Elements of a Persuasive Essay
position - the author's beliefs and opinions about the topic; the author needs to be clear about their position in order to change the reader's opinion
attention to audience - the style of writing changes depending on the audience, for example, a note to a friend vs. a letter to a state representative.
factual support - in order to be convincing, a persuasive piece of writing needs to include factual details
effective word choice - writers need to choose words that are descriptive and specific. You need to be clear in order to persuade the reader.
ethos - the credibility to write about that topic, for example, a doctor is credible to write about health issues, not automotive repair.