7th grade persuasive essay outline

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Persuasive Essay Outline – Examples, Templates & Structure

Amanda Green was born in a small town in the west of Scotland, where everyone knows everyone. I joined the Toastmasters 15 years ago, and I served in nearly every office in the club since then. I love helping others gain confidence and skills they can apply in every day life.

Writing a good persuasive essay can help convince others of a point that means a lot to you. It can be anything from an environmental crisis to something as simple as the importance of ebooks to the modern reader. But how do you write a persuasive essay? Where do you even start? Right here! I’ll explain everything you need to know and even show you an example of a persuasive essay.

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

Persuasive essays are meant to convince someone or a group of people to agree with you on a certain topic or point of view. As the writer, you’ll use definitive evidence, simple reasoning, and even examples to support your argument and persuade them to understand the point of the essay.

Why Write a Persuasive Essay?

Believe it or not, you’ll have to form convincing arguments throughout real life. This could be in the form of college essays or academic essays, speeches for debate club that requires a valid argument, or even presenting an idea for change to your town council.

Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essay

An argumentative essay presents an argument on a specific topic and tries to persuade people to accept that argument as valid. It uses evidence, logic, and sometimes counterarguments to support the main point.

A persuasive essay is similar but presents an argument and focuses more on appealing to the reader’s emotions and values to convince them of your point of view. Think of it as convincing vs. persuading. And, yes, persuasive essays can also use evidence, but they often rely more on personal anecdotes and moral appeals to plead their case.

Let me give you an example. I’m a content writer, but I’m also a published author. If I were going to write an argumentative essay, I’d probably choose a topic like “Do you think authors should self-edit their work?”

But if I were doing a persuasive essay with a similar angle, the topic would look more like “The benefits of self-editing for authors.” Make sense?

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Basically, the main difference between argumentative and persuasive essays is all in the emphasis placed on logic and emotion.

How Many Paragraphs in a Persuasive Essay?

A decent persuasive essay should be around five or six paragraphs with double line spacing, depending on the topic, and can range from 500-2000 words in length. This includes your introduction and conclusion.

Introduction of a Persuasive Essay Example

Our world is facing a crisis, and that crisis is plastic pollution! Every day, a disgusting amount of plastic waste is just dumped into our oceans, killing and harming innocent marine life and ultimately affecting the entire food chain, including us.

Even though there is a clear and present danger that plastic presents, there are still a lot of people and corporations that continue to use single-use plastics with zero regards for their impact on our environment. It’s time for people to really look around and take some responsibility.

We can make a change by learning and using environmentally friendly alternatives in our everyday lives. So, in this essay, I’ll argue that using reusable bags, water bottles, and containers is not only necessary for the health of our precious planet but also a simple and effective way to make a real difference.

A Persuasive Essay Structure

As persuasive essay writers, you can write it however you like, but to follow a traditional persuasive essay structure, use this basic layout to get an effective paper:

• An Introduction: You need a good hook to grab the reader’s attention, a thesis statement presenting the main argument, and a roadmap of the essay, so they know what to expect.
• The Body Paragraphs: 2-3 paragraphs should suffice to provide strong evidence, examples, and any reasoning to support the thesis statement. Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea. 
• The Counterargument: This section acknowledges and refutes the opposing viewpoint, strengthening your argument but still without being as forward as an argumentative essay.
• A Conclusion or Closing Statement: Here is where you would summarize the main points of the essay and a restatement of the thesis, including a call to action for the reader and/or a final thought.

In the end, a persuasive essay usually consists of 5-6 paragraphs and needs to be clear, concise, and logically structured to really persuade the reader on the point.

Tips for Persuasive Writing

• Choose a strong, clear thesis statement that presents your argument well.
• Know your audience and tailor your language and arguments to them. You’ll need a different approach if you’re speaking to a group of teenagers versus a team of adults.
• Use credible and reliable sources to support your argument so no one can second guess your point.
• Expect that people will have counterarguments and prepare a few talking points to address them.
• Use strong pieces of evidence and back them up with facts, statistics, examples, and personal anecdotes. Putting a personal touch on it helps ground the essay and lets people know you’re serious about the topic.
• Use an emotional appeal to engage the reader and make a personal connection to your argument. Basically, tug at their heartstrings and play into their guilt.
• Use clear and concise wordage. Try and avoid confusing technical jargon that might confuse people, and maintain a consistent tone throughout the essay.
• Make sure you’re confident and use an assertive tone but avoid being overly aggressive or confrontational. That will just spark a fight.
• Finish up with a powerful call to action or a final thought that leaves a lasting impact on the reader or listener.
• Use the same font throughout your essay, even for headings and titles. Go with easy-to-read fonts like Calibri, Times New Roman, or Garamond.
• Proofread and edit your essay for clarity, grammar, and style. I cannot stress this one enough. If you’re not confident, use programs like Grammarly to help spot typos and inconsistencies.

Persuasive Essay Topic Ideas

If you’re stuck on some ideas of what to form your essay around, here’s a list of some popular topics to inspire you.

• Importance of recycling and reducing waste in today’s climate.
• The need for stricter gun control laws all over the world.
• A paper on abortion rights in today’s age.
• Benefits of alternative energy sources over fossil fuels and how we can be using them.
• How social media has negative impacts on mental health in kids.
• Key benefits of a vegetarian or vegan diet and how it can help the planet.
• The value of a college education.
• Rise of plastic pollution on the environment and sea life and how it is affecting us.
• Why physical exercise and leading an active lifestyle are important.
• The dangers of texting while driving.
• How our public schools need better funding.
• Benefits of a diverse and inclusive workplace both online and in-person.

Any of these could be used as logical arguments. Still, to make a persuasive argument from either of them, just follow the basic persuasive essay outline examples I’ve given you.

Example of a Persuasive Essay

Introduction.

In today’s age of ever-changing technology, the way we consume and experience books have changed dramatically in just a short time. While physical books were once the only option, ebooks have grown increasingly popular in recent years. In my essay, I’ll argue that, while we all still love paperbacks and hardcovers, ebooks offer so many benefits over physical books, making them the number one choice for most readers today.

Body Paragraph 1: Convenience

Ebooks are convenient; there’s just no denying it. They’re easily accessible through devices like smartphones, tablets, and e-readers, and they allow readers to carry hundreds of books with them at all times. This makes them perfect for traveling or heading to work, or even going to the gym. Readers can now have an entire library with them without the added weight of physical books. Plus, ebooks are easily bought online with just the click of a button, further adding to their convenience.

Body Paragraph 2: Customization

Ebooks offer a level of customization that physical books just can’t match. For one, the font size can be adjusted for easier reading, which is great for those who have eyesight problems. The background color can also be changed from light to dark to reduce eye strain. Personally, as someone who suffers from Meniere’s disease, this is a great feature. All of these options make ebooks a great choice for people with visual impairments, neurological disorders, or reading difficulties.

Body Paragraph 3: Affordability

Ebooks are often far cheaper than physical books, especially when purchased in bulk. You can get an entire series for a fraction of the cost of one paperback. This makes them a more accessible option for budget-conscious readers and people who simply don’t have the disposable funds for books. Also, tons of ebooks are available for free, which is a great option for readers that are looking for ways to save money but keep up with their reading habits.

Body Paragraph 4: Environmentally Friendly

626,000 tons of paper is used to produce all the books we see published every year. That’s a scary number when you consider the rate of deforestation and the state of our world in terms of global warming. We simply can’t afford to move ahead at a rate like that. Ebooks help tackle the issue because they require zero trees to produce.

In conclusion, ebooks offer endless benefits over physical books, including convenience, customization, and affordability. While physical books will always hold a special place in our hearts, you have to admit that the benefits of ebooks just can’t be ignored. For modern, busy, on-the-go readers, ebooks are the preferred choice. It’s time to embrace the digital age and make the switch to ebooks.

Now Write Your Persuasive Essay!

I hope this guide has helped you figure out persuasive essay writing and how to put together powerful arguments. Just stick to the facts and ease the reader into your point with gentle arguments that continue to prove your point. Don’t be afraid to get personal if it can help the essay and convince the reader.

