Persuasive Essay Writing Guide

Write A Persuasive Essay In 15 Minutes Learn It Quickly Series
‘LEARN IT
QUICKLY’
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WRITE A
PERSUASIVE
ESSAY IN
15 MINUTES
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Spectrum Tuition Pty Ltd 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS.......................................................................... 2
1. Getting Started .................................................................................. 4
Help! I have to write a persuasive essay in 15 minutes! .........................................4
A note on timing… ..................................................................................................4
What do I need to get started? ............................................................................... 5
Sample Writing Prompts .........................................................................................5
How Is This Book Structured? ................................................................................5
2. Planning (1 Minute) ........................................................................... 6
Example - Planning............................................................................................... 15
Timed Activity ........................................................................................................16
3. Introduction (2 minutes) .................................................................17
Example - Introduction ..........................................................................................19
Timed Activity ........................................................................................................20
4. Body Paragraphs (3 Minutes Each) ...............................................21
Topic Sentence ..................................................................................................... 22
Examples And Explanation ................................................................................... 23
Linking Sentence .................................................................................................. 24
Example - Body Paragraphs .................................................................................25

Timed Activity ........................................................................................................26
5. Rebuttal (2 Minutes) ........................................................................ 28
Example - Rebuttal ............................................................................................... 29
Timed Activity ........................................................................................................30
6. Conclusion (3 Minutes) ...................................................................31
Example - Conclusion........................................................................................... 32
Timed Activity ........................................................................................................33
7. Revision (1 Minute) ......................................................................... 34
Timed Activity ........................................................................................................35
8. Time To Write ...................................................................................37
1. Planning (1 minute)........................................................................................... 37
2. Introduction (2 Minutes): ................................................................................... 37
3. Body Paragraph 1 (3 Minutes):......................................................................... 38
4. Body Paragraph 2 (3 Minutes):......................................................................... 38
5. Rebuttal (2 Minutes): ........................................................................................ 39
6. Conclusion (3 Minutes): ....................................................................................40
7. Revision (1 Minute)........................................................................................... 40
8. Useful Vocabulary ............................................................................................ 41

1. Getting Started
Help! I have to write a persuasive essay in 15 minutes!
If you’re planning on sitting a Selective Schools entrance test, a Scholarship exam or a
SEALP test, it is likely that you will be required to write a persuasive essay under a strict
time limit. On some of these tests, students are required to write a clearly thought out and
well structured persuasive essay in 30, 25 or even 15 minutes! This is not an easy task. In
between brainstorming ideas, planning the structure, expressing your arguments and
ensuring your spelling and grammar are up to scratch, the time can easily slip away from
you if you’re not prepared.
Fortunately, we’re here to help. This
booklet is designed to make it as
Planning (1 minute) easy as possible to write a well
thought out, expertly planned and
clearly written persuasive essay in a
Introduction (2 minutes) limited timeframe. Think of this
booklet as an intense essay writing
boot camp. We’re going to make you
2 x Body Paragraphs (3 minutes each)
work hard and work fast, but at the
end of it, you’re going to be in much b
Rebuttal Paragraph (2 minutes)

A note on timing…
This book is structured around a 15

Conclusion (3 minutes) minute deadline, but it is also useful
for students who need to learn to
write essays under other deadlines.
Revision (1 minute) For example, if you are preparing for
a test that requires you to write an
essay in 30 minutes, simply double
all the time guidelines for each
section in this book.

What do I need to get started?
Before we begin, make sure you have the following items in front of you.
1. This booklet
2. Pens and lined paper
3. A stopwatch or a clock for the timed activities
4. An essay prompt. If you have your own prompt, feel free to use it. Otherwise, select
one prompt from the list below. This is the prompt you will be using throughout this
booklet.
Sample Writing Prompts

• Should all Victorian high school students have access to their own personal laptop?
• Should the voting age be lowered to 16?
• A number of people have suggested that cars should be banned in crowded cities and
all commuters should rely on public transport. Is this a good idea?
• Should it be a criminal offence to post insulting messages about another person on
social media?
• In times of war, many countries make it compulsory for young men to complete military
service. Is this necessary?
• Should schools force their students to wear school uniforms, or should students be
allowed to dress as they wish?
• Is the increased technological development of the past 10 years a good or a bad thing
for society?
How Is This Book Structured?
This book is structured in the exact order that you will plan and write your essay.
The key to using your 15 minutes as efficiently as possible is to know exactly how much
time you can dedicate to each task. There’s no point spending 10 minutes to carefully plan
your essay if you don’t leave enough time to write it all down. In order to make it as easy
as possible for you to manage your time, we suggest the following structure.

