One of the key components of the Board Exams for English is writing a persuasive essay – a task that requires not only a good understanding of literature but also the ability to logically argue and express thoughts clearly. A well-written persuasive essay can earn you valuable marks that might be crucial for your final Board Exam results. If you're preparing for the exams and wondering how to craft the perfect essay step by step, we have great news for you! With the essay generator on LUMILA, you can easily create a draft of your work using artificial intelligence. Use the tool below to simplify the writing process and ensure your essay meets all the exam requirements. Wondering How to write a persuasive essay for the Board Exams? We discuss it step by step in this guide.
Why use an essay generator?
Using an essay generator, like the one available on LUMILA, offers many benefits, especially for students who need support in organizing their thoughts and creating a logical structure for their text. The main advantage of such a tool is the faster preparation of an initial draft. The essay generator allows for the quick creation of a basic version of the text, which is particularly useful when time is limited, and the topic seems complex. This way, students don't waste time pondering over the essay structure but receive a ready plan they can develop and adapt to their needs.
One of the biggest advantages of the generator is that it can serve as inspiration for your own ideas. Although the generated text is just a draft, it often suggests interesting approaches to the topic, highlights compelling arguments, or helps find apt literary examples. This tool not only aids in the technical organization of the work but also stimulates creativity by suggesting which themes can be expanded. It's an excellent starting point for further work – allowing students to focus on expanding arguments, analyzing literary texts, and adding personal reflections.
The generator also enables the creation of an initial draft, which can later be tailored to your needs. Students have complete freedom to modify the content – they can add their own arguments, expand literary examples, and introduce historical or biographical contexts. The generator acts as an assistant that makes it easier to get started, but it's the author who decides the final look of their work. Such flexibility means that even students who find it challenging to start their work can easily create a solid foundation upon which they can build their essay.
How to Write a Persuasive Essay for Board Exams: A Step-by-Step Guide
a. Introduction
The introduction of a persuasive essay is a crucial part that introduces the reader to the topic and sets the direction for the entire piece. A well-written introduction not only grabs attention but also shows that the writer can clearly define the issue and lay the groundwork for further argumentation. At this stage, you should outline the main issue that will be expanded upon in the subsequent sections, as well as state your opinion on the subject, which is your thesis or hypothesis that you intend to defend.
Start your introduction by presenting the problem or topic mentioned in the Board Exam prompt. It's important to immediately place the issue within an appropriate context – this could be historical, social, cultural, or literary, depending on the topic. Understanding the context allows for a deeper insight into the issue and offers a chance for more accurate and thoughtful argumentation. In the case of literary topics, the context could relate to the era the work was created in, the author's worldview, or events that may have influenced the content of the work. Such an approach lends credibility to your essay and demonstrates to the examiner that you possess a broad knowledge of the discussed topics.
After outlining the context, a key step in writing the introduction is taking a stance, which involves formulating a thesis or posing a hypothesis. A thesis is a clear, firm opinion on the topic that you will prove in the rest of the essay using arguments. A hypothesis, on the other hand, is a question or supposition that requires verification – in this case, in the later parts of the essay, the student's task will be to prove whether the hypothesis is true or false. Whether you choose a thesis or a hypothesis depends on the nature of the topic. However, remember that regardless of the choice, your essay should be logical and consistent, with each sentence leading to the defense or refutation of the position.
To construct a well-structured introduction, it's helpful to use useful phrases that not only simplify the start of the essay but also give it the right tone. Examples of such phrases include:
• “In light of the issues presented in the topic…”
• “I believe that…”
• “Nowadays, the question often arises about…”
• “In my opinion…”
• “It is hard to disagree with the statement that…”
These phrases help clearly formulate the thesis and introduce the topic, giving the essay coherence from the start. The introduction should not be too long but must clearly present the problem, the author’s position, and the basic assumptions that will be developed further in the essay.