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Persuasive Essay Outline

Persuasive Essay Outline explanation

• Structure of a five paragraph persuasive essay
• Introduction (3-5 sentences)
• Hook: Grab the reader’s attention with a quote, scenario, question, vivid description, etc. Must be related to your topic. (1-2 sentences)
• Thesis statement: Simply and clearly state your position on the issue(1 sentence )
• Three arguments. Choose three arguments you can use to convince your reader of your position. Briefly state these arguments here. (1-3 sentences)
• Paragraph 2 (5-8 sentences)
• Go back to paragraph one and find your first argument. Then write a paragraph about it.
• Use specific examples to support your argument
• Write a transition sentence.
• Paragraph 3 (5-8 sentences)
• Go back to paragraph one and find your second argument. Write a paragraph about it .
• Use specific examples to support your argument. You should authoritative websites to give facts, statistics, supporting quotations, studies, research, etc.
•  Write a transition sentence.
• Paragraph 4 (5-8 sentences)
• Go back to paragraph one and find your third argument. Write a paragraph about it.
• Conclusion (3-5 sentences)
• Summarize—restate your thesis statement and three arguments in different words
• Make a closing statement. Tie your closing statement back to your opening hook.

Outline Persuasive Essay

• Directions: Use the outline form below to organize your persuasive essay. Choose your topic and three arguments to support your opinion. Section I is for your introduction. Section II is for the body (one paragraph for each argument). Section III is for your conclusion. Topic___________________________________________________________________ I. Introduction

 a. Hook _______________________________________________________

b. Thesis statement______________________________________________

c. Argument #1_________________________________________________

d. Argument #2_________________________________________________

e. Argument #3_________________________________________________

II. Body  Paragraph #1

      a. Argument #1_________________________________________________

      b.  Example #1____________________________________________

      c. Example #2____________________________________________

      d. Example #3____________________________________________

      e. Transition_____________________________________________

     Body Paragraph #2

      a. Argument #2 _________________________________________________

      Body Paragraph #3

      a. Argument #3 _________________________________________________

       b.  Example #1____________________________________________

      c. Example #2____________________________________________

III. Conclusion

a. Restate thesis (different words)__________________________________

b. Restate arguments (different words)___ ____________________________

c. Clincher (tie it all together)______________________________________

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Persuasive Essay Guide

Persuasive Essay Outline

Persuasive Essay Outline - A Complete Guide

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Writing a persuasive essay means you need to clearly express your opinion on a topic and convince your readers to agree with you. 

Using strong arguments and appealing to their emotions can help make your message stick. But before you start writing, it's important to have a plan—an outline. Creating an outline helps you organize your thoughts and present them logically, making the writing process much easier. 

Wondering how to start your persuasive essay outline? Keep reading to learn how to make an effective outline, plus see some examples to guide you!

• 1. What is a Persuasive Essay Outline?
• 2. 5 Steps to Create a Persuasive Essay Outline  
• 3. Persuasive Essay Outline Template
• 4. Persuasive Essay Outline Format
• 5. Persuasive Essay Outline Examples

What is a Persuasive Essay Outline?

When writing a persuasive essay an outline serves as a blueprint for your entire essay. It helps make sure your essay is well-organized, makes sense, and is convincing. 

The main purpose of a persuasive essay is to get the reader to agree with your point of view. An outline helps you do this by organizing your thoughts, ideas, and evidence in a clear way, making it easier for your readers to understand your argument.

The main goals of a persuasive essay outline are:

• To organize your thoughts, arguments, and evidence about a topic.
• To divide your word count, paragraphs, and sections properly.
• To ensure your arguments flow logically.

5 Steps to Create a Persuasive Essay Outline  

Here's a detailed step-by-step guide to help you outline your persuasive essay:

Step 1: Choose Your Topic and Stance

Start by picking a topic that you care about and have strong feelings about. Think about what you want to convince your readers of and why it matters to you. Decide exactly where you stand on the issue. 

• Are you for it or against it? 
• What is the main point you want to make? 

Be clear about your position, as this will guide your entire essay. Taking the time to choose a topic you are passionate about will make it easier to write and more convincing for your readers. If you need some fresh ideas, check out our ' persuasive essay topics ' blog for inspiration.

Step 2: Outline the Introduction

Your introduction sets the stage for your essay. It should grab the reader's attention and give them a preview of what your essay will be about.

• Hook: Start with an engaging essay hook sentence to draw your readers in. This could be a quote, a question, a surprising fact, or a short story. The goal is to make your readers interested right from the start.
• Background Information: Give some context so your readers understand the issue. Explain why the topic is important and what the main issues are. This helps your readers see why they should care about your argument.
• Thesis Statement: Clearly state your main argument or position. This is the central point you will be making in your essay. Your thesis statement should be specific and direct, letting your readers know exactly what you will be arguing for.

Putting it all together, your introduction outline might look like this:

Step 3: Plan the Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay will contain the main arguments and evidence supporting your thesis. Each paragraph should focus on one key point.

• Topic Sentence: Begin each paragraph with a sentence that states the main point of the paragraph. Your topic sentence should relate directly to your thesis.
• Evidence: Present facts, statistics, quotes, examples, or anecdotes that support your point. Make sure your evidence is credible and relevant.
• Explanation: Explain how the evidence supports your argument. This is where you connect the dots for your readers.
• Counterarguments: Address potential counterarguments to show that you have considered other perspectives. Refute these counterarguments to strengthen your own position.
• Transition: End each paragraph with a sentence that smoothly transitions to the next point. The transition words and phrases help maintain the flow of your essay.

Here is a complete example of a body paragraph outline:

Step 4: Develop the Conclusion

Your conclusion wraps up your essay and reinforces your main argument.

• Restate Thesis : Begin by restating your thesis in a slightly different way to remind readers of your main argument.
• Summarize Key Points : Briefly summarize the main points you made in the body paragraphs.
• Call to Action : End with a strong closing statement that encourages readers to take action or further consider your argument. This could be a suggestion, a prediction, or a call for change.

Here is how your persuasive essay conclusion outline will look like:

Step 5: Review and Refine

After outlining your essay, review your outline to ensure it logically flows and effectively supports your argument.

• Check Structure: Make sure each section of your outline is clearly defined and that your points follow a logical order.
• Ensure Clarity: Verify that your thesis and main points are clear and concise.
• Revise as Needed: Make any necessary adjustments to improve the clarity and effectiveness of your outline.

Watch the video below to get some tips on making outlines:

Persuasive Essay Outline Template

Here is a persuasive outline template that will help you make your essay outline. Simply fill in the blanks after identifying your main arguments and evidence.

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Persuasive Essay Outline Format

The standard format follows a five-paragraph essay structure, each paragraph plays a specific role within the essay. However, the number of paragraphs can vary according to the chosen topic.

Let's break down the structure of a persuasive essay outline:

Introduction (One-Paragraph - 7-8 Sentences) 

• Hook - A famous quotation, question, fact, or insight in 1-2 sentences 
• Background Information about the Topic
• Thesis Statement - A strong argument in 1 sentence

Body Paragraphs (3 Paragraphs At least)

• Topic Sentence - First sentence of a paragraph that presents the main point or argument of that paragraph.
• Supporting Evidence - This can include statistics, facts, examples, anecdotes, or quotations from experts.
• Analysis/Discussion - Explaining the evidence mentioned and its relevance to the overall argument.
• Transitions - They connect a paragraph with the next paragraph to ensure a sense of flow.

Conclusion (7-8 sentences)

• Restating the Thesis - This reminds your readers of your main argument and reinforces its importance.
• Summarizing Key Points - This helps tie everything together and reinforces your argument's strength.
• Call to Action or Final Thought - Concluding sentence that aims to leave a lasting impression on your readers. 

Moreover, ensure correct page formatting to ensure the readability and helpfulness of your outline. Here are some recommendations:

• Font Style:                 Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial
• Font Size:                   12pt 
• Line Spacing:            Double-spacing
• Alignment:                 Left-Aligned
• Margins:                     One-inch on all sides
• Word Count:              As per instructions & requirements

Persuasive Essay Outline Examples

Below are the persuasive essay outline samples and examples to get a better idea of writing this type of essay.

Persuasive Essay Outline 5th Grade

Persuasive Essay Outline Middle School

Persuasive Essay Outline College

5-paragraph Persuasive Essay Outline Template

Persuasive Essay Outline Worksheet

Argumentative Persuasive Essay Outline

Abortion Persuasive Essay Outline

Animal Testing Persuasive Essay Outline

Global Warming Persuasive Essay Outline

Persuasive Essay Outline For Kids

Persuasive Essay Outline High School

Want to read complete persuasive essays about these topics? Check out our interesting persuasive essay examples .

All in all, creating a persuasive essay outline is like building a strong base for your argument. With good planning and organization, you can grab your readers' attention and convince them to see things your way. Think of your outline as a guide that keeps you on track while writing.

With the format, steps, and examples shared, you’re all set to start your persuasive writing journey.

