3 Efficacious Steps To Write A Convincing Assignment

Do you already know how to build a great assignment? Find out how to write a convincing assignment in this article with us.

Besides presentations and group exercises, assignment writing is one of the top criteria to evaluate the quality of learning for each semester. Depending on the school’s regulations and the major, teachers give the percentage of the assignment to validate the subject.

For example, according to Raluca Popescu, an alumnus of International and European Law at The Hague University of Applied Sciences (The Hague, Netherlands), the percentage of assignment results to pass the school year is 30% for all subjects (this rate for the first year is 20%). Because of the importance of assignment writing, you should equip yourself with the keys to successful assignment writing.

A persuasive assignment is writing used to convince your reader to agree with a particular point of view that you believe and support. You can write a compelling assignment to express your opinion on any topic. No matter what issue you write about, the skill of assignment writing is the one that everyone needs. So, in this article, we will show you how to write a convincing assignment in most detail. Let’s find out!

What Are Characteristics Of An Assignment?

Most scientific fields use their own convention of style. However, all academic writing shares certain. An assignment will have the following basic features:

1. Clear And Not Rambling

In an assignment, each paragraph and sentence of the article rejoins that the main focus. While articles may include background or contextual information, all content serves the purpose of supporting the assignment.

1. Logical Structure

All scholarly texts follow a simple logical structure. In its simplest form, educational writing includes an introduction, a body paragraph, and a conclusion. The birth provides background information, gives the scope and direction of the assignment, and confirms the thesis. The body segments support the thesis statement, with each body paragraph building on a support point. The conclusion refers back to the view, summarizes the main points, and highlights the significance of the paper’s findings. Each sentence and logic connects to the next to present a clear argument.

1. Arguments Based On Evidence

Literature requires well-informed arguments. Reports must be supported by evidence, whether from an academic source (as in a research paper), the result of a study or experiment, or a quote from a major text (as in an assignment).

1. Objective Voice

The goal of an assignment is to convey a logical argument from an objective point of view. Therefore, assignment style should avoid emotional or biased language. Whether you personally agree or disagree with an idea, it must be presented accurately and objectively in your article.

3 Steps For Writing A Persuasive Assignment

Step 1: Build Your Article Foundation

1. Read the prompt carefully

Each persuasive assignment has a specific requirement. It is very important to read the entire text carefully.

Find clues that tell you if you need to write a simple persuasion assignment or argument. For example, if there are words like “personal experience” or “personal opinion” in the article, you can use those to defend your perspective.

On the other hand, words like “protect” or “argue” indicate that you need to write a more formal argument and limit your use of personal experience. If you are not sure how to write, don’t be afraid to ask the teacher.

1. Invest your time

If possible, take the time to refine the point you want to write about. A hastily written assignment is hard to convince others. Give yourself enough time to think, write, and edit.

You should write as soon as possible. That way, even if you have an emergency, such as a computer failure, you will have enough time to complete your assignment.

1. Research context

Each article has a context that includes five factors: context, author, reader, communication purpose, and context. The assignment should be clear and documented (it could be your opinion if allowed).

Besides, please often ask questions rhetorically in the article. Example: How would you feel if someone littered your home? If someone pollutes your home, will you be happy? Rhetorical questions are questions that do not need an answer.

Giving an opinion is a great way to convince others. For example: “I believe dogs are better than cats, or rural life is better than city life, and so on.” Writers need to ensure credibility by conducting the necessary research. Give appropriate views and evidence without distorting the facts and circumstances.

The purpose of communication is to convince the reader that your point of view on the topic is the most accurate. Furthermore, pay attention to the variety of contexts. Usually, the setting will be the exercises you do to get your grades in class.

1. Understand the principles of compelling assignment writing

Unless otherwise stated in the topic, you need to follow a few basic rules when writing. Persuasive assignments, like argument assignments, use “rhetorical methods” to persuade the reader. You can add emotional elements (pathos) in addition to reasoning, logos, and trustworthiness (ethos).

At the same time, try to use many types of evidence. Evidence is usually data and facts. Other hard evidence is also very convincing to the reader. You also need to have a clear argument, stating your opinion and your side in advance. This allows the reader to know exactly what you are arguing for.