2. Planning (1 Minute)
Your goal for this 1 minute is quite simple. All you have to do come up with a contention, 2
main arguments and a rebuttal.
A contention is a single sentence that states your opinion on the given prompt. The
contention is also the most important part of your essay, because this is the idea that you
will be trying to support throughout the essay. A contention should be a stand-alone
sentence. This means that, without even knowing the topic, the reader should be able to
know what you are talking about.
For example, if your prompt is “Should teachers get paid more?”, then your contention
could be “Teachers should get paid more.” or “Teachers should not get paid more.”
Once you have your contention, the next step is to come up with 3 arguments that you can
use to support it. Ideally, you should try to come up with 3 very different arguments, so that
each paragraph can offer a unique idea. If you’re struggling to come up with arguments,
you might like to use umbrella topics. Some common umbrella topics include:
• Environment – How does this issue affect the environment?

• Financial – How does this issue affect people financially? Will it cause anyone to lose
or gain money?
• Freedom – Should people have the freedom to make their own choices? How might
this issue threaten people’s individual freedom?
• Fairness/equality – Would this issue make things less or more fair for certain people?
• Health and Safety – How could this issue affect people’s health? Are there risks
involved?
• Education – Are there any educational benefits of this topic? How might this topic affect
the quality of education?

In an exam, you need to be able to come up with 3 separate and distinct arguments
instantly.
Fortunately, we have a strategy to help you do just that by playing the following game:
What you will need:

- a stop watch
- a blank sheet of paper
- a pencil/ pen
- this book
If I told you that in 5 minutes, you will be able to memorise a list of 10 random words in and
out of order would you believe me?
Step 1:
Spend 2 minutes looking at the following list of 10 items and try to memorise them in order.
Use whatever strategy you prefer.
bun
shoe
tree
door
hive
sticks
heaven
gate
vine
hen
Step 2:
When you have done so, turn the page or cover up the words with a separate sheet of
paper.

Step 3:
Give yourself 2 minutes to try to write down the words in order in the space below.
Step 4:
Compare with the original list to see how many you remembered.
If you tried to memorise the list by rote i.e. repeating the words continuously in your head,
you may have been lucky to remember half of the words in order. Even if you scored
higher, it is unlikely that you will remember the list a week, a day or even in a few hours
because the list is learned in isolation.
Rather than learn by rote, it is important to help your brain make connections with things it
is already familiar with, to increase the likelihood of being able to recall the information
weeks, months or even years later!

The Number-Rhyme System
If you look back at the original list of words, you will see that they actually rhyme with a
concept you already know: numbers from 1 - 10!
1. Bun
2. Shoe
3. Tree
4. Door
5. Hive
6. Sticks
7. Heaven
8. Gate
9. Vine
10. Hen
Now look at the words for 2 minutes and try to memorise the words in order.
Do you also know the words out of order? For example, what is the word for number 5?
What about 8?
What does this have to do with persuasive/ analytical essays?

Each of your arguments should be separate and distinct. As mentioned earlier, a great way
to do this is through ‘umbrella topics’.
Umbrella topics are a list of general areas that are commonly affected by a range of
different issues. During your exam, this will be a very valuable tool, particularly if you only
have 15 minutes to write a full and well thought out analytical essay.
Ten common umbrella topics you can use are:
1. Financial
2. Environmental
3. Family & friends
4. Health & safety
5. Individuality/ freedom
6. Protection of society
7. Equality
8. Educational
9. Technological
10. Happiness
Memorising these 10 umbrella topics for your exam will be useful in helping you come up
with separate and distinct arguments.
To do this, use the number-rhyme words to help you.
The trick is to make a crazy association between the word and the umbrella topic. It cannot
happen in real life and you need to be able to picture it clearly in your mind to memorise
these headings.
For example, to memorise the first group 1 - bun - financial, a crazy association might be a
bun walking into a bank to deposit money.