But if you still need help writing your essay, don’t worry! MyPerfectWords.com offers a top-notch professional essay writing service to help with your academic essays. Our expert writers, with advanced qualifications and years of experience, are dedicated to delivering high-quality and original persuasive essays.

So do not wait any longer! Hire our persuasive essay writing service today and get a well-written essay according to your specified outline format.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 4 p's of persuasive writing.

The 4 P’s of persuasive writing are:

What is the Formula for a Persuasive Essay?

For a persuasive essay use the following formula for outlining: 

• Introduction: Hook + Background Information + Thesis Statement.
• Body Paragraphs: Topic Sentence + Evidence/Example + Explanation + Transition.
• Conclusion: Restate Thesis + Summarize Main Points + Final Thought/Call to Action.

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For seven years, I was a writing teacher.  Yes, I was certified to teach the full spectrum of English language arts—literature, grammar and usage, speech, drama, and so on—but my absolute favorite, the thing I loved doing the most, was teaching students how to write.

Most of the material on this site is directed at all teachers. I look for and put together resources that would appeal to any teacher who teaches any subject. That practice will continue for as long as I keep this up. But over the next year or so, I plan to also share more of what I know about teaching students to write. Although I know many of the people who visit here are not strictly English language arts teachers, my hope is that these posts will provide tons of value to those who are, and to those who teach all subjects, including writing.

So let’s begin with argumentative writing, or persuasive writing, as many of us used to call it. This overview will be most helpful to those who are new to teaching writing, or teachers who have not gotten good results with the approach you have taken up to now. I don’t claim to have the definitive answer on how to do this, but the method I share here worked pretty well for me, and it might do the same for you. If you are an experienced English language arts teacher, you probably already have a system for teaching this skill that you like. Then again, I’m always interested in how other people do the things I can already do; maybe you’re curious like that, too.

Before I start, I should note that what I describe in this post is a fairly formulaic style of essay writing. It’s not exactly the 5-paragraph essay, but it definitely builds on that model. I strongly believe students should be shown how to move past those kinds of structures into a style of writing that’s more natural and fitting to the task and audience, but I also think they should start with something that’s pretty clearly organized.

So here’s how I teach argumentative essay writing.

Step 1: Watch How It’s Done

One of the most effective ways to improve student writing is to show them mentor texts, examples of excellent writing within the genre students are about to attempt themselves. Ideally, this writing would come from real publications and not be fabricated by me in order to embody the form I’m looking for. Although most experts on writing instruction employ some kind of mentor text study, the person I learned it from best was Katie Wood Ray in her book Study Driven (links to the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon ).

Since I want the writing to be high quality and the subject matter to be high interest, I might choose pieces like Jessica Lahey’s Students Who Lose Recess Are the Ones Who Need it Most  and David Bulley’s School Suspensions Don’t Work .

I would have students read these texts, compare them, and find places where the authors used evidence to back up their assertions. I would ask students which author they feel did the best job of influencing the reader, and what suggestions they would make to improve the writing. I would also ask them to notice things like stories, facts and statistics, and other things the authors use to develop their ideas. Later, as students work on their own pieces, I would likely return to these pieces to show students how to execute certain writing moves.

Step 2: Informal Argument, Freestyle

Although many students might need more practice in writing an effective argument, many of them are excellent at arguing in person. To help them make this connection, I would have them do some informal debate on easy, high-interest topics. An activity like This or That (one of the classroom icebreakers I talked about last year) would be perfect here: I read a statement like “Women have the same opportunities in life as men.” Students who agree with the statement move to one side of the room, and those who disagree move to the other side. Then they take turns explaining why they are standing in that position. This ultimately looks a little bit like a debate, as students from either side tend to defend their position to those on the other side.

Every class of students I have ever had, from middle school to college, has loved loved LOVED this activity. It’s so simple, it gets them out of their seats, and for a unit on argument, it’s an easy way to get them thinking about how the art of argument is something they practice all the time.

Step 3: Informal Argument, Not so Freestyle

Once students have argued without the support of any kind of research or text, I would set up a second debate; this time with more structure and more time to research ahead of time. I would pose a different question, supply students with a few articles that would provide ammunition for either side, then give them time to read the articles and find the evidence they need.

Next, we’d have a Philosophical Chairs debate (learn about this in my  discussion strategies post), which is very similar to “This or That,” except students use textual evidence to back up their points, and there are a few more rules. Here they are still doing verbal argument, but the experience should make them more likely to appreciate the value of evidence when trying to persuade.

Before leaving this step, I would have students transfer their thoughts from the discussion they just had into something that looks like the opening paragraph of a written argument: A statement of their point of view, plus three reasons to support that point of view. This lays the groundwork for what’s to come.

Step 4: Introduction of the Performance Assessment

Next I would show students their major assignment, the performance assessment that they will work on for the next few weeks. What does this look like? It’s generally a written prompt that describes the task, plus the rubric I will use to score their final product.

Anytime I give students a major writing assignment, I let them see these documents very early on. In my experience, I’ve found that students appreciate having a clear picture of what’s expected of them when beginning a writing assignment. At this time, I also show them a model of a piece of writing that meets the requirements of the assignment. Unlike the mentor texts we read on day 1, this sample would be something teacher-created (or an excellent student model from a previous year) to fit the parameters of the assignment.

Step 5: Building the Base

Before letting students loose to start working on their essays, I make sure they have a solid plan for writing. I would devote at least one more class period to having students consider their topic for the essay, drafting a thesis statement, and planning the main points of their essay in a graphic organizer.

I would also begin writing my own essay on a different topic. This has been my number one strategy for teaching students how to become better writers. Using a document camera or overhead projector, I start from scratch, thinking out loud and scribbling down my thoughts as they come. When students see how messy the process can be, it becomes less intimidating for them. They begin to understand how to take the thoughts that are stirring around in your head and turn them into something that makes sense in writing.

For some students, this early stage might take a few more days, and that’s fine: I would rather spend more time getting it right at the pre-writing stage than have a student go off willy-nilly, draft a full essay, then realize they need to start over. Meanwhile, students who have their plans in order will be allowed to move on to the next step.

Step 6: Writer’s Workshop

The next seven to ten days would be spent in writer’s workshop, where I would start class with a mini-lesson about a particular aspect of craft. I would show them how to choose credible, relevant evidence, how to skillfully weave evidence into an argument, how to consider the needs of an audience, and how to correctly cite sources. Once each mini-lesson was done, I would then give students the rest of the period to work independently on their writing. During this time, I would move around the room, helping students solve problems and offering feedback on whatever part of the piece they are working on. I would encourage students to share their work with peers and give feedback at all stages of the writing process.

If I wanted to make the unit even more student-centered, I would provide the mini-lessons in written or video format and let students work through them at their own pace, without me teaching them. (To learn more about this approach, read this post on self-paced learning ).

As students begin to complete their essays, the mini-lessons would focus more on matters of style and usage. I almost never bother talking about spelling, punctuation, grammar, or usage until students have a draft that’s pretty close to done. Only then do we start fixing the smaller mistakes.

Step 7: Final Assessment

Finally, the finished essays are handed in for a grade. At this point, I’m pretty familiar with each student’s writing and have given them verbal (and sometimes written) feedback throughout the unit; that’s why I make the writer’s workshop phase last so long. I don’t really want students handing in work until they are pretty sure they’ve met the requirements to the best of their ability. I also don’t necessarily see “final copies” as final; if a student hands in an essay that’s still really lacking in some key areas, I will arrange to have that student revise it and resubmit for a higher grade.

So that’s it. If you haven’t had a lot of success teaching students to write persuasively, and if the approach outlined here is different from what you’ve been doing, give it a try. And let’s keep talking: Use the comments section below to share your techniques or ask questions about the most effective ways to teach argumentative writing.

Want this unit ready-made?

If you’re a writing teacher in grades 7-12 and you’d like a classroom-ready unit like the one described above, including mini-lessons, sample essays, and a library of high-interest online articles to use for gathering evidence, take a look at my Argumentative Writing unit. Just click on the image below and you’ll be taken to a page where you can read more and see a detailed preview of what’s included.

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58 Comments

This is useful information. In teaching persuasive speaking/writing I have found Monroe’s Motivated sequence very useful and productive. It is a classic model that immediately gives a solid structure for students.

Thanks for the recommendation, Bill. I will have to look into that! Here’s a link to more information on Monroe’s Motivated sequence, for anyone who wants to learn more: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/MonroeMotivatedSequence.htm

What other sites do you recommend for teacher use on providing effective organizational structure in argumentative writing? As a K-12 Curriculum Director, I find that when teachers connect with and understand the organizational structure, they are more effective in their teaching/delivery.