1. Consider the reader

There are convincing things to one person, but not convincing to others. So, you have to consider who your assignment is aimed at. Your teacher will be the first reader, but also target other audiences.

For example, if you are writing to protest against unhealthy school lunches, there are many different approaches based on the audience. In the case of targeting school administrators, you need to associate academic performance with healthy food. If the readers are parents, you can talk about their children’s health and the cost of healing caused by bad food. If you only want to target classmates, then you can use your personal interests to persuade.

1. Opt for a topic

You may be assigned a certain topic. But if you do have a choice, consider the following:

• Choose a topic that appeals to you. A persuasive assignment is often based on emotional appeal, so choose to write about things that really interest you. Choose a topic that you are emotionally passionate about and can argue with.
• Choose a topic of depth. Maybe you really love pizza, but it’s very difficult to write an interesting assignment about it. Topics that interest you and have depth of field like animal violence or government spending. They will be better options.
• Find contradictory views. If it is difficult to find a contradiction, your point will not be controversial enough to write a convincing assignment. However, if you have too many opposing views, it is difficult to defend your point of view, choose topics with many reasons to refute the opposite arguments.
• Maintain your stand. A good persuasive assignment will consider both conflicting arguments and find ways to convince the reader that your point of view is more plausible. Choose a topic that you have well prepared for opposing opinions. For this reason, issues like religion are often not used for persuasive assignment writing. You will find it difficult to advise others to give up their religious beliefs.
• Control your assignment’s focus. Your assignment may be quite short, consisting of 5 paragraphs or a few pages, but you need to narrow the focus to be able to exploit the topic appropriately. For example, an assignment intended to convince the reader that war is a crime is unlikely to succeed because the subject is so broad. Choose narrower topics. For example, attacking with a drone is a crime, you will have plenty of time to delve deeply for evidence.

1. Come up with the thesis statement

Your thesis statement clearly presents your opinion and is usually placed at the end of your opening paragraph. It is important to have a clear thesis statement that tells the reader exactly what they are expecting. The thesis sentence shows the structure of the assignment. Don’t put your main ideas out in one order, and then develop them in another order.

For example, there is a thesis statement like this: “Processed food is cheap but not good for the students. Schools need to provide students with healthy, fresh meals, even at a higher cost. Healthy lunches make a big difference, and the lack of these meals will negatively affect students’ lives”.

Note that this thesis statement is not a three-prong thesis. You do not need to state all the main points in your assignment (unless required by the beginning). What you need to do is convey exactly what you are persuading.

1. Think for evidence

Once you have chosen a topic, prepare well before writing. You need to research why you choose that viewpoint and what will be the most convincing argument. At this point, you also need to think of opposing views that might refute your point of view.

You can use mind maps. Start by framing the main topic, then organize the ideas you have in the smaller bubbles around. Connect the bubbles together to find the structures and relationships between ideas. Don’t worry about whether you can make enough of it. Thinking and finding new ideas is the most important step at this stage.

1. Research if necessary

Once you have your ideas in place, you may discover that some of them need to be studied further. Researching before writing will make the writing process more fluid.

For example, if you’re advocating healthier school lunches, you could say that eating fresh, natural foods will taste better. This is a personal opinion and does not require research and support. However, if you want to convince raw foods to contain more vitamins and nutrients than processed foods, you need a reliable source of information to prove it. If you know someone who works in the library, talk to them. Librarians will be a great resource to help guide your research.

Step 2: Draft

1. Outline

Persuasive assignments often have a clear structure that presents the points understandably and convincingly. Here are the parts of a compelling assignment:

• Introduction: You need to provide a “bait” sentence to attract the attention of the reader and to make an argument. A thesis is making clear statements about the issue that you are arguing or convincing the reader.
• The body: In the assignment, there are 5 paragraphs, then 3 paragraphs will be in the body. In the other assignment genres, you can write as many sections as you want. Regardless of order, each body paragraph should focus on one main idea and provide evidence to support it. You also need to refute any opposing views in these passages, if any.
• Conclusion: The conclusion of the article is the part where you fix the problem. You can influence your emotions, repeat the most compelling evidence, or extend your perspective to a broader context. Because your goal is to persuade the reader to do or think about a problem, end with a call to action.

