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Comparing the Similarities between Informational and Argumentative Writing

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By Happy Sharer

give the similarities of informative argumentative and persuasive essay

Introduction

Informational and argumentative writing are two different types of compositions that share a number of similarities. The purpose of both types of writing is to present information in an organized and persuasive manner, but each type of writing uses different techniques to achieve this goal. In this article, we will explore how these two types of writing are similar, and how understanding their shared qualities can help readers better approach similar problems.

Analyzing the Commonalities between Informational and Argumentative Writing

Analyzing the Commonalities between Informational and Argumentative Writing

The purpose of both informational and argumentative writing is to present information in an organized and persuasive manner. Both types of writing make use of evidence, structure, and logical reasoning to support a point or argument. However, the way each type of writing is structured and organized differs.

Purpose of both types of writing

Informational writing is used to explain a topic in a straightforward and objective manner. The goal of this type of writing is to provide the reader with facts and figures without the writer’s opinion influencing the content. On the other hand, argumentative writing is used to persuade the reader to take a particular stance on an issue. It is written from the perspective of the writer and seeks to convince the reader to agree with the writer’s point of view.

Structure and organization

Informational writing typically follows a linear structure, starting with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs that discuss the main points, and ending with a conclusion. Argumentative writing, on the other hand, is more flexible and often includes counterarguments and rebuttals. This type of writing also allows for more creativity in terms of structure and organization.

Use of evidence

Both types of writing rely heavily on evidence to support their argument. In informational writing, the evidence must be factual and reliable, while in argumentative writing, the evidence must be persuasive and convincing. Evidence is used to back up a claim or point, and should be used to strengthen the overall argument of the piece.

Exploring the Shared Features of Informational and Argumentative Writing

In addition to the similarities in purpose, structure, and use of evidence, there are also a number of shared features between informational and argumentative writing. These shared features include tone and language, the use of rhetorical strategies, and the evaluation of sources.

Similarities in tone and language

The tone and language of both types of writing should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. Informational writing should be objective, while argumentative writing should be persuasive. The language used should be appropriate for the intended audience, and should be free of bias or personal opinions.

Use of rhetorical strategies

Both informational and argumentative writing make use of rhetorical strategies to engage the reader and enhance the overall argument. These strategies include the use of analogies, metaphors, and other figurative language. They can also include the use of repetition, parallelism, and other devices to emphasize key points.

Evaluation of sources

Both types of writing require the evaluation of sources to ensure accuracy and credibility. Sources should be evaluated for relevance, authority, accuracy, currency, and objectivity. Evaluating sources helps to ensure that the information presented is reliable and trustworthy.

Comparing the Similarities between Informational and Argumentative Writing

When comparing the similarities between informational and argumentative writing, it is important to note that both types of writing require evidence to support a point. Both types of writing also require clear, concise language to convey the message effectively. Additionally, both types of writing use logical arguments to make a point and engage the reader.

Investigating the Connections between Informational and Argumentative Writing

Investigating the Connections between Informational and Argumentative Writing

In order to effectively write either type of composition, it is important to understand the audience. Understanding the audience helps the writer to tailor the language and content to best suit the intended readership. Additionally, both types of writing make use of claims to back up an argument. Claims should be supported by evidence, and should be logically sound and well-reasoned. Finally, both types of writing should end with an effective conclusion that summarizes the main points and emphasizes the overall argument.

Examining the Parallels between Informational and Argumentative Writing

When examining the parallels between informational and argumentative writing, it is important to consider the similarities in summarizing the main points. Both types of writing should include a summary of the main points and arguments made throughout the composition. Additionally, both types of writing should be persuasive and make sure the writing is convincing. Finally, both types of writing should identify counterarguments and address them effectively.

In conclusion, informational and argumentative writing share a number of similarities, including purpose, structure, use of evidence, tone, language, and rhetorical strategies. Understanding the commonalities between these two types of writing can help readers better approach similar problems. By remembering to follow the guidelines outlined in this article, readers can craft effective pieces of writing that are both informative and persuasive.

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Hi, I'm Happy Sharer and I love sharing interesting and useful knowledge with others. I have a passion for learning and enjoy explaining complex concepts in a simple way.

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Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essays: What’s the Difference?

The difference between an argumentative and persuasive essay isn’t always clear. If you’re struggling with either style for your next assignment, don’t worry. The following will clarify everything you need to know so you can write with confidence.

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While argumentative essays aim to present one's point of view, persuasuve essays aim to get the reader on one's side.

First, we define the primary objectives of argumentative vs. persuasive writing. We then compare the best strategies for starting the writing process. In both cases, the key is knowing your audience, which we will discuss later in this article by Custom-Writing.org experts.

  • 🎯 Primary Objectives
  • 🎬 Starting Your Essay
  • ✍️ Writing Technique
  • 👁️ Point of View
  • ❓ So, what’s the difference?

🔗 References

🎯 persuasive vs. argumentative writing: primary objectives.

Both argumentative and persuasive essays require you to present your point of view on a specific topic. However, your approach will differ between the two. The words “argumentative” and “persuasive” should help you recognize what you are expected to achieve. Let’s see how.

For the argumentative essay, it is sufficient to present your point of view and nothing more. That said, the information you present should come across as being reliable enough for the readers. They don’t need to agree with your take on the issue at hand. The reader need only acknowledge that your point of view is worth considering.

In a persuasive essay, however, your goal is to get the reader on your side. And so, in addition to presenting sensible information, you want the reader to share your opinion.

Here are some examples to show you the difference. For more examples try and use a thesis statement generator for persuasive essay and for argumentative one, and you’ll clearly see what sets them apart.

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Additionally, you can take a look at any example of term paper for college , which will clearly show you the differences between the types. Remember, though, that the more controversial your topic is, the more likely it is that the reader will disagree with you!

🎬 Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essay: How to Start

For either type of essay, the foundation is generally the same. Before even thinking about your introduction, settle on a topic that genuinely interests you. What follows will differ for argumentative and persuasive essays.

In the case of argumentative writing, it’s crucial to have all the information you need to build up a strong set of arguments and examples. Therefore, don’t forget to spend some time researching your topic in earnest. Once you have all the data, you can easily choose which side to take. Never force a paper to align with your personal opinion if you don’t have enough supporting evidence.

In the case of a persuasive essay, your job is to make sure you have a decent topic and identify which side to support. The starting point is a bit less complicated.

✍️ Persuasive vs. Argumentative Essays: Writing Technique

This is where things get interesting in the clash between persuasive and argumentative writing. For college-level writing, it’s never enough to follow a general essay outline . Getting that coveted higher mark requires that you know the unique yet subtle features of both writing styles.

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Topical and relevant reasons are the backbone of any argumentative text. This is where preliminary research comes in. Having requisite evidence and facts from credible sources ensures the worthiness of your essay. That way, the reader can validate your point of view.

As with argumentative writing, persuasive essays should include some measure of supporting facts. What distinguishes persuasive writing is that you must also engage the reader on an emotional level. Moreover, there’s no need to present opposing opinions. Your goal is to make the reader take your side. All’s fair in love and war!

👁️ Persuasive vs. Argumentative Essays: Point of View

Let’s talk more about presenting different opinions. You were probably taught that an academic essay includes at least three arguments and an additional counterargument . Keep in mind, however, that this rule applies only to argumentative essays, in which you introduce three or more arguments with evidence to support your point of view. You then offset that point of view by including an opposing opinion. By doing so, you allow the reader to choose a side, even though the facts, as you’ve presented them, are in favor of your opinion. This is a logic-based approach.

In a persuasive essay, you’re not likely to entertain the opposition. Your conviction is the very essence of the essay. Your take on the issue in question must come across as the only sensible approach. If you’re feeling confident, you’re welcome to include a counterargument, but only if you decimate it right away!

👏 The Audience of Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essays

We’ve seen the differences and similarities between argumentative and persuasive writing and walked you through the technical aspects of both. But there’s one final piece of the puzzle to be considered: the question of your audience. This is the biggest difference of them all.

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When writing an argumentative essay, remember that you don’t need to convince anyone. There is no audience. You’re simply presenting the information you gathered without expecting anything in return (except maybe a pat on the back from your teacher).

Without an audience, there’s no one to persuade. This touches on another crucial element of the writing process : understanding what and how your readers think. This allows you to pick the best strategy to convince them to join your side.

❓ What’s the Difference between a Persuasive Essay and an Argumentative Essay?

The main difference between a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay comes down to your audience. For persuasive writing, it’s necessary to feel out your audience and wield that knowledge to prove the efficacy of your perspective. For argumentative writing, opt for a logical approach and just present the facts with no intent to persuade anyone.

Persuasive Essay Topics

  • Cigarettes manufacturers must be banned . 
  • Unrestricted access to women’s health care is crucial for the welfare of future generations. 
  • College sports need to benefit student-athletes . 
  • Lowering TOEFL scores across university will benefit international students. 
  • American football promotes violence and jeopardize sportsmen’s health.  
  • Tattoos are fine art . 
  • Animal transplantation can reduce the problem of organs shortage.  
  • Smoking in public places should be banned to protect and improve public health.  
  • Job drug test has to be made obligatory.  
  • It is necessary to prohibit using cellphones while driving . 
  • Gun control legislation must be revised . 
  • Surveillance cameras have to be installed in all public places.  
  • Mandatory overtime for nurses must be made illegal.  
  • Marijuana should be legalized for medical use. 
  • Business should switch to remote work for an increased talent pool.  
  • Experimentation on animals has to be banned.  
  • It is crucial to limit clear cutting in rainforest . 
  • It is necessary to forbid guns in college campuses .  
  • Companies should prioritize the development of biometric security .  
  • Abortions should be legalized worldwide.  
  • Children should not have grades in school .  
  • Wearing face mask in public places should be mandatory.  
  • English language learners have to be immersed in English . 
  • Net neutrality should be supported.  
  • Body organs sale should not be allowed.  

Argumentative Essay Topics

  • Should celebrities be a positive role model ? 
  • Does the use of social media in nursing violate patients’ rights regarding privacy? 
  • Is it right to abolish capital punishment ?  
  • Is it ethical to use animals for research ?  
  • Should bullies be expelled from school?  
  • Is it fair to try juveniles as adults ?  
  • Do you think it wise to lower drinking age to 18 ?  
  • Will implementation of free higher education diminish economic disparities? 
  • Should the voluntary euthanasia be permitted?  
  • Is stem cells use ethical? 
  • Should schoolchildren study the evolution theory?  
  • Is container deposit legislation an urgent issue? 
  • Is marriage based on love more successful than arranged?  
  • Should the use of cell phones in public places be banned?  
  • Is it right for celebrities to be involved in political activism? 
  • Do you agree that health insurance has to cover art and music therapy ?  
  • Does the government have right to monitor its citizens using technology?  
  • Is it ethical to perform gene editing on human embryos ? 
  • Do you think online dating as serious as dating in person?  
  • Should vaccination of children be compulsory?  
  • Are the social media platforms a threat to human relationships? 
  • Are there limits to what should be questioned?  
  • Should modern society become vegan ?  
  • Do you think the cigarette smoking should be made illegal?  
  • Should illegal immigrants have full access to all social services?  
  • Argumentative Essays // Purdue Writing Lab
  • Argumentative Essay Structure (University of Washington)
  • Suggestions for Developing Argumentative Essays (UC Berkeley)
  • Argumentative essay | Quick guide (article) | Khan Academy
  • Writing a Persuasive Essay: Hamilton College
  • Persuasion (UMN Libraries)
  • Persuasive Writing – Georgetown Law
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Argumentative vs Persuasive Essay: How Do They Compare?

