Persuasive Research Paper Exercises

This packet MUST be filled out, and turned in with final draft. A two-letter grade
reduction will be taken from the paper grade if the exercises are not completed and
turned in.

Introduction

1. Topic:
2. Thesis:

3. Give your essay a title. REMEMBER: You do not underline, bold face,
italicize, or frame your title in quotation marks because this is not a
published article.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
4. Develop an introductory paragraph for your first draft.
Introduction:
A. Beginning and Middle of paragraph (includes hints toward paper topic,
background information, and any significant data):
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

B. State Thesis:

Generalities Paragraph (educate the reader on the topic)

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
Paraphrase(s) citation(s):

Body paragraphs (3 paragraphs, 3 issues surrounding the topic)

1. Body 1
A. Topic Sentence: What will the paragraph be about?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

B. Evidence: Quotes from sources

1.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sources Used:
1.

2.
C. Analysis: Why did you choose that quote? How is it significant?
Important? What does it prove?
THERE SHOULD BE 3 SENTENCES OF ANALYSIS PER QUOTE MINIMUM!!!!
**do not use, this shows, this quote reveals or any other version of
the phrase.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

How to do Quote Analysis

When using supportive quotations to help prove the point you are making in
your paper, you should follow the guidelines below.
A. Introduce the Quotation
1. Set up the context of the quotein other words, briefly explain what is
happening in the story when your quotation is used.
Example: At one of Gatsbys wild summer parties, Gatsby first
introduces himself to Nick by saying, Youre face is familiar. [. . .]
Werent you in the Third Division during the war? (47).
2. a. Lead in with an attributive tag

Examples: Gatsby claims, responds, questions, articulates,

reveals, according to Smith
b. If the reader is unfamiliar with the speaker of the quote, you must
identify him/her
Examples: author, critic, protagonist of the novel, narrator,
supporting character, etc.
B. Insert the Quotation
Novels, books, essays, etc.:
1. If you take out words that belong in the MIDDLE of your quotation,
you need to put an ellipsis mark [ . . . ] to show the reader that you
have done so.
2. a. At the end of the quotation you must put the authors name in
parentheses along with the page number your quotation is found.
Example: When reading about the protagonist Gatsby, it becomes
clear that he is a liar: My parents are wealthy people from the
Middle West [ . . . ] from San Francisco (Fitzgerald 65).
b. If you have introduced the authors name or the title of the work
earlier in the paper,
then you ONLY need to put the page number.
Example: In Fitzgeralds novel, it becomes clear that Gatsby is a
liar: My parents are wealthy people from the Middle West [ . . . ]
from San Francisco (65).
C. Analysis
1. After the quotation you should answer the question: What POINT
does the quotation prove?
Example: This quote clearly shows Gatsby is deceptive, especially
when it comes to disclosing his personal history.
2. a. After stating the point it makes, you should answer the question:
HOW does it show the
point? What proof is in the quotation?
b. Consider: word choice, word order, literary devices (figurative
language, sound devices,

etc), contradictions, implications or inferences

Example: There is a clear contradiction in Gatsbys claim. San
Francisco is not located in the Midwest but rather the west coast.
If he cannot keep simple geographical facts straight, one must
question what Gatsby may also be lying about.

D. Concluding Sentence: Wrap up your paragraph will look very similar

to topic sentence.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

2. Body 2
A. Topic Sentence: What will the paragraph be about?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
B. Evidence: Quotes from sources
1.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sources Used:
1.
2.

PAGE NUMBER(S) (Where are the quotes found?):

________________

C. Analysis: Why did you choose that quote? How is it significant?

Important? What does it prove?
THERE SHOULD BE 3 SENTENCES OF ANALYSIS PER QUOTE MINIMUM!!!!
**do not use, this shows, this quote reveals or any other version of
the phrase.

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

D. Concluding Sentence: Wrap up your paragraph will look very similar

to topic sentence.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Body 3
A. Topic Sentence: What will the paragraph be about?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
B. Evidence: Quotes from sources
1.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sources Used:
1.
2.

PAGE NUMBER(S) (Where are the quotes found?):

________________

C. Analysis: Why did you choose that quote? How is it significant?

Important? What does it prove?
THERE SHOULD BE 3 SENTENCES OF ANALYSIS PER QUOTE MINIMUM!!!!
**do not use, this shows, this quote reveals or any other version of
the phrase.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

D. Concluding Sentence: Wrap up your paragraph will look very similar

to topic sentence.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

4. Take a stance on your topic: use pathos, ethos, and logos

**you may only use I believe, and other varieties of the same phrase, twice
in this paragraph.
**keep the formal tone!!
A. Topic Sentence: What will the paragraph be about?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
B. Evidence: Quotes from sources
1.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Sources Used:
1.
2.

PAGE NUMBER(S) (Where are the quotes found?):

________________

C. Analysis: Why did you choose that quote? How is it significant?

Important? What does it prove?
THERE SHOULD BE 3 SENTENCES OF ANALYSIS PER QUOTE MINIMUM!!!!

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

D. Concluding Sentence: Wrap up your paragraph will look very similar

to topic sentence.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

5. Counter Argument
E. Topic Sentence: What will the subject of your counter argument?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
F. Discussion: prove to the reader that YOU are correct by poking holes in
the counter argument. THIS IS WHERE LOGOS SHOULD BE THE
STRONGEST! Prove to your audience that you are LOGICALLY correct.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

G. Evidence: Quote (optional!)

1.____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

H. Concluding Sentence: Wrap up your paragraph with a re-iteration of

why your argument is the correct argument.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

6. Conclusion:
Conclusion: There are many different types of conclusions, but for this paper
you should simply restate your main points. The conclusion should be very
similar to the introduction.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________