1. Create a “bait” sentence

The “bait” sentence is the first sentence that attracts readers. You can use a question, a quote, a truth or anecdote, a definition, or a humorous story. As long as it makes the reader want to continue reading or catches attention, you have succeeded.

For example, you could start an assignment on the necessity of finding alternative energy sources like this: “Imagine a world without polar bears.” This vivid quote mentions an image that everyone is familiar with and loves (polar bears). This verse also encourages the reader to continue reading to learn why they need to imagine such a world.

You probably won’t find the “bait” sentence to your assignment right away, but don’t get stuck at this step. You can leave it there and go back to work once you have completed your outline.

1. Write your opening paragraph

Many people think the opening paragraph is the most important part of an assignment because it determines whether or not to engage your audience in your assignment. A good opening gives the reader just enough information to engage and make them want to keep reading.

Write your bait sentence first. Then take turns working from a general idea to your own vision until you have built up your thesis statement. Don’t be sloppy in your assignment writing. A thesis statement is a short summary of the problem you need to convince. A thesis statement is usually a sentence, placed near the end of the opening. You need to combine the most convincing arguments or use the strongest argument in your thesis statement to get the best persuasive effect.

1. Build your body structure

The body should contain at least three paragraphs. Each paragraph should present the main idea related to your thesis. These passages are the tools you can use to justify your argument and to provide evidence. Remember that if you don’t provide evidence, your statement won’t be convincing enough.

Start your paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the main content of the section. Then, give clear and accurate evidence. For example, instead of writing: “Dolphins are an intelligent animal. They are widely known for their intelligence”, you should write: “Dolphins are intelligent animals. Many studies have shown that dolphins know how to combine with humans to hunt. If so, very few species can develop a symbiotic relationship with humans like that”.

Use actual data as evidence when possible. Factual data from reliable sources will give readers a basis to believe. If possible, use factual data from a variety of perspectives to support an argument.

Besides, you need to consider the link between the body paragraphs. Make sure your point is rigorously formulated, one after another, rather than scattered.

1. Use the last sentence of each body paragraph to move on to the next paragraph

To make your assignment coherent, you need to spontaneously transition from the end of one paragraph to the beginning of the next paragraph.

For example:

If you write the end of the first paragraph like this: “If execution still cannot prevent crime, and the crime rate is at its highest level ever, what if someone is unjustly convicted?”

Then write the opening of the second paragraph this way: “More than 100 prisoners who were falsely convicted while waiting for their execution were acquitted, some just before they were executed”.

1. Include a conflicting point of view

You are not required to do this, but it will make your assignment more coherent. Imagine that you have an opponent who is defending your point of view. Think of their two most compelling arguments and find one to refute them.

For example, those who object to allowing students to bring snacks into the classroom say it causes too much distraction, reducing students’ ability to learn. However, let’s think that high school students’ age is developing. Their bodies need energy, and their minds can become tired after a long period of not eating. Allowing snacks in the classroom will actually increase the students’ ability to focus while reducing the distraction of hunger.

Another very effective way is to start your paragraph with the opposite perspective, then refute it and give your point.

1. Write the conclusion at the end of the assignment

As a general rule, you should repeat all the main points and end the assignment by provoking the reader’s thoughts. If it provokes extraordinary things, your assignment will leave a lasting impression. Don’t just repeat the main points. Consider how you broke up with your readers. You can consider the following:

• How can this view be applied in broader contexts?
• Why is this opinion or opinion important to you?
• What other issues does your view suggest of concern?
• What can readers do after reading your assignment?

Step 3: Refine Your Assignment

1. Take a day or two off without touching the assignment

If you have prepared it in advance, then this should not be difficult. After a day or two, go back and check the whole assignment again. The resting time will help you to have a clear mind to find the mistakes. If there are problematic areas that have not been fixed, you can leave them there and come back and check again.

