Persuasive Essay Checklist
Introduction
Hook
(shocking statistic/fact, rhetorical questions, quote, story)
Background information
(historical information, general information, definitions)
Thesis statement
(commodity, what you want the reader to do/not do and why – one sentence)
Body Paragraphs
Topic sentence
(supporting idea, relates to thesis statement)
Supporting details
(support the supporting idea)
Evidence
(statistic, fact, example, quote, anecdote, etc.)
Explanation
(develop the idea, connects the evidence to the supporting detail and supporting idea)
Conclusion
Paraphrased thesis statement
Summary of supporting ideas and details
Strong closing statement
• Recommendation (what to do)
• Prediction of the future
• Rhetorical question
• Relevant and meaningful quote
Cohesion & Coherence
I used transitions and linking words.
All the ideas are linked to each other and to the topic sentence.
Other
I used in-text citation every time I used a source.
All the sources I used are listed in the Reference page.
The Reference page lists sources in alphabetical detail.
I double-spaced the lines.
I indented the first line of every paragraph.
There is no extra space between the paragraphs.
All my pages are numbered.
I used Times New Roman font and 12-point font size.
I used spell-check and corrected mistakes.
Word count: ___________