Writing Application
Learn
This lesson transitions from analyzing rhetoric to applying rhetorical strategies in your own writing. Understanding how persuasion works is only the first step; the goal is to become a more effective communicator yourself.
From Reader to Writer
When you write persuasively, you must consider:
- Purpose: What do you want your audience to think, feel, or do after reading?
- Audience: Who are you writing for? What do they already know or believe?
- Context: Where and when will your writing be read? What expectations does that context create?
- Constraints: What are the limits (length, format, tone) of your writing situation?
Strategic Choices in Writing
Opening Strategies: Your introduction must capture attention and establish your purpose. Options include starting with a striking statistic, a provocative question, a relevant anecdote, or a bold claim.
Building Your Argument: Organize your points for maximum impact. Consider whether to lead with your strongest point, build to a climax, or address counterarguments early to establish credibility.
Evidence Selection: Choose evidence that will resonate with your specific audience. Expert testimony works for some audiences; personal stories work for others.
Closing Strategies: End with a call to action, a memorable phrase, a return to your opening image, or a vision of the future you are advocating.
Balancing Appeals
Effective persuasive writing balances ethos, pathos, and logos. Too much emotional appeal without logical support feels manipulative. Pure logic without emotional connection fails to motivate. Credibility (ethos) must be established early and maintained throughout.
Examples
Example 1: Revising for Rhetorical Impact
Original: "The school should have later start times. Students are tired in the morning."
Revised: "When the first bell rings at 7:15 AM, half of our students are operating on fewer than six hours of sleep—a condition that research shows impairs cognitive function as severely as alcohol intoxication. Later school start times are not a matter of convenience; they are a matter of educational effectiveness and student safety."
Analysis: The revision adds specific details, cites research (logos), uses comparison to create impact (pathos), and frames the issue as one of safety and effectiveness (values appeal).
Example 2: Audience Adaptation
For Parents: "Your child's developing brain needs 8-10 hours of sleep to consolidate learning and regulate emotions. Current start times work against biology, not with it."
For School Board: "Districts that have implemented later start times have seen measurable improvements in attendance, graduation rates, and standardized test scores—while reducing transportation costs through optimized bus schedules."
Analysis: The same core argument is presented with different evidence and framing based on what each audience values most.
Practice
Complete the following exercises to develop your ability to apply rhetorical strategies in writing.
Practice 1
Write three different opening sentences for an essay arguing that students should be allowed to use phones during lunch. Each opening should use a different strategy: (a) a question, (b) a statistic or fact, (c) a brief anecdote.
Practice 2
Take the following weak thesis statement and revise it to be more specific, arguable, and rhetorically effective:
"Social media has both good and bad effects on teenagers."
Practice 3
You are writing a letter to your principal requesting a new elective course. Draft two versions of your opening paragraph: one that leads with ethos (establishing your credibility) and one that leads with pathos (connecting emotionally).
Practice 4
Read this claim: "The voting age should be lowered to 16."
Write a paragraph that addresses a counterargument (the opposition's view) and then refutes it. Use the concession-rebuttal structure.
Practice 5
Revise this flat, unpersuasive sentence to make it more compelling using specific details, vivid language, and rhetorical technique:
"Plastic pollution is bad for the ocean."
Practice 6
Write a concluding paragraph for an essay arguing that arts education should be required in all schools. Your conclusion should: (a) avoid simply restating the thesis, (b) include a call to action, and (c) leave the reader with a memorable final thought.
Practice 7
You need to persuade your parents to extend your curfew. Write one paragraph using primarily logical appeals (logos) with evidence and reasoning, then write a second paragraph using primarily emotional appeals (pathos).
Practice 8
Analyze your own previous essay or a sample persuasive essay. Identify where the writer uses ethos, pathos, and logos. Suggest two specific revisions that would strengthen the rhetorical effectiveness.
Practice 9
Write a one-paragraph argument for the same position (your choice of topic) but for two different audiences: (a) your peers and (b) community leaders. Note the differences in tone, evidence, and framing.
Practice 10
Choose a topic you care about and outline a complete persuasive essay. Include: your thesis, three main supporting points with the type of evidence you would use for each, one counterargument you would address, and your planned opening and closing strategies.
Practice 11
Transform this informational statement into a persuasive claim with supporting reasoning:
"Many schools have dress codes."
Write a claim that either supports or opposes dress codes, with two sentences of supporting reasoning.
Practice 12
Write a rhetorical question that could effectively open an essay on one of these topics: climate change, standardized testing, or extracurricular activities. Explain why your question is effective.
Check Your Understanding
Test yourself with these review questions.
- What four elements should you consider before beginning any persuasive writing task?
- How does audience analysis change the evidence and framing you use in an argument?
- Why is it rhetorically effective to address counterarguments in your writing?
- What is the difference between a conclusion that restates the thesis and one that extends the argument with a call to action?
Next Steps
- Apply rhetorical strategies to your next essay assignment
- Practice adapting arguments for different audiences
- Move on to the next lesson when ready: Editing Workshop