1. Re-read the draft

A common mistake students encounter is not spending enough time reviewing their first draft. Read your assignment from start to finish and consider the following:

• Does the assignment present a clear point of view?
• Is this point of view supported by arguments and evidence?
• Do the passages have off-topic information? Does each paragraph focus on one main idea?
• Are there any opposing views that are presented satisfactorily and not misleading? If so, have these views been convincingly rejected?
• Are the paragraphs in the assignment arranged in logical order and step by step clarification for the thesis?
• Does the end of the article convey the importance of the thesis and motivate the reader to think/act?

1. Edit if necessary

Not only do you correct spelling mistakes, you can change the layout of your assignment, change the order of your paragraphs to make alignment, or even rewrite new paragraphs using new, more convincing arguments. Be ready to make even bigger changes for a better assignment. In addition, you can also ask a trusted friend to read the assignment for any confusing or unclear areas, if any, you need to review those places.

1. Correct spelling mistakes carefully

You can use spell check software on your computer if you have one. Reading the entire assignment aloud also helps you find spelling mistakes. You can also print out your assignment and mark the error with a pencil or ballpoint pen. As you type with a computer, your eyes will read what you think you have written down and miss the mistake. Reading the hard copy forces you to focus on the article in a different way. Besides, please format the article correctly before submitting it to the teacher.

Some Notes When Writing An Assignment

To be able to write in the most convincing way, pay attention to the following factors:

1. Choose A Solid Point Of View As Your Thesis

The thesis is your argument condensed into one sentence. For a persuasive assignment, your thesis statement needs to show a clear attitude about your topic. Don’t try to write in a double or ambiguous style. Because if you write this way, you won’t convince anyone. Note that you can persuade the reader to keep an open mind.

1. Begin Each Paragraph With A Clear And Direct Topic Sentence

Think of the opening sentence of each section as a small thesis to ensure cohesion when developing an argument. Build your perspective step-by-step so as not to confuse the reader.

1. Combine Arguments And Evidence To Clarify Points

When you make a confusing opinion or statement, you need to explain it. One of the best ways to do this is to do the opposite. Give the evidence first, and then give your point of view, guide the reader according to your opinion.

1. Write Short Sentences And Get To The Point

You should only make one idea or point in a sentence. You want your readers to understand your point of view properly, but they won’t be able to get lost in too many ideas.

1. Use A Variety Of Persuasion Techniques To Deepen Your Audience’s Heart

The art of persuasion has been studied since ancient Greece. Although it takes a lifetime to master the art, you can become a good writer almost instantly if you learn a few techniques and tools. For example, in an article on the topic of allowing Syrian refugees, you could use one of the following ways:

• Repetition: Repeating your point of view. Tell them what you are going to talk about, let them know about it, and then say what you said again. Eventually, they will understand the problem.
• Use Social Recognition: Citation to show that you are not alone in defending this view. It is the general message of society that if they want to fit in, they need to consider your point of view.
• The agitation of the problem: Before offering a solution, show the reader how bad things are. Give them reasons to care about your point of view.

1. Be Strong And Determined

You need to be an expert, a trustworthy person. You have to eliminate unimportant and obscure words for a strong style.

1. Challenge The Reader

Persuasion is to influence thoughts and force the reader to reconsider. However, you should not be rude or confront them. You need to aim for the potential that they care about.

1. Acknowledge And Challenge Opposing Views

Your point of view will be more convincing if you acknowledge and refute the opposite. Usually, you should do this in the last two paragraphs.

1. Citation Of Reference

At the end of each assignment is the citation section. Usually, schools in English-speaking countries use the APA source of the American Psychological Association, requiring the citation to be included in the assignment as well as the citation. Without this move, you will have more trouble than you think, and may even be subject to disciplinary action and plagiarism by the school. Therefore, use plagiarism sites like Urkund, Turnitin, or your school’s plagiarism tool (if your school does this for online assignments) before submitting it.

Final Words

Thus, the above article has introduced you to 3 basic steps to complete a convincing assignment. Hopefully, the above information can help you to write an excellent assignment and be appreciated by teachers easily. We hope that you all succeed in your studies and thanks for reading our article!