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by  Antony W

August 10, 2023

argumentative vs persuasive essay

It’s easy to assume that an argumentative essay is synonymous to persuasive essay writing because they both convince your audience to agree with your point of view.

But the two are different not only in terms of purpose but also in terms of the tone used in writing and the expected results.

In this comparison post, we’ll tell you the difference between persuasive and argumentative essay , our goal being to help you approach both assignments the right way.

What is an Argumentative Essay?

An argumentative essay writing is an assignment that requires students to pick a topic, investigate it, collect and evaluate evidence, choose a position, and then defend their stand.

For an essay to be considered argumentative, it must be clear and concise and feature a logical transition between the introduction , body paragraphs , and the conclusion .

Argumentative essays require evidential support, which can be either factual, statistical, historical, or logical.

What is a Persuasive Essay?

A persuasive essay is an assignment written to persuade.

An author uses first and second person point of view to express their conviction in a way that shows their thinking is the best.

Persuasive writing tends to be somewhat aggressive in approach, but in most cases, it tends to be emotional, passionate, and personal.

Argumentative vs Persuasive Essay

Let’s take a closer look on argumentative vs persuasive essay below.  

Keep in mind that this guide focuses mostly on the differences between the two  types of essays . 

Differences in Starting Point

You’re going to put very little work to persuasive essay writing and therefore you’ll find it easier to write. That’s because it has quite a simpler starting point.

When it comes to writing this essay, all you have to do is to identify the topic you’d like to cover and choose your side.

An argumentative essay is completely different in terms of its starting point. You have to choose a topic, research it in-depth, and then decide which side you’d like to support using reasonable and sufficient evidence.

Differences in Writing Technique

Difference in tone.

Argumentative essay writing requires an authoritative tone in order to make your ideas clear.

To demonstrate your authoritativeness on the topic, and to prove to the reader that you can argue your points, you need to use a formal tone as well as the right language to complete the essay. 

More often than not, your arguments have to reflect a consistent use of a somewhat complex language, as it’s necessary to fill the assignment with the technical terms related to the subject.

It’s a completely different case in persuasive writing.

Here’s where you write as if you’re talking a friend, and therefore you can use a more relaxed tone that identifies with your readers’ emotions, sense of humor, intelligence, and sometimes ego.

Difference in Purpose

The purpose of persuasive writing is to express your thoughts and beliefs in hope to convince your audience to share your point of view.

You may have a claim in persuasive writing, but there are often no solid and undeniable facts to present so as to defend your position.

For what it’s worth, especially since the primary goal is to sway the reader in hope that they either agree with you or take an action, often a persuasive essay tends to use a non-formal kind of debate and emotional appeal.

The purpose of an argument is completely different. Authors need to invest in research and come up with compelling arguments to defend their positions. 

Instead of swaying your audience, you present the evidence for or against an argument and let your audience decides whether to take your stand or to write off your argument completely.

Difference in Conclusion

In argumentative essay writing, your conclusion should demonstrate two things.

First, demonstrate the position you take in the argument, and second, let the reader know that they can recognize other point of view.

By doing so, you not only demonstrate that you put effort in researching your topic but also establish that your stand is the best among all in relation to the topic in question.

The conclusion of a persuasive essay isn’t as robust and may not even be as convincing.

First, the end of the essay tries to put a reader in the position to accept that an author’s thoughts are the only source of information on the subject in question.

In a way, the assumption is that the author expects the reader will recognize and agree with their stand.

Argumentative vs Persuasive Essay: Get Writing Help

Let’s face it:

Writing an argumentative or persuasive essay isn’t always as easy, especially if you have so many other assignments to complete.

If we’re being honest, sometimes the best way to beat your deadline is to seek academic writing help.

At Help for Assessment, we invest a lot of time and resources to help students understand, complete, and submit their essays on time.

So if you don’t have the time to complete the papers yourself, and you need help from an academic writing service that has written thousands of essays already, you can count on us to help you complete the work.

About the author 

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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  • How to write an argumentative essay | Examples & tips

How to Write an Argumentative Essay | Examples & Tips

Published on July 24, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on July 23, 2023.

An argumentative essay expresses an extended argument for a particular thesis statement . The author takes a clearly defined stance on their subject and builds up an evidence-based case for it.

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Table of contents

When do you write an argumentative essay, approaches to argumentative essays, introducing your argument, the body: developing your argument, concluding your argument, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about argumentative essays.

You might be assigned an argumentative essay as a writing exercise in high school or in a composition class. The prompt will often ask you to argue for one of two positions, and may include terms like “argue” or “argument.” It will frequently take the form of a question.

The prompt may also be more open-ended in terms of the possible arguments you could make.

Argumentative writing at college level

At university, the vast majority of essays or papers you write will involve some form of argumentation. For example, both rhetorical analysis and literary analysis essays involve making arguments about texts.

In this context, you won’t necessarily be told to write an argumentative essay—but making an evidence-based argument is an essential goal of most academic writing, and this should be your default approach unless you’re told otherwise.

Examples of argumentative essay prompts

At a university level, all the prompts below imply an argumentative essay as the appropriate response.

Your research should lead you to develop a specific position on the topic. The essay then argues for that position and aims to convince the reader by presenting your evidence, evaluation and analysis.

  • Don’t just list all the effects you can think of.
  • Do develop a focused argument about the overall effect and why it matters, backed up by evidence from sources.
  • Don’t just provide a selection of data on the measures’ effectiveness.
  • Do build up your own argument about which kinds of measures have been most or least effective, and why.
  • Don’t just analyze a random selection of doppelgänger characters.
  • Do form an argument about specific texts, comparing and contrasting how they express their thematic concerns through doppelgänger characters.

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give the similarities of informative argumentative and persuasive essay

An argumentative essay should be objective in its approach; your arguments should rely on logic and evidence, not on exaggeration or appeals to emotion.

There are many possible approaches to argumentative essays, but there are two common models that can help you start outlining your arguments: The Toulmin model and the Rogerian model.

Toulmin arguments

The Toulmin model consists of four steps, which may be repeated as many times as necessary for the argument:

  • Make a claim
  • Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim
  • Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim)
  • Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives

The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays. You don’t have to use these specific terms (grounds, warrants, rebuttals), but establishing a clear connection between your claims and the evidence supporting them is crucial in an argumentative essay.

Say you’re making an argument about the effectiveness of workplace anti-discrimination measures. You might:

  • Claim that unconscious bias training does not have the desired results, and resources would be better spent on other approaches
  • Cite data to support your claim
  • Explain how the data indicates that the method is ineffective
  • Anticipate objections to your claim based on other data, indicating whether these objections are valid, and if not, why not.

Rogerian arguments

The Rogerian model also consists of four steps you might repeat throughout your essay:

  • Discuss what the opposing position gets right and why people might hold this position
  • Highlight the problems with this position
  • Present your own position , showing how it addresses these problems
  • Suggest a possible compromise —what elements of your position would proponents of the opposing position benefit from adopting?

This model builds up a clear picture of both sides of an argument and seeks a compromise. It is particularly useful when people tend to disagree strongly on the issue discussed, allowing you to approach opposing arguments in good faith.

Say you want to argue that the internet has had a positive impact on education. You might:

  • Acknowledge that students rely too much on websites like Wikipedia
  • Argue that teachers view Wikipedia as more unreliable than it really is
  • Suggest that Wikipedia’s system of citations can actually teach students about referencing
  • Suggest critical engagement with Wikipedia as a possible assignment for teachers who are skeptical of its usefulness.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one of these models—you may even use elements of both in different parts of your essay—but it’s worth considering them if you struggle to structure your arguments.

Regardless of which approach you take, your essay should always be structured using an introduction , a body , and a conclusion .

Like other academic essays, an argumentative essay begins with an introduction . The introduction serves to capture the reader’s interest, provide background information, present your thesis statement , and (in longer essays) to summarize the structure of the body.

Hover over different parts of the example below to see how a typical introduction works.

The spread of the internet has had a world-changing effect, not least on the world of education. The use of the internet in academic contexts is on the rise, and its role in learning is hotly debated. For many teachers who did not grow up with this technology, its effects seem alarming and potentially harmful. This concern, while understandable, is misguided. The negatives of internet use are outweighed by its critical benefits for students and educators—as a uniquely comprehensive and accessible information source; a means of exposure to and engagement with different perspectives; and a highly flexible learning environment.

The body of an argumentative essay is where you develop your arguments in detail. Here you’ll present evidence, analysis, and reasoning to convince the reader that your thesis statement is true.

In the standard five-paragraph format for short essays, the body takes up three of your five paragraphs. In longer essays, it will be more paragraphs, and might be divided into sections with headings.

Each paragraph covers its own topic, introduced with a topic sentence . Each of these topics must contribute to your overall argument; don’t include irrelevant information.

This example paragraph takes a Rogerian approach: It first acknowledges the merits of the opposing position and then highlights problems with that position.

Hover over different parts of the example to see how a body paragraph is constructed.

A common frustration for teachers is students’ use of Wikipedia as a source in their writing. Its prevalence among students is not exaggerated; a survey found that the vast majority of the students surveyed used Wikipedia (Head & Eisenberg, 2010). An article in The Guardian stresses a common objection to its use: “a reliance on Wikipedia can discourage students from engaging with genuine academic writing” (Coomer, 2013). Teachers are clearly not mistaken in viewing Wikipedia usage as ubiquitous among their students; but the claim that it discourages engagement with academic sources requires further investigation. This point is treated as self-evident by many teachers, but Wikipedia itself explicitly encourages students to look into other sources. Its articles often provide references to academic publications and include warning notes where citations are missing; the site’s own guidelines for research make clear that it should be used as a starting point, emphasizing that users should always “read the references and check whether they really do support what the article says” (“Wikipedia:Researching with Wikipedia,” 2020). Indeed, for many students, Wikipedia is their first encounter with the concepts of citation and referencing. The use of Wikipedia therefore has a positive side that merits deeper consideration than it often receives.

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An argumentative essay ends with a conclusion that summarizes and reflects on the arguments made in the body.

No new arguments or evidence appear here, but in longer essays you may discuss the strengths and weaknesses of your argument and suggest topics for future research. In all conclusions, you should stress the relevance and importance of your argument.

Hover over the following example to see the typical elements of a conclusion.

The internet has had a major positive impact on the world of education; occasional pitfalls aside, its value is evident in numerous applications. The future of teaching lies in the possibilities the internet opens up for communication, research, and interactivity. As the popularity of distance learning shows, students value the flexibility and accessibility offered by digital education, and educators should fully embrace these advantages. The internet’s dangers, real and imaginary, have been documented exhaustively by skeptics, but the internet is here to stay; it is time to focus seriously on its potential for good.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

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An argumentative essay tends to be a longer essay involving independent research, and aims to make an original argument about a topic. Its thesis statement makes a contentious claim that must be supported in an objective, evidence-based way.

