Santa Monica College Directions for Writing Your Persuasive Letter Essay

After you have studied Chapter 10 carefully, please open the three links below and review them thoroughly. For further information on letter format, please see Appendix B in your book.

LETTER FORMAT INSTRUCTIONS.pdf

Sample Persuasive Claim Letter.doc

Two Sample Persuasive Letters.doc

DIRECTIONS FOR WRITING YOUR PERSUASIVE LETTER

Write a THREE-PARAGRAPH, ONE-PAGE letter using my Letter Format to persuade someone or some firm or organization to make a change for the better, to improve something, some quality, etc.

Please note: If your writing shows up as more than one page in Gradebook, points will be deducted. It is the student’s responsibility to make sure that the student’s work is properly showing up in Gradebook which is the only place where the teacher can see the student’s work, based on which the student’s work is graded. Attachments will not be opened or graded.

• Do you have a favorite product or service that you buy regularly, or are very happy with; thus have been loyal to it for a long time?
• This could be a brand of cosmetics, electronics, a club, a sports venue, the entertainment sector (AMC movie theaters, Staples Center, etc.), SMC, or even a political party.
• You would like to see a slight change made in this product, service, institution, etc. which would make life easier for you and countless others, while also benefitting the company, etc.

For example: (These are examples only; you don’t have to select any of them.)

1) Write to a City Council person about having more public transportation because your bus to school is always late,OR

2) Write to your favorite celebrity asking him/her to visit schools to promote education, or become more politically or socially active in their communities, thereby bringing a positive change to society, OR

3) Ask a big name cosmetics firm to include more shades of your favorite product to include diversity in their customer base, OR

4) Suggest to your favorite clothing company to add your favorite shade/color to their merchandise, etc.

Use emotional or logical appeals, or both, as mentioned in the book, to convey your message. Select a concept that is important to you.

• Is there something you would like to see added or taken away at your favorite eating place, or coffee house, or the campus library, or at a retail store or a retail bank?
• Is there a political or social issue that you feel strongly about and would like to write to your congress person about? Example: Something about the “lockdown”, perhaps.
• Is there a celebrity whom you admire profusely (or dislike intensely) who could change the world in a way or influence the masses by changing his/her ways/lyrics/behavior/attire/speech, etc.? Can you be that persuasive?

Apply the AIDA principle: (grab Attention, build Interest, strengthen Desire, and get reader to Act.). This rule is explained in Chapter 10 of your reading.

IMPORTANT: Please structure your three paragraphs in the following manner:

Opening paragraph: In ONE TO THREE SENTENCES MAXIMUM, gain the Attention of your reader using one of the ways mentioned in the book (emotional or logical appeal, etc.). More than three sentences will lose points.

Middle paragraph: Explain thoroughly, using bulleted or numbered list, if necessary; the reason(s) why you are asking for the change(s), etc. Make it persuasive. Here, try to build Interest and Desire in the mind of your reader to make the change that you’re asking. This is where your ability to persuade in writing will show. Although this is the longest paragraph in a professional letter, keep it limited to six to ten brief sentences. Good business writing should be clear, concise, and brief.

Please don’t use dramatic or theatrical words or phrases; keep it simple but business-like.

Closing paragraph: In ONE TO TWO SENTENCES here, close with what you want your reader to do, give the reader guidelines on Action. More than two sentences here will lose points.

GRADING CRITERIA TOTAL = 50 points

Content = 15 points

(followed the above instructions correctly on what to write, sentence limit on the opening and closing paragraphs, used the AIDA principle as shown in Chapter 10 reading, etc.)

Format = 15 points

(followed the letter format carefully as shown in the above links, and other format directions such as proper spacing, using U.S. MS Word Times Roman 11 or 12 only, etc.)

Grammar = 5 points (four or more errors = -5)

Spelling = 5 points (four or more errors = -5) Use www.dictionary.com to check spelling.

Work posted either as .docx or converted to PDF file when posting in Canvas = 5 points

TurnItIn Similarity Report less than 30 percent = 5 points; (30 percent or above similarity = –5 points)