Spend ten minutes thinking of your own associations between the number rhyme word and
the associated umbrella topic.

You should now use these umbrella topics to come up with arguments either “for” or
“against.” Examples have been provided below:
Contention: Yes, teachers should be paid No, teachers should not be paid
more more
1. Financial Teachers spend a lot of time after Some might argue that the
school and on weekends planning government does not have enough
and marking so should be money to pay teachers more.
compensated for this extra work.
2. Environmental No obvious argument No obvious argument
3. Family/ friends Teachers should be compensated Teachers get more holidays than
for having to spend time away from most other professions and don’t
family and friends due to the heavy need to spend long hours at the
workload. Additionally, activities office. Their work day often finishes
such as camps require teachers to at 3.30 which gives them plenty of
spend days away from their family time to go home and spend time with
members. their family and friends.
4. Health & safety More and more is expected of There are other jobs that are
teachers leading to burn out. If we significantly more stressful than
paid teachers more, this would teaching e.g. doctors, firefighters
compensate for the added stress
they have to endure.
5. Individuality/ We should be supporting the Teachers know what is required
freedom individuals who have chosen to before joining the profession. It is up
spend their lives helping students. It to the individual to find efficient ways
takes time to plan and implement to organise their time and resources
quality lessons. so the job doesn’t impact their
personal lives.
6. Protection of Giving teachers more money will People should join the profession
society increase the likelihood of them because they want to make a
staying in the profession. Due to difference and help students, not just
this, there will be less disruption in because of a generous pay packet.
student learning as there will be less
turnover of teachers.
7. Equality Teachers should get paid more There are many other jobs that are
because they deserve recognition just as impactful e.g. nursing, but do
for working a lot of hours over time not have the same generous
and putting in a significant effort. conditions that teachers get.
8. Educational Teachers should get paid more More money doesn't necessarily
because it will lead more talented result in better teaching. Instead,
people to become teachers and money should be invested in more
improve the quality of education. training and development to help
teachers manage their workload.
9. Technological No obvious argument No obvious argument
10. Happiness Teachers will be happier if they were Teachers should be intrisically
paid more given the stress that motivated to help students succeed.
comes with the job.
Try to think of as many arguments using the umbrella topics to prompt you.
Contention:
1. Financial
2. Environmental
3. Family/ friends
4. Health & safety
5. Individuality/
freedom

6. Protection of
society
7. Equality
8. Educational
9. Technological
10. Happiness

Example - Planning
When planning out your essay, think of your contention and your three strongest
arguments to include in your essay. It is also important to think of a rebuttal which is the
strongest argument against your contention.
Prompt.
Should teachers get paid more?
Contention.
Teachers should get paid more.
Argument #1 Argument #2
Rebuttal
Teachers should get paid Teachers should get paid
Some might argue that
more because it will lead more because they
the government does not
more talented people to deserve recognition for
have enough money to
become teachers and working a lot of hours over
pay teachers more.
improve the quality of time and putting in a
However, any extra costs
education. significant effort.
would be outweighed by
(Education) (Fairness)
the benefits. (Financial)
Notes And Ideas:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

Timed Activity
Use the following table to brainstorm a contention and 3 main arguments for your prompt
in 1 minute.
Prompt
Contention
Argument #1 Argument #2 Rebuttal
Notes And Ideas:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. Introduction (2 minutes)
Once you have your contention and your 3 arguments, you are ready to write your
introduction. The introduction is the most important parts of your essay, as it establishes
the plan for the rest of the essay. It is also one of the most difficult parts to write if you don’t
know what to include. Fortunately, we’re going to make it easy for you. In order to write a
good quality introduction, all you need are 5 simple sentences. We’ve provided some
example structures for each sentence. All you have to do is fill in the gaps!
Sentence Examples
1. Introduction of a. Anecdote. Provide a personal story that relates to the

