Writing the Body

"Every time a message seems to grab us, and we think, 'I just might try it,' we are at the nexus of choice and persuasion that is advertising." Andrew Hacker

If you think of your persuasive writing as going out to a restaurant, then your introduction is the menu, because it shows you what is coming to you. The conclusion is the bill, showing what you just digested, and the body is the meat and potatoes. The body is where all the points are, where all your information is, and where you make your arguments of why you want the reader to come over to your side.

Paragraphs in your body should number about four in total. Each paragraph should cover the main point you are using to back up your argument and idea. In each paragraph, you need to have three to four smaller points that defend the larger point of the paragraph. To understand how this will look, we will break it down:

First sentence. This carries your main point of the paragraph.

Second sentence. This contains the minor point that backs up the major point of the paragraph.

Third sentence. This contains the second minor point that backs up the major point of the paragraph.

Fourth sentence. This contains the third minor point of the major point of the paragraph.

Fifth sentence. This is the sentence that is the transition to your next point in the next paragraph.

In the body, you are supporting your thesis with those paragraphs. The body is proof that you have researched all the information and you have examined the topic completely. All the facts and figures of your persuasive argument are going to be in the body. For example, if you are going to be talking about how you deserve a raise in the persuasive letter body, then you are going to need to outline the statistics of why you deserve the raise. You will mention how few sick days you have taken, the rising cost of living, and the growing revenues of the company in the body. In fact, each paragraph can be centered on the major point of one fact or figure.

In the body, you want to restate the facts of your case that you mentioned in the introduction, and then you prove your thesis with the arguments you make in the next paragraphs. In addition, you need to disprove the arguments of your opponent within the body. This may seem very difficult to do because there is so much you need to do in only three or four paragraphs; but when done effectively, it is one of the best ways to convince someone to agree with your point of view and side with you.

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