Hey Jessica, in addition to the steps outlined here, you might want to check out Jenn’s post on graphic organizers . Graphic organizers are a great tool that you can use in any phase of a lesson. Using them as a prewrite can help students visualize the argument and organize their thoughts. There’s a link in that post to the Graphic Organizer Multi-Pack that Jenn has for sale on her Teachers Pay Teachers site, which includes two versions of a graphic organizer you can use specifically for argument organization. Otherwise, if there’s something else you had in mind, let us know and we can help you out. Thanks!

Dear Jennifer Gonzalez,

You are generous with your gift of lighting the path… I hardly ever write (never before) , but I must today… THANK YOU… THANK YOU….THANK YOU… mostly for reading your great teachings… So your valuable teachings will even be easy to benefit all the smart people facing challenge of having to deal with adhd…

I am not a teacher… but forever a student…someone who studied English as 2nd language, with a science degree & adhd…

You truly are making a difference in our World…

Thanks so much, Rita! I know Jenn will appreciate this — I’ll be sure to share with her!

Love it! Its simple and very fruitful . I can feel how dedicated you are! Thanks alot Jen

Great examples of resources that students would find interesting. I enjoyed reading your article. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference. Thanks!

You’re welcome, Sheryl!

Students need to be writing all the time about a broad range of topics, but I love the focus here on argumentative writing because if you choose the model writing texts correctly, you can really get the kids engaged in the process and in how they can use this writing in real-world situations!

I agree, Laura. I think an occasional tight focus on one genre can help them grow leaps and bounds in the skills specific to that type of writing. Later, in less structured situations, they can then call on those skills when that kind of thinking is required.

This is really helpful! I used it today and put the recess article in a Google Doc and had the kids identify anecdotal, statistic, and ‘other’ types of evidence by highlighting them in three different colors. It worked well! Tomorrow we’ll discuss which of the different types of evidence are most convincing and why.

Love that, Shanna! Thanks for sharing that extra layer.

Greetings Ms. Gonzales. I was wondering if you had any ideas to help students develop the cons/against side of their argument within their writing? Please advise. Thanks.

Hi Michael,

Considering audience and counterarguments are an important part of the argumentative writing process. In the Argumentative Writing unit Jenn includes specific mini-lessons that teach kids how, when and where to include opposing views in their writing. In the meantime, here’s a video that might also be helpful.

Hi, Thank you very much for sharing your ideas. I want to share also the ideas in the article ‘Already Experts: Showing Students How Much They Know about Writing and Reading Arguments’ by Angela Petit and Edna Soto…they explain a really nice activity to introduce argumentative writing. I have applied it many times and my students not only love it but also display a very clear pattern as the results in the activity are quite similar every time. I hope you like it.

Lorena Perez

I’d like to thank you you for this excellence resource. It’s a wonderful addition to the informative content that Jennifer has shared.

What do you use for a prize?

I looked at the unit, and it looks and sounds great. The description says there are 4 topics. Can you tell me the topics before I purchase? We start argument in 5th grade, and I want to make sure the topics are different from those they’ve done the last 5 years before purchasing. Thanks!

Hi Carrie! If you go to the product page on TPT and open up the preview, you’ll see the four topics on the 4th page in more detail, but here they are: Social Networking in School (should social media sites be blocked in school?), Cell Phones in Class, Junk Food in School, and Single-Sex Education (i.e., genders separated). Does that help?

I teach 6th grade English in a single gendered (all-girls) class. We just finished an argument piece but I will definitely cycle back your ideas when we revisit argumentation. Thanks for the fabulous resources!

Glad to hear it, Madelyn!

I’m not a writing teacher and honestly haven’t been taught on how to teach writing. I’m a history teacher. I read this and found it helpful but have questions. First I noticed that amount of time dedicated to the task in terms of days. My questions are how long is a class period? I have my students for about 45 minutes. I also saw you mentioned in the part about self-paced learning that mini-lessons could be written or video format. I love these ideas. Any thoughts on how to do this with almost no technology in the room and low readers to non-readers? I’m trying to figure out how to balance teaching a content class while also teaching the common core skills. Thank you for any consideration to my questions.

Hey Jones, To me, a class period is anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour; definitely varies from school to school. As for the question about doing self-paced with very little tech? I think binders with written mini-lessons could work well, as well as a single computer station or tablet hooked up to a class set of videos. Obviously you’d need to be more diligent about rotating students in and out of these stations, but it’s an option at least. You might also give students access to the videos through computers in other locations at school (like the library) and give them passes to watch. The thing about self-paced learning, as you may have seen in the self-paced post , is that if students need extra teacher support (as you might find with low readers or non-readers), they would spend more one-on-one time with the teacher, while the higher-level students would be permitted to move more quickly on their own. Does that help?

My primary goal for next semester is to increase academic discussion and make connections from discussion to writing, so I love how you launch this unit with lessons like Philosophical Chairs. I am curious, however, what is the benefit of the informal argument before the not-so-informal argument? My students often struggle to listen to one another, so I’m wondering if I should start with the more formal, structured version. Or, am I overthinking the management? Thanks so much for input.

Yikes! So sorry your question slipped through, and we’re just now getting to this, Sarah. The main advantage of having kids first engage in informal debate is that it helps them get into an argumentative mindset and begin to appreciate the value of using research to support their claims. If you’ve purchased the unit, you can read more about this in the Overview.

My 6th graders are progressing through their argumentative essay. I’m providing mini lessons along the way that target where most students are in their essay. Your suggestions will be used. I’ve chosen to keep most writing in class and was happy to read that you scheduled a lot of class time for the writing. Students need to feel comfortable knowing that writing is a craft and needs to evolve over time. I think more will get done in class and it is especially important for the struggling writers to have peers and the teacher around while they write. Something that I had students do that they liked was to have them sit in like-topic groups to create a shared document where they curated information that MIGHT be helpful along the way. By the end of the essay, all will use a fantastic add-on called GradeProof which helps to eliminate most of the basic and silly errors that 6th graders make.

Debbi! I LOVE the idea of a shared, curated collection of resources! That is absolutely fantastic! Are you using a Google Doc for this? Other curation tools you might consider are Padlet and Elink .

thanks v much for all this information

Love this! What do you take as grades in the meantime? Throughout this 2 week stretch?

Ideally, you wouldn’t need to take grades at all, waiting until the final paper is done to give one grade. If your school requires more frequent grades, you could assign small point values for getting the incremental steps done: So in Step 3 (when students have to write a paragraph stating their point of view) you could take points for that. During the writer’s workshop phase, you might give points for completion of a rough draft and participation points for peer review (ideally, they’d get some kind of feedback on the quality of feedback they give to one another). Another option would be to just give a small, holistic grade for each week based on the overall integrity of their work–are they staying on task? Making small improvements to their writing each day? Taking advantage of the resources? If students are working diligently through the process, that should be enough. But again, the assessment (grades) should really come from that final written product, and if everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing during the workshop phase, most students should have pretty good scores on that final product. Does that help?

Awesome Step 2! Teaching mostly teenagers in Northern Australia I find students’ verbal arguments are much more finely honed than their written work.

To assist with “building the base” I’ve always found sentence starters an essential entry point for struggling students. We have started using the ‘PEARL’ method for analytical and persuasive writing.

If it helps here a free scaffold for the method:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Paragraph-Scaffold-PEEL-to-PEARL-3370676

Thanks again,

Thank you for sharing this additional resource! It’s excellent!

I’ve been scouring the interwebs looking for some real advice on how I can help my struggling 9th grader write better. I can write. Since it comes naturally for me, I have a hard time breaking it down into such tiny steps that he can begin to feel less overwhelmed. I LOVE the pre-writing ideas here. My son is a fabulous arguer. I need to help him use those powers for the good of his writing skills. Do you have a suggestion on what I else I can be using for my homeschooled son? Or what you may have that could work well for home use?

Hi Melinda,

You might be interested in taking a look at Jenn’s Argumentative Writing unit which she mentions at the end of the post . Hope this helps!

Mam it would be good if you could post some steps of different writing and some samples as well so it can be useful for the students.

Hi Aalia! My name is Holly, and I work as a Customer Experience Manager for Cult of Pedagogy. It just so happens that in the near future, Jenn is going to release a narrative writing unit, so keep an eye out for that! As far as samples, the argumentative writing unit has example essays included, and I’m sure the narrative unit will as well. But, to find the examples, you have to purchase the unit from Teachers Pay Teachers.