topic. issue you are discussing.
Your introduction
should start with a As a student, I have been lucky enough to be taught by
sentence that some amazing, dedicated teachers.
engages the reader
and introduces the b. Imagery. Use a short description that conjures up an
topic at hand. There interesting image relevant to this issue.
are several ways you
can do this. Choose Imagine you are a teacher. You are constantly trying to
the one you think will control a chaotic class of hyperactive children, dealing
work the best. with marking, behaviour management and difficult
parents. It’s a tough job, and it doesn’t pay well.
c. Rhetorical question. Ask a question with an obvious

answer.
Where would any of us be without teachers?
d. If you are struggling with these options, you can use

one of the following templates.
Recently, the issue of _________ has again sparked

debate.
The controversial topic of _________ is again being

discussed.
Recently, the issue of teachers’ salaries has again

sparked debate.

2. Showing conflict. Some argue that _____ (the opposite side of the debate to
The second sentence yours)
should show that
there is an opposing Many _____ have suggested that ________.
side to the argument.
This is where you Some politicians have suggested that it is impractical to
show the opinion that pay teachers any more than their current wages.
you disagree with.
3. Statement of
contention However, it is clear that _________ (your contention)
This is the most
important part, but it However, it makes sense that ____ (your contention)
is also the easiest. All
you have to do is fill However, it is clear that teachers should be paid more.
in the contention that
you have already
come up with.
4. Summary of
arguments. This is because____________ (2 arguments, briefly)
Your next sentence
should quickly While ____ (opposing view), it is clear that ____ (rebuttal)
summarise your 2
main arguments and This is because higher salaries would reward teachers for
rebuttal. You don’t their hard work and improve the standard of education.
need to go in to too
much detail. You can While there are costs involved in raising teachers’
put your rebuttal in a salaries, it is clear that these costs are outweighed by the
second sentence if potential benefits.
necessary.
5. Concluding
sentence. Therefore, _____________ (restatement of contention)
The final sentence
should wrap your Because of this, ________ (restatement of contention)
introduction up nicely
by restating your For these reasons, ______ (restatement of contention)
contention. You can
reword your Therefore, the current wage for Australian teachers should
contention slightly if be increased.
you wish to avoid
sounding repetitive.

All you have to do is put these 5 sentences together and you will have a well-structured
introduction!
Example - Introduction
Recently, the issue of teachers’ salaries has again

sparked debate. Some politicians have suggested
that it is impractical to pay teachers any more than
their current wages. However, it is clear that teachers
should be paid more. This is because higher salaries
would reward teachers for their hard work and
improve the standard of education. While there are
costs involved in raising teachers’ salaries, it is clear
that these costs are outweighed by the potential
benefits. Therefore, the current wage for Australian
teachers should be increased.

Timed Activity
Use the 5 sentence structure to write an introduction for your prompt in 2 minutes.
Prompt:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Introduction:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Top Tip
If you are finding it hard to finish your essay in 15 minutes,
start with a time limit of 30 minutes and cut off 2 minutes
each time.
4. Body Paragraphs (3 Minutes

Each)
Your first 2 body paragraph will explain your 2 main arguments. Each paragraph explains
one of your arguments. When writing your body paragraphs, I recommend you follow the
TEEL structure: Topic sentence, Examples, Explanation, Linking Sentence. Within this
structure, your body paragraph is like a hamburger. The topic sentence and the linking
sentence hold the paragraph together, and the evidence (examples) and the explanation
make it more interesting.
Topic sentence
Examples
Explanation
Linking sentence

Topic Sentence
The job of the topic sentence is to link your contention to your argument. To write a topic
sentence, follow these simple steps.
Step Example
1. Use a linking word First and foremost,
2. State your contention teachers should get paid more
3. Say because because
4. State your argument it will lead more talented people to become

teachers and improve the quality of education.
Put it all together to get… First and foremost, teachers should get paid
more because it will lead more talented people to
become teachers and improve the quality of
education.
The following table shows some useful linking words that you can use at the start of your
topic sentences.
First paragraph topic Second paragraph topic Third paragraph topic

sentence sentence sentence
• Firstly, • Furthermore, • Finally,

• On the one hand, • In addition, • Above all,
• To begin with, • Additionally, • Most importantly,
• First and foremost,