An expository essay also aims to be objective, but it doesn’t have to make an original argument. Rather, it aims to explain something (e.g., a process or idea) in a clear, concise way. Expository essays are often shorter assignments and rely less on research.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

The majority of the essays written at university are some sort of argumentative essay . Unless otherwise specified, you can assume that the goal of any essay you’re asked to write is argumentative: To convince the reader of your position using evidence and reasoning.

In composition classes you might be given assignments that specifically test your ability to write an argumentative essay. Look out for prompts including instructions like “argue,” “assess,” or “discuss” to see if this is the goal.

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give the similarities of informative argumentative and persuasive essay

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Guide to Different Kinds of Essays

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An essay is a paper that discusses, describes or analyzes one topic. It can discuss a subject directly or indirectly, seriously or humorously. It can describe personal opinions, or just report information. An essay can be written from any perspective, but essays are most commonly written in the first person ( I ), or third person (subjects that can be substituted with the he, she, it, or they pronouns).

There are many different kinds of essays. The following are a some of the most common ones:

Descriptive Cause/Effect Argumentative Definition Narrative Critical Compare/Contrast Process

Descriptive:

Examples: A descriptive essay could describe . . .

The descriptive essay provides details about how something looks, feels, tastes, smells, makes one feel, or sounds. It can also describe what something is, or how something happened. These essays generally use a lot of sensory details. The essay could be a list-like description that provides point by point details. Or, it could function as a story, keeping the reader interested in the plot and theme of the event described.

Definition:

Examples: A definition essay may try and define . . .

A definition essay attempts to define a specific term. It could try to pin down the meaning of a specific word, or define an abstract concept. The analysis goes deeper than a simple dictionary definition; it should attempt to explain why the term is defined as such. It could define the term directly, giving no information other than the explanation of the term. Or, it could imply the definition of the term, telling a story that requires the reader to infer the meaning.

Compare/Contrast:

Examples:A compare/contrast essay may discuss . . .

The compare/contrast essay discusses the similarities and differences between two things, people, concepts, places, etc. The essay could be an unbiased discussion, or an attempt to convince the reader of the benefits of one thing, person, or concept. It could also be written simply to entertain the reader, or to arrive at an insight into human nature. The essay could discuss both similarities and differences, or it could just focus on one or the other. A comparison essay usually discusses the similarities between two things, while the contrast essay discusses the differences.

Cause/Effect:

Examples:A cause/effect essay may explain . . .

The cause/effect essay explains why or how some event happened, and what resulted from the event.

This essay is a study of the relationship between two or more events or experiences. The essay could discuss both causes and effects, or it could simply address one or the other. A cause essay usually discusses the reasons why something happened. An effect essay discusses what happens after a specific event or circumstance.

The example below shows a cause essay, one that would explain how and why an event happened.

If this cause essay were about a volcanic eruption, it might go something like this: “Pressure and heat built up beneath the earth’s surface; the effect of this was an enormous volcanic eruption.”

The next example shows an effect essay, one that would explain all the effects that happened after a specific event, like a volcanic eruption.

If this effect essay were about a volcanic eruption again, it might go something like this:

“The eruption caused many terrible things to happen; it destroyed homes, forests, and polluted the atmosphere.”

Examples:A narrative essay could tell of . . .

The narrative essay tells a story. It can also be called a “short story.” Generally, the narrative essay is conversational in style and tells of a personal experience. It is most commonly written in the first person (uses I ). This essay could tell of a single, life-shaping event, or simply a mundane daily experience.

Examples: A process essay may explain . . .

A process essay describes how something is done. It generally explains actions that should be performed in a series. It can explain in detail how to accomplish a specific task, or it can show how an individual came to a certain personal awareness. The essay could be in the form of step-by-step instructions, or in story form, with the instructions/explanations subtly given along the way.

Argumentative:

Examples: An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that . . .

An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer’s point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince the reader of the validity of his or her opinion. The essay may argue openly, or it may attempt to subtly persuade the reader by using irony or sarcasm.

Examples: A critical essay may analyze . . .

A critical essay analyzes the strengths, weaknesses, and methods of someone else’s work. Generally, these essays begin with a brief overview of the main points of the text, movie, or piece of art, followed by an analysis of the work’s meaning. It should then discuss how well the author/creator accomplishes his/her goals and makes his/her points. A critical essay can be written about another essay, story, book, poem, movie, or work of art.

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Compare argumentative v. persuasive writing

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Compare argumentative vs. persuasive writing

october 17, 2023

Read more: The Ultimate Guide to the Six Traits of Writing

Persuasive vs. Argument Comparison Chart

While showing persuasive or argumentative essay examples can be helpful, students also need a concrete and specific list of the ingredients found in each type .

Topics & Perspectives

All opinion writing starts with stating a position, stance, or claim. However, the nature of opinion writing is that these topics are debatable—there are differing opinions as to what is correct, fair, or best. And according to the standards—the inclusion (or exclusion) of multiple perspectives is the biggest difference between persuasive writing and argumentative writing.

Persusasive Essentials

To consider persuasive writing visually, think of it as a lopsided scale.

Argumentative Essentials

Organization & Structure

All genres of argument (e.g., opinion , review, recommendation, persuasive letters, speeches, debates, argument, etc.) utilize a what-and-why structure. The beginning introduces what the writer thinks (e.g., his claim, opinion) and the body outlines why he thinks it (e.g., reasons with evidence). The difference between persuasive and argumentative comes within the body of the written piece.

PERSUASIVE: Traditional instruction encourages starting with the strongest reason. But this means that the reasons will weaken and fizzle by the end.

A more powerful approach would be to leave the reader pondering the best reason. To create this effect, present the reasons in a 2-3-1 order.

First, rank the reasons, determining which is the number one best reason. Which one will resonate with the audience best? That reason should be saved for the final paragraph of the body.

Then, identify the weakest reason of the three. It should be buried in the middle position, leaving the second-best reason to be explained first.

This organization allows students to start with a solid first reason and save their best for last. Leaving “the clincher” for the final body paragraph provides a strong segue into the conclusion.

ARGUMENT: This more sophisticated genre also has 3 (or more) reasons presented within the body. However, with an argumentative piece, there is the added challenge of incorporating the counterclaim .

Ideally, points from the opposition are woven into each of the body paragraphs. After identifying and elaborating on one reason, the writer transitions to explain the opposition’s counterpoint (e.g., However, On the other hand, etc.). Then the writer either concedes or refutes it before introducing the second reason. This They say/I say organization intermixes the strengths and limitations of both perspectives. (TIP: Show this by color coding the two positions.)

Although this is a more sophisticated structure, initially it may be easier to simply develop the counterclaim within its own body paragraph. Insert this additional information all about the opposition after the weakest reason—but before the best one. This would adjust the organization to be: 2-3-CC-1.

Persuasive versus Argumentative - Animal Testing Samples

Audience & Point of View

A writer tailors his message to the audience—or intended reader . An awareness of the audience impacts the formality of the writing.

If the writer uses first-person pronouns (i.e., I, me, my ), he implies a prior relationship between the writer and the reader. This can make the writer—and thus his opinion—more personal. Conversely, third-person pronouns maintain distance between the writer and reader—keeping the communication formal and among strangers.

PERSUASIVE: Academic writing—including persuasive—typically avoids using first-person I and second-person you . However, there are exceptions in some persuasive writing.

If the intended audience is a specific individual or a group, then direct the persuasive message to them explicitly. This might include naming the audience within the opening or greeting and/or speaking directly to the reader using an occasional you . Acknowledging this personal connection between reader and writer can actually strengthen the persuasive tone.

Consequently, using first-person and second-person pronouns in persuasive writing is not necessarily wrong.

ARGUMENT: Argumentative writing is much more formal. There is no relationship between the writer and reader. Thus, it is always written using third-person pronouns.

Although the writer is sharing his opinion, he replaces I with advocates and supporters and substitutes you with opponents and adversaries . This word choice is essential when writing about a debatable or controversial issue that is already fueled with personal emotion.

The more formal third-person point of view helps maintain a tone of fairness and reasonableness. It keeps the focus on the subject matter—not the feelings of either the writer or the reader.

Tone & Attitude

In addition to teaching students what information to reveal in each body paragraph, provide instruction on how to say it .

PERSUASIVE: Although voice is an obvious element of persuasion, writers consider the emotional tactics that will resonate best with their audience. He may present one reason using a disgusted tone, a second reason using a sympathetic voice, and his final reason leaves the reader feeling motivated and inspired.

CAUTION #1: While making strong emotional appeals can fuel persuasive writing, a string of voice-filled and passionate pleas are NOT enough to support an opinion that lacks proof (i.e., evidence, facts, data, quotes).

CAUTION #2: It’s easy to become passionate when explaining only one side. However, avoid any polarizing comments about the opposition (e.g., You’re dumb if you think… ).

ARGUMENT: It’s not that argumentative writing lacks voice. Rather, the tone is simply not as outwardly passionate as the one-sided persuasive.

With the addition of the counterclaim, the writer attempts to demonstrate he is knowledgeable and fair-minded about the issue. This is intended to speak to the skeptical reader and ultimately influence his thinking. Consequently, the writer maintains an objective tone relying on his logical reasons substantiated with evidence. The writer convinces the reader with his information—not his emotion.

At the secondary level, this ingredient of argumentative writing usually includes additional instruction on ethos, pathos, and logos.

While there are differences between persuasion and argument—there are also several similarities—including how the claim is determined and reasons are inferred.

Research & Position

Whether writing a one-sided persuasive or a multi-perspective argument, the writer always enters the process by researching the topic. He gathers information on both/all sides. After studying the issue and the evidence available for all perspectives, aligns with the strongest position—the one with the most evidence . This then converts into his claim or topic sentence .

Reasons & Evidence

When gathering the evidence to determine the strongest side of a persuasive or argumentative, the writer makes a list of facts collected from texts. Each of these text details is potential evidence the writer may cite—but none are the student’s own reasons .

In a persuasive or argument, the student must present his reasons to support his opinion. All the details he has collected from text came from other authors—other sources. None are a result of his own thinking.

Consequently, a student must combine several related text details and generate a common category that they all fit. That category or idea is a reason. Then, the grouping of text details serves as the supporting evidence.

According to the college and career-ready standards, the answer to What are persuasive essays—versus the more sophisticated argumentative writing—comes down to several factors. Therefore, it makes sense that presenting a one-sided persuasive is the standard at the elementary level. This is the foundation of a future argument in middle and high school. If a student can’t woo the reader when presenting one perspective, he will struggle when he must juggle and present two.

Argumentative Writing Standards Dissected - Grades K-12

Dissect the K-12 Argumentative Standard

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Argumentative Essays

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The Modes of Discourse—Exposition, Description, Narration, Argumentation (EDNA)—are common paper assignments you may encounter in your writing classes. Although these genres have been criticized by some composition scholars, the Purdue OWL recognizes the wide spread use of these approaches and students’ need to understand and produce them.

What is an argumentative essay?

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner.

