If I asked you to tie an overhand knot, you might stumble a bit. Actually, if you’ve never been a scout, you might think it’s impossible for you to know how to tie such an obscure knot. But what if I showed you an example? It would certainly help, right? Check out the video below …
To some people, writing a formal outline for a speech is about as much fun as getting a flu shot. I get it. If you’re not a fan of outlines, it can be pretty tedious to sort out where to put an “A,” a “1,” or a “b.” The mere thought of it is enough …
When I was a kid, my older brother tried to convince me that I was an alien and that Mom and Dad would send me back to my own planet if I misbehaved. Older siblings can be pretty persuasive, and if you’ve ever fallen victim to this persuasion (as I may have done once or …
How does a day rushing down water slides or floating peacefully down a lazy river sound? What if I told you that you absolutely need to go to a new local waterpark because it really is just that awesome? Would free passes seal the deal? If you’re a big fan of waterparks, you’d probably jump …
When you were a child, how many times did your parents say “absolutely not” when you asked for something? How many of those times did you persuade your parents to finally say yes? Sometimes it’s a given that you’ll never be able to convince your parents. It’s almost impossible to convince them of any rather …
Let’s pretend you wrote the following as a working thesis statement for your persuasive essay: Global climate change has been debated for many years. Do you think this is a persuasive thesis statement? (HINT: Say “no”!) NO: The thesis statement is a fact. It is not persuasive and not debatable. If you answered “yes” …
Are you asking yourself why you should read this blog post? Are you asking, “What’s in it for me?” What if I promised that by reading this you’ll learn more about how to write an effective persuasive essay? What if I promised that by reading this you’ll learn 40 persuasive essay topics to help you …
Ask yourself this—how many hours do you spend interacting with technology each week?? Add up the number of hours you spend each week on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, and other social media sites. Now add to that the number of hours each week you spend surfing the web, playing video games, or completing some other online …
You’ve decided to write a persuasive essay, and the topic you’ve chosen is cyber bullying—specifically, something should be done about it, but what? The core, or the “guts,” of your essay should come from your own thoughts and views on the issue. To really make an impact, though, you should support your arguments with citations …
For those of you who aren’t exactly fans of essay writing, standing in front of a firing squad might seem like a better option than having to write another essay about the death penalty. I hear ya. This is a long-debated topic and one that can be challenging to write about because it can seem …
Are you a self-proclaimed featherweight champion essay writer? Have you met a worthy opponent in the persuasive essay? Has it left you on the ropes and ready to throw in the towel? Don’t worry. I’m in your corner. I’m here to help you learn more about what makes an effective persuasive essay. Here are a …
You’re cruising through your writing class just fine. No speed bumps in the road to a decent grade. But then your instructor decides to put up a roadblock—a texting while driving essay. You screech to a halt. You weren’t paying attention to how to write essays most effectively and, instead, just wrote whatever came naturally. …
Really? You have to write another persuasive essay? As I see it, you have two choices: 1) Try to persuade your professor that you know all there is to know about writing and there’s no need for you to write this persuasive essay. 2) Assume #1 (see above) won’t work, and write another persuasive essay. …
Aiming for the big ‘A’ on that next essay? Well guess what—winging it without an essay outline is just not an option! By now, you’ve probably made plans in one form or another. You’ve marked quizzes and paper due dates on a calendar. Maybe you’ve put together a surprise birthday party for your friend. Thinking about …
Even though you might not think you’re a master at persuasion, chances are you’re better than you think. Did you ever try to persuade your parents to let you stay out beyond curfew? Have you ever tried to persuade a friend to watch a movie he really didn’t want to see? Maybe you’ve even tried …
Think back to the last time you tried to persuade someone to do something or to see an issue from your point of view. Did you succeed in convincing your teacher to give up grading or your parents to continue paying your cell phone bill for another year? No? Probably because you were using the …
OMG! I have to write a persuasive essay! HELP!!!!! First of all, don’t panic. You may think you don’t know how to write a persuasive essay, but you really do. You’ve been persuading people all your life—with varying degrees of success, of course. From when you pleaded to stay up an extra fifteen minutes before …
What if you could be more persuasive than a presidential candidate? Too easy. What if you could inspire more followers than a religious leader? Hmm, maybe. What if you could convince Taylor Swift (or Taylor Lautner, if you prefer) to go out for a coffee? Now we’re talking! Well first things first. Before your coffee date, you need to …
I take my dog Oskar to work with me nearly every day. He rides in a trailer that I tow behind my bike 2.5 miles uphill to the Kibin office. I’m lucky that I work for a place that allows dogs. Other dog companions aren’t so fortunate. Shouldn’t responsible dog owners be allowed to bring …
What is a persuasive essay? In the simplest of terms, a persuasive essay is intended to persuade. It should incite action and pull readers toward a given point of view, or convince those whose minds are not yet made up. The targets of a persuasive essay are those who are “on the fence.” If someone is …