Top Tip
Try to write about as many different topics as possible. It
will get you used to thinking in new and interesting ways.
Examples And Explanation
This is the least formulaic part of your essay. Your goal here is to prove your arguments by
giving evidence (examples), and then linking that evidence to your argument with an
explanation. You can use a number of different types of evidence, such as facts, research
studies, expert opinions and personal anecdotes, but make sure it doesn’t sound like
you’re just making facts up off the top of your head.
Studies have shown that careers that pay more, such as medicine and engineering
naturally attract more talented people. By raising teachers’ wages, Australia could
encourage more talented people to pursue a career in education. This would raise
the standard of education in Australia.

Linking Sentence
The linking sentence is basically just like the topic sentence but backwards. Its job is to link
your argument back to the contention. Follow these steps.
Step Example
1. Use a linking phrase For these reasons, it is clear that…

Because of this, it is obvious that…
Therefore, it is apparent that…
2. State your contention teachers should get paid more
3. Put it all together Therefore, it is apparent that teachers should get paid
more.
Top Tip
Try to write about as many different topics as possible.
It will get you used to thinking in new and interesting ways.

Example - Body Paragraphs
First and foremost, teachers should get paid more

because it will lead more talented people to become
teachers and improve the quality of education.
Careers that pay more, such as medicine and
engineering naturally attract more talented people.
By raising teachers’ wages, Australia could
encourage more talented people to pursue a career
in education. This would raise the standard of
education in Australia. Therefore, it is apparent that
teachers should get paid more.
Furthermore, paying teachers more would be a good

way of rewarding their hard work and dedication.
Many teachers are extremely hard working. They
work outside of school hours, correcting work,
writing reports and planning classes. A pay rise
would help to recognise this hard work. Because of
this, it is obvious that teachers should get paid more.

Timed Activity
Use the structure you have learned to write a body paragraph for each of the 2 arguments
that you have come up with. You have 3 minutes to complete each paragraph.
Prompt:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 1:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Paragraph 2:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

5. Rebuttal (2 Minutes)
A good way of making your argument more convincing is to show that you have
considered both sides of the debate. A rebuttal paragraph should give a reason why some
people might disagree with your contention, and then identify a flaw in their argument.
Follow the following structure to construct your rebuttal.
Sentence Examples
1. Topic Sentence Some argue that ____________

Explain what other
people might argue. There are those who believe that ____________
Some argue that teachers should not get paid more

because it would cost the government, and the taxpayers
too much.
2. Identify Problem What this argument fails to take in to account is _______

Identify the main
problem with the The problem with this argument is ______________
opposing argument
What this argument fails to take in to account is that such
costs are necessary if we want to improve Australia.
3. Counter Even if paying teachers more caused a minor increase in

Argument tax, the benefits of improving our education system would
Make your argument certainly be worth it in the long run.
in opposition to the
opposing argument.
4. Conclusion Therefore, __________

Link back to your
contention. It is clear that ___________
Therefore, despite the ____ (reasons against), it is clear

that ____ (contention)
Therefore, despite the potential costs, it is clear that it is in

our best interests to pay teachers more.

Example - Rebuttal
Some argue that teachers should not get paid more

because it would cost the government, and the
taxpayers too much. What this argument fails to take
in to account is that such costs are necessary if we
want to improve Australia. Even if paying teachers
more caused a minor increase in tax, the benefits of
improving our education system would certainly be
worth it in the long run. Therefore, despite the
potential costs, it is clear that it is in our best
interests to pay teachers more.

