But along his return journey he stopped suddenly, spying something rise from the bushes. It was a haggard peasant woman, raising a crooked finger. "Ah yes," she said, "you might be able to persuade with that fluff, but it has no substance." Then she opened her mouth, and swallowed his findings in a single, empty bite. "Delicious," she muttered, "I love cotton candy."
Let's pause here to look at the difference between persuasive writing and argumentative writing.
Persuasive Writing is the version you probably learned first. It's an exercise in expressing an opinion, and compelling an audience. As in argumentation, the writer makes a claim, and supports it with reasons and evidence, but unlike argumentation, persuasive writing allows for a broad range of support that includes unverified personal anecdotes, a good deal of pathos, and facts from brief, shallow research. In many situations, it's a perfectly appropriate approach to writing (such as when you want to convince your parents to let you borrow the car Saturday night). However, sometimes I feel disheartened when I see politicians and media reporters take this approach in addressing important local, national, or global issues. The writing makes use of pathos and logos, and the structure often looks like this: Claim-Reasons-Evidence.
Argumentative Writing Whereas persuasive writing is audience-focused (all about convincing the reader to do or believe something), argumentative writing is truth-focused (all about examining a topic to show what truth you believe emerges naturally from the available evidence). This requires more thought and preparation. If you've already mastered persuasive writing, you're ready for this. An argumentative writer, being human, can't help but begin with an opinion, but as he dives into his research, he studies the issue from all sides with a willingness to question his original view. As an argumentative writer writes, she displays her extensive research, carefully cites evidence from qualified sources, interprets data from a knowledge of the full context, and addresses the opposing view. Here's how a teacher at Smekens Education puts it:
It's a debate! There's no easy answer--that's why it's an issue. What are the valid points [the other side makes]? You give them space. It's pro/con. And because you give them space, your voice, your tone, stays respectful and tactful. You're not gonna woo them by putting them down, you're gonna woo them because you have more data to support your side. (http://www.smekenseducation.com/Argumentative-v-Persuasive-Writ0.html)This show of expertise and fairness establishes ethos. While argumentative writing allows for a little pathos, writers put most of their focus on logos, arranging their research and reasoning in way that leads the reader through a natural, logical train of thought.* The writing makes use of logos and ethos, and the structure could be either Claim-Reasons-Evidence, or Claim-Evidence-Reasons.
Now back to our story.
Why did the old woman eat Ben's research?
In what way was Ben's research like cotton candy?
What do you recommend Ben do on his next project?
Is persuasive writing bad?
See also: This ReadWriteThink document. and This ReadWriteThink article.
*A note about the "Argumentative Essay" portion of the AP English Language and Composition Exam. Because this is a 40-minute essay, the AP Exam judges don't expect you to have conducted extensive research on your topic before reading the essay prompt. As you write, establish ethos by making text-to-world, and text-to-text connections, albeit without specific source citation. And feel free to use personal experiences as evidence. Rather than relying on a specific resource for this type of argumentation, writers delve into knowledge they've gained from a lifetime of reading and experience to study and discuss the issue, and yet the focus is not on grasping for proof to support your opinion, but to form a claim based on an exploration of all the evidence you have.
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