Elements of Persuasive Passages
A thesis statement is typically found at the end of the introduction and sums up the passage’s main argument in one, or occasionally two, sentences. The paragraphs that follow the introduction create evidentiary support for the thesis statement. They explain the how and why the research or the evidence supports the thesis. These explanations are called warrants. In a short essay, each body paragraph consists of a separate piece of evidence, but this is not always the case. In longer persuasive passages, one piece of evidence may be discussed over a number of paragraphs. A persuasive passage is connected together into one cohesive passage using logical transitions between the introduction, the body paragraphs and the conclusion.