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Proposal Argument Essay: An In-Depth Guide

writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

Throughout your academic career, you will come across various essay types, including proposal argument essays. Writing a proposal argument essay can be challenging, as it assumes persuading your audience to support your proposal using robust evidence and convincing arguments. Nevertheless, by adopting the right approach and guidance, you can learn how to write such a paper that wins over your audience. In this article, we offer a step-by-step guide that will walk you from understanding what such an assignment is to learning how to write a strong proposal argument essay effectively. So, let’s dive in.

Let’s Answer the Question: What is a Proposal Argument Essay?

A proposal argument essay is a specific kind of essay that involves presenting a problem and offering a solution how to address and handle that problem. The primary aim of this essay is to convince the readers to support your proposed solution and idea. The proposal can involve a policy change, a novel method or approach to solving a problem, or even introduction of a new product or service.

The key distinguishing feature of the proposal argument essay assignment from other persuasive essays is its focus on a particular proposal or solution to a certain problem. The aim of such a paper is not only to persuade your audience to accept your opinion or viewpoint but also to suggest a practical solution to a real-world issue.

Getting Started: Developing Proposal Argument Essay Outline

A proposal argument essay, just like any other essay, should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However, the specific structure may vary depending on the assignment instructions given by your professor. Thus, creating an outline is always helpful. Below you can find a tentative outline for your task:

I. Introduction

  • A. Background information
  • B. Thesis statement
  • C. Topicality of the issue

II. Problem

  • A. Description of the problem
  • B. Importance of resolving the problem
  • C. Supporting evidence

III. Proposed Solution

  • A. Description of proposed solution
  • B. Advantages of the proposed solution

IV. Counterarguments

  • A. Explanation of potential objections
  • B. Refutation of counterarguments

V. Conclusion

  • A. Restate thesis
  • B. Recap main points
  • C. Call to action

Introductory Section: The introduction should provide an overview of the issue and introduce the suggested resolution. Remember to develop a clear and succinct thesis statement, which is essential for effectively conveying the argument.

Issue Elaboration: In this section, you should delve deeper into the problem, discussing its causes and consequences.

Suggested Solution: In this section you should provide recommendations for resolving the issue. Your suggested solution must be specific, practical, and achievable. Remember to present supporting evidence for the proposed solution, which might include statistical data, research findings, or expert opinions.

Counterarguments: You should identify and address any potential objections to your proposal, ensuring that the proposal is well-rounded and comprehensive.

Concluding Remarks: The conclusion should recap the proposal and highlight its advantages, leaving a lasting impression on the readers that would encourage them to accept your viewpoint on the issue and agree with your solution.

Having learned the structure and tentative outline, let’s further review how to make a great proposal argument essay step by step.

How to Write a Proposal Argument Essay – A Step by Step Guide

To craft a compelling proposal argument essay, you will need to employ critical thinking, persuasive writing skills, and conduct thorough research. Follow this step-by-step guide to help you write a persuasive proposal argument essay.

  • Select a Topic

The first step in writing a proposal argument essay is choosing the topic. Pick a topic that has the potential to make a difference. Also, make sure that your chosen topic is specific, feasible, and appealing to your audience. Yet mind, if you choose a topic you are passionate about, it will be easier for you to persuade your audience.

  • Conduct Research

After selecting your topic, conduct in-depth research to gather information and evidence to support your proposal. Utilize various sources such as academic journals, books, authoritative websites, and interviews with experts. Remember to take notes and organize your research for easy reference while writing your essay.

  • Develop an Outline

Creating an outline is a critical stage of writing process. It helps in organizing your thoughts and ideas, making it easier to write a clear, concise and logically-structured essay. You can use the tentative outline mentioned in the previous section and customize it to fit your topic and research.

  • Create the Introduction

The introduction should capture the reader’s attention and offer a clear understanding of the problem and the proposed solution. Thesis statement should be included in the introduction and present your argument. Make your introduction clear, concise, and engaging.

  • Write the Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs should provide supporting evidence for your proposal. Use the information gathered during research to back up your argument and address any counterarguments or objections to your proposal. Utilize transitional words and sentences to ensure a smooth flow in the essay and enhance its comprehensibility.

  • Compose the Conclusion

The conclusion should recap the main points of your proposal and its advantages. It must also leave an impression on the reader and encourage them to take action in support of your solution. Avoid introducing any new perspectives on the problem in the conclusion and ensure you restate your thesis statement.

  • Revise and Edit

While writing your first draft, plan some time to revise and edit your essay later. Check for grammatical and spelling errors, ensure a smooth flow throughout the essay, and verify that the argument is clear and concise. Seek feedback from friends, family, or peers to ensure your essay is easy to ready and comprehensive.

Writing a Proposal Argument Essay in a Nutshell

Below are the described steps outlined in short statements:

  • Choose a topic that excites you and may inflame passion in your readers.
  • Conduct extensive research and find as much information as you can to support your arguments.
  • Use credible and reliable sources, such as books, academic journals, and trustworthy websites.
  • Write a clear and concise thesis statement that encapsulates your argument.
  • Use evidence and examples to back up your argument.
  • Address potential counterarguments and prepare refutation.
  • Use transitions to ensure smooth and logical in your essay.

Our team has gathered several topics to help you get started and inspire you to develop a successful essay.

You might also find   Research Proposal Essay Topics useful.

Topics for Proposal Argument Essay

Selecting a topic for your proposal argument essay is essential. It will determine the level of interest your audience has in reading your paper. Here are some ideas for proposal argument papers to consider:

  • Should college tuition be free for students?
  • Should weekly working hours be limited?
  • Should governments impose higher taxes on fast food to encourage healthy eating?
  • Should plastic bags be banned?
  • Should smoking be banned in public places?
  • Should parents be held responsible for obesity in their children?
  • Should social media companies be held accountable for spreading fake news?
  • Should schools adopt a four-day school week?
  • Should governments lower the voting age to 16?
  • Should all states cancel the death penalty?

In conclusion, a proposal argument essay goes beyond merely presenting an argument. You must propose a solution to a problem or issue and provide evidence to support it. By adopting the right approach, you can create a persuasive and captivating essay that convinces your readers and professor to embrace your proposed solution. If you need assistance, our academic writing company is here to provide you with a custom-written essay tailored to your specific requirements.

Get a Proposal Argument Paper for Sale

If you find it challenging to write your proposal argument essay, or simply lack the time to do it yourself, you can always seek assistance from our academic writing company. Our writers have extensive experience in writing various types of academic papers. They are well-versed in all formatting and citation styles and will ensure that your paper is appropriately structured and cited.

To order a proposal argument essay, click “Order now” and complete the order form. Be sure to provide all necessary details, including your topic, deadline, and any specific instructions from your professor. We will assign a writer who is best suited for your project and can deliver a high-quality essay that meets all your requirements. Don’t lose your chance to get writing assistance you need. Let us know the details of your assignment, and we will help you craft a paper that will earn you the best grades.

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How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Tips and Tricks

Allison Bressmer

Allison Bressmer

How to write a persuasive essay

Most composition classes you’ll take will teach the art of persuasive writing. That’s a good thing.

Knowing where you stand on issues and knowing how to argue for or against something is a skill that will serve you well both inside and outside of the classroom.

Persuasion is the art of using logic to prompt audiences to change their mind or take action , and is generally seen as accomplishing that goal by appealing to emotions and feelings.

A persuasive essay is one that attempts to get a reader to agree with your perspective.

What is a persuasive essay?

Ready for some tips on how to produce a well-written, well-rounded, well-structured persuasive essay? Just say yes. I don’t want to have to write another essay to convince you!

How Do I Write a Persuasive Essay?

What are some good topics for a persuasive essay, how do i identify an audience for my persuasive essay, how do you create an effective persuasive essay, how should i edit my persuasive essay.

Your persuasive essay needs to have the three components required of any essay: the introduction , body , and conclusion .

That is essay structure. However, there is flexibility in that structure.

There is no rule (unless the assignment has specific rules) for how many paragraphs any of those sections need.

Although the components should be proportional; the body paragraphs will comprise most of your persuasive essay.

What should every essay include?

How Do I Start a Persuasive Essay?

As with any essay introduction, this paragraph is where you grab your audience’s attention, provide context for the topic of discussion, and present your thesis statement.

TIP 1: Some writers find it easier to write their introductions last. As long as you have your working thesis, this is a perfectly acceptable approach. From that thesis, you can plan your body paragraphs and then go back and write your introduction.

TIP 2: Avoid “announcing” your thesis. Don’t include statements like this:

  • “In my essay I will show why extinct animals should (not) be regenerated.”
  • “The purpose of my essay is to argue that extinct animals should (not) be regenerated.”

Announcements take away from the originality, authority, and sophistication of your writing.

Instead, write a convincing thesis statement that answers the question "so what?" Why is the topic important, what do you think about it, and why do you think that? Be specific.

How Many Paragraphs Should a Persuasive Essay Have?

This body of your persuasive essay is the section in which you develop the arguments that support your thesis. Consider these questions as you plan this section of your essay:

  • What arguments support your thesis?
  • What is the best order for your arguments?
  • What evidence do you have?
  • Will you address the opposing argument to your own?
  • How can you conclude convincingly?

The body of a persuasive essay

TIP: Brainstorm and do your research before you decide which arguments you’ll focus on in your discussion. Make a list of possibilities and go with the ones that are strongest, that you can discuss with the most confidence, and that help you balance your rhetorical triangle .

What Should I Put in the Conclusion of a Persuasive Essay?

The conclusion is your “mic-drop” moment. Think about how you can leave your audience with a strong final comment.

And while a conclusion often re-emphasizes the main points of a discussion, it shouldn’t simply repeat them.

TIP 1: Be careful not to introduce a new argument in the conclusion—there’s no time to develop it now that you’ve reached the end of your discussion!

TIP 2 : As with your thesis, avoid announcing your conclusion. Don’t start your conclusion with “in conclusion” or “to conclude” or “to end my essay” type statements. Your audience should be able to see that you are bringing the discussion to a close without those overused, less sophisticated signals.

