NAME: ______________________ PERIOD: ______
PERSUASIVE ESSAY/LETTER WRITING
USING CITATIONS
When the Author’s Name is Available:
If the author’s name is known, it must be used for in-text citations.
1) Chester L. Murray states, “Only the first group to take the test is
surprised by the questions. After that, the secret is out.” (30)
Be sure to place the name and page number within parentheses inside the
period.
2) “Only the first group to take the test is surprised by the questions.
After that, the secret is out” (Murray 30).
Be sure to place the name and page number within parentheses inside the
period.
When the Author's Name is NOT Available:
If the author's name is NOT available, use the first important word in the
article.
1) Over 1,000 sea creatures died in the oil spill from the Exxon
Valdez off the coast of Alaska ("Alaskan" 61).
Because the author's name is unavailable, I use the first important word
in the article's title: "Alaskan Oil Spill"
NINE COMMA RULES
RULE #1
Between independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction:
The comma goes before the conjunction; the coordinating conjunctions should be memorized: and, but, or, nor, for, yet,
so.
I pushed the button, but nothing happened.
Each independent clause could stand alone as a complete sentence:
[I pushed the button], [but] [ nothing happened.]
ind. clause
comma
independent
RULE #2
coord. conj.
clause
To separate coordinate adjectives:
Put a comma between adjectives – if you could use the word and between them instead of a comma:
I looked upon her open, smiling face.
her [open]
[,]
[smiling] face
(“Her open and smiling face” sounds natural.)
coord. comma
coord.
adj.
adj.
If the word "and" would not sound natural between the adjectives, don’t put in a comma:
a cute little baby (“A cute and little baby” doesn’t sound natural.)
the good old days
RULE #3.
To set off an appositive.
An appositive is a noun phrase that stands next to another noun and gives additional information about it:
Mrs. Santaria, our history teacher, is planning a trip.
[Mrs. Santaria] [,] [our history teacher] [,] is planning a trip.
noun
comma
appositive
comma noun phrase
RULE #4.
Between the name of a city and a state:
Trenton
[,]
New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
city comma
state
RULE #5.
Before a direct quotation:
The comma goes after the words that identify the speaker:
[Bill] asked [,]
[“When do we start?”]
Bill asked, “When do we start?”
speaker
comma
direct quote
RULE #6.
To set off a name in direct address:
Use a comma to set off a person’s name when he or she is being spoken to: (A name used this way is called a noun of
address.)
Yes [,]
[Mr. Greene] [,]
I can hear you.
Yes, Mr. Greene, I can hear you.
comma
name in
comma
direct address
RULE #7.
After an transitional word or phrase:
Use a comma after a transition:
To begin, comma usage is vital to grammatical mastery.
[To begin] [,] comma usage is vital to grammatical mastery.
[To begin][,] comma usage is vital to grammatical mastery.
Trans. comma
Trans. phrase comma
RULE #8.
After an introductory participial phrase:
A participial phrase is a phrase built around a verb form known as a participle. There are two kinds of participles, present
and past.
[Walking quickly] [,] I made it to class on time.
Present ends in –ing: eating taking loving fooling
Participial Phrase Comma
Walking quickly, I made it to class on time.
Past follows have, has or had: eaten taken love fooled
Having eaten so many candies, Joe soon had an unbearable stomach ache.
[Having eaten so many candies][,] Joe soon had an unbearable stomach ache.
Participial Phrase
Comma
RULE #9.
After an introductory dependent clause:
A dependent clause is usually introduced by words like if, because, although, after, before, when:
If we leave early, we’ll get there before noon.
[If we leave early] [,] we’ll get there before noon.
intro. dep. clause comma
Because comma usage is important, we spend time learning how to use them properly.
[Because comma usage is important] [,] we spend time learning how to use them properly.
into. dep. clause
comma
PERSUASIVE INTRODUCTION
• Salutation (If Necessary)
• Lead or hook
• Be sure to explain your lead.
• Restate the task as personally as possible.
• Present your stance
• Provide your focus statement.
