Writing a Thesis for a Persuasive Essay

In this unit’s Assignment, you will write a persuasive thesis statement related to an argument for change and evaluate the effectiveness of that argument using the Toulmin Model. You will write three well-developed paragraphs addressing the following:
Part I: First of all, you will revise the provisional thesis statement that you generated in the previous unit Discussion. Make sure the thesis is concise (1–2 sentences) and clearly expresses a persuasive argument related to your topic. Then, identify what type of claim your thesis expresses (policy, value, cause, etc.) and discuss why you think this thesis will be an effective one. For more on creating effective persuasive thesis statements, review the following Writing Center resources: “Give Your Paper Direction: Developing a Strong Thesis Statement” • “Writing a Thesis for a Persuasive Essay”
Part II: Next, describe how you will use the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos to make your argument more compelling to your audience. You can review the Writing Center resource on the appeals here: “The Three Appeals of Argumentative Writing.”
Part III: Finally, evaluate your argument based on the Toulmin Model. Describe the warrant (assumption), note possible challenges you might face in supporting this argument and what rebuttals will be needed, and determine whether the argument is susceptible to any logical fallacies and whether qualifiers would help to avoid those fallacies. You can review the Writing Center resource on creating a logical argument here: “How to Support an Argument and Avoid Logical Fallacies.” Part II: Next, describe how you will use the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos to make your argument more compelling to your audience. You can review the Writing Center resource on the appeals here: “The Three Appeals of Argumentative Writing.”