The conclusion of a persuasive essay

If your instructor has assigned you a topic, then you’ve already got your issue; you’ll just have to determine where you stand on the issue. Where you stand on your topic is your position on that topic.

Your position will ultimately become the thesis of your persuasive essay: the statement the rest of the essay argues for and supports, intending to convince your audience to consider your point of view.

If you have to choose your own topic, use these guidelines to help you make your selection:

  • Choose an issue you truly care about
  • Choose an issue that is actually debatable

Simple “tastes” (likes and dislikes) can’t really be argued. No matter how many ways someone tries to convince me that milk chocolate rules, I just won’t agree.

It’s dark chocolate or nothing as far as my tastes are concerned.

Similarly, you can’t convince a person to “like” one film more than another in an essay.

You could argue that one movie has superior qualities than another: cinematography, acting, directing, etc. but you can’t convince a person that the film really appeals to them.

Debatable and non-debatable concepts

Once you’ve selected your issue, determine your position just as you would for an assigned topic. That position will ultimately become your thesis.

Until you’ve finalized your work, consider your thesis a “working thesis.”

This means that your statement represents your position, but you might change its phrasing or structure for that final version.

When you’re writing an essay for a class, it can seem strange to identify an audience—isn’t the audience the instructor?

Your instructor will read and evaluate your essay, and may be part of your greater audience, but you shouldn’t just write for your teacher.

Think about who your intended audience is.

For an argument essay, think of your audience as the people who disagree with you—the people who need convincing.

That population could be quite broad, for example, if you’re arguing a political issue, or narrow, if you’re trying to convince your parents to extend your curfew.

Once you’ve got a sense of your audience, it’s time to consult with Aristotle. Aristotle’s teaching on persuasion has shaped communication since about 330 BC. Apparently, it works.

Ethos, pathos and logos

Aristotle taught that in order to convince an audience of something, the communicator needs to balance the three elements of the rhetorical triangle to achieve the best results.

Those three elements are ethos , logos , and pathos .

Ethos relates to credibility and trustworthiness. How can you, as the writer, demonstrate your credibility as a source of information to your audience?

How will you show them you are worthy of their trust?

How to make your essay credible

  • You show you’ve done your research: you understand the issue, both sides
  • You show respect for the opposing side: if you disrespect your audience, they won’t respect you or your ideas

Logos relates to logic. How will you convince your audience that your arguments and ideas are reasonable?

How to use logic in essays

You provide facts or other supporting evidence to support your claims.

That evidence may take the form of studies or expert input or reasonable examples or a combination of all of those things, depending on the specific requirements of your assignment.

Remember: if you use someone else’s ideas or words in your essay, you need to give them credit.

ProWritingAid's Plagiarism Checker checks your work against over a billion web-pages, published works, and academic papers so you can be sure of its originality.

Find out more about ProWritingAid’s Plagiarism checks.

Pathos relates to emotion. Audiences are people and people are emotional beings. We respond to emotional prompts. How will you engage your audience with your arguments on an emotional level?

How to use emotion in essays

  • You make strategic word choices : words have denotations (dictionary meanings) and also connotations, or emotional values. Use words whose connotations will help prompt the feelings you want your audience to experience.
  • You use emotionally engaging examples to support your claims or make a point, prompting your audience to be moved by your discussion.

Be mindful as you lean into elements of the triangle. Too much pathos and your audience might end up feeling manipulated, roll their eyes and move on.

An “all logos” approach will leave your essay dry and without a sense of voice; it will probably bore your audience rather than make them care.

Once you’ve got your essay planned, start writing! Don’t worry about perfection, just get your ideas out of your head and off your list and into a rough essay format.

After you’ve written your draft, evaluate your work. What works and what doesn’t? For help with evaluating and revising your work, check out this ProWritingAid post on manuscript revision .

After you’ve evaluated your draft, revise it. Repeat that process as many times as you need to make your work the best it can be.

When you’re satisfied with the content and structure of the essay, take it through the editing process .

Grammatical or sentence-level errors can distract your audience or even detract from the ethos—the authority—of your work.

You don’t have to edit alone! ProWritingAid’s Realtime Report will find errors and make suggestions for improvements.

You can even use it on emails to your professors:

ProWritingAid's Realtime Report

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How Can I Improve My Persuasion Skills?

You can develop your powers of persuasion every day just by observing what’s around you.

  • How is that advertisement working to convince you to buy a product?
  • How is a political candidate arguing for you to vote for them?
  • How do you “argue” with friends about what to do over the weekend, or convince your boss to give you a raise?
  • How are your parents working to convince you to follow a certain academic or career path?

As you observe these arguments in action, evaluate them. Why are they effective or why do they fail?

How could an argument be strengthened with more (or less) emphasis on ethos, logos, and pathos?

Every argument is an opportunity to learn! Observe them, evaluate them, and use them to perfect your own powers of persuasion.

writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

Be confident about grammar

Check every email, essay, or story for grammar mistakes. Fix them before you press send.

Allison Bressmer is a professor of freshman composition and critical reading at a community college and a freelance writer. If she isn’t writing or teaching, you’ll likely find her reading a book or listening to a podcast while happily sipping a semi-sweet iced tea or happy-houring with friends. She lives in New York with her family. Connect at linkedin.com/in/allisonbressmer.

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12 Type 4: Proposal Argument

Proposal arguments.

Proposal arguments attempt to push for action of some kind. They answer the question “What should be done about it?”

In order to build up to a proposal, an argument needs to incorporate elements of definition argument, evaluation argument, and causal argument. First, we will need to define a problem or a situation that calls for action. Then we need to make an evaluation argument to convince readers that the problem is bad enough to be worth addressing. This will create a sense of urgency within the argument and inspire the audience to seek and adopt proposed action. In most cases, it will need to make causal arguments about the roots of the problem and the good effects of the proposed solution.

Below are some elements of proposal arguments. Together, these elements can help us create a sense of urgency about the need for action and confidence in your proposal as a solution.

Common elements of proposal arguments

Background on the problem, opportunity, or situation.

Often just after the introduction, the background section discusses what has brought about the need for the proposal—what problem, what opportunity exists for improving things, what the basic situation is. For example, management of a chain of daycare centers may need to ensure that all employees know CPR because of new state mandates requiring it, or an owner of pine timberland in eastern Oregon may want to make sure the land can produce saleable timber without destroying the environment.

While the named audience of the proposal may know the problem very well, writing the background section is useful in demonstrating our particular view of the problem. If we cannot assume readers know the problem, we will need to spend more time convincing them that the problem or opportunity exists and that it should be addressed.  For a larger audience not familiar with the problem, this section can give detailed context.

Description of the proposed solution

Here we define the nature of what we are proposing so readers can see what is involved in the proposed action. For example, if we write an essay proposing to donate food scraps from restaurants to pig farms, we will need to define what will be considered food scraps. In another example, if we argue that organic produce is inherently healthier for consumers than non-organic produce, and we propose governmental subsidies to reduce the cost of organic produce, we will need to define “organic” and describe how much the government subsidies will be and which products or consumers will be eligible. See  7.2: Definition Arguments for strategies that can help us elaborate on our proposed solution so readers can envision it clearly.

If we have not already covered the proposal’s methods in the description, we may want to add this. How will we go about completing the proposed work? For example, in the above example about food scraps, we would want to describe and how the leftover food will be stored and delivered to the pig farms. Describing the methods shows the audience we have a sound, thoughtful approach to the project. It serves to demonstrate that we have the knowledge of the field to complete the project.

Feasibility of the project

A proposal argument needs to convince readers that the project can actually be accomplished. How can enough time, money, and will be found to make it happen?  Have similar proposals been carried out successully in the past? For example, we might observe that according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Rutgers University runs a program that sends a ton of food scraps a day from its dining halls to a local farm. 1  If we describe how other efforts overcame obstacles, we will persuade readers that if they can succeed, this proposal can as well.

Benefits of the proposal

Most proposals discuss the advantages or benefits that will come from the solution proposed. Describing the benefits helps you win the audience to your side, so readers become more invested in adopting your proposed solution. In the food scraps example, we might emphasize that the Rutgers program, rather than costing more, led to $100,000 a year in savings because the dining halls no longer needed to pay to have the food scraps hauled away.  We could calculate the predicted savings for our new proposed program as well.

In order to predict the positive effects of the proposal and show how implementing it will lead to good results, we will want to use causal arguments. The strategies in  7.5: Causal Arguments will be helpful here. This is a good time to refer back to the problem we identified early in the essay and show how the proposal will resolve that original problem.

Sample annotated proposal argument

The sample essay “Why We Should Open Our Borders” by student Laurent Wenjun Jiang can serve as an example. Annotations point out how Jiang uses several proposal argument strategies.  

  • Sample proposal essay “Why We Should Open Our Borders” in PDF with margin notes
  • Sample proposal essay “Why We Should Open Our Borders” accessible version with notes in parentheses

Find a proposal argument that you strongly support.  Browse news and opinion websites, or try The Conversation . Once you have chosen a proposal, read it closely and look for the elements discussed in this section.  Do you find enough discussion of the background, methods, feasibility, and benefits of the proposal? Discuss at least one way in which you think the proposal could be revised to be even more convincing.

Works Cited

1 “Fact Sheet About the Food Scraps Diversion Program at Rutgers University.” Environmental Protection Agency, U.S . October 2009,  https://www.epa.gov/sustainable-mana…ers-university . Accessed 12/10/2021.

Attributions

Parts of this section on proposal arguments are original content by Anna Mills and Darya Myers.  Parts were adapted from Technical Writing, which was derived in turn by Annemarie Hamlin, Chris Rubio, and Michele DeSilva, Central Oregon Community College, from Online Technical Writing by David McMurrey – CC BY 4.0 .

Screen-Reader Accessible Annotated Proposal Argument

Format note: This version is accessible to screen reader users.  For a more traditional visual format, see the PDF version of “Why We Should Open Our Borders” above.

