English Assignment

A persuasive editorial presents an opinion about an issue of public interest. Opinions deal with matters of interpretation and questions that can be viewed in more than one way.

For this assignment, write a 1-2 page persuasive editorial on a topic of your choice. Click on the link below to review the steps you should follow to write your persuasive editorial:

• Steps for Writing a Persuasive Editorial

Steps to Follow for Writing a Persuasive Editorial

1. Define your audience. When you plan to write apersuasive editorial, you need to know your audience.

2. Create a working thesis. Your thesis should express aninformed opinion based on a knowledge of the facts and reflectlogical thinking.

3. Brainstorm for supporting information. You need to find facts, details, examples, and reasons that support your opinion.

4. Think about opposing arguments. Your editorial will be especially persuasive if you pay attention to opposing arguments- opinions that are different from the one you are expressing. It is a good idea to mention such arguments and then answer them in support of your own opinion.

5. Decide how to organize your writing. Persuasive editorials may be organized in a number of different ways. Here are three effective methods of organization:

• Order of importance.List three or four major reasons forsupporting your opinion, and then support and develop each ofthese reasons, going from the least significant reason to the mostimportant one.

• Process of elimination.Lead the reader step by step throughseveral possible interpretations. Show why each interpretation isnot valid or does not fit the facts as well as your approach does.

• Contrast.If you are focusing on just two alternative viewpoints,you could contrast them, hoping to persuade your audience thatone is more valid than the other.

6. Introduce your thesis. Draft an introductory paragraph that sets up the issue you will be writing about. State your opinion on the matter and the main reasons that support your opinion. Support your thesis with examples and details. Use your notes to write paragraphs supporting your opinion with facts and reasons. The more specific and concrete your supporting details are, the more convincing your essay will be.

7. Use a persuasive tone. As you write your draft, keep in mindthat you are addressing an audience that does not necessarily agreewith you. Present your ideas tactfully. Acknowledge but do notinsult opposing opinions.Write a strong conclusion. In your final paragraph, restateyour opinion as forcefully as you can.

All written assignments in this course must:

1. Be typed in Microsoft Word.

2. Be double-spaced, with one space after punctuation between sentences.

3. Contain no breaks between sections or paragraphs.

4. Have 1" margins on all sides.

5. Be in 12 pt. Times New Roman font.

6. Include a page header (shortened title) in the upper left-hand of every page and a page number in the upper right-hand side of every page.

7. Include an APA-style cover-page.

8. Have the title again, centered at the top of page two.

9. Identify all sources within the paper by using parenthetical in-text citations.

10. Include an APA-style references page that matches the parenthetical in-text citations.