Remember, a good introduction not only lays the foundation for the rest of the essay but also captures the examiner's attention and shows that the author has a clear vision of the topic, can think logically, and knows how to develop further argumentation.
b. Planning the Essay and Preparing an Outline
Preparing an outline is a key step in the essay-writing process, allowing for the organization of thoughts, planning of the essay structure, and selection of appropriate arguments. A well-prepared plan makes the entire writing process more thoughtful and coherent, increasing the chances of scoring high marks. A basic tool to use at this stage is a rough draft, where you can jot down your initial ideas for the introduction, body, and conclusion of the essay.
The importance of a rough draft when working on an essay is invaluable. In it, you can note thoughts that arise while reading the topic or analyzing literary texts. It’s worth sketching the essay's structure, considering the main assumptions, and trying out different approaches to the topic. Jotting down initial ideas helps avoid a mental mess and ensures that the essay has a logical structure, preventing the omission of any crucial arguments. Moreover, a rough draft allows you to test various ways to start the essay or formulate the thesis, enabling you to choose the most convincing version.
An outline should be a clear sketch of the entire essay. Here's what a well-prepared outline should include:
1. Initial ideas for a thesis or hypothesis:
• Initially, consider what position you want to take on the problem presented in the topic. The thesis should be clear and unambiguous, and the hypothesis – if chosen – should provoke further consideration. Here, you can ponder several possible approaches and choose the one deemed most interesting and defensible.
• For example, if the topic concerns the role of literature in shaping moral attitudes, the thesis might be: “Literature, through the creation of morally expressive characters, plays a crucial role in shaping human values and attitudes.” Alternatively, the hypothesis might be a question: “Does literature truly influence an individual’s moral attitudes?”
2. Arguments and literary examples:
• The next step is gathering arguments to defend the thesis or prove the hypothesis. Each argument should be supported by examples from literature. In the Board Exams, referring to at least one prescribed text and another literary work is required. At this stage, consider which literary texts best illustrate your arguments.
• An example might be referring to Bolesław Prus's “Lalka” as a prescribed text, where you can analyze the character of Stanisław Wokulski in the context of moral dilemmas, and another literary work, like “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky, as an excellent example of literature influencing the reader's moral attitudes through the analysis of guilt and punishment.
3. Contexts worth referencing:
• The Board Exam format requires referencing at least two contexts in the essay. In the outline, it’s worth reserving space to consider which historical, cultural, biographical, or philosophical contexts can enrich your argumentation.
• For instance, when discussing literary characters' moral dilemmas, you might refer to the historical context of the positivist era, which promoted grassroots work, or the biographical context, analyzing how Prus's personal experiences influenced character development in “Lalka.”
4. Ideas for insightful thoughts or interesting expressions:
• The outline should also contain various interesting phrases and expressions that will enrich the language of the essay and make it more engaging for the reader. Initial ideas for summarizing thoughts or clearly expressing a position can be useful at the planning stage. Insightful remarks and interesting reflections can give the essay an original character, which might be appreciated by the examiner.
• For example, if your topic concerns the significance of literature in an individual's life, you might introduce a reflection on the timelessness of literary archetypes: “Literature not only reflects reality but also creates universal patterns that help readers understand themselves and the world around them.”
A well-thought-out outline not only makes writing easier but also allows you to spot potential gaps in argumentation more quickly. It helps ensure that your arguments lead to conclusions consistent with the thesis and that you use appropriate literary examples and contexts. Creating such a draft is an investment in the effectiveness and coherence of the final text.
c. Development
The development is the most crucial part of the essay, where the detailed discussion of the issue mentioned in the topic takes place. Here, the author has the opportunity to present their argumentation supported by literary examples and references to contexts. For effective development, each argument should address a different aspect of the problem, allowing for a solid, multi-faceted analysis.
Formulating arguments is a key step in the development. Each argument should be clearly outlined and relate to one aspect of the stated thesis or hypothesis. It’s important that the arguments are logically connected and form a thought sequence leading to the defense of the main position. Each argument should be supported by literary examples that confirm the assumptions made. Ideally, each argument should address a different aspect of the problem – one might deal with, for example, a character's psychological motivations, another with moral choices, and yet another with the broader socio-historical context. Such a multi-faceted analysis allows for a deeper understanding of the problem and shows that the author can look at the issue from different perspectives.
