Persuasive Writing Examples

Part of your job as an op-ed writer is to convince your reader to agree with your position. Different persuasive techniques will work for different audiences. For instance, some readers might be convinced by hard facts and statistics, while others might be persuaded by an emotional anecdote or a story from your own life. Writing a compelling op-ed often requires looking at the topic from multiple angles—each perspective helping to solidify your argument while convincing readers to listen up.

Here are some different strategies to try out as you craft your argument. You might focus on two or three, or perhaps all forms of persuasion will come into play in your piece.

Personal Experience: The writer describes an experience they have had.

Example: “To be a first-generation, low-income student at an Ivy League is to be an observer. I listened more than I spoke, waiting patiently for someone to bring up applying for work-study jobs or how to exercise our need-based, university-gifted technology grant.” (Source: Teen Vogue)

Expert Opinion: The writer draws on the opinion of an expert—someone trained in a particular area or someone who has relevant personal experience.

Example: “Dr. Alan Workman, a sinus surgeon at Mass Eye and Ear, who I had to visit recently for a medical issue, explained that snoring is simply the vibration of soft tissue in the upper airway. “When you sleep, your muscles relax, the soft tissues lose tension and can vibrate more easily,” Dr. Workman told me. Pretty simple.” (Source: WBUR)

Example: The writer provides an example that supports a larger idea or pattern.

Example: “I fear the world I imagined in that novel is even more likely to come to pass. For instance, access to nutritious fresh food being available only to the rich, the erosion of the distinction between government and corporations, and the destruction of human rights in the face of unfettered capitalism.” (Source: The Guardian)

Analogy: The writer compares the situation to another similar situation.

Example: “To be a first-generation, low-income student at an Ivy League school is to stick out like a sore thumb on a freshly manicured hand, probably boasting Cartier or Rolex.” (Source: Teen Vogue)

Facts and Statistics: The writer uses facts or numbers to prove their idea. Often this information comes from other sources, such as books, newspapers, or websites.

Example: “The cost of attending Brown averages well over $80,000 a year. As of 2021, 43% of enrolled students received scholarships or grants to help cover this cost, but it often feels like many of my peers can’t begin to understand where students like me come from." (Source: Teen Vogue)

Logic: The writer uses reasoning or logic to argue their point.

Example: “Yes, the set of plants alive a century or so ago when the passenger pigeon went extinct are probably still here. Is the pigeon's habitat intact? Surely not: The land use changes since then have been far too extensive.” (Source: National Geographic)

Emotion: The writer makes an emotional appeal to the reader.

Example: “The journey to developing a demilitarized future will not be easy, but as we have learned during our history, it is through struggle that we can find an alternative means of life that brings healing to both land and people.” (Source: Teen Vogue)

All these tactics can be effective in bringing readers around to your point of view and raising awareness of the topics that matter to you. "The more that we write, speak and share, the more that others can get involved with our projects," says activist and writer Vee Kativhu. "We are hopefully getting our thoughts in front of the audiences who could help us make the changes."

Whether you employ personal anecdotes, statistics, or an emotive call-to-action to state your case, an op-ed is the perfect opportunity to exercise your powers of persuasion.