Laurent Wenjun Jiang

Prof. Natalie Peterkin

July 25, 2020

Why We Should Open Our Borders

Refugees, inequalities, economic instabilities…the fact that we are bombarded by news on those topics every day is proof that we live in a world with lots of problems, and many of us suffer as a consequence. Nations have tried a variety of solutions, but the reality has not improved. Yet there exists a single easy measure that could solve almost all of the problems mentioned above: an open-border policy. The current border and immigration practices, including border controls and detention centers, are unjustified and counterproductive. (Note: The first body paragraph gives background on the problem, opportunity, or situation.) This paper discusses the refugee problem, the history of open-border policy, the refutations for the current border policies on philosophical and moral grounds, and the arguments why this open-border policy will work economically.

Refugees are a problem of worldwide concern. Recently the biggest wave of refugees came from Syria, which witnessed an eight-year-long civil war. In an interview, a Syrian refugee expresses deep sorrows regarding the loss of her home: “My brothers, sisters, uncles, neighbors, streets, the bread ovens, schools, children going to schools …we miss all of that, everything in Syria is precious to us” she says, with tears hovering in her eyes (Firpo). She also exposes the terrible living conditions there: “[W]e didn’t run away, Syria has become uninhabitable. Not even animals could live there. No power, no running water, no safety, and no security. You don’t know who to fight…even when you lock yourself away, you’re not safe…I was most scared of seeing my children die right in front of me” (Firpo). (Note: Moving refugee testimonies serve as evidence supporting the claim that their situation is one of great urgency.) As heart-breaking as it sounds, we should also know that this is only the tip of the iceberg: Gerhard Hoffstaedter, an anthropologist at the University of Queensland, states that there are around 70 million displaced people in developing countries, which is the highest recorded number since the 1950s, causing the United Nations to call this world issue “a crisis.” The leading nations in the world do not offer enough support to displaced people living in abject conditions. Refugees at the U.S.-Mexico border and in Southeast Asia and Australia are constantly kept in detention centers. Many nations do not comply with the provisions signed in the 1951 Refugee Convention and the succeeding 1967 Protocol; they treat the refugees only as those in passive need of simply humanitarian aids (Hoffstaedter). In this crisis, it is our common responsibility as members of an international community to help those who are in need.

Historically, the large-scale control of the mobility of people is a relatively new phenomenon worldwide. (Note: This body paragraph starts with a definition argument to show that the current trend is new. This argument later becomes support for the idea that open borders are possible.) In the modern era, border signifies “ever more restrictive immigration policies” at the same time grants “greater freedom of mobility to capital and commodities”, as defined in the editorial “Why No Borders.” This creates a contradictory ideology that could cause potential harm to those who need to migrate (Anderson, et al.). John Maynard Keynes dates the beginning of this process only back to World War I in the early 20th century. However, this trend did not become widespread until after World War II. According to a historical outline created by Christof Van Mol and Helga de Valk, due to the booming in the industrial production in northwestern Europe in the 1950s, the local workers were increasingly educated and gradually became whitecollar employers, leaving vacancies in blue-collar occupations (Mol and Valk).

Thus, those countries started recruiting immigrants from other parts of Europe and even North Africa: for example, Germany and France started seasonal working programs to attract immigrants (Mol and Valk). Because of the lack of job opportunities in the other parts of Europe and North Africa and the need for workers in the industrializing countries in Northern and Western Europe, “international migration was generally viewed positively because of its economic benefits, from the perspective of both the sending and the receiving countries” (Mol and Valk). This early migration pattern within Europe provides the basic model for the European Union that builds on the fundamental ideology of the free movements of goods and human resources. In recent days, the European Union has become one of the biggest multinational organizations, which can also serve as a successful example of this open-border ideology, at least on a regional scale.

Borders do not satisfy the needs of contemporary societies. From both philosophical and moral perspectives, restrictive border policies are not justified. First of all, borders divide and subjugate people. The editorial “Why No Borders” describes the border as being“thoroughly ideological” (Anderson, et al.). The authors argue that because border policies try to categorize people into “desirable and non-desirable” according to their skills, race, or social status, etc., they thus create an interplay between “subjects and subjectivities,” placing people into “new types of power relationship” (Anderson, et al.). This is what is identified as the ultimate cause of the divisions and inequalities between people.

Some fear that competition from immigrants would cause a reduction in the wages of local workers (Caplan). (Note: In this body paragraph, the author attempts to disprove the counterargument about a downside of open borders for local workers.) This is not an uncalled-for worry, but it is also a misunderstanding of the nature of the open-border policy. Nick Srnicek reasons that this kind of competition has already existed under the current trend of globalization, where workers in developed countries are already competing against those in developing countries that have cheaper labor. He argues, “Workers in rich countries are already losing, as companies eliminate good jobs and move their factories and offices elsewhere” (Srnicek). The border serves companies by making workers in the developing world stay where wages are low. Thus, “companies can freely exploit” cheap labor. In this sense, workers on both sides will be better off under an open-border policy (Srnicek). A recent study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison investigating the economic implications of immigration between rich and poor countries concluded that the benefits of an open-border policy far outweigh the cons and that “the real wage effects are small” (Kennan).

Although an open border could lead to minor reductions in the wages of local workers in developed countries, there is a simple solution. Since the labor market follows the economic law of supply, work supply and wages are inversely related, meaning that the lower the supply of labor, the more wages rise. (Note: This paragraph could be seen as a limit and a rebuttal because the open border would need to be combined with changes to labor laws in order to avoid a possible bad effect.) Nick Srnicek proposes, “a shortening of the workweek…would reduce the amount of work supplied, spread the work out more equally among everyone and give more power to workers … more free time to everyone” (Srnicek). Thus, although the open-border policy is not perfect, its downside is easy to address. (Note: The author does not investigate how much time, money, and will an open border policy would need; the argument remains mostly theoretical because it doesn’t address feasibility.)

As an expatriate myself, I can truly relate to this type of thinking. Due to a variety of the political, economic, and social limitations that I came across in my home country, I was not able to achieve self-actualization. In pursuit of a better education and a more free living environment, I went abroad and finally arrived in this country a few years ago. It was not until then that I gained a vision of my future. Now I am working in hopes that one day the vision could become reality. Sometimes I cannot help wondering what could happen if I was not so lucky to be where I am today. But at the same time, I am also conscious of the fact that there are also millions of people out there who cannot even conceive of what it is like to actualize their lives. (Note: The conclusion humanizes the possible benefits of the proposed solution.) I am sure that one of the mothers who escaped her war-torn home country with her family has the sole hope to witness her children growing up in a happy and free place, just like any mother in the world. I am sure that there is one little girl whose family fled her country in desperation who once studied so hard in school, dreaming of becoming the greatest scientist in the world. I am also sure that there is a young boy who survived persecutions and wishes to become a politician one day to make the world a better place for the downtrodden. Because of borders, these children can only dream of the things that many of us take for granted every day. We, as human beings, might be losing a great mother, great scientist, great politician, or just a great person who simply wishes for a better world. But everything could be otherwise. Change requires nothing but a minimal effort. With open borders, we can help people achieve their dreams.

Hoffstaedter, Gerhard. “There Are 70 Million Refugees in the World. Here Are 5 Solutions to the Problem.” The Conversation , 24 Mar. 2020, theconversation.com/there-are-70-million-refugees-in-the-world-here-are-5- solutions-to-the-problem-118920.

Anderson, Sharma. “Editorial: Why No Borders?” Refuge , vol. 26, no. 2, 2009, pp.5+. Centre for Refugee Studies, York University. Accessed July 26, 2020.

D, D. “Keynes, J. M., The economic consequences of the peace.” Ekonomisk tidskrift, vol. 22, no. 1, Basil Blackwell Ltd., etc, Jan. 1920, p. 15–. Accessed July 26, 2020.

Srnicek, Nick. “The US$100 Trillion Case for Open Borders.” The Conversation , 18 Feb. 2020, theconversation.com/the-us-100-trillion-case-for-open-borders-72595.

Caplan, Bryan. “Why Should We Restrict Immigration?” Cato Journal , vol. 32, no. 1, 2012, pp. 5-24. ProQuest , https://libris.mtsac.edu/login?url=https://search- proquest-com.libris.mtsac.edu/docview/921128626?accountid=12611.Accessed July 26, 2020.

Kennan, John. “Open Borders in the European Union and Beyond: Migration Flows and Labor Market Implications.” NBER Working Paper Series, 2017,  www.nber.org/papers/w23048.pdf.

Firpo, Matthew K., director. Refuge . 2016. The Refuge Project, www.refugeproject.co/watch.

Van Mol, Cristof, and Helga de Valk. “Migration and Immigrants in Europe: A Historical and Demographic Perspective.” Integration Processes and Policies in Europe , edited by Blanca Garcés-Mascareñas and Rinus Penninx, 2016, IMISCOE Research Series, pp. 33-55.

Attribution

This sample essay was written by Laurent Wenjun Jiang and edited and annotated by Natalie Peterkin. Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 .

Chapter Attribution

This chapter is from “Forming a Research-Based Argument” in in How Arguments Work: A Guide to Writing and Analyzing Texts in College by Anna Mills under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license.

Upping Your Argument and Research Game Copyright © 2022 by Liona Burnham is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Argumentative Essay: The Persuasive Argument

  • The Persuasive Argument
  • Problem Identification
  • Steps and Tips

Types of argumentative texts

Argumentative writing.

The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Argumentative essays are also known as “persuasive essays,” “opinion essays,” or “position papers.” In an argumentative essay, the author adopts a position on a debatable issue and uses reason and evidence to convince the reader of his/her opinion.

One type of argumentative writing creates a logical argument to convince people that your idea or argument or position is more reasonable or sound than another one.To do this well it is important to state facts, evidence, and examples from research, case histories, testimony or quotes from experts, legal cases, and scientific experiments. In addition, argumentative writing techniques can be used to persuade people and get them to believe your idea and take action. Some of the ways you can do this is by appealing to reason or emotion, using vivid examples, and by getting testimony from people with first hand knowledge.

