The purpose of the Persuasive Essay assignment is to choose a topic that has some debatable issue. You will then take a position on that issue and write a 2 full-page Persuasive Essay trying to influence you to accept or agree with your position on this issue.
Due Date: This assignment is due by 11:59 pm Sunday, February 13. Please upload your assignment as a Word file. If you miss the deadline for this assignment, you may submit it late. Please note that written work submitted late will incur a 10% penalty for each week the assignment is late. For example, if you submit this assignment in Week 6, there will be a 10% late penalty. In Week 7 there will be a 20% late penalty. In Week 8 there will be a 30% late penalty. Please note that all assignments must be submitted by the last day of class. No late work will be accepted after March 6.
Here are the details:
1. Read the Lecture Notes in Unit 5 on persuasive writing. Also, especially read Chapter 10.9 in the online text for ideas on how to construct an approach persuasive writing. Here is the link to that chapter:
While all the information in this chapter can be helpful, what is especially helpful is the information under the heading “Writing a Persuasive Essay.”
2. Choose a topic. Your topic will be on some issue of debate where you are able to take a side on that issue. The instructor of your class will let you know if you may write on any topic or if there will be limitations on what you may choose to write on.
3. Unlike the previous two-unit essays, there is no required outline or pattern that you have to use for organizing this essay. However, you will want to plan your organization so your ideas connect and make sense to the reader. You may use either of the patterns from the previous two units. Also, you may look at the different patterns presented in Chapter 10 for ideas. As a bit of advice, the structure is shown in Chapter 10.9 under the heading “Structure of a Persuasive Essay” is a helpful model to look at.
4. Since this essay is more persuasive instead of argumentative, please do not include formal research; however, you should have explanations and support for any positions you offer. These explanations will come from your own experiences and observations as well as your own knowledge on the topic. If you chose to include outside formal research, I will expect the use of outside research to be in proper MLA formatting. We do not fully address MLA and research until we begin the research paper in Week 7. If your week 5 paper contains outside research that is not in proper MLA formatting, points will e deducted.
5. The essay will be at least two full pages long but no more than four pages (unless you have your instructor’s permission to go over 4 pages). You will use the MLA formatting guidelines that you used in the previous essays.