Please note : Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are similar, but the argumentative essay differs from the expository essay in the amount of pre-writing (invention) and research involved. The argumentative essay is commonly assigned as a capstone or final project in first year writing or advanced composition courses and involves lengthy, detailed research. Expository essays involve less research and are shorter in length. Expository essays are often used for in-class writing exercises or tests, such as the GED or GRE.

Argumentative essay assignments generally call for extensive research of literature or previously published material. Argumentative assignments may also require empirical research where the student collects data through interviews, surveys, observations, or experiments. Detailed research allows the student to learn about the topic and to understand different points of view regarding the topic so that she/he may choose a position and support it with the evidence collected during research. Regardless of the amount or type of research involved, argumentative essays must establish a clear thesis and follow sound reasoning.

The structure of the argumentative essay is held together by the following.

  • A clear, concise, and defined thesis statement that occurs in the first paragraph of the essay.

In the first paragraph of an argument essay, students should set the context by reviewing the topic in a general way. Next the author should explain why the topic is important ( exigence ) or why readers should care about the issue. Lastly, students should present the thesis statement. It is essential that this thesis statement be appropriately narrowed to follow the guidelines set forth in the assignment. If the student does not master this portion of the essay, it will be quite difficult to compose an effective or persuasive essay.

  • Clear and logical transitions between the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Transitions are the mortar that holds the foundation of the essay together. Without logical progression of thought, the reader is unable to follow the essay’s argument, and the structure will collapse. Transitions should wrap up the idea from the previous section and introduce the idea that is to follow in the next section.

  • Body paragraphs that include evidential support.

Each paragraph should be limited to the discussion of one general idea. This will allow for clarity and direction throughout the essay. In addition, such conciseness creates an ease of readability for one’s audience. It is important to note that each paragraph in the body of the essay must have some logical connection to the thesis statement in the opening paragraph. Some paragraphs will directly support the thesis statement with evidence collected during research. It is also important to explain how and why the evidence supports the thesis ( warrant ).

However, argumentative essays should also consider and explain differing points of view regarding the topic. Depending on the length of the assignment, students should dedicate one or two paragraphs of an argumentative essay to discussing conflicting opinions on the topic. Rather than explaining how these differing opinions are wrong outright, students should note how opinions that do not align with their thesis might not be well informed or how they might be out of date.

  • Evidential support (whether factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal).

The argumentative essay requires well-researched, accurate, detailed, and current information to support the thesis statement and consider other points of view. Some factual, logical, statistical, or anecdotal evidence should support the thesis. However, students must consider multiple points of view when collecting evidence. As noted in the paragraph above, a successful and well-rounded argumentative essay will also discuss opinions not aligning with the thesis. It is unethical to exclude evidence that may not support the thesis. It is not the student’s job to point out how other positions are wrong outright, but rather to explain how other positions may not be well informed or up to date on the topic.

  • A conclusion that does not simply restate the thesis, but readdresses it in light of the evidence provided.

It is at this point of the essay that students may begin to struggle. This is the portion of the essay that will leave the most immediate impression on the mind of the reader. Therefore, it must be effective and logical. Do not introduce any new information into the conclusion; rather, synthesize the information presented in the body of the essay. Restate why the topic is important, review the main points, and review your thesis. You may also want to include a short discussion of more research that should be completed in light of your work.

A complete argument

Perhaps it is helpful to think of an essay in terms of a conversation or debate with a classmate. If I were to discuss the cause of World War II and its current effect on those who lived through the tumultuous time, there would be a beginning, middle, and end to the conversation. In fact, if I were to end the argument in the middle of my second point, questions would arise concerning the current effects on those who lived through the conflict. Therefore, the argumentative essay must be complete, and logically so, leaving no doubt as to its intent or argument.

The five-paragraph essay

A common method for writing an argumentative essay is the five-paragraph approach. This is, however, by no means the only formula for writing such essays. If it sounds straightforward, that is because it is; in fact, the method consists of (a) an introductory paragraph (b) three evidentiary body paragraphs that may include discussion of opposing views and (c) a conclusion.

Longer argumentative essays

Complex issues and detailed research call for complex and detailed essays. Argumentative essays discussing a number of research sources or empirical research will most certainly be longer than five paragraphs. Authors may have to discuss the context surrounding the topic, sources of information and their credibility, as well as a number of different opinions on the issue before concluding the essay. Many of these factors will be determined by the assignment.

The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays

Introduction, informative essay, persuasive essay, the differences between informative and persuasive essays.

In academic writing, there are many types of essays, each of which has its own peculiar structure and purpose. These include, for example, informative and persuasive essays, which both provide information and facts on the given issue. However, there are a number of differences between the two, as their objectives are markedly different.

An informative essay is such type of academic writing that informs the reader about a certain topic. Sometimes, it is also called an expository essay and basically consists in describing or explaining something to readers. The objective of such writing is not in giving an author’s opinion on a particular matter, but simply in providing the facts that are necessary for its understanding. In general, an informative essay might pursue the following goals: to educate the audience about some issue; to present the research on the given topic; to compare and contrast controversial ideas; to reveal cause-effect relationships; to state a problem and provide possible solutions. The typical structure of an informative essay comprises an introduction, a main body, and a conclusion. The statements in such an essay must be clear and supported by the reliable sources. Writing an informative essay, the author should always remain neutral and objective, as well as refrain from expressing their personal ideas and arguing in favor of one viewpoint over another.

A persuasive essay, also known as an argumentative essay, explains a certain topic while rationalizing the superiority of one idea over another. In other words, this type of academic writing aims at convincing the audience that the author’s position is the most logical, valid, and justified. In essence, a persuasive essay is a combination of facts and a writer’s personal ideas. In order to prove their point, the author has to conduct a prolific research and find sufficient evidence on the given topic. Typical means of persuasion in such writing are logical reasoning, facts, statistic, examples, and quotes. The basic structure of a persuasive essay includes an introduction with a clear thesis, a few body paragraphs with argumentative points, counterarguments and their rebuttal, and a conclusion that summarizes the paper. Even though an argumentative essay is often subjective, the author’s claims should always be justified and challenged with opposing views on the issue.

Clearly, there are some vital differences between informative and persuasive academic essays. The main difference is that an informative essay only presents information in order to explain a certain issue, while a persuasive essay uses information and facts that support a writer’s personal opinion. The basic structure of a persuasive essay is more complex and strict than that of an informative essay. One more crucial difference is that the opening sentence in informative writing introduces the topic, and in persuasive writing it states an argument. Last but not least, an informative essay should always provide an objective and balanced account of the issue, whereas a persuasive essay tends to be subjective and biased.

Informative and persuasive essays are pieces of academic writing that provide the audience with certain information. However, the purpose of an informative essay is to give an objective picture of an issue, while a persuasive essay aims to incline the reader towards a certain viewpoint. Nevertheless, in both cases, the data is obtained through profound research, and each statement must be supported with sufficient evidence.

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IvyPanda. (2023, October 29). The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-difference-between-informative-essays-and-persuasive-essays/

"The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays." IvyPanda , 29 Oct. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/the-difference-between-informative-essays-and-persuasive-essays/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays'. 29 October.

IvyPanda . 2023. "The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-difference-between-informative-essays-and-persuasive-essays/.

1. IvyPanda . "The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-difference-between-informative-essays-and-persuasive-essays/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays." October 29, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-difference-between-informative-essays-and-persuasive-essays/.

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Chapter 5: Writing a Summary and Synthesizing

5.4 Informative vs. Argumentative Synthesis

Svetlana Zhuravlova

In academic research and writing, synthesizing of the information from the obtained available resources results in novelty, discovery, reaching to the common sense on a debatable issue, clarifying the perplexity of the subject under the discussion,or making the point on a controversial topic. Your rhetorical goal for writing a synthesis essay will be identified by the given assignment. In your First-Year Writing courses, you may write an Informative/Explanatory Synthesis and/or an Argumentative Synthesis.

What is an Informative/Explanatory Synthesisis?

In informative writing, you are explaining the discussion points and topics to your readers without taking a position of one side or another, without showing your opinion. Even if the topic is debatable and highly controversial, instead of promoting your personal opinion, you have to objectively introduce the ideas of others, explain and show how their information is related to each other’s, how the information may connect and diverge. You are not showing your agreement with some authors and disagreement with the others. You should stay neutral both in your comments on the found information and in your conclusions reached at the end of the discussion.

Organize the discussion among the authors of your sources as was explained in Section 5.2  under “How do You Synthesize? “

  • Example: Numerous authors wonder if this is a natural progression over time because of the laws that have changed or a shift in ideals that redefine what free speech is supposed to be…  Author N believes that [free speech] is not controlled enough in the interest of the people, while Authors B and D believe that, in an ideal world, opinions would be formed and spoken without repercussion and merely be a part of language…

  At the end of the discussion, draw your neutral conclusion on the topic:

  • Example: The question if speech has become limited, affecting the right to freedom of speech, lies in the hands of the people and the justice system itself.

Additional examples for Explanatory Synthesis here

  What is an Argumentative Synthesis?

Everything you learned about Argumentative Writing in chapters of this textbook is true and valid for writing an Argumentative Synthesis. The main difference may be that you are to support your ideas with evidence found in multiple sources, show and explain how the authors’ opinions relate, who of your authors agree and who disagree on the controversial issue, while your comments on the information retrieved from these sources and your conclusions will clarify your own position in the debate.

First, you start the debate with the assertion that sets the goal for the debate, its controversy:

  • Example: Societal changes are a large part in the debate of free speech and its limitations . The debate is about whether offensive speech should be punished when it is said with the intent to psychologically harm a group or person, or if immoral or scandalous speech should be off-limits.

Then, you are moderating the debate among the experts

  • Professor of Law E disagrees…
  • His thought is echoed by Professor R from the University of …
  • Authors F and S also discuss and assess…
  • Following in their steps, Authors D and T express…
  • Unfortunately, in opposition to their respect, Author X asserts that…
  • This brings us back to the view point of Authors F and S, who argue that…

Finally, conclude the discussion and finalize your position:

  •  Thus, hateful and immoral speech – which typically associates itself with low-value because of harmful words – will continue to find its limitations in the world even if it is not through government operations…  

When you synthesize, you are a part of the discussion and a leader of the discussion that you have initiated. You are introducing the voices and ideas of others, so you should be flexible and fair to all participating authors. You should avoid personal attack, as well as other logical fallacies in your comments on the information borrowed from your source materials. Read more in 6.5 Logical Fallacies

A Guide to Rhetoric, Genre, and Success in First-Year Writing by Svetlana Zhuravlova is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Argumentative Vs. Informative

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Q: What is the difference between informative and persuasive writing?

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Answer Last Updated: Jan 31, 2019 Views: 28763

Think about what you are being asked to write. Identify the purpose and maintain focus .

Informative writing – you are the reporter remaining unbiased, objective, and only presenting facts.

  • Give information
  • Explain an issue or topic
  • Provide straightforward facts with a balanced explanation of the topic

Informative paper outline:

  • Introduction: present the topic and main ideas
  • Body: as many body paragraphs as necessary to present facts and information
  • Conclusion: summarize main points from the body

Persuasive writing – your goal is to persuade the reader to agree with your opinion.

