) that

deals with the same problem

Think about your POSITION and uncover your

PRESUPPOSITIONS

Create a list of rich KEYWORDS that might

come in handy during the writing process
 The Introduction

What is your
position?
Explain the What THESIS are
problem: why is you trying to get
there a the reader to
disagreement? agree with?
Introduce your Present your
main theme with What is the thesis as a short
a “grabber”: grab debate? and intriguing
the reader’s teaser.
attention 
 A Few Do’s and Dont’s
• Don’t make the grabber too long
• Typical intro = half a page double-spaced
• Quickly reveal the debate
• Make the question clear, whether implicitly or
explicitly
• Don’t reveal your entire position
• Don’t use “I think”, “In my opinion”, etc.
• Make sure your thesis is neither too vague,
nor too specific.
 The Argumentative Body
Support:
Closing
example;
Argument paragraph 1: sentence
explanation;
topic sentence
quote; stats,
etc.

Support:
Focus on Argument example; Closing
paragraph 2: topic
justifying your sentence explanation; sentence
thesis quote; stats,
etc.

Option =
Argument Antithesis
paragraph 3 Introduce a Closing
(elective): topic counter- sentence
sentence argument and
end with your
refutation
 The Antithesis
• Submitting your thesis to critical
examination means arguing the other
side of the matter
• Question one of your presuppositions
• Quote an outside, hostile source
• Establish a debate
• Provide a clear retort to the antithetical
argument
 Concluding your Essay
• Reiterate your initial thesis, but express
the main idea in a different way; in a
way which takes into account what
came up in your antithetical paragraph
• Find a figurative or symbolic image that
will stay in the reader’s mind
• Redefine your main CONCEPT
• Tie up any loose ends
• Make your critical position as clear as
possible
 Do Don’t
Have a grabber that helps you set up a Write an overly general and lame
question grabber
Make sure the reader understands Make your intro too long; 5-7
your question, knows what the issue is typewritten lines double-spaced is a
all about. good length
Write a clear and concise thesis Write a thesis in the form of a
statement that piques the reader’s question, one that is too specific, or
interest. that mentions your arguments.
Write an effective topic sentence that Place your topic sentence in the
clarifies the controlling idea in the body middle of a body paragraph.
paragraph

Include 2-3 quotes from a source
Explain how you want the reader to
interpret your quote.
Compose the body paragraph as a
mini-essay in and of itself.
Close the body paragraph with a
closing sentence
Add too many quotes. (Your authorial
voice needs to be manifest).
Think an unexplained quote will
magically be understood by the reader.
Discuss too many ideas in one
paragraph.
End a body paragraph with a quote
 Do
Write a conclusion that highlights the
essay’s main point
Consider the possibility of going back
to an element mentioned in the
introduction
Focus on how you want the reader to
remember about your paper.
Use rich vocabulary
Write concise sentences that get
quickly to the point.
Make sure each sentences has a
subject and a verb.
Don’t
End with a sappy or ridiculous
« ouverture »
Use too many quotes and think they
replace you actually telling the reader
what the point of your essay is exactly.
Overintellectualize your vocabulary
and use a big word when a better
ordinary word serves the same
purpose.
Write run-on sentences or fragments.
 The Problem
• My thesis is a solution to what problem, to
what dilemma ?
• What do people disagree about in relation to
my topic ?
• What, in my chosen topic, do I feel is
Incomplete, False, Unclear, Anachronistic,
Immoral, Unethical, etc. ?
• Where is the source of this problem, where
do I see it expressed ?
– a text or movie, an idea, an argument, a
concept, a practice, a method, etc.
 Presuppositions
• Something you or someone else posits to be
true; you need it to exist, to be accepted in
order to make an argument
• They may be, and usually are, taken for
granted
• They can be:
– Moral: right/wrong according to religious or
spiritual values
– Ethical: right/wrong according to secular values
– Epistemological: true/false according to a theory of
knowledge
– Factual: true/false according to facts
 What is an Argument?
• Arguments are there to justify your position
• They create a connection between your thesis and a
premise
• A premise is a “stable ground”, a principle that is
considered stable, acceptable to rational people
• There are 3 main categories of premises: LOGOS
(logical), ETHOS (ethical) and PATHOS (emotional)
• The main quality of an argument is for it to be convincing
to the reader.
• Show the reader that what you are saying about your
thesis makes sense, that it is grounded on what is either
logical, ethical or true in some fundamental way that
can be demonstrated, even if you can’t explain it with
logic.
Graham’s Hierarchy of Disagreement
 Paragraphing an Argument
• Where to conduct research ? Authoritative Sources
– A specialized, peer-reviewed publication
– A scientific journal, or a popular science publication like Scientific American,
Nature, etc.
– The New-York Times, The Guardian, The Economist, Time, Forbes, The
New-Yorker, Rolling Stone, the Atlantic, Harper’s, Al Jazeera,
Huffingtonpost.com, Alternet, etc.
– Encyclopedias, books, articles from JStore
• Describe your argument in a short, thought-provoking sentence
= the Topic sentence
• The sentences that follow will help support your topical
sentence with:
– Definitions
– Explanations
– Statistics
– Practical examples
– Quotes
 Vocabulary
• Use formal standard English
• Check for spelling, even simple terms like “which”
• Avoid vague terms
• Don’t use French terms
• Be accurate: the right word for the right idea
• Challenge yourself and the reader: be thorough