Overview: Writing for a Purpose
In persuasive writing, the purpose is to influence an audience. Essay prompts that direct students to write to persuade will state the both the issue and the audience. For those essays, it is important to stay focused, analyze the issue, and analyze the audience. Usually, the test gives a number of alternatives.
What Is the Issue?
During the prompts, students may be asked to defend or oppose a position or an action. Perhaps the issue is defending a longer school year. Think of all the advantages to students and teachers of having a longer school year, if the position chosen is to write about defending it. Jot down some of those ideas before writing the paper.
Who Is the Audience?
The writing prompt will clearly state who the audience is for the argument. If the audience consists of members of the school board, use arguments and examples that will appeal to them, as business people, and members of the community. For example, one of the advantages of having a longer school year might be to have a better educated workforce. If the intended audience were fellow students, in a letter to the editor of the school paper, one strategy might be to describe the advantage to students of taking the time to study a subject in depth and to explore alternatives.
Stay Focused
As with any essay portion on a standardized test, stay focused and avoid the temptation to stray off track. While normal essay writing instructions often ask students to argue the opposite point of view , the essay portion of the standardized test is not a normal essay. There isn’t enough time to develop opposing points of view. The purpose of the essay portion of the SAT and ACT is to show how well writers can stay focused, choose one point of view, and follow it.
Reviewing and Proofreading
The last five minutes or so of allotted writing time can be used for reviewing and proofreading. For some students, that might mean neat correction of spelling errors. Others may use the time to read the paper over and add any quick transitions. Long before taking either the SAT or the ACT, practice writing to different types of writing prompts, including the persuasive essay.