Some types of argument papers

One type of argumentative text is the position paper . the position paper presents an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that your opinion is valid and worth listening to. Your job is to take one side of the argument and present it in a manner that is easy for your audience to understand and shows them you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented. It is important to support your argument with evidence, as well as to speak to any counterclaims to show you are addressing all sides of the issue.

Similar to this, a proposal argument  is one of the most common and effective forms of argumentation. A proposal argument defines a problem, suggests a remedy, solution or course of action for a specified audience; and uses specific tactics to persuade others to take action. Likewise, a persuasive essay is one in which you attempt to get the reader to agree with your point of view. You are trying to present arguments, research, and ideas in order to sway the reader one way or the other. The chart below shows the differences to remember when writing a position paper to inform, or a persuasive to influence others.

Argumentative writing cheat sheet

writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

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writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

Writing a Persuasive Essay

Persuasive essays convince readers to accept a certain perspective. Writing a persuasive essay therefore entails making an argument that will appeal to readers, so they believe what you say has merit. This act of appealing to readers is the art of persuasion, also known as rhetoric. In classical rhetoric, persuasion involves appealing to readers using ethos, pathos, and logos.

In this tutorial, we refer to the sample persuasive draft and final paper written by fictional student Maggie Durham.

THE ART OF PERSUASION

Ethos refers to establishing yourself as a credible source of information. To convince an audience of anything, they must first trust you are being earnest and ethical. One strategy to do this is to write a balanced discussion with relevant and reliable research that supports your claims. Reliable research would include quoting or paraphrasing experts, first-hand witnesses, or authorities. Properly citing your sources, so your readers can also retrieve them, is another factor in establishing a reliable ethos. When writing for academic purposes, expressing your argument using unbiased language and a neutral tone will also indicate you are arguing fairly and with consideration of others having differing views.

When you appeal to your readers’ emotions, you are using pathos. This appeal is common in advertising that convinces consumers they lack something and buying a certain product or service will fulfill that lack. Emotional appeals are subtler in academic writing; they serve to engage a reader in the argument and inspire a change of heart or motivate readers toward a course of action. The examples you use, how you define terms, any comparisons you draw, as well as the language choices you use can draw readers in and impact their willingness to go along with your ideas.

Consider that one purpose of persuasion is to appeal to those who do not already agree with you, so it will be important to show that you understand other points of view. You will also want to avoid derogatory or insulting descriptions or remarks about the opposition. You wouldn’t want to offend the very readers you want to persuade.

Establishing an appeal of logos is to write a sound argument, one that readers can follow and understand. To do this, the facts and evidence you use should be relevant, representative, and reliable, and the writing as a whole should be well organized, developed, and edited.

STEPS FOR WRITING PERSUASIVELY

Step one: determine the topic.

The first step in writing a persuasive essay is to establish the topic. The best topic is one that interests you. You can generate ideas for a topic by prewriting, such as by brainstorming whatever comes to mind, recording in grocery-list fashion your thoughts, or freewriting in complete sentences what you know or think about topics of interest.

Whatever topic you choose, it needs to be:

  • Interesting : The topic should appeal both to you and to your intended readers.
  • Researchable : A body of knowledge should already exist on the topic.
  • Nonfiction : The information about the topic should be factual, not based on personal opinions or conspiracy theories.
  • Important : Your reader should think the topic is relevant to them or worthy of being explored and discussed.

Our sample student Maggie Durham has selected the topic of educational technology. We will use Maggie’s sample persuasive draft and final paper as we discuss the steps for writing a persuasive essay.

Step Two: Pose a Research Question

Once you have a topic, the next step is to develop a research question along with related questions that delve further into the first question. If you do not know what to ask, start with one of the question words: What? Who? Where? When? Why? and How? The research question helps you focus or narrow the scope of your topic by identifying a problem, controversy, or aspect of the topic that is worth exploration and discussion. Some general questions about a topic would be the following:

  • Who is affected by this problem and how?
  • Have previous efforts or polices been made to address this problem? – What are they?
  • Why hasn’t this problem been solved already?

For Maggie’s topic of educational technology, potential issues or controversies range from data privacy to digital literacy to the impact of technology on learning, which is what Maggie is interested in. Maggie’s local school district has low literacy rates, so Maggie wants to know the following:

  • Are there advantages and/or disadvantages of technology within primary and secondary education?
  • Which types of technology are considered the best in terms of quality and endurance?
  • What types of technology and/or programs do students like using and why?
  • Do teachers know how to use certain technologies with curriculum design, instruction, and/or assessment?

Step Three: Draft a Thesis

A thesis is a claim that asserts your main argument about the topic. As you conduct your research and draft your paper, you may discover information that changes your mind about your thesis, so at this point in writing, the thesis is tentative. Still, it is an important step in narrowing your focus for research and writing.

The thesis should

1. be a complete sentence,

2. identify the topic, and

3. make a specific claim about that topic.

In a persuasive paper, the thesis is a claim that someone should believe or do something. For example, a persuasive thesis might assert that something is effective or ineffective. It might state that a policy should be changed or a plan should be implemented. Or a persuasive thesis might be a plea for people to change their minds about a particular issue.

Once you have figured out your research question, your thesis is simply the answer. Maggie’s thesis is “Schools should supply technology aids to all students to increase student learning and literacy rates.” Her next step is to find evidence to support her claim.

Step Four: Research

Once you have a topic, research question, and thesis, you are ready to conduct research. To find sources that would be appropriate for an academic persuasive essay, begin your search in the library. The Purdue Global Library has a number of tutorials on conducting research, choosing search teams, types of sources, and how to evaluate information to determine its reliability and usefulness. Remember that the research you use will not only provide content to prove your claim and develop your essay, but it will also help to establish your credibility as a reliable source (ethos), create a logical framework for your argument (logos), and appeal to your readers emotionally (pathos).

Step Five: Plan Your Argument; Make an Outline

Once you have located quality source information—facts, examples, definitions, knowledge, and other information that answers your research question(s), you’ll want to create an outline to organize it. The example outline below illustrates a logical organizational plan for writing a persuasive essay. The example outline begins with an introduction that presents the topic, explains the issue, and asserts the position (the thesis). The body then provides the reasoning for the position and addresses the opposing viewpoints that some readers may hold. In your paper, you could modify this organization and address the opposing viewpoints first and then give the reasoning for your viewpoints, or you can alternate and give one opposing viewpoint then counter that with your viewpoint and then give another opposing viewpoint and counter that with your viewpoint.

The outline below also considers the alternatives to the position—certainly, there are other ways to think about or address the issue or situation. Considering the alternatives can be done in conjunction with looking at the opposing viewpoints. You do not always have to disagree with other opinions, either. You can acknowledge that another solution could work or another belief is valid. However, at the end of the body section, you will want to stand by your original position and prove that in light of all the opposing viewpoints and other perspectives, your position has the most merit.

Sample Outline of a Persuasive Argument

  • 1. Introduction: Tell them what you will tell them.
  • a. Present an interesting fact or description to make the topic clear and capture the reader’s attention.
  • b. Define and narrow the topic using facts or descriptions to illustrate what the situation or issue is (and that is it important).
  • c. Assert the claim (thesis) that something should be believed or done about the issue. (Some writers also briefly state the reasons behind this claim in the thesis as Maggie does in her paper when she claims that schools should supply tablets to students to increase learning , engagement, and literacy rates ).
  • 2. Body: Tell them.
  • a. Defend the claim with logical reasons and practical examples based on research.
  • b. Anticipate objections to the claim and refute or accommodate them with research.
  • c. Consider alternate positions or solutions using examples from research.
  • d. Present a final point based on research that supports your claim in light of the objections and alternatives considered.
  • 3. Conclusion: Tell them what you told them.
  • a. Recap the main points to reinforce the importance of the issue.
  • b. Restate the thesis in new wording to reinforce your position.
  • c. Make a final remark to leave a lasting impression, so the reader will want to continue this conversation and ideally adopt the belief or take the action you are advocating.

In Maggie’s draft, she introduced the topic with facts about school ratings in Texas and then narrowed the topic using the example of her local school district’s literacy rates. She then claimed the district should provide each student a tablet in order to increase learning (and thus, literacy rates).

Maggie defends her claim with a series of examples from research that proved how access to tablets, technology-integrated curriculums, and “flipped classrooms” have improved literacy rates in other districts. She anticipates objections to her proposal due to the high cost of technology and counter argues this with expert opinions and examples that show partnerships with businesses, personalized curriculums that technology makes possible, and teacher training can balance the costs. Maggie included an alternative solution of having students check out tablets from the library, but her research showed that this still left students needing Wi-Fi at home while her proposal would include a plan for students to access Wi-Fi.

Maggie concluded her argument by pointing out the cost of not helping the students in this way and restated her thesis reaffirming the benefits, and then left the reader with a memorable quote.

Click here to see Maggie’s draft with feedback from her instructor and a peer. Sample Persuasive Draft

Feedback, Revision, and Editing

After you write a draft of your persuasive essay, the next step is to have a peer, instructor, or tutor read it and provide feedback. Without reader feedback, you cannot fully know how your readers will react to your argument. Reader feedback is meant to be constructive. Use it to better understand your readers and craft your argument to more appropriately appeal to them.

Maggie received valuable feedback on her draft from her instructor and classmate. They pointed to where her thesis needed to be even more specific, to paragraphs where a different organization would make her argument more convincing, to parts of the paper that lacked examples, sentences that needed revision and editing for greater clarity, and APA formatting that needed to be edited.

Maggie also took a critical look at her paper and looked back at her writing process. One technique she found helpful was to read her paper aloud because it let her know where her wording and organization were not clear. She did this several times as she revised and again as she edited and refined her paper for sentence level clarity and concision.

In the end, Maggie produced a convincing persuasive essay and effective argument that would appeal to readers who are also interested in the way technology can impact and improve student learning, an important topic in 2014 when this paper was written and still relevant today.

Click here to see Maggie’s final draft after revising and editing. Sample Persuasive Revised

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Ultimate guide to writing a proposal essay, carla johnson.

  • June 14, 2023
  • Essay Topics and Ideas , How to Guides

If you’re a student, it’s likely that you’ve been asked to write a proposal essay at some point. A proposal essay is an academic piece of writing that tries to persuade the reader to do something or take a certain point of view. In this article, we’ll show you the best way to write a proposal essay that gets accepted.