I just want to say that this helped me tremendously in teaching argument to 8th Graders this past school year, which is a huge concept on their state testing in April. I felt like they were very prepared, and they really enjoyed the verbal part of it, too! I have already implemented these methods into my unit plan for argument for my 11th grade class this year. Thank you so much for posting all of these things! : )

-Josee` Vaughn

I’m so glad to hear it, Josee!!

Love your blog! It is one of the best ones.

I am petrified of writing. I am teaching grade 8 in September and would love some suggestions as I start planning for the year. Thanks!

This is genius! I can’t wait to get started tomorrow teaching argument. It’s always something that I have struggled with, and I’ve been teaching for 18 years. I have a class of 31 students, mostly boys, several with IEPs. The self-paced mini-lessons will help tremendously.

So glad you liked it, Britney!

My students will begin the journey into persuasion and argument next week and your post cemented much of my thinking around how to facilitate the journey towards effective, enthusiastic argumentative writing.

I use your rubrics often to outline task expectations for my students and the feedback from them is how useful breaking every task into steps can be as they are learning new concepts.

Additionally, we made the leap into blogging as a grade at https://mrsdsroadrunners.edublogs.org/2019/01/04/your-future/ It feels much like trying to learn to change a tire while the car is speeding down the highway. Reading your posts over the past years was a factor in embracing the authentic audience. Thank You! Trish

I love reading and listening to your always helpful tips, tricks, and advice! I was wondering if you had any thoughts on creative and engaging ways to have students share their persuasive writing? My 6th students are just finishing up our persuasive writing where we read the book “Oh, Rats” by Albert Marrin and used the information gathered to craft a persuasive piece to either eliminate or protect rats and other than just reading their pieces to one another, I have been trying to think of more creative ways to share. I thought about having a debate but (un)fortunately all my kids are so sweet and are on the same side of the argument – Protect the Rats! Any ideas?

Hi Kiley! Thanks for the positive feedback! So glad to hear that you are finding value in Cult of Pedagogy! Here are a few suggestions that you may be interested in trying with your students:

-A gallery walk: Students could do this virtually if their writing is stored online or hard copies of their writing. Here are some different ways that you could use gallery walks: Enliven Class Discussions With Gallery Walks

-Students could give each other feedback using a tech tool like Flipgrid . You could assign students to small groups or give them accountability partners. In Flipgrid, you could have students sharing back and forth about their writing and their opinions.

I hope this helps!

I love the idea of mentor texts for all of these reading and writing concepts. I saw a great one on Twitter with one text and it demonstrated 5-6 reasons to start a paragraph, all in two pages of a book! Is there a location that would have suggestions/lists of mentor texts for these areas? Paragraphs, sentences, voice, persuasive writing, expository writing, etc. It seems like we could share this info, save each other some work, and curate a great collection of mentor text for English Language Arts teachers. Maybe it already exists?

Hi Maureen,

Here are some great resources that you may find helpful:

Craft Lessons Second Edition: Teaching Writing K-8 Write Like This: Teaching Real-World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts and Mentor Texts, 2nd edition: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6

Thanks so much! I’ll definitely look into these.

I love the steps for planning an argumentative essay writing. When we return from Christmas break, we will begin starting a unit on argumentative writing. I will definitely use the steps. I especially love Step #2. As a 6th grade teacher, my students love to argue. This would set the stage of what argumentative essay involves. Thanks for sharing.

So glad to hear this, Gwen. Thanks for letting us know!

Great orientation, dear Jennifer. The step-by-step carefully planned pedagogical perspectives have surely added in the information repository of many.

Hi Jennifer,

I hope you are well. I apologise for the incorrect spelling in the previous post.

Thank you very much for introducing this effective instruction for teaching argumentative writing. I am the first year PhD student at Newcastle University, UK. My PhD research project aims to investigate teaching argumentative writing to Chinese university students. I am interested in the Argumentative Writing unit you have designed and would like to buy it. I would like to see the preview of this book before deciding to purchase it. I clicked on the image BUT the font of the preview is so small and cannot see the content clearly. I am wondering whether it could be possible for you to email me a detailed preview of what’s included. I would highly appreciate if you could help me with this.

Thank you very much in advance. Looking forward to your reply.

Take care and all the very best, Chang

Hi Chang! Jenn’s Argumentative Writing Unit is actually a teaching unit geared toward grades 7-12 with lessons, activities, etc. If you click here click here to view the actual product, you can click on the green ‘View Preview’ button to see a pretty detailed preview of what’s offered. Once you open the preview, there is the option to zoom in so you can see what the actual pages of the unit are like. I hope this helps!

Great Content!

Another teacher showed me one of your posts, and now I’ve read a dozen of them. With teaching students to argue, have you ever used the “What’s going on in this picture?” https://www.nytimes.com/column/learning-whats-going-on-in-this-picture?module=inline I used it last year and thought it was a non-threatening way to introduce learners to using evidence to be persuasive since there was no text.

I used to do something like this to help kids learn how to make inferences. Hadn’t thought of it from a persuasive standpoint. Interesting.

this is a very interesting topic, thanks!

Hi! I’m a teacher too! I was looking for inspiration and I found your article and thought you might find this online free tool interesting that helps make all students participate meaningfully and engage in a topic. https://www.kialo-edu.com/

This tool is great for student collaboration and to teach argumentative writing in an innovative way. I hope this helps!

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84 comments.

Thank you so much. This has truly helped me in my exams and throughout the beneficial journey of my school year.

Ellen Davis

How will I be able to check my work, when I print it out to work on them? Where are the answers?

I guess it depends on what you are working on. On what are you working?

Kareema Coles

Ummm the pdf version is not working…is the link still valid?

Which link?

This is an amazing website with fabulous ideas and printable ready to go lessons!!! Thank you so much! I wish I could meet you!!!

Thank you very much for this amazing resource and great ideas. They are extremely comprehensive and well designed. Thank you very much for your kind consideration and not adding a Price-tag to your valuable resources. Highly appreciated.

Sandra Conner

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your work with us. As teachers, we are always in need of fresh material. I teach college level creative writing classes, and your worksheets help my students. Sometimes I change the essay topics to fit their particular age group or interest, but having these examples laid out for us and made available for use in our classrooms is wonderful.

Lifesaver! Thank you for the great ideas and guidance. I am a new teacher, and finding this site has made a true turn around in my instruction. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

Thank you for these great step by step resources

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Despite all the negative comments above, you should keep up for the ones (like me) who are absolutely grateful for these material.

Thanks for sharing! Best.

I give this website 3stares only for the info but in general 1star

I give your comment 0 stars because your position lacks support or evidence of any kind. Complete some of these worksheets and begin your argument again.

that’s stupid from where do u get the worksheets

I wrote them.

I did not see any activities that required the student to write an entire essay.

https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/writing/persuasive-essay-topics/

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Thank you for this information! They helped me in my exam so much!

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There’s always next year…

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Persuasive Essay Outline: Guide on Structure & Examples

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A persuasive essay is a type of academic writing that implies convincing a reader to accept the arguments. Students may use an emotional style that will make readers follow your ideas. But an organized persuasive essay outline is required as well. It will help to develop a clear position and divide your paper into theses that will look persuasive. You should draw some basic paper’s structure up before you start writing. This way, you will have an organized outline in front and won’t miss any important details. In this guide, we will tell you why it is important to make an outline for any persuasive essay, and what parts it consists of. Besides, you will find several templates and examples prepared by our  essay writers .  

What Is a Persuasive Essay Outline and Why Is It Important?

A persuasive essay outline is a basic map of your writing that shows the number of paragraphs and how your arguments will be organized. It maps out the order your paragraphs will appear and gives a hint on what information should be included in each section. There are many ways to organize your key ideas in your outline:

• Bulletin points
• Numbered list

A persuasive essay is where students should prove their point of view. For this very reason, drafting an outline for a persuasive essay allows for an emotional component and helps not to get confused in your supporting proofs. Besides, an outline allows you to save your precious time. In fact, after drawing up a plan, an essay writing process is limited to just expanding your ready-made arguments. Therefore, this paper’s plan is an excellent way to systematize knowledge and focus on key points. Find various persuasive essay examples for a better understanding.

How to Write Persuasive Essay Outline

Before you write a persuasive essay outline, shape the topic and the main statement of your paper. Next, determine key arguments which you will convince readers in. Make sure that you have sufficient research materials to use. Usually, the essay plan consists of these 3 components:  

• Introduction presenting your topic.
• Text body offering and supporting your arguments.
• Conclusion giving some food for thought.

Follow these easy steps to make the right plan and get a high-quality persuasive essay. Further, we will discuss each step in more detail based on our experience and skills. At this point, you can simply  buy persuasive essay from our writers to avoid any writing hassle.

