Persuasive Essay Worksheets & Activities

Students need to learn how to write persuasive essays. This skill is critical because it is often tested. Writing a research paper may be more difficult, but students can’t be expected write one in an hour. Therefore, since writing a persuasive essay doesn’t require any research, students will continue to be tested on their ability to write them for some time.

The good news is that learning to write a decent persuasive essay is pretty easy. Much of it is just structuring your ideas and arguments in a sensible way. Beyond that, there are a few more tricks that one can use to enhance one’s skills quickly. These persuasive essay worksheets and activities will help students master these tricks.

Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers Activity – Students practice creating persuasive leads that immediately push the reader toward their side of the argument.
Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers | RTF
Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers | PDF
Creating Persuasive Attention Catchers | Preview

Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet – Students read five introductory paragraphs and determine what the body paragraphs of each essay will be about by identifying the preview points. This activity should give students a better understanding of the relation of introductory paragraphs to the body.
Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet | RTF
Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet | PDF
Persuasive Introductory Paragraphs Review Worksheet | Preview

Arguing Both Sides Worksheet – Students get emotional about essays sometimes. This can lead them into picking positions that are harder to support. In this activity students learn that you can argue BOTH sides of a topic, not just the one side with which you personally agree. Students practice arguing both sides of a four different topics.
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet | RTF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet | PDF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet | Preview

Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 – Here’s another persuasive essay worksheet to help students practice approaching writing prompts logically. In this double-sided worksheet students practice arguing both sides of a selection of topics. This helps students learn to be strategic when approaching a topic, instead of responding emotionally.
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 | RTF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 | PDF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 2 | Preview

Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 – Here is yet another double-sided worksheet where students practice brainstorming arguments on both sides of controversial persuasive essay topics. These activities help them learn to brainstorm points quickly and to choose the side of an argument that is easier for them to support when writing a persuasive essay.
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 | RTF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 | PDF
Arguing Both Sides Worksheet 3 | Preview

Boxes and Bullets Persuasive Essay Outline – A lot of students really hate the term outline. These same students generally like to hear the phrase boxes and bullets. So I made this boxes and bullets worksheet. Sure, it’s just an outline for a persuasive essay, but boxes and bullets sounds way cooler. This activity is great to do before actually writing the essay. It allows others to see that the structure of an essay before it is fully developed. This activity sheet also includes a comment area for peer review.
Boxes and Bullets Persuasive Essay Outline | RTF
Boxes and Bullets Persuasive Essay Outline | PDF
Boxes and Bullets Persuasive Essay Outline | Preview

Persuasive Essay Examples – Sometimes it’s easier to spot other’s mistakes than one’s own mistakes. This persuasive essay worksheet tests that idea. Students read two persuasive essay examples and identify problems with each.  Then, they answer a serious of questions to help them evaluate and improve each essay.
Persuasive Essay Examples | RTF
Persuasive Essay Examples | PDF
Persuasive Essay Examples | Preview

Persuasive Essay Rubric– Here’s a rubric that I’ve used to grade my students’ five-paragraph persuasive essays.  This also includes a handout on the structural order of a cookie-cutter persuasive essay.
Persuasive Essay Rubric | RTF
Persuasive Essay Rubric | PDF
Persuasive Essay Rubric | Preview

Typed Persuasive Essay Rubric – Here’s yet another rubric I’ve used to grade my students’ five-paragraph persuasive essays.  This one is set up for a typed assignment and includes formatting fields designed to prepare students for MLA format.
Typed Persuasive Essay Rubric | RTF
Typed Persuasive Essay Rubric | PDF
Typed Persuasive Essay Rubric | Preview

Looking For Something Else?
Persuasive Essay Topics
How to Write Persuasive Essays
Narrative Essay Topics
How to Write Narrative Essays
Research Paper Topics

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84 Comments

  1. Adura

     /  June 2, 2023

    Thank you so much. This has truly helped me in my exams and throughout the beneficial journey of my school year.

    Reply
  2. Ellen Davis

     /  October 31, 2020

    How will I be able to check my work, when I print it out to work on them? Where are the answers?

    Reply
  3. Kareema Coles

     /  February 24, 2020

    Ummm the pdf version is not working…is the link still valid?

    Reply
  4. K. Folchi

     /  October 21, 2019

    This is an amazing website with fabulous ideas and printable ready to go lessons!!! Thank you so much! I wish I could meet you!!!

    Reply
  5. Nisha

     /  February 12, 2019

    Thank you very much for this amazing resource and great ideas. They are extremely comprehensive and well designed. Thank you very much for your kind consideration and not adding a Price-tag to your valuable resources. Highly appreciated.

    Reply
  6. Sandra Conner

     /  October 18, 2018

    Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and your work with us. As teachers, we are always in need of fresh material. I teach college level creative writing classes, and your worksheets help my students. Sometimes I change the essay topics to fit their particular age group or interest, but having these examples laid out for us and made available for use in our classrooms is wonderful.

    Reply
  7. ACardona

     /  August 31, 2018

    Lifesaver! Thank you for the great ideas and guidance. I am a new teacher, and finding this site has made a true turn around in my instruction. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

    Reply
  8. Elaine

     /  August 29, 2018

    Thank you for these great step by step resources

    Reply
  9. Macca Malbrán

     /  July 3, 2018

    Despite all the negative comments above, you should keep up for the ones (like me) who are absolutely grateful for these material.

    Thanks for sharing!
    Best.

    Reply
  10. mariam

     /  June 2, 2018

    I give this website 3stares only for the info but in general 1star

    Reply
    • I give your comment 0 stars because your position lacks support or evidence of any kind. Complete some of these worksheets and begin your argument again.

      Reply
  11. mariam

     /  June 2, 2018

    that’s stupid from where do u get the worksheets

    Reply
  12. demy

     /  April 30, 2018

    I did not see any activities that required the student to write an entire essay.

    Reply
  13. Lamar Mohamed

     /  December 2, 2017

    Thank you for this information! They helped me in my exam so much!

    Reply
  14. LizP

     /  June 3, 2017

    These are fantastic resources! Thank you so much for sharing them. I only wish I had found them earlier in the school year!

    Reply
  15. maria.leon

     /  February 14, 2017

    Thank you so much for all you do for teachers. I love an use practically everything on your Website!

    Reply
  16. Soham Garg

     /  January 24, 2017

    I really like this website

    Reply
  17. Shenard McDougal

     /  December 20, 2016

    How can a teacher get the answers to the worksheets?

    Reply

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