Essay Assignment 3: Persuasion
The Issue: In our dealings with other people, one thing is inevitable—there will be conflicts. Unfortunately, some conflicts are solved only through coercion and violence. More often, however, disputes can be resolved through conversation, logic, and argumentation; that is, through persuasion.
The Writing Task: Write a persuasive essay on a topic of your choice. To complete the essay, you will need to select a controversial issue, narrow your topic, take a stand, develop your argument with reasons and evidence, and effectively appeal to your reader’s values and interests.
Important rules for this assignment:
- Use Times New Roman font, 12 point, double space, 1″ margins
- Minimum of 4-7 full pages, pages, not including your works cited page
- Cite a minimum of 7 quality sources in the body of the essay using MLA style
- The issue must be controversial and sharply focused
- You need to take a clear stand on the issue
- Your target audience cannot already agree with you, but they must be open to persuasion
- You must address at least one of your opponents’ counter-arguments