What You'll Learn

What is a proposal essay?

A proposal essay is a type of academic writing in which the writer suggests an idea or solution to a problem and then backs up that suggestion with evidence. The proposal can take many different shapes, but it usually involves pointing out a problem or issue , suggesting a solution or course of action, and giving evidence to back up that solution or action.

Why are proposal essays important?

Proposal essays are important because they give students a chance to look into tough problems and come up with solutions that could change the world. By writing a proposal essay, students learn how to find and analyze information, think critically , and explain their ideas clearly. These skills are useful not only in school, but also in a lot of professional settings.

Thesis statement

In this article , we’ll provide you with a step-by-step guide to writing a proposal essay that will help you win over your audience and get your proposal accepted. We’ll cover everything from choosing a topic to formatting your essay , so you can be sure that you’re presenting your ideas in the most persuasive and effective way possible.

Choosing a Topic

Before you can start writing your proposal essay, you need to choose a topic. There are several factors to consider when choosing a topic, including your personal interests, the scope of the project, and the needs of your audience. Here are some tips to help you choose a great proposal essay topic:

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Topic

1. Your Interests: Choose a topic that you are passionate about or interested in. This will make the research and writing process more enjoyable and engaging.

2. Relevance: Choose a topic that is relevant to your audience or community. This will make your proposal more compelling and increase the likelihood of it being accepted.

3. Feasibility: Choose a topic that is feasible within the scope of your project . Make sure you have access to the resources and information needed to effectively research and support your proposal.

Brainstorming Techniques

Once you have considered these factors, it’s time to start brainstorming potential topics. Here are some techniques to help you generate ideas:

1. Mind Mapping: Create a visual map of your ideas, starting with a central topic and branching out into related subtopics.

2. Freewriting: Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write down everything that comes to mind about a particular topic. Don’t worry about grammar or structure – just let your ideas flow.

3. Listing: Make a list of potential topics and then narrow it down based on the factors mentioned above.

Examples of Proposal Essay Topics

Here are some examples of proposal essay topics to help inspire your brainstorming:

1. Should college athletes be paid?

2. How can we reduce plastic waste in our community?

3. Should schools require students to wear uniforms?

4. How can we improve mental health resources for college students?

5. Should the minimum wage be increased?

6. How can we reduce the gender pay gap ?

7. Should the government provide free healthcare to all citizens?

8. How can we reduce the carbon footprint of our city?

9. Should there be stricter gun control laws?

10. How can we improve public transportation in our city?

Researching Your Topic

Once you have chosen a topic for your proposal essay, it’s time to conduct thorough research . This will involve gathering information from a variety of sources, evaluating their credibility, and organizing your findings in a way that supports your proposal.

Conducting Thorough Research

The first step in researching your topic is to identify credible sources of information. These may include academic journals, books, government reports, and reputable news sources. Use a variety of sources to ensure that you are getting a balanced and well-rounded perspective on your topic.

Evaluating Sources

Not all sources are created equal, so it’s important to evaluate each source for its credibility and relevance to your topic. Consider the following factors when evaluating sources:

1. Authorship: Who wrote the source, and what are their credentials?

2. Currency: How recent isthe information in the source? Is it still relevant?

3. Accuracy: Is the information in the source accurate and supported by evidence?

4. Bias: Does the source have a particular bias or agenda that may affect its credibility?

Taking Notes and Organizing Information

As you conduct your research, it’s important to take detailed notes and organize your information in a way that supports your proposal essay. Some effective note-taking strategies include:

1. Summarizing: Write a brief summary of key points and information from each source.

2. Quoting: Use direct quotes from sources to support your argument.

3. Paraphrasing: Restate information from sources in your own words, making sure to cite the source.

Once you have taken notes, organize them into an outline or mind map to help you structure your essay and ensure that your proposal is well-supported by evidence.

By following these steps, you can ensure that your proposal essay is well-researched, well-supported, and persuasive. In the next section, we’ll discuss how to effectively outline and structure your essay for maximum impact.

Outlining Your Proposal

Once you’ve chosen a topic and conducted thorough research , it’s time to create an outline for your proposal essay. An outline will help you organize your thoughts and ensure that your proposal is well-structured and easy to follow. Here are some tips for creating an effective proposal essay outline:

Creating a Proposal Essay Outline

1. Introduction: Begin with an attention-grabbing introduction that provides context for your proposal and sets the stage for your argument.

2. Background Information: Provide background information on your topic, including any relevant statistics, research, or historical context.

3. Problem Statement: Clearly state the problem or issue that your proposal addresses.

4. Proposed Solution: Present your proposed solution or course of action, providing evidence to support its effectiveness.

5. Implementation: Discuss how your proposed solution would be implemented and what steps would need to be taken to make it a reality.

6. Conclusion: Summarize your proposal and reiterate its importance, urging your audience to take action.

Tips for Effective Outlining

– Use bullet points or numbered lists to clearly organize your ideas.

– Make sure each section of your outline relates back to your thesis statement .

– Keep your outline concise and to the point.

Example Proposal Essay Outline

Here is an example proposal essay outline for a topic on reducing plastic waste in a community:

I. Introduction

– Attention-grabbing opening sentence

– Background information on plastic waste

– Thesis statement

II. Problem Statement

-Description of the problem of plastic waste in the community

– Statistics on the amount of plastic waste generated in the community

– Impact of plastic waste on the environment and health

III. Proposed Solution

– Proposal to ban single-use plastics in the community

– Alternatives to single-use plastics

– Benefits of reducing plastic waste

IV. Implementation

– Steps to implement the proposed ban on single-use plastics

– Timeline for implementation

– Strategies for community education and outreach

V. Conclusion

– Recap of the problem and proposed solution

– Call to action for community members to support the ban on single-use plastics

V. Writing Your Proposal

Now that you have a solid outline for your proposal essay, it’s time to begin writing. Here are some tips for crafting a strong proposal essay:

Crafting a Strong Introduction

Your introduction should grab the reader’s attention and provide context for your proposal. Here are some tips for crafting a strong introduction:

– Start with a hook, such as a surprising statistic, quote, or anecdote.

– Provide background information on your topic to help the reader understand the context of your proposal.

– Clearly state the problem or issue that your proposal addresses.

Writing the Body of Your Proposal

The body of your proposal essay should provide evidence to support your proposed solution. Here are some tips for writing the body of your proposal:

– Use research and statistics to support your proposal.

– Provide examples and case studies to illustrate the effectiveness of your proposed solution.

– Address Potential counterarguments and provide rebuttals to strengthen your argument.

Tips for Persuasive Writing

To make your proposal essay as persuasive as possible, here are some tips to keep in mind:

– Use strong, clear language that conveys your confidence in your proposal.

– Make sure your argument is logical and well-supported by evidence .

– Use emotional appeals sparingly and only when appropriate.

– Use transitional phrases to connect your ideas and ensure a smooth flow of information.

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when writing your proposal essay:

– Failing to clearly state the problem or issue you are addressing.

– Presenting a solution that is not feasible or practical .

– Failing to address potential counterarguments or objections to your proposal.

– Overusing emotional appeals or providing insufficient evidence to support your argument.

By following these tips and avoiding common mistakes, you can craft a persuasive and effective proposal essay that will convince your audience to take action.

Refining Your Proposal

Once you’ve written a draft of your proposal essay, it’s important to refine it through careful editing and revision. Here are some tips to help you refine your proposal essay:

Editing and Revising Your Proposal

– Review your essay for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.

– Make sure your writing is clear, concise, and easy to understand.

– Check that your proposal is well-supported by evidence and that your arguments are logical.

– Look for areas where you can improve the flow and organization of your essay .

Peer Review and Feedback

It’s also a good idea to get feedback from others to help you refine your proposal essay. Here are some tips for getting feedback:

– Ask a peer or mentor to review your essay and provide feedback on areas that need improvement.

– Consider joining a writing group or seeking feedback from an online community.

– Take the feedback you receive seriously and use it to improve your essay .

Finalizing Your Proposal

Once you’ve made revisions based on feedback and edited your essay for clarity and accuracy, it’s time to finalize your proposal. Here are some final steps to take:

– Review your essay one last time to ensure it is error-free and well-organized.

– Make sure your essay is formatted correctly, with appropriate headings, margins, and font size.

– Create a bibliography or works cited page to provide proper credit to your sources.

Proposal Essay Examples

To help you understand what makes a successful proposal essay,here are some examples of effective proposal essays:

1. “Implementing a School-Wide Recycling Program” – This proposal essay outlines a plan to implement a recycling program in a high school. It provides a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and implementation plan , as well as statistics and research to support the proposal. The essay also addresses potential objections and provides rebuttals.

2. “Increasing Access to Healthy Food in Low-Income Communities” – This proposal essay proposes a solution to the problem of food insecurity in low-income communities. It provides a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and implementation plan, as well as research to support the proposal. The essay also addresses potential objections and provides rebuttals.

3. “Reducing Gun Violence in the United States” – This proposal essay proposes a solution to the problem of gun violence in the United States. It provides a clear problem statement, proposed solution, and implementation plan, as well as statistics and research to support the proposal. The essay also addresses potential objections and provides rebuttals.

Analysis of What Makes These Proposals Effective

These proposal essays are effective because they:

– Clearly state the problem or issue they are addressing.

– Provide a well-supported proposal or solution.

– Address potential objections and provide rebuttals.

– Use research and statistics to support their proposals.

– Provide a clear implementation plan.

– Use clear and persuasive language.

By analyzing successful proposal essays, you can gain insight into what makes a proposal effective and use thoseinsights to improve your own proposal essay. Remember to carefully research your topic , create a clear and well-supported proposal, and address potential objections to make your proposal as persuasive as possible. With these tips and examples in mind, you’ll be well on your way to writing a winning proposal essay.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. what are the elements of a proposal essay.

A proposal essay typically includes an introduction, background information, a problem statement, a proposed solution, an implementation plan, and a conclusion. It should also be well-supported by evidence and address potential objections.