An essential element of development is referring to literature. In a Board Exam essay, per the guidelines, referencing at least two texts is required – one from the prescribed reading list and another selected literary work. These references should be precise and thoughtful, and literary examples must directly support the arguments. For instance, if the topic concerns literary characters' moral choices, it’s worth referring to Stanisław Wokulski from Bolesław Prus's “Lalka,” who grapples with ethical dilemmas stemming from his desires and social reality. As a second text, you might refer to Fyodor Dostoevsky's “Crime and Punishment,” where the moral struggles of the main character, Rodion Raskolnikov, are a central theme.
Each literary argument should be further supported by appropriate contexts – these can be historical, biographical, philosophical, or cultural contexts. For example, when analyzing Wokulski, you might refer to the historical context of the positivist era, which promoted grassroots work and social progress. In contrast, when analyzing Raskolnikov, it’s worth weaving in philosophical context, such as the ideas of nihilism or the Übermensch, which are crucial for understanding his internal dilemmas. These contexts enrich the analysis and demonstrate a deeper understanding of the discussed works.
To ensure the development is clear and logically structured, it’s useful to employ helpful phrases that make it easier for the reader to follow the author’s line of thought. Here are examples of such phrases:
• “Firstly…” – introduces the first argument, opening the discussion on the topic.
• “It should be noted that…” – emphasizes the importance of the argument and highlights key issues.
• “An example might be…” – introduces specific literary examples that support the argumentation.
• “Moreover…” – signals that the author is continuing the argumentation, expanding on the previous thought.
• “Based on this, it can be stated that…” – leads to summarizing the argument and its connection to the thesis.
Such phrases help give the essay a logical structure and flow. Each argument should conclude with a brief summary that clearly shows how the conclusions drawn from the argument support the main thesis of the essay.
It’s also important that the argumentation is multi-faceted, meaning each issue should be analyzed from various perspectives. For example, if discussing a literary character’s moral choices, it’s worth looking at it not just from a personal perspective (what decisions the character makes) but also from a social perspective (what are the consequences of these choices for others) and a philosophical one (what ethical ideas can be applied to their actions).
The development is the longest and most demanding part of the essay, crucial to its substantive value. For it to be effective, each argument must be precisely formulated, well-supported by literary examples, and embedded in appropriate contexts. Logical and coherent development is the foundation of every good essay and significantly impacts the evaluation of the work in Board Exams.
d. Conclusion
The conclusion of an essay is a vital part, as it provides the reader with the final conclusions drawn from the entire work. It’s the moment where the author must concisely and clearly summarize the arguments presented in the development and derive a general conclusion from them. It’s important that the summary isn’t merely a repetition of previous theses but shows how all the arguments lead to one coherent conclusion that answers the thesis or hypothesis stated in the introduction.
When writing the conclusion, it’s helpful to use useful phrases that give the statement a more formal and logical character, such as:
• “Summing up, it must be stated that…”
• “In light of the arguments presented, one cannot disagree with the thesis that…”
• “Ultimately, all the examples provided prove that…”
These phrases not only help smoothly introduce conclusions but also demonstrate that the author consciously builds the essay's structure and guides the argumentation towards a conclusion.
A short reflection in the conclusion is an element that can enrich the entire essay. It should concern an aspect of the problem not previously discussed in detail in the development but arising from the discussed topic. Such reflection can be general, social, moral, or philosophical, depending on the essay's theme. The purpose of the reflection isn’t to introduce a new argument but to show that the issue addressed in the essay has broader significance and provokes thoughts beyond the specific work's scope.
For instance, if the essay topic was an analysis of literary characters' moral choices, the reflection in the conclusion might concern the overall impact of literature on shaping moral attitudes in society: “Literature, through universal themes and characters, not only reflects reality but also teaches us how to confront our own moral dilemmas. It