Introduction for Your Persuasive Essay Outline

A persuasive essay introduction  outline is usually drawn up following a standard structure. Here’s what you should include:  

• Background information
• Thesis statement

Start with a good hook so that you can grasp reader’s attention from the very beginning. It may be any brief statistical information, some quote on the topic, or even a joke – everything that will help to start your essay in an interesting manner. Then, familiarize your readers with some context. You should also have an effective thesis statement. To create such try to use  Thesis Statement Maker . Later on, you will provide arguments that will prove it. For now, you should write a persuasive statement that will briefly present 3 main arguments. Don’t disclose all your ideas too early. Here, you should just jot down your main opinion and how you will prove it. Following such structure ensures that you write an intriguing introduction.  

Body Paragraphs in Your Outline of Persuasive Essay

Always keep in mind that a persuasive essay body paragraph outline is the gist of your writing. Therefore, choose three  arguments , back them up with facts, and compile a synergy. That is, achieve a smooth topic presentation. Thanks to our template, you will be able to provide facts and explain each point in detail. Follow this structure to validate your opinion. Outline for each body paragraph:

• Topic sentence of a paragraph presenting your argument and reasoning.
• Supporting facts that prove your point.
• Counterargument and rebuttal of an opposite opinion.
• Further discussion.
• Transition sentence.

Don’t hesitate to include an opposite point of view in reasoning and use transitional sentences as well. This will make your presentation more coherent, and if you add a little bit of statistics, the paper will look more illustrative and informative. Be sure to double-check each paragraph to detect and correct any grammar or stylistic mistakes.

Conclusion: Outline of Persuasive Essay

After you have revealed key arguments, it’s just about time to summarize what you have said in a persuasive essay conclusion. Here, you will mention what you have discussed and explained before and shape your final thoughts. Rephrase a thesis presented in your introduction and repeat the arguments to achieve the information coherence. Here’s how an outline will look:

• Summary of key points
• Rephrased thesis
• Implications or call to action.

As you see, you can also add a call to action or some question to reflect on. You may refer to any scholarly work so that readers see your contribution. Likewise, you can share predictions on your topic – make your conclusion memorable or use  Conclusion Generator by StudyCrumb to find more ideas. Try the  college essay writing service if you already feel tired from reading.

Persuasive Essay Outline Format

Still, a persuasive essay is a formal paper, so it is important to stick to the persuasive essay format outline. Even though there are no clear criteria, academic experts suggest to keep your plan well-organized. Here’re several useful suggestions:

• Font We recommend choosing the one that will be convenient for you to read. One of the most popular is Times New Roman. Georgia and Arial are also often used.
• Spacing For most academic tasks, double line spacing will be sufficient – this is a common requirement.
• Alignment Instead of aligning the text on the left side, format it edgewise. This will make your outline look more harmonious. However, this rule doesn’t apply to essays.
• Word count You need to discuss this matter with your teacher or research advisor. But usually, 500-2000 words are enough for your essay. Consider this when outlining your ideas.

Formatting will make any text look attractive and organized. After all, you will use this structure during the writing process, and you surely don’t want to get lost in some messy draft.

Persuasive Essay Outline Template

With the outline template for a persuasive essay before your eyes, you can start compiling your paper faster. Usually, a catchy structure is used, which doesn’t change depending on the topic. It successfully defines the purpose of an essay, and a seemingly bulky plan will be easy to master.

• Introduction Hook, context of the topic, definitions, and thesis.
• Main body Main arguments related to your thesis, proof of your view point, results of your personal analysis.
• Conclusion Summarize key arguments presented in the main body, restate your position, and add questions or statements that will make your reader think.

This structure will help you write a persuasive essay for any college or university. It may come in handy for professional publications or even as a public speech draft.

4-Paragraph Persuasive Essay Outline Template

Usually, little depends on a number of paragraphs. This brief form is often preferred to cover smaller theses. For a 4-paragraph persuasive essay outline template, standard structure will be suitable. All you need is to include enough relevant information. Here’s an example you can consider:  

• Cast a hook
• Provide background on the subject
• Present a thesis statement and arguments
• Share your point of view on this argument
• Complement your viewpoint with supporting examples
• Transition sentence
• Integrate all elements specified above
• Sum up your main arguments
• Restate your thesis and mention that it was proved
• Include call to action

5-Paragraph Persuasive Essay Outline Template

Most often, students use a five-paragraph persuasive essay outline. In this case, the reader will be able to learn more details. There are more paragraphs here than in the previous version. Therefore, you can expand your idea and provide more details on the thesis and your arguments.

• Captivating hook
• Context on the subject
• Thesis statement with arguments listed
• Topic sentence introducing your reasoning
• Proofs that back up your point
• Opposing opinion and its rebuttal
• In-depth analysis
• Include all elements mentioned above
• Summarize your key points
• Restate your thesis
• Provide food for thought

Persuasive Essay Outline Example

Above, we have suggested schematic examples of a persuasive essay outline, which are suitable for compiling any essay. We recommend choosing a better idea, which will be revealed in the text using arguments. This will be impossible without an in-depth study of the topic. Here’s an outline example for an essay on  Reasons for Displaying Compassion.

Persuasive Essay Outline Worksheet

When compiling a persuasive essay outline worksheet, it is important to start the plan with a schematic representation. Select keywords and use them as a basis to write logical paragraphs. To make it clear, we have prepared an essay outline on the topic  Need to Renew the Bus Fleet .

Argumentative Persuasive Essay Outline

Argumentative persuasive essay outline doesn’t differ much from a classic persuasive essay, but you should provide a strong argument. The reader will get not only an emotional component, but also facts that will further convince him. Usually, this scheme is used for scientific and deep essays, for which emotions alone won’t be enough. Hover over the elements of this example to get an overall idea.  

• Introduce the problem
• Give an interesting fact
• Provide arguments supporting your main thesis
• Write a topic sentence presenting your argument
• Back it up with your personal opinion and reliable information
• Unite body paragraphs with transitions
• Give a reworded thesis, change the arguments as well
• Work out a clincher section.

Abortion Persuasive Essay Outline

The problem of abortion has several debetable aspects, so abortion persuasive essay online should be compiled based on your personal beliefs. Most often, you should mention the value of people's lives and then develop arguments leaning towards emotional aspects.

Look through this example and find out how structure your paper on abortion.  

Global Warming Persuasive Essay Outline

When compiling a global warming persuasive essay outline, you should pay special attention to the facts and researchers’ forecasts. Be sure to write about the live situation and what it will result in. All of these are included in our schematic plan below.

Outline for a Persuasive Essay: Final Thoughts

Outline for persuasive essay is an important part during preparation of any convincing text. Keep the reader involved and write using the emotional component, which in this case is allowed. The introductory thesis must be analyzed based on the arguments with references to statistics and scientific research. This is the only way to write a high-quality persuasive essay full of topic-related information. If you are not sure how to enhance your persuasive essay with supporting facts, get in touch with our professional writers. They are experienced in writing all sorts of academic papers with quality in mind. Don’t worry if you have an urgents order – as our customer you can enjoy a timely essay turnaround.  

FAQ About Persuasive Essay Outlines

1. how long is a persuasive essay outline.

In most cases, a persuasive essay outline size depends on the thoroughness of the described problem and the number of arguments. An average plan has 5 paragraphs, including an introduction, the main text consisting of 3 paragraphs with arguments, and a conclusion. We recommend writing short but succinct sentences. Don’t dilute the essence and promote a particular argument in a comprehensible way.

2. What comes first in a persuasive essay?

The first step in any persuasive essay is the introduction that doesn’t vary in types. It describes the problem discussed in your paper and the reason why the reader should pay attention to your text. Besides, an introductory paragraph presents a student’s point of view on the situation. Additionally, the arguments supporting the position should be briefly described here. Usually, 5 sentences or 100 words are enough for this task.

Daniel Howard is an Essay Writing guru. He helps students create essays that will strike a chord with the readers.

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Are you gearing up to write a persuasive essay but feeling lost? It's normal to feel overwhelmed when it comes time to tackle such an important assignment. 

But don't worry! CollegeEssay.org is here to help you understand and perfect the art of writing a persuasive essay outline. 

You can create an outline that will help you write a compelling essay by following a few simple steps. 

So what are you waiting for? Read on for tips on how to get started!

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Writing a Persuasive Essay Outline

Are you writing a persuasive essay but don’t know where to start? Drafting an outline before you begin your persuasive essay can be incredibly helpful.

An outline acts as a roadmap for your paper and helps ensure that your ideas are organized logically. It also helps you determine how much research is needed and what evidence should be included in the essay. 