2. How do I choose a topic for a proposal essay?

When choosing a topic for a proposal essay, consider your personal interests, the relevance of the topic to your audience or community, and the feasibility of the proposal within the scope of your project.

3. What is a proposal essay structure?

A proposal essay typically follows a structure that includes an introduction, background information, a problem statement, a proposed solution, an implementation plan, and a conclusion. Each section should be well-supported by evidence.

Writing a winning proposal essay requires careful research, persuasive writing, and effective organization. By choosing a relevant and feasible topic, conducting thorough research, creating a well-supported proposal, and refining your essay through editing and revision, you can create a persuasive and effective proposal essay that inspires action.

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Chap. 11: Making an Argument: The Argument / Persuasive Essay

The proposal essay: a specific type of argument, proposal argument.

Decorative Illustration

A proposal argument is a structure of argument that focuses on presenting some kind of proposal as a solution to a problem , outlining the details of the proposal, and providing good reasons to support the proposal.

This type of essay works well if you see a problem you want to fix or see change you want to make. For example, it’s not enough to argue that cigarette smoking is bad for one’s health. Most people would agree. But, you could make a good argument that we need a plan to cut down on teens who are becoming addicted to cigarettes.

General Proposal Structure

Creating a well developed argumentative structure is similar to putting together a puzzle. Each piece has certain characteristics and belongs in a particular place to create the whole picture.

Although there may always be variations, a good basic outline for a proposal argument might look like this:

First Piece  – In your introduction, which may be more than one paragraph, summarize the details of the problem. End with a thesis that presents your proposal.

Second Piece  – Provide a detailed history of the problem. Give your audience background on the issue.

Third Piece  – Present your proposal in detail. Explain how it would address the problem, be a better “fix” than current solutions, and exactly how your proposal would work. You need to think about the logistics – money, manpower, workability. This should take several paragraphs.

Fourth Piece  – Address the opposing views. What problems might others see in your proposal? Address those and explain why your solution is the best solution to the problem.

Fifth Piece  – Finally, in your conclusion, summarize your main points of your essay and then ask your audience to take a particular action (if that is appropriate to the assignment).

TIPS!  When writing a proposal argument, it’s important that you  don’t try to take on too much  given the length of your assignment and the time you have to write your essay. Think about proposals that work well given the constraints of the assignment.If you have a choice in what you write about,  find something you feel passionately about . If you’re going to be writing a specific proposal to solve a problem, it helps if you care about the problem.

Think about your audience  members as you plan and write. What kind of information do they need? What will be convincing to them? Think about your audience as you work to use  ethos ,  pathos , and  logos .

Material taken from Excelsior Online Writing Lab:   https://owl.excelsior.edu/argument-and-critical-thinking/argumentative-purposes/argumentative-purposes-proposal/

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63 Proposal Argument Model

Proposal method.

from Introduction to College Writing at CNM

The proposal method of argument is used when there is a problematic situation, and you would like to offer a solution to the situation. The structure of the proposal method is similar to the other persuasive methods, but there are slight differences.

Introduce and define the nature of the problematic situation. Make sure to focus on the problem and its causes. This may seem simple, but many people focus solely on the effects of a problematic situation. By focusing on the actual problem, your readers will see your proposal as a solution to the problem. If you don’t, your readers might see your solution as a mere complaint.

Propose a solution, or a number of solutions, to the problem. Be specific about these solutions. If you have one solution, you may choose to break it into parts and spend a paragraph or so describing each part. If you have several solutions, you may instead choose to spend a paragraph on each scenario. Each additional solution will add both depth and length to your argument. But remember to stay focused. Added length does not always equal a better argument.

Describe the workability of the various solutions. There are a variety of ways that this could be done. With a single-solution paper you could break the feasibility down into short and long term goals and plans. With a multiple-solution essay, you may instead highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the individual solutions, and establish which would be the most successful, based on your original statement of the problem and its causes. Check out this source from Owlcation, where they give a chart of 12 Ways to Solve Problems in the middle of the page.

Summarize and conclude your proposal. Summarize your solutions, re-state how the solution or solutions would work to remedy the problematic situation, and you’re done.

More information on proposal arguments follows.

Proposal Arguments

from College Comp II

Key Concept

Proposal Argument: argues that something should, ought to, or must happen.

writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

Proposal arguments–which propose that something should, ought to, or must happen–may be one of the most common kinds of arguments we encounter in our day-to-day lives; however, despite how often we find them, they can actually be rhetorically quite complex, perhaps because they appear deceptively simple to make. And this is exactly why we’re covering them last, since there are some very important subtleties to them.

The basic idea behind a proposal argument seems pretty straightforward: we state what we think should happen and then marshal evidence to support that proposal. Seems easy, right?

Let’s look at a hypothetical example:

Friend #1: “We should go see Movie X!”  (Proposal claim)

Friend #2: “Okay, sounds good. I’m in!”

Friend #1 is making a proposal claim, arguing that both friends should go see a particular movie.  In an abstract setting, this claim makes sense. However, Friend #2’s response seems pretty unlikely. If you were Friend #2, you’d probably have a few questions about why Friend #1 thinks you should go see this movie, right? Equally, you’d probably expect Friend #1 to provide at least some evidence (however scant) about why you should go see this movie. Perhaps, for example, you might want to know about the actors or the director. Maybe you’re curious about what critics are saying. Perhaps you’d like to know how long it is. Indeed, these are pretty typical things that your average person would want to know before they pay for their movie ticket. Maybe a more genuine conversation would look like this:

Friend #1: “Hey, did you know that Movie X in the theaters right now?”   (Definition claim, establishing the existence of a condition.)

Friend #2: “Yeah, I did!”

Friend #1: “I’ve been reading that critics across the board are praising it. One critic whose opinion I really trust even said that it’s the best movie to come out all year.”   (Evaluative claim, arguing that something is good.)

Friend #2: “Oh wow!”

Friend #1: “I think we should go see it!”   (Proposal claim)

Note that in this second example, in order for Friend #1 to build a sound proposal argument, they have to first make several other claims–notably a definition claim, establishing the existence of a condition, following by an evaluative claim, arguing that the movie is good.

However, in less mundane examples, proposal arguments often begin by identifying a problem before proposing a solution to it. For instance, in recent years, there has been increased public awareness of the dangers of disposable plastic drinking straws, particularly focused on the dangers they cause to wildlife. Many stakeholders have proposed (and even implemented) a variety of different solutions. Starbucks, for example, redesigned their cold-drink cups so that they could stop giving customers obligatory straws with their beverages. Other establishments have switched to using straws that are made of paper, which is more biodegradable and therefore breaks down more easily. Other companies have started marketing washable, reusable plastic straws that can be reused over and over again. While a wide variety of solutions have been proposed (and while many of those proposals have even been enacted), what’s important to note is that these proposals were in response to what was identified as a problem–i.e. The wastefulness of disposable drinking straws.

For our purposes, however, here is how we can think about making proposal arguments:

1) Part of showing that a problem exists entails getting your reader to care enough to accept your proposed solution.  To get the reader to care, you will need to work on their hearts as well as their minds by showing how the problem affects people (and, potentially, the reader specifically) and has important stakes.

2) You will need to show how your solution solves the problem (wholly or partially).

3) You will need to offer reasons for adopting your proposal.  What values can you appeal to? Of the person or organization that needs to be convinced, how can you show that their interests are served?  Always remember your audience. You don’t have to pretend that your solution is perfect or has neither costs nor any negative consequences; you should address these and convince your reader that despite them, your solution is about doing the right thing.

Recapping the main ideas behind Proposal Arguments:

  • They argue that something should, ought to or must happen
  • They don’t necessarily need to completely “solve” the problem; perhaps they only improve certain parts of it.
  • Proposal claims are often the culmination of a string of other claims (definition, causal, etc.)

SAMPLE ESSAY

Here is an annotated Sample Proposal Essay .

Proposal Argument Model Copyright © 2020 by Liza Long; Amy Minervini; and Joel Gladd is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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9.3: The Argumentative Essay

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Learning Objectives

  • Examine types of argumentative essays

Argumentative Essays

You may have heard it said that all writing is an argument of some kind. Even if you’re writing an informative essay, you still have the job of trying to convince your audience that the information is important. However, there are times you’ll be asked to write an essay that is specifically an argumentative piece.

An argumentative essay is one that makes a clear assertion or argument about some topic or issue. When you’re writing an argumentative essay, it’s important to remember that an academic argument is quite different from a regular, emotional argument. Note that sometimes students forget the academic aspect of an argumentative essay and write essays that are much too emotional for an academic audience. It’s important for you to choose a topic you feel passionately about (if you’re allowed to pick your topic), but you have to be sure you aren’t too emotionally attached to a topic. In an academic argument, you’ll have a lot more constraints you have to consider, and you’ll focus much more on logic and reasoning than emotions.

A cartoon person with a heart in one hand and a brain in the other.

Argumentative essays are quite common in academic writing and are often an important part of writing in all disciplines. You may be asked to take a stand on a social issue in your introduction to writing course, but you could also be asked to take a stand on an issue related to health care in your nursing courses or make a case for solving a local environmental problem in your biology class. And, since argument is such a common essay assignment, it’s important to be aware of some basic elements of a good argumentative essay.

When your professor asks you to write an argumentative essay, you’ll often be given something specific to write about. For example, you may be asked to take a stand on an issue you have been discussing in class. Perhaps, in your education class, you would be asked to write about standardized testing in public schools. Or, in your literature class, you might be asked to argue the effects of protest literature on public policy in the United States.

However, there are times when you’ll be given a choice of topics. You might even be asked to write an argumentative essay on any topic related to your field of study or a topic you feel that is important personally.

Whatever the case, having some knowledge of some basic argumentative techniques or strategies will be helpful as you write. Below are some common types of arguments.

Causal Arguments

  • In this type of argument, you argue that something has caused something else. For example, you might explore the causes of the decline of large mammals in the world’s ocean and make a case for your cause.