  • Often a combination of facts (informative) and personal point of view (persuasive)
  • Focus on benefits of your point of view
  • Use strong, comparable facts for both sides ; never stretch facts to strengthen your argument

Persuasive paper outline:

  • Introduction: present the topic and your claim/point of view
  • Body: as many body paragraphs as necessary to support your claim/point of view
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What is the similarities between persuasive and argumentative?

Table of Contents

  • 1 What is the similarities between persuasive and argumentative?
  • 2 What is the similarities between informative and persuasive communication?
  • 3 What is the difference between informative persuasive and argumentative?
  • 4 What is the difference between persuasive communication and argumentative communication?
  • 5 How are informational and argumentative writing similar?
  • 6 What is the difference of informative persuasive and argumentative?

A persuasive essay, also known as an argumentative essay, takes a stance on a topic or point and argues it, usually using research to back it up. Persuasive essays are usually written in third person point of view.

What is the similarities between informative and persuasive communication?

An informative speech aims to inform the audience about a specific topic. A persuasive speech aims to persuade the audience to perform a certain action or convince the audience to adopt the belief or opinion of the speaker. Many speeches will combine features of informative and persuasive speeches.

What is the similarities of argumentative text and expository text?

In order to successfully make an argument, both persuasive and expository essays make use of an informational tone and a nonfiction style of writing. Relying on facts rather than subjective opinions makes an essay more convincing and professional, enhancing the legitimacy of its argument.

What is the difference between persuasive and argument?

An argument explains what someone believes, while persuasion attempts to change someone else’s opinion. Arguments usually look at both sides of an issue and then form a final opinion based on the evidence. Persuasion is more one-sided because you want others to believe that your idea is the best.

What is the difference between informative persuasive and argumentative?

The main difference between argumentative essays and informative essays is that argumentative essays try to convince the reader to accept the writer’s point of view, while informative essays provide information and explanations in a straightforward manner to the readers.

What is the difference between persuasive communication and argumentative communication?

Argumentative writing uses logic, reason, and comparison to prove a point; persuasion appeals to the reader’s emotions rather than reason.

What is the difference between argumentative persuasive and informative?

What are the similarities and differences of exposition and argumentation?

Persuasive / argumentative essays take a position on an issue and try to convince their readers to accept your arguments. In other words, the major difference between expository and argumentative essays is that argumentative essays try to convince, while expository essays do not.

How are informational and argumentative writing similar?

Informative essays are a type of writing that explains a certain issue or a topic. An argumentative essay contains a combination of facts and writer’s personal ideas. A writer preparing to start an argumentative essay has to do a lot of research and gather evidence to prove and defend his point.

What is the difference of informative persuasive and argumentative?

How is persuasive essay similar to argumentative essay?

while persuasive essays are a genre of writing that attempts to convince the readers to agree with the writer, by using emotions, personal ideas, etc. In other words, an argumentative essay is based on logic and reasons while a persuasive essay is based on emotions and personal opinions.

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Difference Between Argumentative and Persuasive Essay

Main difference – argumentative vs persuasive essay.

Persuasive essay and Argumentative essay are similar in nature and thus, often confused to be the same though there exists a difference between the two. In fact, Persuasive essay and Argumentative essay are two different types of essays, and  the main difference between them is that the persuasive essay depends on opinions and emotions while an argumentative essay uses logic and reason. Let us first look at these two types of essays in detail and then move on to identify the differences between a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay.

What is an Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is a piece of writing that attempts to convince the readers that the author’s idea is true . This is a genre of writing that is used to defend or prove a point. A writer should do a thorough research; gather accurate facts and figures before writing an argumentative essay. This is more like a debate written on paper. While writing an argumentative essay, a writer should be aware of both pros and cons of the argument, and should try to discredit the opposing view by using evidence .

What is a Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is a piece of writing that attempts to convince the readers to agree with author’s ideas. In this type of essay, the writer can use his own ideas, opinions and evoke the emotions in the reader in order to convince them to agree to his opinion . A writer of a persuasive essay needs to do research, gather evidence, but a clever writer can create a successful essay without knowing much. This is because; a persuasive writing appeals more to reader’s emotions rather than minds. In persuasive writing, the writer should have certain awareness about the audience . For example, opinions and ideas that could appeal to teenagers may not have the same effect on adults. First person narration and Second person narration (Ex: In my opinion, I believe, etc.,) are commonly used as the writer is addressing the audience directly.

As discussed before, argumentative essays are a genre of writing that attempts to convince the readers to accept the writer’s idea as true, by using statistics, facts and figures, etc. while persuasive essays are a genre of writing that attempts to convince the readers to agree with the writer, by using emotions, personal ideas, etc. In other words, an argumentative essay is based on logic and reasons while a persuasive essay is based on emotions and personal opinions. When it comes preparations, before writing an argumentative essay, the writer needs to do a thorough research on the subject but does not need to have the knowledge about the audience. On the other hand, the writer can write a persuasive essay even without doing much research, but he should have certain  knowledge about the audience.

Difference Between Argumentative and Persuasive Essay

When we look at both types of essays in the perspective of the audience; an argumentative essay appeals to the minds of the readers whereas, a persuasive essay appeals to the hearts of the readers. Also,  an argumentative essay acknowledges opposing views, but a persuasive essay may not acknowledge opposing views.

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Examples of Persuasive and Argumentative Essays

Posted by 11trees | Types of Writing , Argument

The following are decent examples of Persuasive / Argumentative Essays, designed to help you think about the form more deeply. They aren’t “slam dunk” essays that guarantee an “A”. In fact, we’ve given you some perspective on how writing instructors would view these examples. Notice how the grammar doesn’t really play into the analysis of the examples; the writing is competent. It’s the ideas and choices that need work.

Click on a title below to access the original work in another window.

  • First up, this essay reads like a professional writer’s work – and it is.
  • By posing a question the essay delivers on an original argument (“it isn’t smarter or dumber – it’s impact…”) but it’s an answer to a question that is too broad for a short paper. Indeed, the author is working on a book-length work to address the issues he raises.
  • As an expert this author can perhaps get away with making sweeping statements about the origins of cooking, but an undergraduate writer cannot. There would need to be many more citations if this were an academic paper.
  • The essay includes a counterargument. Check! Notice the, “I think you can argue…” paragraph. Also a nice example of using “you” in writing – which many students are told never to do. It works here.
  • 11trees Grade: B+/F depending on fixing citations.
  • Great title! Right out of the gate this author is showing personality and a unique approach. Minor ding for Not Capitalizing Each Word in the Title Excepting Articles.
  • However, an active reader (a professor) is going to be wondering what the writer makes of the term “saintly.” Anyone who reads  Cannery Row sees the drunks and layabouts that people its pages as the equivalent of “hookers with hearts of gold.” In fact, there  are hookers with hearts of gold. The first paragraph does not raise our hopes…the author is telling us (so far) what we already know.
  • The author describes “Mack and the boys” as outcasts, but she doesn’t establish this with evidence from the text. Many readers will see them as readily accepted members of the little community – not outcasts.
  • No counterargument.
  • 11trees Grade: C  (notice the webpage itself is more generous in its evaluation).
  • Titles can help teachers quite a bit. This one walks into a buzz saw. Who would argue that diet and exercise AREN’T important? So from the title, and certainly the first paragraph, we know we have a summary paper masquerading as an argument. You might as well argue that the Earth is round.
  • There is a counterargument (“Despite all these factors…there are critics…”), but the author does not name the naysayers and conventional wisdom is that these people are whackos. So it’s a fake counterargument.
  • 11trees Grade: C/C-  (generous!).

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Informative, Compare and Contrast, and Persuasive Essay Composing of Fifth and Seventh Graders: Not All Essay Writing Is the Same

Matt davidson.

1 University of Washington, Seattle, USA

Virginia Berninger

Typically developing writers in fifth ( n = 110, M = 10 years 8 months) or seventh ( n = 97, M = 12 years 7 months) grade wrote informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essays for which the content was held constant—two mountains with a history of volcanic eruption. Relevant background knowledge was provided by reading text and showing colorful illustrations to the students before writing each genre. Results showed considerable variability between genre pairs within and across individual writers in content quality, organization quality, and length. Results, which support multiple expository genres, are consistent with prior research showing multiple genres (narrative vs. expository or even within narrative). Results are discussed in reference to the importance of assessing multiple genres in inferring composing expertise as emphasized by Olinghouse and colleagues.

Sources of Variation in Written Composition

Generativity of language.

Any assessment study that wishes to draw conclusions about writing ability based on written products faces a host of confounding variables and numerous sources of variance. Chomsky (2006) called attention to the generativity of language—the same language units can be combined in multiple ways to express thought. Likewise, the same word can be used to express different ideas, and the same idea can be expressed with different words ( Stahl & Nagy, 2005 ). Words can be combined in different ways within syntax to express comparable ideas, and the same idea can be expressed in multiple multi-word syntactic structures (Chomsky). Likewise, written composition is generative: Thought can be translated into a variety of genres or discourse structures, and discourse structures can be translated into a variety of kinds of thoughts ( Fayol, Alamargot, & Berninger, 2012 ). Thus, generativity of language is one source of individual differences in composing.

Features of the writing prompt, which establishes the topic, may also be an important source of variance in essay ratings. Schoonen (2005) had sixth-grade students write four essays, each of which was analyzed both holistically and analytically by raters, in terms of their organization, content, and language use. Using a structural equation model to estimate the variance components in students’ scores, he found, among other things, more variance due to different writing prompts than due to raters. Kobrin, Deng, and Shaw (2011) , who studied prompt characteristics for SAT writing tasks, found that prompts which presented two sides of an argument led writers to produce slightly longer texts. On the other hand, the topic may not be the only source of variance in quality of writing. In their study, van den Bergh, De Maeyer, van Wiejen, and Tillema (2012) found that holistic ratings of essay quality were not so dependent on topics. Regardless of the prompt used, a single writing topic may not be adequate to assess composing ability, as explained in the next section, “Genre.”

Writing genre may also matter in assessing composing ability. Olinghouse, Santangelo, and Wilson (2012) examined the validity of “single-occasion, single-genre, holistically scored” pieces of writing (p. 55). They specifically investigated the validity of drawing an inference from a single score to the student’s writing ability across both genres and curricular requirements. After having participants compose in three genres (story, informative, and persuasive), the authors computed correlations of individual compositions across genre pairs. They argued that strong correlations would indicate similar rank ordering across genre, while low or moderate would show different orderings for students. For their set of fifth-grade participants, Olinghouse et al. (2012) found moderate correlations across genre pairs for the holistic quality ratings (.37–.48), with lower correlations for genre elements (.12–.23).

Others have studied the genre-related linguistic skills needed for written composing. Some of this line of research on genre has been related to taking annual tests yoked to state standards ( Troia & Olinghouse, 2013 ). For example, Beck and Jeffery (2007) investigated which genres students were producing for high-stakes state assessments in Texas, California, and New York. The authors provided a framework for detecting genre features related to specific linguistic structures such as particular phrases that are associated with a particular genre. Indeed, much of the current research on genre is grounded in prior research showing that oral as well as written discourse knowledge informs quality of genre writing ( Gillespie, Olinghouse, & Graham, 2013 ; Olinghouse & Graham, 2009 ; Scott, 1994 ) and so does vocabulary knowledge ( Olinghouse & Wilson, 2013 ).

