There has always been the misconception that persuasive and argumentative essays are one and the same. In fact so many scholars have made the mistake of writing an argumentative essay on a topic that was meant to be persuasive. Well you wouldn’t entirely blame them, these two essay types are quite similar in nature with a few key differences. Before we dive into their differences, let us take a detailed look at each type of essay and what they entail.
Persuasive Essays
A persuasive essay is an essay or a writing that tries to convince the audience of the writer’s idea or opinion. The writer uses sentiment, experience or facts to try to sway the mind of the reader to do or not do something. Because it is based on sentiment it appeals more to the reader’s mind and emotions. That is why it is recommended for a writer to have a clue of his or her audience. Writing for a group of students will be different from writing for a class of business men as these two sets do not share the same mind sets or principles. Same goes for the elderly versus teenagers, they simply wouldn’t share the same ideals. So knowing your audience is key. Also, persuasive essays are usually narrated in the first person, this aims to connect on a deeper level with the reader.
Argumentative essays
An argumentative essay is a piece of writing which tries to convince the readers that the author’s idea is in fact true or logically correct. Usually this type of writing is used to defend or prove a point or an idea. To write an essay like this, thorough research is needed as one needs all available evidence, facts and information in order to prove his or her point accurate. Think of it as a written debate. When writing an argumentative essay both sides of an argument are brought to light by the reader, who then backs his point with relevant facts and then proceeds to refute the opposing argument with more facts as to why it is wrong.
- Purpose
One of the key differences between these two essays is the purpose of writing. While a persuasive essay will try to convince you to side with the writer based on emotion or opinion an argumentative essay tries to make you see the logic behind the writer’s argument, based on relevant information and evidence.
- Tone
A persuasive essay possesses a more informal tone, though it may have a formal topic. This is because persuasive essays are written in first person with the aim of making and maintaining a good and sometimes personal connection with the audience. The writer also writes with emotion and sentiment. Generally the persuasive essay possesses a friendlier tone.
However this is quite the opposite for an argumentative essay. The paper is usually direct and precise with no beating around the bush. The writer aims to prove his or her points with tenacity, with the use of registers or jargon relating to the topic, there is strength in the words used for an argumentative essay. Therefore, the form of argumentative essays you can use for writing science essays. If you feel that you need help for wrapping your idea into pertinent words so you always find an expert who can avoid mistakes and buy biology essay or for math discipline, for example. It’s a good decision because with experts you can learn how to write better and with a certain level of excellence.
- Research
Usually it is advisable to always do research before writing any essay, but this is not entirely necessary for a persuasive essay. It can be written based on opinion or personal experience. Professional writers from https://www.wiseessays.com/ can carefully draft a well researched essay for you. An argumentative essay requires lots of information needed to back an argument, therefore research is a must. Facts provided must be accurate and sources must also be cited as well so that these facts can be verified.
- The audience
A persuasive essay is all about knowing the audience and how to approach them with information they can relate to based on their status and ideals. Writing a paper addressing athletes will be very different from one that appeals to computer analysts, audience is key.
When writing an argumentative essay does not need to have any idea of the audience. He or she is presenting them with an argument sided with facts and evidence which would hold true no matter the time, place or class of people. Hence prior knowledge of the target audience is not necessary.
