How do I write a good persuasive essay?

The first thing you have to do is determine if you are writing formally or informally. To do this, you must identify your audience. For example, if you were writing a letter to your headmistress, you would use a more formal tone. If you were writing to a friend, you would probably use a more informal tone. In both cases, you should use a range of persuasive techniques to get your point across. An easy way to remember these techniques is through the acronym “A FOREST”. A-   Alliteration F-   FactsO- OpinionR-   Repetition/Rhetorical Questions E-  Emotive languageS-   StatisticsT-   Triples (rule of three)Let’s pretend you have to give a speech in front of the whole school on the dangers of deforestation. You would use a formal tone, which means that you would not use slang words or dialect. For example, instead of ‘mates’ you would say ‘friends’. It is important to begin with an engaging opening, for example, you may want to use a rhetorical question, such as, ‘Can you imagine your home being suddenly destroyed?”. You could follow this with a statistic, such as: “Sadly, that is the reality for 100 species that are killed every day because of deforestation”. You could then use facts to explain what deforestation is, how often it occurs, and what the consequences are. For example: “Deforestation is the common process of cutting down trees, particularly in the rainforest. It contributes to global warming and the loss of many animals’ natural habitats”. You should then give your argument against deforestation. You could emphasise your opinion by using repetition. For example: “The negative effects of deforestation on the environment make it a cruel, heartless, and selfish practice”. The words ‘cruel’, ‘heartless’, and ‘selfish’ are also examples of emotive language because they appeal to people’s emotions and make them feel sorry for the animals affected by deforestation. You should then continue your argument against deforestation by also providing the counter-argument. Then, to conclude, you may want to include alliteration and the rule of three by saying: “We must take a stand to stop the destruction of flora and fauna. We must take a stand against the loss of the rain-forest, the destruction of animals’ homes, and the increase of climate change”.