Yet others have studied the contrasting cognitive processes involved in composing different genres, ranging from the hard work to the play involved, as illustrated by the two examples that follow. Olive, Favart, Beauvais, and Beauvais (2009) studied the cognitive effort required to compose narrative and argumentative texts using a reaction time task in which fifth and ninth graders pressed a button with their non-dominant hand each time they heard a beep during a writing task. Ninth graders appeared to exert less effort than fifth graders only for the argumentative texts. The researchers also measured the number and diversity of types of connectives, such as transition words, conjunctions, and logical connectors which tie text together, in each genre. They found that ninth graders used more, and more diverse, connective phrases in general than fifth graders, but that more connectives were used by both fifth and ninth graders in argumentative than narrative genre. Boscolo, Gelati, and Galvan (2012) , in contrast, studied play with multiple narrative genres in written expression. For example, personal narratives and third person narratives may have very different text content and organization and use different vocabulary choices.

Genre also influences writing through writing–reading relationships. Much of school writing involves writing summaries of what has been read or writing reports based on a variety of source material, which also varies in genres ( Moore & MacArthur, 2012 ). So genre may influence both read and written texts.

Research Aims of the Current Study

In contrast to some studies that investigate only one of the many writing genres, this study investigated multiple writing genres within expository writing; although essay writing is sometimes assumed to be a homogeneous genre in contrast to narrative writing, there are actually multiple genres of essay writing. Little is known, however, about whether a single aptitude for expository writing underlies all essay writing or is specific to the kind of essay being written. Whereas some research on multiple writing genres has focused on the early grades (e.g., Kamberelis, 1999 ), the current study focused on multiple genres in the upper elementary (fifth) and middle of middle school (seventh) grades. A sizable body of research has investigated effective ways to teach developing writers to compose in a variety of genres—both typically developing and those who struggle for a variety of reasons, including but not restricted to specific learning disabilities (SLDs; e.g., Boscolo et al., 2012 ; Epstein-Jannai, 2004 ; Troia, 2009 ). In contrast, the current study was designed to be part of the larger line of research on improving assessment of composition across genres. Such assessment research could have important applications to (a) large-scale writing assessments of genre for all students in the Common Core Era including those with SLDs (e.g., Olinghouse & Colwell, 2013 ), and (b) individually administered clinical assessments for students with a variety of school-related learning problems or talents.

Both correlations and mean difference were examined for assessing three kinds of essays during middle childhood and early adolescence—informative, compare/contrast, and persuasive. Two kinds of correlations were examined—Pearson product moment correlations ( r s) and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). The first is sensitive to intra-individual differences within students. The second is sensitive to inter-individual differences among students. The first hypothesis tested was that fifth graders and seventh graders would exhibit intra-individual differences across the three kinds of essays, as evidenced by low to moderate r s across pairs of essays on quality ratings for content and organization. That is, each student may exhibit relative strengths or relative weaknesses in the kinds of essay writing that is easier for her or him. The second hypothesis tested was that the fifth and seventh graders would show significant and sizable ICCs, indicating sizable differences among participants in the different kinds of essay writing. Evidence of such differences within and among students would provide further evidence for the generativity of composing across three genres of essay writing.

Participants

Both groups were in Year 5 of a 5-year longitudinal study of typical oral and written language development when the writing samples analyzed in the current study were collected. One group, which began in first grade, was in fifth grade ( n = 110; 44% male, 56% female). Their mean age was 10 years 8 months (128.50 months, SD = 3.64). They represented the diversity present in the local school population where the study was conducted: European American (64.8%), Asian American (23.4%), African American (6.3%), Hispanic (1.6%), Native American (1.6%), and other (2.3%). The other group, which began in third grade, was in seventh grade ( n = 97; 49.5% male, 50.5% female). Their mean age was 12 years 7 months (151.21 months, SD = 3.71). They were similarly representative of the local diversity: European American (65.5%), Asian American (21.2%), African American (9.7%), Hispanic (0.9%), and other (2.7%). A variety of educational levels were also represented by parents, from no high school education to completion of a graduate degree, of students at both grade level, but the mode was college.

Writing samples were collected during the 4-hr annual visit to the university where the research was conducted with frequent breaks in between activities. Each child wrote three essays, each representing a different genre of expository writing, with topic held constant (Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helens). All essays were written on the same day, with brief breaks in between, in a constant order, as is common in longitudinal psychoeducational assessment research. To control for potential differences in background knowledge, before each essay, the researcher gave each participant paper copies of background information about the mountains, and then read that information out loud as the student read along silently. Essays were written in the following constant order by all participating typically developing writers: an informative essay discussing the seasonal changes on Mt. Rainier, an essay comparing and contrasting Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier, and a persuasive essay, stating and defending an opinion on some controversies about the mountains. Participants were given 5 min to write each composition, and if they stopped writing before 5 min elapsed, they could be prompted up to twice to keep writing. Specific instructions were as follows:

  • Please read silently while I read aloud this text about Mt. Rainier, which has the title, “The Many Seasons at Mt. Rainier National Park.” Now look at these post cards that depict the different seasons at the mountain and how the mountain seems to change with the seasons. Now please write an informative essay that describes Mt. Rainier which has the title, “The Changing/Changeless Mt. Rainier,” so that someone who has never visited the mountain can visualize what it looks like.
  • Please read silently while I read aloud this text that contains many facts about both Mt. St. Helens and Mt. Rainier. Now compare and contrast these mountains. Write a descriptive essay that tells how the mountains are alike and that tells how they are different. (Allow up to 5 min to write.)
  • Now read along silently while I read aloud another text about the controversies regarding these mountains. Controversies mean that different people have different opinions or points of view. Now I want you to write a persuasive essay in which you explain the different points of view about each controversy, give your opinion or point of view about each controversy, and defend your argument and convince the reader against the opposing opinion or point of view.

Content and organization coding scheme

All essays were coded for the quality of the content and the quality of the organization. A description of that coding, which was developed by the coauthors over a 3-month period based on much reading and rereading of the essays and related discussion, is presented next. This coding was constructed to be comparable across all three expository essay types—informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive. All coding was on a scale of 0 ( low ) to 5 ( high ).

Content quality

  • Content is not relevant.
  • Some content is relevant, but simply repeats facts that were given.
  • All content is relevant, but simply repeats facts that were given.
  • Content is relevant and elaborates on given facts.
  • Content is relevant and sophisticated, and qualifies, elaborates, and uses the information.

Organization quality

  • Ideas are presented in a list and are confusing.
  • Ideas are in sentences, but do not progress logically.
  • Organization is logical, but has little to no framing (e.g., topic sentences).
  • Some framing of ideas, as well as logical progression, is evident.
  • A lot of good framing, as well as logical progression, is evident.

Inter-rater reliability was calculated separately for Grades 5 and 7. For fifth grade, three essays from each of the 10 students were rated separately by both researchers. The initial correlation between those ratings was .66. After discussing all ratings where the researchers differed by two or more points, the coding scheme was updated to take into account text features that both researchers had attended to, as is customary in linguistic coding research. Once ratings were adjusted based on the discussion, the correlation for fifth grade was re-computed to be .89. For seventh grade, the same procedures were used. After coding the 10 essays separately, the correlation between raters was .68. All differences of two or more points were discussed, and changes made in the coding scheme based on those discussions. After the changes from discussion in the coding schemes, the essays were recoded by each rater, as is customary in linguistic coding; the correlation of inter-rater reliability across coding schemes was then re-computed to be .88 for seventh grade. Once inter-rater reliability was established at the standard level in discourse coding (.80 or above) to be .89 for fifth grade and .88 for seventh grade, the first author completed all the coding within a brief time. At the time the data analyses were completed, both coders (the co-authors) reviewed the coding procedures for a randomly selected subsample and found almost complete agreement even though a new coefficient was not computed.

Number of words written

For each essay, the number of complete words was also counted. Misspelled words were counted as words, but neither incomplete nor scratched out words were counted in the totals.

Data Analyses

Pearson product–moment correlations ( r s) were computed for the content and organization ratings for each genre. ICCs were computed for content and organization ratings and number of words. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to test the differences in means across the three expository genres at each grade level.

Descriptive Statistics and Correlations—Grade 5

Table 1 presents the means, standard deviations, and ICC values for all measures across the three expository essays for Grade 5. Correlations of these measures across genre pairs, per Olinghouse et al. (2012) , were computed for Grade 5. For content quality, informative and compare/contrast essays were correlated .65, informative and persuasive essays were correlated .60, and compare/contrast and persuasive essays were correlated .55. For organization quality, informative and compare/contrast essays were correlated .65, informative and persuasive essays were correlated .56, and compare/contrast and persuasive essays were correlated .60. All correlations were significant at the p < .001 level. Squaring the correlations shows that participants shared only modest variance across the genres. Likewise, the high ICC values for these typically developing writers suggest that much of the variation between the genres was due to participant differences.

Descriptive Statistics for Expository Essays Grade 5.

Note. ICC = intra-class correlation, obtained from repeated measures (RM) ANOVA analyses (see Table 3 ).

Descriptive Statistics and Correlations—Grade 7

Table 2 presents the means, standard deviations, and ICC values for all measures across the three expository essays for Grade 7. Correlations of these measures across genre pairs, per Olinghouse et al. (2012) , were also computed for Grade 7. For content quality, informative and compare/contrast essays were correlated .52, informative and persuasive essays were correlated .57, and compare/contrast and persuasive essays were correlated .67. For organization quality, informative and compare/contrast essays were correlated .56, informative and persuasive essays were correlated .56, and compare/contrast and persuasive essays were correlated .55. All correlations were significant at the p < .001 level. Squaring the correlations shows that participants shared only modest variance across the genres. Likewise, the high ICC values for these typically developing writers suggest that much of the variation between the genres was due to participant differences.

Descriptive Statistics for Expository Essays Grade 7.

Comparing Three Genres for Fifth Graders on Multiple Outcome Measures

Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed for 110 fifth graders to examine mean differences between essay genres for each of three outcome measures: rating of content quality, rating of organization quality, and number of words written. Where Mauchley’s test was significant, indicating a violation of sphericity, Greenhouse-Geisser-adjusted F tests are reported. These ANOVA results, which are reported in Table 3 , demonstrate that at least one of the essay types significantly differed from the others for each outcome measure. Follow-up pairwise t tests were conducted using a Dunn–Sidak adjustment to see which essay types were significantly different from each other. Each model will be discussed in turn.

Descriptives and Results for RM ANOVA Grade 5.

Note. df = degree of freedom.

Content quality ratings

Follow-up tests found a significant decrease in content ratings between the compare/contrast essay and the persuasive essay, as well as between the informative essay and persuasive essay ( p = .024 and p = .002, respectively). Consistently, content ratings were lower for persuasive essays even though they were written last after more practice in writing about the mountains. Trend contrasts for essay type showed that the change in content scores had significant linear components (as illustrated by the mean values in Table 1 ), with the contrast F test p value < .01. As expected, participants varied significantly from each other on content ratings, Var = 2.31, F (1, 109) = 1420.48, p < .001, ICC = .84.