Timed Activity
Use the structure you have learned to write a rebuttal in 2 minutes.
Rebuttal:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6. Conclusion (3 Minutes)
The conclusion should wrap your essay up in a neat package. It should return to the
contention, summarise the points that have been made and offer a final thought for the
reader. We recommend that your conclusion only needs to be 3 – 4 sentences, as per the
structure below.
Sentence Examples
1. Statement of contention In conclusion, it is clear that _______ (your

Begin your conclusion by contention)
restating your contention.
In the end, it is obvious that _____ (your contention)
It has become apparent that _____ (your contention)
In the end, it is obvious that teachers should be paid

more.
2. Summary of arguments. This is because____________ (3 arguments,

Your next sentence should briefly)
quickly recap your 3 main
arguments. You don’t need to This is because higher wages for teachers are likely
go in to too much detail. You to attract more talented people to the industry,
can split this sentence in to increase the value of our education. Also, it would
two if necessary. Just start be well-deserved recognition for teachers who work
the second sentence with extremely hard for their students. These benefits will
“Also…” far outweigh any costs involved.
Therefore, it is important that we _________

3. Recommendation
The final sentence should Therefore, it would be for the best if __________
wrap your essay by making a
recommendation. What do For this reason, it is recommended that _________
you think we should do? How
do you think we should thing Therefore, it is important that we take our country’s
about this topic in the future. education seriously and ensure teachers receive the
wages that they deserve.

Example - Conclusion
In the end, it is obvious that teachers should be paid

more. This is because higher wages for teachers are
likely to attract more talented people to the industry,
increase the value of our education and have a
positive impact upon society. Also, it would be well-
deserved recognition for teachers who work
extremely hard for their students. These benefits far
outweigh any costs involved. Therefore, it is
important that we take our country’s education
seriously and ensure teachers receive the wages that
they deserve.
Top Tip
If you can say what you are trying to say with one word,
there is no need to use two words. Being clear is better
than sounding fancy.

Timed Activity
Use the structure you have learned to write a conclusion in 2 minutes.
Conclusion:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

7. Revision (1 Minute)
Once you have finished writing, it is always a good idea to save a minute to read over your
work and see if you can find any mistakes or things you should change. When revising
your work, here are some things to look out for...
1. Contention
Did you state your contention clearly in the introduction? Did you restate the same
contention at the start and end of each of your body paragraphs and in your conclusion?
The contention is what holds your essay together and gives it focus. If it’s not in there, put
it in quickly!
2. Structure
Does your essay have an introduction, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion? Does each
body paragraph put forth a new argument? Are all your arguments summarised in your
introduction and conclusion?
3. Spelling and Grammar
Did all of your sentences start with a capital letter and end with a full stop? Have you
included any run-on sentences? Have you misspelled any words or left important words
out of any of your sentences? Is the meaning of each sentence clear, or do some
sentences need to be simplified?
4. Formality of Tone
Is your tone appropriate to an essay? Did you use any slang or abbreviations that should
not be included? Did you overuse clichés? Did you rely too heavily on phrases such as “I
feel” and “I think”?

5. Repetitiveness
Did you repeat any words or phrases often enough to sound repetitive? Did you vary the
way you write your contention? Did you repeat any arguments?
Timed Activity
Read over what you have written so far and see how many mistakes or possible
improvements you can find. In one minute, see how much you can improve what you have
written.
Revision Area:
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

Here’s the full essay that we just wrote:
Recently, the issue of teachers’ salaries has again sparked debate. Some politicians have
suggested that it is impractical to pay teachers any more than their current wages. However, it
is clear that teachers should be paid more. This is because higher salaries would reward
teachers for their hard work and improve the standard of education. While there are costs
involved in raising teachers’ salaries, it is clear that these costs are outweighed by the
potential benefits. Therefore, the current wage for Australian teachers should be increased.
First and foremost, teachers should get paid more because it will lead more talented people to
become teachers and improve the quality of education. Careers that pay more, such as
medicine and engineering naturally attract more talented people. By raising teachers’ wages,
Australia could encourage more talented people to pursue a career in education. This would
raise the standard of education in Australia. Therefore, it is apparent that teachers should get
paid more.
Furthermore, paying teachers more would be a good way of rewarding their hard work and
dedication. Many teachers are extremely hard working. They work outside of school hours,
correcting work, writing reports and planning classes. A pay rise would help to recognise this
hard work. Because of this, it is obvious that teachers should get paid more.
Some argue that teachers should not get paid more because it would cost the government,
and the taxpayers too much. What this argument fails to take in to account is that such costs
are necessary if we want to improve Australia. Even if paying teachers more caused a minor
increase in tax, the benefits of improving our education system would certainly be worth it in
the long run. Therefore, despite the potential costs, it is clear that it is in our best interests to
pay teachers more.
In the end, it is obvious that teachers should be paid more. This is because higher wages for
teachers are likely to attract more talented people to the industry, increase the value of our
education and have a positive impact upon society. Also, it would be well-deserved recognition
for teachers who work extremely hard for their students. These benefits far outweigh any costs
involved. Therefore, it is important that we take our country’s education seriously and ensure
teachers receive the wages that they deserve.

