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Nothing works quite so well to catch someone s interest than a simply amazing statistic. For instance, in the
environmental essay, the fact that each one of us creates four pounds of garbage each and every day is enough
to grab anyone s attention. Follow that statistic with the statement that the United States has an urgent need
to control waste and your audience is led in exactly the direction you want them to go to read and accept
your proposal. Now, if the startling statistic is put into the words of an authority as a direct quote, it gains
even more impact. For example, if we say, According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency,
each and every day, each and every American produces four pounds of garbage that must be disposed of . . .
we have added authority to our statistic.
A Statement of Urgency
Nothing speaks better than an authority. You can grab your audience by directly quoting or paraphrasing the
Surgeon General of the United States or the Secretary of the Interior. For example, The United States Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency the people responsible for the air we breathe and the water we drink say
that unless we begin to reduce the amount of garbage we send to the landfill, the methane gas being released
into the air everyday will eventually create biohazardous conditions for us all.
Quoting the EPA gives a serious tone to your introduction, and it alerts your reader that you have very
important information to share which may affect their future actions.
A Direct Question
Sometimes called a rhetorical question because you really do not expect an answer, the direct question invites
your reader to proceed with you to discover the answer. It is your promise that if the reader goes ahead, he
or she will learn. Consider this question: How can we protect the air we breathe and the water we drink so
that they don t poison our children? This question combines a startling statement with an invitation to the
reader to help find a solution.
There are other introductory devices but the above three work particularly well for persuasive writing.
They establish authority, urgency, and an invitation to the reader to participate in the solution or find an
answer to the question.
Let s take the development of a term paper that requires you to select a topic and argue a position. Notice,
this is not just a paper about a topic, but a persuasive piece. You ve got to find something controversial that
has a clear pro and con and then set about writing a thesis statement to guide your research.
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THESIS STATEMENTS AND EFFECTIVE RESEARCH EXPRESS YOURSELF
You brainstorm possible topics:
drug testing
animal experimentation
censorship
cheating
smoking
You decide that the idea of censorship holds some interest for you. You create a cluster map.
Catcher in
The Color
the Rye
Purple
editorials
news stories
Books
School Newspaper
Magazines
CENSORSHIP
Internet
TV
Graduation
school prayer
Music
School Libraries
speeches
dance
lyrics
MTV
You settle on censorship in music and you weigh the two positions: should it be allowed or shouldn t
it? You decide that you do not believe that any music should be censored; you believe that lyrics are free speech
and listening to them is part of free expression. You establish a thesis statement to help you persuade your
audience that music should not be censored.
Censorship of music because someone or some group finds the lyrics offensive should not be
allowed because free expression is a constitutional right; parents have other ways to assert control over
what their children hear, and politicians should not interfere with an individual s right to choose.
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EXPRESS YOURSELF THESIS STATEMENTS AND EFFECTIVE RESEARCH
Is this a satisfactory introductory paragraph? It s only one sentence. It s very cut and dry. Will it make
a reader want to go forward? Will it inspire a reaction either for or against? The answers to all the above are
no. So what does it need?
In 1985, Tipper Gore, wife of then Senator Al Gore of Tennessee, launched a campaign with Susan
Baker, wife of Secretary of State James Baker, that warned parents of music s sexually explicit lan-
guage. They, and the men and women who joined them, argued that parents needed government help
to raise moral children. Do we really need the government of the United States of America to use its
time and resources to listen to Snoop Doggy Dog and tell us whether or not we can listen? Censorship
of music because someone or some group finds the lyrics offensive should not be allowed because
free expression is a constitutional right; parents have other ways to assert control over what their chil-
dren listen to, and politicians should not interfere with an individual s right to choose.
Notice that the thesis statement is the last sentence of the introduction. It is preceded by background
information and then a rhetorical question designed to instigate thinking that the government is getting too
involved in our CD collections. Would you read further? What would you expect next?
BODY PARAGRAPHS
Now that you have engaged your reader, you must fulfill your promise. You must demonstrate with clear and
convincing evidence that your thesis is correct and your reader should accept your position as his or her own.
Remember the boxing strategy that was described on page ix. Let s put it to use here.
CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS PARENT OPTIONS FREE CHOICE OPTIONS
1. 1. 1.
2. 2. 2.
The box becomes a very good way to test the organization of your essay. You should always plan at least
two supporting details for each argument; three or more depending on the length of the essay. The box head-
ings are also a good way for you to check your main points. Are constitutional rights and free choice
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