Organization quality ratings

Follow-up t tests only found a significant difference in scores between the informative essay and the compare/contrast essay ( p = .006). Trend contrasts showed that the change in organization scores had significant linear and quadratic components, with contrast F test p value < .05. Ratings decreased between the informative essay and compare/contrast essays, and then increased between the compare/contrast essays and persuasive essays, as shown by the mean values presented in Table 3 . Understandably, organizational demands may be greater for compare/contrast than informative essays. Of interest, even though content ratings were lower for persuasive essays than compare/contrast essays, organizational ratings were higher for persuasive essays than compare/contrast essays. So the lower content ratings for persuasive essays cannot be attributed to their being written at the end of the series of essay genres. As expected, participants varied significantly from each other on organization ratings, Var = 2.95, F (1, 109) = 1087.08, p < .001, ICC = .85.

Number of words written (length)

Follow-up t tests found significant differences in the number of words written between each pair of essays (all p values < .01). Trend contrasts showed a significant linear and quadratic effect for number of words written across the essays, with both contrast F test p values < .001. Although the number of words written decreased between the informative essay to the compare/contrast essay ( M = 10.40), there was a large increase between the compare/contrast and the persuasive essays ( M = 16.17), which surpassed the mean number of words written in the informative essay, as shown in Table 3 . Of interest, this pattern of results paralleled those for the organizational ratings, but not the content ratings. As expected, participants varied significantly from each other on the number of words written, Var = 1000.62, F (1, 109) = 755.92, p < .001, ICC = .88.

Comparing Three Genres for Seventh Graders on Multiple Outcome Measures

Repeated measures ANOVAs were performed for 97 seventh graders to examine mean differences of the three kinds of essays on content quality rating, organization quality rating, and number of words written (length). Greenhouse-Geisser adjusted F tests are reported as needed, as in the fifth-grade analysis above. Results for these ANOVAs are reported in Table 4 .

Descriptives and Results for RM ANOVA Grade 7.

No significant effect of essay type was found on content ratings at Grade 7, in contrast to what was found at Grade 5. However, participants accounted for significant variance in content scores, Var = 1.82, F (1, 96) = 2520.20, p < .001, ICC = .84.

A significant effect was found for essay type on organization ratings, and a trend analysis found significant linear components ( p = .001). Follow-up t tests using a Dunn–Sidak adjustment found that the mean differences were only significant between the informative essays and persuasive essays. In contrast to the fifth graders, the seventh graders showed lower organizational ratings for persuasive than informative essays. As expected, participants accounted for significant variance in organization scores, Var = 1.71, F (1, 9) = 2779.04, p < .001, ICC = .80.

A significant effect was found for essay type on the number of words written. Trend analysis indicated significant linear and quadratic components to the trend of words written (both p values < .001). Follow-up t tests with a Dunn–Sidak adjustment found a significant decrease in words written between informative essays and compare/contrast essays ( M = 12.44), as well as a significant increase between the compare/contrast essays and persuasive essays ( M = 23.98), and the informative essays and persuasive essays ( M = 11.54), all p values < .001. Although the first two findings replicated those for fifth grade, the third pattern of results occurred only in the seventh grade. As expected, participants accounted for significant variance in the number of words written, Var = 1139.47, F (1, 96) = 1266.77, p < .001, ICC = .87.

First Tested Hypothesis

The first hypothesis was confirmed. Results for fifth and seventh graders are consistent with findings of Olinghouse et al. (2012) and Boscolo et al. (2012) , who have reported evidence for intra-individual differences across genres in developing writers during middle childhood and early childhood, respectively. These differences occur not only between narrative and expository writing ( Olinghouse et al., 2012 ) and within narrative writing ( Boscolo et al., 2012 ) but also across different genres of expository writing—informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essays, as shown in the current study for fifth and seventh graders. These findings have important implications for high-stakes assessments of writing, classroom assessments given by teachers, and individual assessments given by psychologists and speech and language specialists because they demonstrate that multiple written compositions representative of different genres must be used to draw conclusions about a student’s written composing ability.

Second Tested Hypothesis

For fifth graders, this hypothesis was confirmed. Differences were found among the participants across the genres. However, for seventh graders, the hypothesis was only partly confirmed—for organization ratings but not content, and for length, one of the patterns for contrasts between essay genres for seventh graders was different from the fifth graders, although two were the same. Thus, the transition from upper elementary in fifth grade to middle of middle school in seventh grade in writing multiple essay genres is characterized by some constants and some variables.

Educational Applications

Of educational significance, the current findings show that not all expository essays are created equally—different types of expository essays are likely to produce different results for the same student (intra-individual differences) and different students (inter-individual differences). Specific kinds of individual differences depend, to some extent, on criteria employed to evaluate the quality of composing—content, organization, and length—and grade level. A single annual assessment of a single written composition may not be adequate to conclude whether students meet common core or other high-stakes standards in writing, or to capture an individual student’s ability to write different kinds of expository essays, or to create a plan to translate assessment findings into educational practice. Both high-stakes tests and individually administered psycho-metric tests should assess multiple grade-appropriate genres for determining composition ability/abilities. Both profiles for composing across genres and an overall score based on indicators of writing in multiple genres, similar to that used in assessing scholastic aptitude(s), would contribute to psychoeducational assessment of composing.

Clearly, future translation of research into educational practice should include development of assessment tools for writing that are evidence-based. Annual tests that are based only on a “pass–fail criterion” are not evidence-based. Currently, normed tests exist for assessing various aspects of handwriting, spelling, and sentence-level composing. Regrettably lacking are standardized, psychometric, normed measures of text level composing for a variety of text genres within the same instrument , so that relative strengths and weaknesses for specific genres as well as writing ability across genres can be identified with an instrument standardized on the same population. Traditional approaches to reliability of assessment attribute variation in performance to unreliability of the test instrument, but in the case of a process such as written composing, which is inherently generative ( Chomsky, 2006 ), the variation may be fundamental to the process being assessed. Given the generative nature of composing written language, which is fundamentally an open-ended process and challenging to assess in a standardized way, innovative approaches to assess composing for multiple genres and to link assessment findings to writing instruction in developmentally appropriate ways remain to be developed.

Moreover, the writing genres assessed with normed measures should reflect the kinds of composing required for school writing assessments. Although much writing for pleasure may involve narrative writing, narrative composing is not sufficient to complete the kinds of writing and integrated reading–writing required for successful completion of written assignments at school and for homework during middle childhood and adolescence. Hopefully, prior research on multiple genres reviewed in the introduction and the new findings reported in the current study will contribute to development of such standardized, normed assessment tools for multiple genres that have ecological validity for the kinds of writing students are expected to do at school.

In addition, writing portfolios might be used to collect and periodically review classroom writing assignments across the school year. Both first drafts and revisions can be included in the portfolios as well as extended writing that may be co-constructed with classmates and/or the teacher. Assessment tools might be developed for periodic review of the writing portfolios at specific grade levels. Such periodic reviews should include teachers, students, and parents.

Limitations and Future Directions

The topics chosen for each of the genres were constrained by a desire to keep the topics as constant as possible—the mountains familiar to the participating students in the study—and provide constant background knowledge to all participants before engaging in essay genre composing. Future research might investigate the interaction of topics and genres by comparing multiple genres on a variety of topics common to each. Also, the nature of the longitudinal assessment did not permit linking assessment results with classroom instruction other than sharing assessment results for normed measures (not researcher-designed measures) in an annual assessment report that parents were encouraged to share with schools to use as teachers found useful. Future research should address the dynamic interplay of assessment-instruction links throughout the school year at specific grade levels.

The current research on multiple genres was restricted to two time points in writing development and schooling—middle childhood during the upper elementary grades and early adolescence during middle school. Given both the constants and variations in essay writing observed between upper elementary and middle school, future research should explore development of composing multiple genres from P to 12 and beyond in postsecondary education and the world of work. Moreover, the current study involved a one-time assessment in a larger project, much as the annual testing linked to high-stakes standards involves a one-time assessment in a given school year. Future research on multiple genres of written composition should involve multiple assessments within a grade level and the relationships of assessment findings to ongoing writing instruction in the classroom—both designing it and evaluating responses to it.

Although the current study expanded the study of genres beyond the usual narrative/expository divide to three kinds of expository essays, not all possible or relevant genres, expository or otherwise, were investigated, which hopefully future assessment and instructional research will do. Consistent with the generative nature of writing genres, our research group continues to be amazed at the creativity of the genres observed in developing writers, even for the same written assignment (manuscripts in preparation). Despite the limitations of the current research and need for much future research on multiple genres of composing across development and schooling, the current study does provide converging evidence for the reported findings of Olinghouse and colleagues and Boscolo and colleagues. Hopefully, these and other relevant studies will inspire others—both practitioners and researchers—to approach writing assessment from the perspective of multiple genres in writing given the generativity of language for thought expression.

Acknowledgments

Funding  

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by HD P50HD071764 and HD25858 from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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In This Chapter

  • Informative (Explanatory) Synthesis
  • Argumentative Synthesis
  • Identify a Topic with Disagreement
  • Identify Authoritative Sources
  • Identify Emergent Themes
  • Put Sources into Conversation
  • Finalize Your Position

In academic research and writing, synthesizing of the information from the obtained available resources results in the creation of new knowledge. Writers might come up with new ideas, discover connections that were previously unrecognized, reach agreement about a debatable issue, clarify a confusing subject, or making the point on a controversial topic.

Most college-level academic essays require synthesis. Your professors will expect you to show how your sources are part of a larger conversation. Your goal will be to avoid a source-by-source explanation of your research and instead craft argumentative essays focused around specific themes in the conversation. Strong academic writing shows connections between sources.

Informative (or Explanatory) Synthesis

In informative writing, you are explaining the discussion points and topics to your readers without taking a position of one side or another, without showing your opinion. Even if the topic is debatable and highly controversial, instead of promoting your personal opinion, you have to objectively introduce the ideas of others, explain and show how their information is related to each other’s, how the information may connect and diverge. You are not showing your agreement with some authors and disagreement with the others. You should stay neutral both in your comments on the found information and in your conclusions reached at the end of the discussion.

Writers often use informative synthesis to provide context or background information before they introduce their own argument. In the Social Sciences and Sciences, writers may be asked to write a literature review that provides a complete overview of all major research or data about a topic. In general, informative synthesis is essential when providing your reader with a clear understanding of your argument’s importance or exigency.

In the following example of informative synthesis, notice that the writer does more than simply present competing viewpoints. They also include a statement at the beginning of the paragraph that explains the relationship between the sources and the general context of the discussion.

Notice in the above example that the writer does not insert their own opinion about the topic or the sources.

What is an Argumentative Synthesis?

While informative synthesis is essential for giving the context or background of a topic under discussion, the majority of writing students will do in college courses falls under the category of argumentative synthesis. Unlike informative synthesis, which doesn’t present the writer’s opinions, argumentative synthesis allows writers to evaluate, critique, and position sources effectively.

Argumentative synthesis is one of the major differences between the writing done in most high school classes and the writing that will be expected in your college courses. The five-paragraph essay requires three points, but it does not necessarily require that those points are in conversation with one another. It doesn’t necessarily require that a writer represents all sides of an issue.