Evaluation Arguments

  • In this type of argument, you make an argumentative evaluation of something as “good” or “bad,” but you need to establish the criteria for “good” or “bad.” For example, you might evaluate a children’s book for your education class, but you would need to establish clear criteria for your evaluation for your audience.

Proposal Arguments

  • In this type of argument, you must propose a solution to a problem. First, you must establish a clear problem and then propose a specific solution to that problem. For example, you might argue for a proposal that would increase retention rates at your college.

Narrative Arguments

  • In this type of argument, you make your case by telling a story with a clear point related to your argument. For example, you might write a narrative about your experiences with standardized testing in order to make a case for reform.

Rebuttal Arguments

  • In a rebuttal argument, you build your case around refuting an idea or ideas that have come before. In other words, your starting point is to challenge the ideas of the past.

Definition Arguments

  • In this type of argument, you use a definition as the starting point for making your case. For example, in a definition argument, you might argue that NCAA basketball players should be defined as professional players and, therefore, should be paid.

https://assessments.lumenlearning.co...essments/20277

Essay Examples

  • Click here to read an argumentative essay on the consequences of fast fashion . Read it and look at the comments to recognize strategies and techniques the author uses to convey her ideas.
  • In this example, you’ll see a sample argumentative paper from a psychology class submitted in APA format. Key parts of the argumentative structure have been noted for you in the sample.

Link to Learning

For more examples of types of argumentative essays, visit the Argumentative Purposes section of the Excelsior OWL .

Contributors and Attributions

  • Argumentative Essay. Provided by : Excelsior OWL. Located at : https://owl.excelsior.edu/rhetorical-styles/argumentative-essay/ . License : CC BY: Attribution
  • Image of a man with a heart and a brain. Authored by : Mohamed Hassan. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : pixabay.com/illustrations/decision-brain-heart-mind-4083469/. License : Other . License Terms : pixabay.com/service/terms/#license

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The thesis statement or main claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Example of a non-debatable thesis statement:

This thesis statement is not debatable. First, the word pollution implies that something is bad or negative in some way. Furthermore, all studies agree that pollution is a problem; they simply disagree on the impact it will have or the scope of the problem. No one could reasonably argue that pollution is unambiguously good.

Example of a debatable thesis statement:

This is an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it. Some people might think that this is how we should spend the nation's money. Others might feel that we should be spending more money on education. Still others could argue that corporations, not the government, should be paying to limit pollution.

Another example of a debatable thesis statement:

In this example there is also room for disagreement between rational individuals. Some citizens might think focusing on recycling programs rather than private automobiles is the most effective strategy.

The thesis needs to be narrow

Although the scope of your paper might seem overwhelming at the start, generally the narrower the thesis the more effective your argument will be. Your thesis or claim must be supported by evidence. The broader your claim is, the more evidence you will need to convince readers that your position is right.

Example of a thesis that is too broad:

There are several reasons this statement is too broad to argue. First, what is included in the category "drugs"? Is the author talking about illegal drug use, recreational drug use (which might include alcohol and cigarettes), or all uses of medication in general? Second, in what ways are drugs detrimental? Is drug use causing deaths (and is the author equating deaths from overdoses and deaths from drug related violence)? Is drug use changing the moral climate or causing the economy to decline? Finally, what does the author mean by "society"? Is the author referring only to America or to the global population? Does the author make any distinction between the effects on children and adults? There are just too many questions that the claim leaves open. The author could not cover all of the topics listed above, yet the generality of the claim leaves all of these possibilities open to debate.

Example of a narrow or focused thesis:

In this example the topic of drugs has been narrowed down to illegal drugs and the detriment has been narrowed down to gang violence. This is a much more manageable topic.

We could narrow each debatable thesis from the previous examples in the following way:

Narrowed debatable thesis 1:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just the amount of money used but also how the money could actually help to control pollution.

Narrowed debatable thesis 2:

This thesis narrows the scope of the argument by specifying not just what the focus of a national anti-pollution campaign should be but also why this is the appropriate focus.

Qualifiers such as " typically ," " generally ," " usually ," or " on average " also help to limit the scope of your claim by allowing for the almost inevitable exception to the rule.

Types of claims

Claims typically fall into one of four categories. Thinking about how you want to approach your topic, or, in other words, what type of claim you want to make, is one way to focus your thesis on one particular aspect of your broader topic.

Claims of fact or definition: These claims argue about what the definition of something is or whether something is a settled fact. Example:

Claims of cause and effect: These claims argue that one person, thing, or event caused another thing or event to occur. Example:

Claims about value: These are claims made of what something is worth, whether we value it or not, how we would rate or categorize something. Example:

Claims about solutions or policies: These are claims that argue for or against a certain solution or policy approach to a problem. Example:

Which type of claim is right for your argument? Which type of thesis or claim you use for your argument will depend on your position and knowledge of the topic, your audience, and the context of your paper. You might want to think about where you imagine your audience to be on this topic and pinpoint where you think the biggest difference in viewpoints might be. Even if you start with one type of claim you probably will be using several within the paper. Regardless of the type of claim you choose to utilize it is key to identify the controversy or debate you are addressing and to define your position early on in the paper.

Jun 21, 2023

Proposal Essay Examples: Convincing Ideas for Your Research Paper or Essay

Dive into the power of persuasive writing through captivating proposal essay examples. Explore ideas that inspire, enrich your work, and unlock impactful proposal crafting. Prepare to elevate your writing and leave a lasting impression!

Writing a compelling proposal essay often presents a challenge for many students. A large proportion can't distinguish a research paper proposal from a proposal essay, and even more find difficulty in creating persuasive ideas for their essays. If this situation resonates with you, rest assured you're not alone.

In this extensive guide, we aim to simplify the process of writing a proposal essay. We provide a host of resources such as examples of proposal essays, a carefully constructed outline template, and proven writing techniques. Our guide, honed through years of experience in academic writing, is specifically designed to help you achieve high grades in your proposal essay assignment.

Embark on this journey with us to uncover the nuances of crafting an excellent proposal essay. Armed with the correct resources and guidance, you will transition from uncertainty to confidence, ready to produce an impressive proposal essay. Let's start delving into the craft of writing an engaging proposal essay.

What is a Proposal Essay?

An essay proposal is a document that outlines the content and purpose of your proposed essay. Whereas a thesis conveys the central concept of your study, an essay proposal summarizes the intent and substance of a specific essay.

A proposal essay also serves as a detailed plan of action addressing a particular problem. The writer identifies a problem, suggests a solution, and provides evidence to persuade the reader to agree with the proposed solution or idea. In essence, your role as a writer is to convince the reader that your concept is exceptional and that they should support its execution.

These essays function as a strategic tool, enabling you to sell an idea, belief, or yourself in a manner that not only piques the reader's interest but also convinces them of your capability to bring the proposed plan to fruition. Although proposal essays are frequently associated with business and economics disciplines, they extend beyond these fields.

Proposal essays fundamentally promote critical thinking and problem-solving skills among students. They allow you to venture beyond the structured academic syllabus and engage with real-world issues that require innovative solutions. Writing a proposal essay, therefore, is an opportunity to demonstrate your analytical acumen and your capacity to think creatively.

How to Write a Proposal Essay

Writing a compelling proposal essay requires careful planning, thorough research, and meticulous execution. Here are the steps to ensure your proposal essay stands out:

1. Understand Your Audience: Begin by identifying your target audience. Who are they, and what is their role in the context of your proposal? What are their needs, concerns, or interests? Understanding your audience's perspectives helps in tailoring your message, increasing the chances of your proposal being accepted.

2. Research Thoroughly: Deep and broad research is crucial. Even if you're well-versed with the topic, there is always more to learn. Look at what experts in the field have said and how your proposal aligns or diverges from their views. This research will not only fortify your arguments but also make your essay more credible and authoritative.

3. Create a Detailed Plan: Once you've completed your research, start to structure your essay. Begin with an introduction where you present the problem or issue. Then, propose your solution in the body paragraphs, where each paragraph should focus on a single point or argument, supported by evidence. Finally, wrap up your proposal in the conclusion by summarizing your key points and reinforcing the significance of your solution.

4. Write Your First Draft: Start writing your essay based on the plan you have created. Be clear and concise, avoid jargon, and make sure your arguments are logically constructed and easy to follow.

5. Revise and Edit: After completing your first draft, it's important to revisit it with a critical eye. Look for areas where your argument can be strengthened, check for coherence and flow, correct grammatical errors, and ensure your language is clear and precise. It may be helpful to have others review your work for a fresh perspective.

6. Proofread: Once you're satisfied with the content of your essay, proofread it one final time to catch any minor mistakes or inconsistencies. Remember, a polished essay demonstrates your diligence and commitment to quality.

By following these steps, you can create a persuasive, well-structured proposal essay that effectively communicates your idea and its value.

Structure of a Proposal Essay

Writing a proposal essay requires a specific structure that enables you to present your idea clearly and persuasively. Here's an overview of the necessary elements:

1. Introduction: Your introduction sets the stage for your proposal. It should include a captivating hook that draws readers in, and a clear thesis statement that summarizes your proposal. For Example: A feasible approach to decreasing the alarming mortality rate among young mothers is by equipping parents with necessary skills to support their teenage daughters who become pregnant.

2. Problem Statement: After the introduction, delve deeper into the problem your proposal aims to solve. Describe its nature, roots, and implications. Clarify why it's critical to address this problem, how it affects your readers, and what benefits solving it would bring.

3. Proposal Statement: In this section, elucidate your proposal in detail. Describe the solution you've come up with, highlighting both its benefits and potential drawbacks. Ensure you present your idea as the optimal solution to the problem at hand.

4. Implementation Plan: Next, explain how you plan to execute your proposal. This should be a clear and comprehensive guide demonstrating the practicability of your solution. Identify potential obstacles that might arise during implementation and include steps to overcome them. Discuss why your approach is unique and why previous attempts to solve the problem have failed.

5. Expected Outcome: Here, discuss the positive results you expect from the implementation of your proposal. Provide a clear, concise picture of the improvements and advantages your solution will bring. 6. Evaluation: In this section, provide an estimate of the resources, including time, money, and expertise, necessary to implement your proposal. Discuss its feasibility within the current situation and address possible objections or criticisms from those who might disagree with your proposal.