What is a Persuasive Essay Outline? 

A persuasive essay outline is an organized list of arguments and evidence to persuade someone on a specific topic or issue. 

It follows the same basic structure as most essays: introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. 

The key difference is that each point should provide evidence or reasons to support the thesis statement. This type of essay requires critical thinking skills and the ability to form clear arguments that support your point of view. 

Creating an outline before starting your paper will save time in the long run because it gives you a structure to follow. It also allows you to see if any points need further research or clarification before beginning the writing process. 

Additionally, an outline helps ensure that all relevant points are covered in the paper, and none are overlooked or forgotten. By setting an outline for your essay, your writing process will be quite easy.

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Persuasive Essay Outline Format

There are different ways of writing the outline, but preparing and conveying your idea to the audience is necessary.  A persuasive essay outline is easier to write if you follow the proper steps. The persuasive essay outline contains three main components:

• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs

Persuasive Essay Introduction

The persuasive essay outline starts with the introduction paragraph. This part is important in the essay to grab the reader’s attention. It should engage the reader throughout the essay. The essay introduction should be attention-grabbing and encourage the reader to read further.  

The following elements must be included in an introductory paragraph:

• Know Your Topic 

The first step in writing the introduction is to think about the persuasive essay topic . It will help to understand your essay’s purpose and give you a clear idea about your topic. 

• Start with an Interesting Hook Statement  

It is the part where you start your writing with a hook. Writing the essay introduction with an interesting hook is the main skill of the writer. A hook is a captivating phrase that captures the reader’s attention. The writer can add quotes, memorable stories, or anything that attracts the audience.

• Know Your Audience 

It is the writer’s job to explain the issue and its importance in the introduction part. The writer's objective is to convince the reader to read the essay and support your side. 

After understanding the topic of the essay, the writer knows its audience. Understanding your audience before writing is better because a persuasive essay aims to convince the reader.

• State the Thesis Statement    

A thesis statement is the last component of the introduction part. It is written at the end of the introduction and summarizes the essay's main idea.

The thesis statement conveys the right message to the reader that you are trying to support. It is the whole essay’s base and includes all the points discussed in the body paragraphs.  

Persuasive Essay Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs explain the reasoning of the thesis statement by facts or examples. The number of body paragraphs in the essay depends on the scope of the topic. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind while writing a body paragraph.

• Explain Your Main Idea 

Each body paragraph in the essay explains a single idea with proof and evidence. This part decides whether the audience supports your idea or not.

• Support Your Perspective

The content in the body paragraphs proves your main argument. All the ideas provided in the essay should be supported using relevant facts. In the body paragraphs, include opposite viewpoints and counter-arguments. 

Through body paragraphs, you will establish your position. 

You will easily persuade your reader through body paragraphs by presenting facts about the particular topic. 

Use statistics in your essay and strongly prove your argument. But make sure that all the facts and statistics you use are authentic.

• Transition Words

Use transition words and connect all your ideas in an essay. To maintain the flow between paragraphs, use these words like, however, thus, etc. Also, keep the word count in your mind.    

• Concluding Sentences

End body paragraphs with concluding sentences. Describe how the point supports your argument.  Use transitioning sentences and concluding phrases to summarize your essay.

Persuasive Essay Conclusion

The conclusion is the essay's final part. Summarize all the main points without adding new information. The conclusion is the closure of the main arguments mentioned in the body paragraphs.

Try to make your conclusion more effective by adding personal comments about the essay.

The main purpose of the conclusion is to reestablish what you already mentioned in the essay. Close the conclusion part with a question, action call, or prediction.

In conclusion, convince the reader to do further research on the topic.  

Persuasive Essay Outline Template

Here is a detailed outline for a persuasive essay. Follow this to make a perfect outline for your essay. 

Persuasive Essay Outline Examples

Outlining your persuasive essay is a great way to make sure you have all the necessary points and facts in order. 

Below are some examples of persuasive essay outlines that can be used to help create an effective paper:

Persuasive Essay Outline Worksheet

Persuasive Essay Outline PDF

Persuasive Essay Outline 5th Grade

Persuasive Essay Outline Middle School

Persuasive Essay Outline High School

Argumentative Persuasive Essay Outline

Vaccine Persuasive Essay Outline

Abortion Persuasive Essay Outline

Summing up, the persuasive essay outline format examples we have shared are a great start for you.

Check out some more interesting  persuasive essay examples ! They might inspire you for your next essay.

However, they only scratch the surface of what our team can do for you. 

Contact us today if you want help writing an amazing essay that will persuade your readers. Our expert essay writer online has years of experience crafting essays that get results.

With the help of our college essay writing service , you’ll be able to achieve the grades you deserve. Our persuasive essay writing service has the best persuasive essay writer. 

So what are you waiting for? Contact us today and try our AI essay writing tools to experience excellence!    

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i write an effective persuasive essay outline.

An essay outline should include a thesis statement, evidence, and a conclusion reiterating the essay's main points. Additionally, persuasive writers can use different strategies to strengthen their persuasive arguments.

What should I consider when creating my persuasive essay outline?

When creating a persuasive essay outline, you should consider the essay's purpose, audience, and context. You should also ensure the persuasive essay is written clearly and concisely.

How can a persuasive essay writer help me create a persuasive essay?

At CollegeEssay.org, our persuasive essay writers can help you create an effective outline. It includes arguments, evidence, examples, a conclusion, and persuasive techniques tailored to your needs.

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Free Printable Persuasive Writing Worksheets for 7th Grade

Persuasive Writing worksheets for Grade 7 Reading & Writing teachers! Discover a variety of free printable resources to help students develop strong arguments and improve their persuasive writing skills.

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Explore printable Persuasive Writing worksheets for 7th Grade

Persuasive Writing worksheets for Grade 7 are an essential tool for teachers looking to enhance their students' reading and writing skills. These worksheets provide a structured approach to teaching persuasive writing, focusing on the key elements of argumentation, evidence, and organization. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can help Grade 7 students develop a strong foundation in nonfiction writing, preparing them for more advanced coursework in high school and beyond. With a variety of engaging topics and exercises, these Persuasive Writing worksheets for Grade 7 are designed to spark students' interest and creativity while reinforcing critical thinking and communication skills.

Quizizz, a popular online platform for interactive learning, offers a wide range of resources for teachers, including Persuasive Writing worksheets for Grade 7. In addition to these worksheets, Quizizz provides a variety of other offerings such as quizzes, flashcards, and interactive games, all designed to support and enhance students' reading and writing abilities. By incorporating Quizizz into their lesson plans, teachers can create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that promotes active participation and collaboration among Grade 7 students. The platform's user-friendly interface and customizable features make it easy for teachers to tailor their instruction to meet the diverse needs of their students, ensuring that every learner has the opportunity to develop and refine their persuasive writing skills.

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When you need an example written by a student, check out our vast collection of free student models. Scroll through the list, or search for a mode of writing such as “explanatory” or “persuasive.”

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Explanatory writing.

• How Much I Know About Space Explanatory Paragraph
• My Favorite Pet Explanatory Paragraph
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Narrative Writing

• A Happy Day Narrative Paragraph
• My Trip to Mexico Narrative Paragraph

Creative Writing

• Happy Easter Story Paragraph
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Research Writing

• Parrots Report
• If I Were President Explanatory Paragraph
• My Dad Personal Narrative
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• One Great Book Book Review
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• Plastic, Paper, or Cloth? Persuasive Paragraph
• The Funny Dance Personal Narrative
• The Sled Run Personal Narrative
• Hello, Spring! Poem
• Cheetahs Report

Business Writing

• Dear Ms. Nathan Email
• My Favorite Place to Go Description
• My Mother Personal Essay
• Rules Personal Essay
• Shadow Fort Description
• Adopting a Pet from the Pound Editorial
• Letter to the Editor Letter to the Editor
• Ann Personal Narrative
• Grandpa, Chaz, and Me Personal Narrative
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• The Day I Took the Spotlight Personal Narrative
• A Story of Survival Book Review
• Chloe’s Day Story
• Did You Ever Look At . . . Poem
• Dreams Poem
• I Am Attean Poem
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• The Civil War Poem
• The Haunted House Story
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• When I Was Upside Down Poem
• Deer Don’t Need to Flee to Stay Trouble-Free! Report
• Height-Challenged German Shepherd Report
• Friendship Definition
• What Really Matters News Feature
• Cheating in America Problem-Solution
• Hang Up and Drive Editorial
• Musical Arts Editorial
• Summer: 15 Days or 2 1/2 Months? Editorial
• A Cowboy's Journal Fictionalized Journal Entry
• Giving Life Personal Narrative
• The Great Paw Paw Personal Narrative
• The Racist Warehouse Personal Narrative
• Limadastrin Poem
• The Best Little Girl in the World Book Review
• How the Stars Came to Be Story
• Linden’s Library Story
• My Backyard Poem
• The Call Poem
• I Am Latvia Research Report
• Mir Pushed the Frontier of Space Research Report
• The Aloha State Research Report
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• A Lesson to Learn Journal
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• The House on Medford Avenue Personal Narrative
• Adam’s Train of Ghosts Music Review
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• My Interpretation of The Joy Luck Club Literary Analysis
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• The KHS Press Play
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Printable Essay Outline Formats and Examples

This PDF features essay outline examples and templates that your students can use as examples when writing research papers , or as a supplement for an essay-writing unit for persuasive, argumentative, and descriptive writing.