Most writing that you will do in academic essays at the college level require argumentative synthesis. Students are expected to do more than summarize the various sources they found, or even to compare sources. Instead, your college professors will expect you to synthesize the sources you find in order to craft your own ideas and arguments. They will expect that you analyze and evaluate the sources carefully, and that you recognizes the differences between sources as you use them in your essays.

How to Plan Argumentative Synthesis

Take a moment and think about the writing you’ve done in previous classes, whether you used the five-paragraph essay or other forms. How often did you make sure that you understood all sides of a topic before deciding on your thesis? How often did you make sure to represent voices and arguments that didn’t match your own opinion?

Achieving synthesis is a little like bringing people together for a discussion and then leading them in that discussion. It requires that the writer draws connections between various viewpoints and sources, but for argumentative synthesis, the writer will also be evaluating and positioning the various sources in order to make their own argument.

Step 1: Identify a Topic with a Controversy or Disagreement

Because academic writing is argumentative, the first step toward synthesizing for an academic essay is to identify a topic or question about which there is disagreement. If all of the voices in your conversation are saying the same thing and in agreement with one another, you likely don’t have a topic complex enough for college-level academic writing.

Example : The real effects of speech are a large part in the debate of free speech and its limitations. There is disagreement about whether offensive speech should be punished when it is said with the intent to psychologically harm a group or person, or if immoral or scandalous speech should be protected under the First Amendment without exception.

Step 2: Identify Authoritative Sources

Because academic writing is well sourced, it is essential that you search for sources that are authoritative, relevant, and appropriate to your writing situation. The more expert the writer or voice, the better the source. Sources can also show their authority by being neutral or objective and by including clear and persuasive evidence from reliable sources.

In high school, you may have simply picked three sources or three points from a few sources that agreed with the position you were taking. Unlike the writing you may have done in high school, college professors will require more than three points about a topic. Instead, they will expect that the writer has done enough research and work to understand the conversation in its entirety.

Be sure to take the time to evaluate your sources. Which are most recent and relevant? Which authors maintain a balanced and objective voice and stance? How will your own audience react to the sources?

Check for bias in your sources as well. A biased source might still be useful in your own argument, but you should be sure to acknowledge that bias.

Step 3: Identify the Emergent Themes

As you read and learn about the various viewpoints about the topic at hand, you should start to notice that certain issues or ideas come up in multiple texts. (If you don’t see this yet, keep reading!) These common ideas or arguments are called themes or emergent themes .

Think back to our earlier example of the parlor where people are discussing the greatest musical artist of all time. In that larger conversation, there would likely be voices interested in the commercial aspects of music (sales, popularity, etc.) while others were interested in the artistic aspects. Recognizing these themes is an essential step toward synthesis.

Step 4: Put Voices into Conversation

As you consider the various themes or categories of discussion, start to find places where authors or voices agree or disagree.

Remember: synthesis is not compare/contrast . It isn’t enough to show that various sources or authors have similar or different ideas. Instead, think about how their viewpoints or arguments are similar.

You should also try to analyze how and why they are different. For example, multiple people may believe that album sales should determine a musical artist’s greatness, but each voice or author may have different reasons for that opinion. One may see commercial success as a marker of fame, while another might see commercial success as evidence of the artist’s importance to the public. They may have similar ideas but for different reasons.

Use signal phrases to show the relationships between texts, authors, or sources.

Example of Putting Sources into Conversation:

  • Professor of Law E disagrees…
  • His thought is echoed by Professor R from the University of …
  • Authors F and S also discuss and assess…
  • Following in their steps, Authors D and T express…
  • Unfortunately, in opposition to their respect, Author X asserts that…
  • This brings us back to the view point of Authors F and S, who argue that…

Step 5: Finalize Your Position

Most students learn to write arguments and essays by picking an opinion and then searching for sources to support their ideas. While this is one way to begin your own process of invention , it can often cause a writer to miss important issues, beliefs, or ideas in the larger conversation.

As you put your sources into conversation, you will need to signal to your reader how and why certain sources are authoritative, relevant, and appropriate.

Remember, synthesis means creating something new, and an argumentative synthesis entails inserting your own voice into the writing as well.

Reflect on Your Reading

  • How does synthesis seem different from how you might have used sources in essays in previous classes?
  • How is synthesis different from summary? How is it different from comparing/contrasting sources?

To the extent possible under law, Lisa Dunick has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to Readings for Writing , except where otherwise noted.

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  2. (PDF) Argumentative Versus Persuasive. Comparing the 2 Types of

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  3. Persuasive/Argumentative Essay Comparison(explanation with table), English Lecture

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  4. Persuasive Essay Outline: Examples & a Writing Guide for Each Part of a

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  6. Persuasive vs. Argumentative Essay Writing-Know the Difference

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VIDEO

  1. Sources for argumentative essays

  2. English 10 Episode 12: WRITING TECHNIQUES

  3. Informative, Persuasive and Argumentative Communication

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COMMENTS

  1. Comparing the Similarities between Informational and Argumentative

    Informational and argumentative writing are two different types of compositions that share a number of similarities. The purpose of both types of writing is to present information in an organized and persuasive manner, but each type of writing uses different techniques to achieve this goal.

  2. The Four Main Types of Essay

    An essay is a focused piece of writing designed to inform or persuade. There are many different types of essay, but they are often defined in four categories: argumentative, expository, narrative, and descriptive essays. Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and ...

  3. Argumentative vs Persuasive: Deciding Between Similar Terms

    Rhetorical devices Persuasive language While both argumentative and persuasive writing aim to convince the reader, the main difference between the two is the approach. Argumentative writing uses logical arguments and evidence, while persuasive writing uses emotional appeals and persuasive language to influence the reader's beliefs and attitudes.

  4. Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essays: What's the Difference?

    Print Argumentative vs. Persuasive Essays: What's the Difference? (6 votes) The difference between an argumentative and persuasive essay isn't always clear. If you're struggling with either style for your next assignment, don't worry. The following will clarify everything you need to know so you can write with confidence.

  5. Argumentative vs Persuasive Essay: How Do They Compare?

    August 10, 2023 It's easy to assume that an argumentative essay is synonymous to persuasive essay writing because they both convince your audience to agree with your point of view. But the two are different not only in terms of purpose but also in terms of the tone used in writing and the expected results.

  6. How to Write an Argumentative Essay

    Make a claim. Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim. Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim) Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives. The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays.

  7. Guide to Different Kinds of Essays

    Argumentative: Examples: An argumentative essay may persuade a reader that . . . * he or she should use public transportation instead of driving. * cats are better than dogs. An argumentative essay is one that attempts to persuade the reader to the writer's point of view. The writer can either be serious or funny, but always tries to convince ...

  8. Comparing Argumentative vs Persuasive

    writing Compare argumentative vs. persuasive writing october 17, 2023 Read more: The Ultimate Guide to the Six Traits of Writing Before writing a persuasive essay or argumentative paper, students need explicit instruction on the subtle but significant differences between them.

  9. Argumentative Essays

    What is an argumentative essay? The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Please note: Some confusion may occur between the argumentative essay and the expository essay. These two genres are ...

  10. Persuasive Writing Strategies and Tips, with Examples

    1 Choose wording carefully. Word choice—the words and phrases you decide to use—is crucial in persuasive writing as a way to build a personal relationship with the reader. You want to always pick the best possible words and phrases in each instance to convince the reader that your opinion is right. Persuasive writing often uses strong ...

  11. The Difference Between Informative Essays and Persuasive Essays

    The main difference is that an informative essay only presents information in order to explain a certain issue, while a persuasive essay uses information and facts that support a writer's personal opinion. The basic structure of a persuasive essay is more complex and strict than that of an informative essay.

  12. 5.4 Informative vs. Argumentative Synthesis

    5.4 Informative vs. Argumentative Synthesis Svetlana Zhuravlova. In academic research and writing, synthesizing of the information from the obtained available resources results in novelty, discovery, reaching to the common sense on a debatable issue, clarifying the perplexity of the subject under the discussion,or making the point on a controversial topic.

  13. Argumentative Vs. Informative (docx)

    3 Informative essays are a type of informational writing that focuses on a specific topic or issue. When writing an informative essay, the author should maintain a neutral tone and stay objective without trying to persuade the reader one way or the other. Informative essays should only state facts and not give opinions on the given topic. The author should avoid adding any personal ideas or ...

  14. What is the difference between informative and persuasive writing

    Jan 31, 2019 28665 Think about what you are being asked to write. Identify the purpose and maintain focus. Informative writing - you are the reporter remaining unbiased, objective, and only presenting facts. Give information Explain an issue or topic Provide straightforward facts with a balanced explanation of the topic Informative paper outline:

  15. What is the similarities between persuasive and argumentative?

    The main difference between argumentative essays and informative essays is that argumentative essays try to convince the reader to accept the writer's point of view, while informative essays provide information and explanations in a straightforward manner to the readers. READ: What are the income limits for SNAP?

  16. Difference Between Argumentative and Persuasive Essay

    What is a Persuasive Essay. A persuasive essay is a piece of writing that attempts to convince the readers to agree with author's ideas. In this type of essay, the writer can use his own ideas, opinions and evoke the emotions in the reader in order to convince them to agree to his opinion.A writer of a persuasive essay needs to do research, gather evidence, but a clever writer can create a ...

  17. Persuasive vs Informative: Meaning And Differences

    So, what exactly do these two terms mean? In short, persuasive content is designed to convince the reader to take a specific action or adopt a particular viewpoint. Informative content, on the other hand, is focused on providing the reader with valuable, factual information without necessarily pushing them towards a particular outcome.

  18. use of informative, persuasive, and argumentative writing ...

    Use of variety of informative, persuasive, and argumentative writing techniques through an essay. Topic: Use of informative, persuasive, and argumentative writing techniques References: Consignado. (2021) Using a Variety of Informative, Persuasive, and Argumentative Writing Techniques.

  19. Quora

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  20. Examples of Persuasive and Argumentative Essays

    The essay includes a counterargument. Check! Notice the, "I think you can argue…" paragraph. Also a nice example of using "you" in writing - which many students are told never to do. It works here. 11trees Grade: B+/F depending on fixing citations. The Saintly Drunks: Analyzing the diverse inhabitants of Cannery Row. Great title!

  21. Informative, Compare and Contrast, and Persuasive Essay Composing of

    Typically developing writers in fifth (n = 110, M = 10 years 8 months) or seventh (n = 97, M = 12 years 7 months) grade wrote informative, compare and contrast, and persuasive essays for which the content was held constant—two mountains with a history of volcanic eruption.Relevant background knowledge was provided by reading text and showing colorful illustrations to the students before ...

  22. Informative vs. Argumentative Synthesis

    While informative synthesis is essential for giving the context or background of a topic under discussion, the majority of writing students will do in college courses falls under the category of argumentative synthesis. Unlike informative synthesis, which doesn't present the writer's opinions, argumentative synthesis allows writers to ...

  23. Purcom CH 1

    2. ARGUMENTING: persuading the audience to support the speaker's thesis. it's the core focus around which an effective debate is conceived and formulated. INFORMATIVE, PERSUASIVE AND ARGUMENTATIVE COMMUNICATION lesson informative, persuasive and argumentative communication: informative communication: any form of