Writing a Persuasive Essay on Abortion

No matter what your stance on abortion these tips can help you write your persuasive essay on the topic. The real challenge, though, is putting together an essay that is unique and interesting to read. Your professor has already seen dozens and maybe even hundreds of essays on this topic.

If he or she doesn’t find your essay a pleasure to read it’s going to put you at a disadvantage when it comes to getting a good grade.

Use a Clear Thesis Statement

This is the most essential aspect of your essay on abortion. Your thesis statement should not only clearly state your position on abortion, but also provide insight into why. A good thesis statement would read:

“Laws prohibiting abortion prevent women from making the choices that enable them to live the lifestyle of their choice, reducing their ability to contribute to society effectively.”

Alternatively, if you’re pro-life, your thesis statement could read:

“Abortion violates the right to live regardless of your religious beliefs.”

Both of these thesis statements provide a clear indication of where you’re going to take your reader and what you’re going to try to demonstrate.

Write Persuasively – it is a persuasive essay, after all.

The key to writing persuasively is playing on your readers emotions. Be sure to reference events and stories that pull on your readers heart strings. If you’re pro-choice you should share stories of women and children who were unable to find any sort of joy in life because the pregnancy was forced on the mother.

If you’re pro-life you should use stories that show how abortion has negatively impacted the lives of those involved – including preventing the unborn child from realizing its potential. A particularly useful approach is explaining that the aborted fetus could have gone on to contribute to society with breakthrough discoveries in the science and medical field. Don’t reference Einstein, though. It’s been done millions of times before.

Use Facts Where Appropriate

While this is a persuasive essay you definitely want to use citable facts in your essay. This will help to lend credibility to your position and convince even the most closed-minded readers of your case.

Make sure that your referenced facts aren’t debatable, though. Use good sources for this information. Ideally you should avoid referencing any religious documents or institutions if you’re pro-life. If you’re pro-choice avoid referencing Charles Darwin or the Theory of Evolution. These things are viewed with skepticism and derision by readers who don’t agree with your position on the topic.