Persuasive essay outline

A persuasive essay outline runs: introduction with a clear position, two or three body paragraphs that each give a reason backed by evidence and an appeal to the reader, one paragraph that answers the other side, and a conclusion that ends with a call to action.

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Best for: Opinion essays, letters to an editor, speeches and op-ed style assignments.

I. Introduction

Hook aimed at your audience's concerns
Why the issue matters now
Position statement: what you want the reader to believe or do

II. Reason 1

Claim
Evidence: fact, statistic or expert source (cited)
Appeal: why this matters to this reader (logic, values or emotion)

III. Reason 2

Claim
Evidence (cited)
Appeal

IV. Reason 3 (optional)

Claim
Evidence (cited)
Appeal

V. Opposing view

State the strongest objection fairly
Concede what is true in it
Rebut: why your position still holds

VI. Conclusion

Restate the position with conviction
Picture the result if the reader agrees
Call to action: one concrete step

Worked example

Topic: Our school should ban phones during lessons
Thesis: Phones should be locked away during lessons because they split attention, widen gaps between students and make teachers police screens instead of teaching.

Reason 1

Claim: phones split attention even when face down.
Evidence: Beland & Murphy (2016), Labour Economics, on test scores after phone bans.
Appeal: parents want lesson time to count.

Opposing view

Objection: students need phones for emergencies.
Concession: families need to reach children.
Rebuttal: locked pouches keep phones on site, just not on desks.

Call to action

Ask the school board to trial phone pouches for one term.

Square brackets mark where your own research goes. Never fill them with made-up sources.

Tips that change the grade

Know who you are persuading: A persuasive essay is written for a specific reader. Choose evidence that reader already trusts.
Persuasive vs argumentative: Argumentative essays win on evidence and logic alone. Persuasive essays may also appeal to values and emotion, and usually end by asking the reader to act.
Do not skip the other side: Answering the best objection makes you look fair, which is itself persuasive.

Other outline templates

5-Paragraph Essay Outline Narrative Essay Outline Expository Essay Outline Research Paper Outline Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Argumentative Essay Outline All essay outline templates

Questions students ask

What is the difference between a persuasive and an argumentative essay?

Both take a position. An argumentative essay relies on evidence and reasoning and treats the other side in depth; a persuasive essay is aimed at a particular audience, can use emotional and ethical appeals, and often ends with a call to action.

How many paragraphs does a persuasive essay have?

Five or six is typical: introduction, two or three reasons, an opposing-view paragraph and a conclusion.

What are ethos, pathos and logos?

Aristotle's three appeals: ethos is credibility (why trust you), pathos is emotion (why care), logos is logic and evidence (why it is true). Strong persuasive essays use all three.