Dear Sir or Madam
The final bell rings. It’s the last day of school, and
summer has finally come! Students don’t have to think
about school for at least another 2 1/2 months, and that
is the way it should always be. Recently, the Southern
Regional School Board has proposed the possibility of
extending the school year, thereby cutting our summer
vacation to a mere 15 days. Schools should continue
using the traditional calendar and not a year-round
schedule. There are numerous downsides to year-round
schooling. It has no positive effects on education, it adds
to costs, and it disrupts the long-awaited summer
vacation.
PERSUASIVE INTRODUCTION
• Salutation (If Necessary)
• Lead or hook
• Be sure to explain your lead.
• Restate the task as personally as possible.
• Present your stance
• Provide your focus statement.
To Whom It May Concern
Could you imagine not being able to read such
remarkable classics as Mark Twain's "Tom Sawyer" or
Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" because they were
pulled from the library's bookshelves? These literary
classics and many others are in danger of being
banned from public libraries and schools. Banning
books from public libraries and schools should not be
allowed. Allowing such a decision takes choice away
from readers, children need access to multiple points
of view, and children need access to certain topics, no
matter how unpopular they may be.
PERSUASIVE BODY PARAGRAPHS
(AT LEAST THREE)
 Transition (To begin, To start off, etc.)
 Present your first reason.
 Explain and DEVELOP your reason fully.
 Provide example(s) that DEMONSTRATE your reasoning.
(You can make it up if you are answering a prompt.)
 Explain the point your example(s) make.
To begin, contrary to the well-accepted belief, yearround schooling has no constructive impact on education.
Most year-round schedules use the 45-15 method: 45 days of
school followed by 15 days off. Because of this, there are
many first and last days of school. All those transitions
disrupt the learning process. Also, there is no evidence of
higher test scores. Due to that, many schools that change to
year-round schedules end up switching back. For example,
since 1980, 95 percent of schools that tried the year-round
schedule changed back to a traditional calendar (Miller 8).
It is obvious that changing to year-round schooling does
not help students; therefore, why is the change necessary?
PERSUASIVE BODY PARAGRAPHS
(AT LEAST THREE)
 Transition (To begin, To start off, etc.)
 Present your first reason.
 Explain and DEVELOP your reason fully.
 Provide example(s) that DEMONSTRATE your reasoning.
(You can make it up if you are answering a prompt.)
 Explain the point your example(s) make.
Moreover, like any other facility, keeping a school open
requires a great deal of money. When a school changes to a yearround schedule, the costs skyrocket. Keeping school open in the
middle of summer requires air conditioning, and that adds
significantly to the school’s expenses. The usual utility bills grow
because of the additional open-school time. Finally, teachers must
be paid for all the extra weeks they are working. With all these
factors, the cost of keeping schools open becomes immensely high.
For example, a high school in Arizona reportedly had a cost
increase of $157,000 when they switched to year-round schooling
("Changing" 44). Some schools may not be able to handle such
increases, and other schools that can handle these expenses could
be doing better things with the money. Is year-round school really
where the money should go?
PERSUASIVE CONCLUSION
 Concluding TRANSITION (To conclude, In conclusion, etc.)
 Restate your focus statement, word for word or in other words.
 Restate / Summarize ALL main points you made throughout your essay.
 Leave your reader thinking by revisiting your lead, presenting a new
provocative question, or citing one last interesting fact.
 Ending Salutation
To conclude, it is evident that year-round
schooling is not the best option for the school
calendar. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the
traditional school year. Why change something that
works so well? It has no positive effects on education,
it adds to costs, and it disrupts the long-awaited
summer vacation. The final bell rings. Let’s make sure
this bell means that the “real” and most logical
summer vacation has come.
Respectfully Yours
A Concerned Southern Regional Ram
PERSUASIVE CONCLUSION
 Concluding TRANSITION (To conclude, In conclusion, etc.)
 Restate your focus statement, word for word or in other words.
 Restate / Summarize ALL main points you made throughout your essay.
 Leave your reader thinking by revisiting your lead, presenting a new
provocative question, or citing one last interesting fact.
 Ending Salutation
In the end, allowing such a decision as
banning books is a mistake and deserves
immediate review. Such a decision takes choice
away from readers, children need access to
multiple points of view, and children need access
to certain topics, no matter how unpopular they
may be. I am certain you would hate to be the
reason behind stripping today's youth from
valuable literary pieces. After all, according to the
philosopher George Santayana, those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it
(33).