8. Time To Write
Now’s the time for you to practice your new skills. Choose another prompt and write your
essay in 15 minutes!
1. Planning (1 minute)
Prompt
Contention
Argument #1 Argument #2 Rebuttal
2. Introduction (2 Minutes):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. Body Paragraph 1 (3 Minutes):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
4. Body Paragraph 2 (3 Minutes):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Rebuttal (2 Minutes):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

6. Conclusion (3 Minutes):
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
7. Revision (1 Minute)
Remember to go back through your essay - to make any corrections you need to!

8. Useful Vocabulary
Acknowledging the To indicate certainty of To indicate doubt about

other side your own argument the other side’s
argument
• admittedly • truly • doubtful

• in spite of • sincerely • dubious
• all the same • genuinely • questionable
• nevertheless • surely • improbable
• although • absolutely • implausible
• no doubt • indubitably • debatable
• although this may be • certainly
true nonetheless • without doubt
• at the same time • needless to say
notwithstanding
• it is apparent
• besides
• manifestly
• under certain
circumstances • undeniable
• even if/though • unequivocally
• up to a point • incontrovertible
To prove or demonstrate To show a result To indicate a cause or

reason
• establish • accordingly - because • since

• exemplify • of the reason given • due to
• highlight • consequently • for the reason that
• illustrate • hence • inasmuch as
• expose • therefore
• demonstrate • thus
• suggest
• imply
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Write A Persuasive Essay In 15 Minutes Learn It Quickly Series

1. Getting Started .................................................................................. 4

Help! I have to write a persuasive essay in 15 minutes! .........................................4

A note on timing… ..................................................................................................4

What do I need to get started? ............................................................................... 5

Sample Writing Prompts .........................................................................................5

How Is This Book Structured? ................................................................................5

2. Planning (1 Minute) ........................................................................... 6

Timed Activity ........................................................................................................16

3. Introduction (2 minutes) .................................................................17

Example - Introduction ..........................................................................................19

Timed Activity ........................................................................................................20

4. Body Paragraphs (3 Minutes Each) ...............................................21

Topic Sentence ..................................................................................................... 22

Examples And Explanation ................................................................................... 23

Linking Sentence .................................................................................................. 24

Example - Body Paragraphs .................................................................................25

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Timed Activity ........................................................................................................26

5. Rebuttal (2 Minutes) ........................................................................ 28

Example - Rebuttal ............................................................................................... 29

Timed Activity ........................................................................................................30

6. Conclusion (3 Minutes) ...................................................................31

Timed Activity ........................................................................................................33

7. Revision (1 Minute) ......................................................................... 34

Timed Activity ........................................................................................................35

8. Time To Write ...................................................................................37

2. Introduction (2 Minutes): ................................................................................... 37

3. Body Paragraph 1 (3 Minutes):......................................................................... 38

4. Body Paragraph 2 (3 Minutes):......................................................................... 38

5. Rebuttal (2 Minutes): ........................................................................................ 39

6. Conclusion (3 Minutes): ....................................................................................40

8. Useful Vocabulary ............................................................................................ 41

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Rebuttal Paragraph (2 minutes)

This book is structured around a 15

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What do I need to get started?

Sample Writing Prompts

How Is This Book Structured?

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• Environment – How does this issue affect the environment?

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What you will need:

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The Number-Rhyme System

What does this have to do with persuasive/ analytical essays?

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Ten common umbrella topics you can use are:

To do this, use the number-rhyme words to help you.

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2. Environmental No obvious argument No obvious argument

4. Health & safety

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Should teachers get paid more?

Teachers should get paid more.