Writing a Persuasive Letter

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Writing a Persuasive Letter
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Persuasive Organizer
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Introductory Paragraph

• Dear Mom and Dad,
• Topic Sentence/Hook
• I know weve had this conversation before, and I
  agree with you that I wasnt really ready at the
  time I last asked, but I really feel like Im
  ready for a dog now. A lot of time has passed
  since we last talked about this, and I have
  matured quite a bit. Not only that, but I think
  there are many strong reasons why I should be
  allowed to have a dog.

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Introductory Paragraph

• Three reasons why they should let you have a dog
• Dogs teach responsibility
• Dogs are great companions
• Dogs are protective
• Exposure to pets at an early age can have health
  benefits
• Benefits the whole family

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Reason 1

• Dogs teach responsibility
• Its well known that pet ownership teaches kids
  to be responsible. The first and most obvious
  responsibility related to pet ownership is that
  they need to be cared for. Pets need to be fed,
  they need water, exercise, love, and
  companionship. And I also know that I have to
  take care of the less than desirable task of
  cleaning up after my dog after he does their
  business. If theyre going to be happy and
  healthy, they need all of these things and
  someone has to be responsible for providing them.
  I understand that I am the one asking for a dog
  and that means I am the one who must provide all
  of the things I mentioned above.

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Reason 2

• Dogs are great companions
• You know how a lot of times I just sit around
  after school and on weekends? Well, sometimes
  thats because I have nobody to play with. If I
  had a dog, we could go to the park and play or
  just out to the backyard. Furthermore, there are
  times when you are both at work or running
  errands, and Im left home alone. It would be
  great if I had some company during those times a
  dog would be great company. And you know all
  those times youve encouraged me to watch less
  television and spend less time on the internet
  and just go outside to get some exercise? Id be
  more likely to do that if I had a companion.

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Reason 3

• Dogs benefit the entire family
• Im not going to deny that my reasons for wanting
  a dog are mostly selfish, but there are many ways
  the entire family would benefit, too. The
  companionship I mentioned before definitely
  extends to everyone in the family. In addition,
  its proven that people with dogs are safer in
  their homes because they tend to deter burglars
  and other criminals. Interviews with known
  robbers have shown that their goal is to get in
  and out of homes unnoticed and barking dogs draw
  unwanted attention. Because of this, criminals
  are less likely to enter homes with dogs inside.

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Reason 3 continued

• Lastly, its just unavoidable that a dog would
  become a member of the family providing all of
  the benefits I mentioned before and more to all
  of us (exercise, health benefits, love, etc).

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Counter Argument

• I know you may still think that I am not ready
  for a dog.
• I agree that in the past I did not show the level
  of responsibility required for pet ownership. You
  were right, I didnt always clean my room or
  handle the few responsibilities I had. Recently,
  however, I think I have improved. I have started
  cleaning my room more regularly, and have started
  to help out around the house more often, and I
  want to assure you that even if I get a dog I
  wont stop handling those responsibilities. I
  will take care of those and the dog as well. I
  really think Im ready.

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Sample Letter