Students will find essay outline samples for argumentative, persuasive, narrative, and expository essays. Also included is complete sample outline for a research paper.

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Types of Outlines and Samples

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Alphanumeric Outlines

This is the most common type of outline and usually instantly recognizable to most people. The formatting follows these characters, in this order:

• Roman Numerals
• Capitalized Letters
• Arabic Numerals
• Lowercase Letters

If the outline needs to subdivide beyond these divisions, use Arabic numerals inside parentheses and then lowercase letters inside parentheses. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

The sample PDF in the Media Box above is an example of an outline that a student might create before writing an essay. In order to organize her thoughts and make sure that she has not forgotten any key points that she wants to address, she creates the outline as a framework for her essay.

What is the assignment?

Your instructor asks the class to write an expository (explanatory) essay on the typical steps a high school student would follow in order to apply to college.

What is the purpose of this essay?

To explain the process for applying to college

Who is the intended audience for this essay?

High school students intending to apply to college and their parents

What is the essay's thesis statement?

When applying to college, a student follows a certain process which includes choosing the right schools and preparing the application materials.

Full Sentence Outlines

The full sentence outline format is essentially the same as the Alphanumeric outline. The main difference (as the title suggests) is that full sentences are required at each level of the outline. This outline is most often used when preparing a traditional essay. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

Decimal Outlines

The decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline. The added benefit is a system of decimal notation that clearly shows how every level of the outline relates to the larger whole. Select the "Sample Outlines" PDF in the Media Box above to download the sample of this outline.

Persuasion Map

About this printout

Use this graphic organizer to develop a persuasive stance for an essay, speech, poster, or any type of assignment that incorporates persuasion.

Teaching with this printout

More ideas to try, related resources.

Examples of persuasion surround our lives, and the ability to persuade others is a powerful asset. We can persuade people to act in our favor, help them to see our point of view, and sway their opinion to that of our own. The power of persuasion is far reaching, and it is a technique that students will use throughout their lives. This tool helps students formulate ideas for a persuasive argument by helping them determine their goal or thesis, identify three reasons to support it (with three facts or examples to support each reason), and restate the thesis in a conclusion statement. Before your students use this tool independently, model its use for them. Choose a simple topic (such as, “Sixth Grade is the Best Grade” or “Why Our Lunch Period Should be Longer”). Then, fill in the Persuasion Map while discussing the process  aloud, displaying the tool so that all students can see it. Review students’ completed maps prior to having them continue with the persuasion assignment. This will provide you with an opportunity to check students’ understanding of persuasion and help those who need extra instruction.

• Have students analyze a persuasive piece (for example, an advertisement or editorial in a newspaper or magazine) by filling in the map and discussing the authors’ strategies of persuasion.
• Encourage older students to create propaganda-based assignments by having them incorporate deceptive language in some of the “reasons” or “examples” on their maps. (Propaganda is a form of persuasion that uses deceptive language to exaggerate, distort, or conceal information.) Upon completion, have students read their maps orally and/or display them for their peers. Have students identify the deceptive language in their peers’ maps to create a class list of the examples used. As an additional follow-up, students can view and read advertisements, newspaper editorials, and other text that contain propaganda to search for use of the examples on the class list and to add additional ones.
• Have students complete two maps based on the same goal but with two different targeted audiences in mind. Attention to audience is an essential element of effective persuasion. For example, students might create maps to market a particular children’s toy; one map could target children as the audience, and the other could focus on parents as the audience. After they have completed their maps, have students read them to the class without identifying the intended audience. Ask the rest of the class to determine the intended audience and identify the specific clues that prompted their deductions. Finally, as a class, compare and contrast the language and words used for each intended audience.
• Lesson Plans
• Student Interactives
• Strategy Guides

Through a classroom game and resource handouts, students learn about the techniques used in persuasive oral arguments and apply them to independent persuasive writing activities.

The Persuasion Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to map out their arguments for a persuasive essay or debate.

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Persuasive Writing Worksheet Templates

Customize persuasive writing worksheets.

If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

What is Persuasive Writing?

Persuasive writing, or opinion writing, is a form of nonfiction writing where the writer tries to convince others to believe a certain point or opinion. A strong persuasive essay requires critical thinking, and motivates and convinces the reader that what they are reading is correct. Using a persuasive essay outline template or an opinion writing outline helps writers plan thoughtfully.

What is a Persuasive Writing Template?

A persuasive writing template is a starting point for students as they plan out their persuasive writing essay. Having a layout for their notes and ideas takes away the anxiety of looking at a blank page when trying to organize your thoughts. Also known as a persuasive writing outline template, or a persuasive writing graphic organizer, this type of template generally has a place for a student to define their opinion or thesis on a topic, and then support and elaborate on it with 3-5 key points.

What are Some Examples of Persuasive Writing?

The persuasive essay format that we all know is not the only type of persuasion writing! Check out some other examples below:

• Television commercials
• Print advertisements
• Songs and poems (yes, really!)
• Newspaper editorials

A famous example of a persuasive essay in the form of a speech is Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ’s “I Have A Dream” speech.

Why are Persuasive Writing Templates Important and How are They Best Used?

A persuasive writing template, also known as a persuasive essay outline, can help students plan their essay by clearly defining their opinion and supporting it with relevant, specific evidence. Persuasive writing and persuasive speaking go hand-in-hand, so these templates can also be used to prepare short persuasive speeches. Whether you are looking for a persuasive letter outline, a persuasive paragraph outline, or something for a longer piece of writing, we have what you are looking for!

How to Start a Persuasive Essay

Getting started is often the most difficult part of the writing process, even when they are given specific writing prompts. Students often have so many thoughts and ideas that they want to jump directly into the writing without planning. We strongly discourage this, and find it extremely important that students understand the need to take the time to plan using graphic organizers. Here is how to start a persuasive essay:

• Choose a topic that you are passionate and knowledgeable about.
• Research both sides of this topic, so students learn about the opposing view.
• Using a persuasive writing graphic organizer, outline your ideas for the introduction, 3-5 paragraphs, and conclusion.
• Write a first draft. Be sure to consider who your audience and how you are going to appeal to them.
• Now that you have written your draft, it’s time to move through the writing process .
• Have fun and write with confidence!

It is extremely important that students complete a graphic organizer prior to writing. Find the perfect persuasive essay worksheet for your class right here! Creating a template for a persuasive essay with Storyboard That is easy! Simply follow the steps below:

How to Make a Persuasive Writing Template

Choose One of the Premade Persuasive Writing Templates

We have color, black and white, portrait, or landscape templates. Take a look at our persuasive writing example for inspiration!

Click on "Copy Template"

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific questions and images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished with your persuasive writing worksheet, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

More Premade Templates That Your Students Will Love

Did you know that Storyboard That has a whole library of worksheet and poster templates to be used with any subject and for all ages? Check out some of our favorites below:

• Custom Biography Worksheets
• Hall Pass Templates
• Social Studies Vocabulary Templates
• Reading Log Templates
• Place Value Worksheets
• Game Board Posters
• Newspaper Posters
• Movie Posters

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions about Persuasive Writing Worksheet Templates

What is a persuasive writing graphic organizer.

A persuasive writing graphic organizer is a worksheet that helps students plan out their opinion essay. Also known as a persuasive letter template, or a persuasive paper outline, completing this organizer is a crucial step in the writing process.

What is a persuasive writing outline?

A persuasive writing outline template is another term for persuasive writing graphic organizer.

What are some examples of writing templates for students?

There are a lot of writing templates for students out there! Here are just a few of what else we have at Storyboard That:

• Critical Analysis
• Creative Writing
• Long Composition
• Personal Narratives

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Persuasive Essay Outline

Description

Help writers learn to write a persuasive essay using this document. It provides both instructions and examples to make the process as straightforward as possible.

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