I remember the first time I tried to use logical argumentation. I was six, and I had taken gum from a store without paying for it. My mom caught me, and I tried to persuade her that since we pay taxes on all our food, it more than makes up for the price of the gum. Needless to say, I got in big trouble, had to return the gum, and apologize to the clerk. While that was the end of my life in crime, it was also the beginning of my journey of persuasion. By the time I got into college I was a master of argumentation and writing persuasive essays. It’s all a formula.
The key to writing persuasive essays in college is to know what motivates you. If you are writing to get into college, you are motivated to get your college degree. If you are trying to create a change of policy on campus, you might be motivated by a sense of justice or fairness. Whatever motivates you will be the driving force behind writing your essay. Once you have identified it, you can proceed to look up facts and reasons to help you motivate others. But if there are difficulties when writing an essay, they can easily be solved by asking professionals to help to write my paper.
Argumentation also requires good communication, which is a must for anyone seeking a college degree or needing to write persuasive essays. Whether you are filling in a test question or sending a letter to a newspaper, the ability to communicate what motivates you to others is essential. Once you know what you think, and why you think it, set those out in a logical thought process. One of the reasons to have a college degree is to show future employers you can think and write in a reasonably logical way.
Your essay will start with your premise, provide your reasoning and conclude by inviting people to think the same way as you. After you get used to that formula, writing persuasively will be one of the easiest things you do in your college degree program, and will give you results as sweet as candy.
When I write an essay or longer work and do the research I always find interest in funny things and I think, “Man, I wish I had said that!” Usually, it’s a quotation that is funny or smart and I want people to think I’m that clever. But taking credit for someone else’s words is neither funny nor smart so I always make sure to include a reference. A reference is an indication of where the quotation, statistic, fact, or idea came from when it’s presented in your work. As you pursue your college degree, you must know how to write a reference.
There are three types of references: Footnote, where the material is assigned a number by page which corresponds to an entry at the bottom of the page that tells the source, author, page number, or URL. Endnote, where the material is assigned a number by chapter, and the source information is compiled in a list on the back. Parenthetical, where the source author and page number are listed in parenthesis right after the source but the author is listed on the bibliography in the back. When you are earning your college degree these are the three major types you will use.
When doing your research make sure to scan the index or publishing copywriter information to make sure you have all that down, and be sure to write the page number of the source or exact title of the website page so it’s available when doing the writing. A good reference is one where the reader could find the exact quotation or idea but using your reference as a map. If they can’t come up with the source of your quotation, then the writing is not the appropriate level for a college degree.
Plagiarism is a serious academic crime and to be avoided at all costs. Even if you wish they were your words, make sure that the reader can tell if they’re not.
