The purpose of a persuasive essay is to persuade your readers to accept your point of view or to take a decisive action. In order to do this, you must make a sound argument based on logical reasoning, appeals to emotion, and the support of an authority or expert. Before you can develop your argument, you need to select a topic and determine where you stand on the issue. As you view this presentation, take notes on how to choose and determine your central idea and the position you will take on it. Click the player button to begin.

View a printable version of the interactivity.

Crafting a Central Idea and Position for Persuasive Writing Review

Now that you have learned how to create an effective claim or thesis for a persuasive essay, it is time to review your knowledge and practice what you have learned. In this non-graded activity, read the set of directions associated with each question and provide your answer. Click the player button to get started.