Writing the Essay

• 1). Choose a subject for your persuasive essay. After some thoughtful research on the subject, develop a thesis statement that you can support. This thesis statement should be an argument for or against a person, policy, behavior or any other subject.
  
  
• 2). Write an introduction that engages the reader while introducing him to the nature of the essay. Include your thesis statement somewhere in the body of this first paragraph to keep your reader on track.
  
  
• 3). Find supporting information from your research that confirms your thesis statement. These will make up the body of your essay, so make sure that these ideas are provable and easy to reference.
  
  
• 4). Write a conclusion that not only sums up your argument, but also reaffirms your position and encourages your reader to act. By the end of the essay, it should be clear why you have made this argument and what the results of going against this argument might be.
  
  

Arguing Against the Essay

• 1). Review your thesis and supporting statements. Analyze whether you think the information was clear and flowed well from point to point. It may help for you to create an outline that defines the information in the essay. This will also serve as a reference for your countering statements.
  
  
• 2). Put yourself in the perspective of a naysayer. For example, if your argument is about the potential dangers of smoking, put yourself in the mindset of a tobacco company representative or a long-term smoker who has experienced no negative effects. This will allow you to find errors in the information presented in the essay.
  
  
• 3). Look for logical fallacies in the text. Fallacies include personal attacks, red herrings, irrelevant appeals and weak analogies. If you see these fallacies, it is likely your opponent will as well. Replace these fallacies with sound and relevant statements in your revision.