7. Timeline and Required Resources: Clearly specify the resources required to implement your proposal, such as manpower, funds, and equipment. Include a timeline if possible, giving a chronological order of the steps to be taken.

8. Conclusion: Summarize the key points of your essay and reaffirm the significance of your proposal. This is your final opportunity to convince your readers, so end with a powerful call to action.

Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion, as it can confuse readers and may unnecessarily elongate your essay. Stick to wrapping up what you've already presented and reemphasizing its importance.

Proposal Essay Examples 

In the following section, we present a collection of Proposal Essay Examples. These essays serve as excellent references for those looking to understand the structure and content of a compelling proposal.

 Each one addresses a unique and important topic, provides an insightful problem statement, proposes thoughtful solutions, and concludes by summarizing the main points. These examples illustrate the effective strategies used in proposal writing to engage readers and convincingly present an argument. 

Let's delve into these intriguing examples to inspire and enhance your proposal writing skills.

1. Reducing Plastic Waste: A Proposal for Action

Introduction:

With the escalating global environmental crisis, the specter of plastic waste looms large. Forecasts from the United Nations indicate that, failing to reduce plastic waste, we'll have more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. This proposal aims to present tangible solutions to this predicament.

Problem Statement:

The unchecked production and disposal of plastic products significantly contribute to plastic waste, endangering the environment and marine life. Given the lifespan of plastic waste—lasting centuries—it's crucial to devise an effective solution to curb plastic production.

Suggested measures to combat plastic waste include:

Government-imposed ban on single-use plastic items, such as straws, cups, and cutlery.

Government incentives encouraging the use of reusable products.

Awareness campaigns conducted by the government and NGOs about the environmental impact of plastic waste.

Investments in improved waste management systems for the proper handling of plastic waste.

Conclusion:

Reducing plastic waste is an urgent priority. By implementing the proposed measures, we can alleviate the issue, protect our environment and marine life, and build a more sustainable future.

2. Dangers of Texting While Driving

Despite countless warnings and campaigns, texting while driving remains a widespread, dangerous habit. This essay investigates the perils of this behavior and proposes measures to mitigate it.

Texting while driving constitutes a severe distraction, often leading to road accidents. Studies even rank it as more dangerous than drunk driving, as it considerably delays a driver's reaction time.

To address this peril, the following steps are suggested:

Launching educational programs and campaigns to inform drivers about the risks of texting while driving.

Implementing stricter penalties for drivers caught in the act.

Promoting technologies that restrict texting while driving.

Texting while driving is a lethal habit that warrants immediate attention. By raising awareness, enforcing stricter rules, and employing technology, we can significantly cut down road accidents due to distracted driving.

3. The Causes of Homelessness

Homelessness, affecting millions worldwide, is a complex and pressing social issue. This essay explores the causes behind homelessness and suggests viable solutions.

Causes of Homelessness:

Poverty, mental illness, addiction, and family breakdowns constitute the four primary triggers of homelessness.

To alleviate homelessness, the following steps are suggested:

Stimulate the supply of affordable housing by offering financial incentives to developers and reducing zoning restrictions.

Facilitate access to mental health services, addiction treatment, and support services for individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Alleviate poverty by raising the minimum wage, providing job training, and enhancing access to education and healthcare.

Addressing homelessness calls for a comprehensive and coordinated effort. By implementing the proposed measures, we can significantly reduce homelessness, emphasizing our collective responsibility to extend support to those grappling with this issue.

Final Words

In conclusion, crafting a persuasive proposal essay involves thoughtful planning, in-depth research, and adept writing techniques. With Jenni.ai's cutting-edge AI tools at your disposal, this process becomes simpler, enabling you to create standout proposal essays. Take this opportunity to enhance your writing skills and leave an enduring impression on your audience. Experience the transformative capabilities of Jenni.ai today!

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414 Proposal Essay Topics for Projects, Research, & Proposal Arguments

Writing a proposal essay is an essential skill for students navigating academia and beyond. Whether you are advocating for change, proposing a solution to a problem, or presenting a new idea, your writing should be clear, convincing, and creative.

In this article, our expert team has listed proposal essay topics for school and college students. As a bonus, you will find an effective writing guide and a practical example of a proposal essay.

🔤 What Is a Proposal Essay?

  • ⭐ Best Topics in 2024
  • 💡 Easy Topics & Prompts

📝 Proposal Argument Topics

  • 📊 Project Proposal Ideas
  • 🔎 Research Proposal Topics
  • 😄 Funny Topics

🧩 Proposal Essay Structure

  • ✍️ Writing Guide
  • 📃 Proposal Essay Example

🔗 References

A proposal essay is an academic paper in which you propose something and justify your recommendation. Its goal is to convince the recipients to support your proposal and grant your request. Depending on what you are suggesting, there are three main types of proposal essays: proposal argument, research proposal, and topic proposal.

This image shows proposal essay types.

What Is a Proposal Argument Essay?

A proposal argument is an argumentative essay that offers a solution to a problem. It is often addressed to a particular company, non-profit organization, or government agency. It aims to persuade an organization to do something differently or perform a specific task. A proposal argument first describes a problem, then proposes a feasible solution to it, and explains why this particular solution is worth implementing.

What Is a Research Proposal Essay?

A research proposal essay is an academic paper that proposes a study and describes what, why, and how the author plans to investigate. This document should enable the audience to understand the quality and significance of the research and the author’s competence to perform it.

A research proposal usually includes a purpose statement , background and significance of the research topic, and methodology. It is also helpful to describe potential problems the researcher may encounter and how they will be solved.

What Is a Topic Proposal?

A topic proposal essay is a paper that suggests a topic for a major course assignment, such as a term paper. It usually presents your main argument or research question , explains why it is worth exploring, and outlines how you plan to support it. Also, it identifies a few scholarly sources to be used in the future paper.

⭐ 12 Best Proposal Essay Topics in 2024

  • The methods of reducing childhood obesity.
  • Do awareness campaigns increase funding for cancer research?
  • Why should schools add sex education to their curricula?
  • The role of government in protecting local businesses.
  • How to prevent cybercrime.
  • The impact of rap music on teenagers.
  • Do high cigarette prices reduce smoking rates?
  • The efficiency of using AI technology in education.
  • Why should the use of steroids be banned?
  • The use of art therapy in combating anxiety.
  • How can we combat the global warming?
  • The issue of bullying in high school.

💡 Easy Proposal Writing Topics & Prompts

Coming up with a good idea for your proposal essay can be challenging. Therefore, we’ve prepared writing prompts about common problems with possible solutions.

Proposal Essay on Texting and Driving

You can write a proposal suggesting a solution to the problem of driving while using a phone. First, describe the detrimental consequences of such behavior, proving that it’s worth paying attention to.

Then, focus on one solution that you consider to be the best. Check out some possible options:

  • Formation of a driver safety culture.
  • Implementation of a driver coaching program.
  • Use of real-time technology.
  • Execution of severe punishment.

Homelessness Proposal Essay

Highlight the issue of homelessness by indicating the root causes of this problem and its social and economic consequences. Then, provide your perspective on how to address it.

Here are some possible solutions to homelessness:

  • Rapid rehousing .
  • Permanent supportive or shared housing.
  • New career opportunities.
  • Volunteer initiatives.

Mental Health Proposal Essay

You can focus on the problem of the mental health crisis, manifesting in increasing rates of suicides and overdoses. Explore the causes and consequences of this issue and choose a solution to advocate for.

Consider the following solutions:

  • Investments in mental health apps .
  • Universal mental health screenings.
  • Raising people’s awareness of the problem.
  • Expanding access to psychological help.

Study Abroad Proposal Essay

You can focus on one of the issues that students face while studying abroad, such as language barriers, cultural differences, social isolation, financial difficulties, etc. Then, describe a solution to your selected problem.

Here are some possible solutions to international students’ issues:

  • Encouraging access to college resources.
  • The use of host families.
  • Establishing safe spaces on campuses .
  • Offering financial support and scholarships.
  • Conducting campus-wide cultural sensitivity training.

Abortion Proposal Essay

Your proposal can focus on the problem of supporting and expanding abortion rights. Explain how restricted abortion rights harm women, children, the healthcare system, and the economy. Then, explain how policymakers can address this issue.

Check out some solutions listed below:

  • Public and private insurance coverage of abortion.
  • Sex education for students.
  • Legal protections for abortion.
  • Prohibition of violence against abortion providers .

The proposal argument analyzes the problem and offers practical steps for its solution. Below, you’ll find interesting topics for your proposal argument!

Proposal Argument Essay Topics with Solutions

  • The use of replanting in combating climate change .
  • ABZ Cleaning Services marketing plan proposal .
  • Negotiation to stop military conflicts in the world.
  • Water disinfection and its efficiency in solving water pollution issues.
  • A business proposal for Kohl’s: improving product delivery .
  • Universal basic income to combat poverty .
  • The use of free education centers in improving people’s knowledge.
  • Luckin Coffee business problems-solutions proposal .
  • Ensuring refugees’ access to the labor market to protect their rights.
  • Decriminalization of homosexuality to protect LGBTQ+ rights .
  • Nestlé Inc.’s total quality challenge and solution .
  • The use of media in raising awareness of gender inequality .
  • Ensuring basic healthcare to protect children’s rights.
  • Food prices increase: causes and solutions .
  • The use of renewable energy to stop global temperatures rising .
  • Well-thought-out strategic plan to combat self-doubt in business.
  • Operations management: problem and solution .
  • Education about consumer responsibility to stop overconsumption.
  • The efficiency of book exchange for the promotion of reading .
  • Human resource management: problems and solutions .
  • Reduced cost of education to combat education inequality .
  • Electronic voting systems to increase citizen participation.
  • Truancy: causes, effects, and possible solutions .
  • AI technology and its application to help people with disabilities.
  • The effectiveness of wetland restoration in combating sanitation insecurity.
  • American educational system’s drawbacks and solutions .
  • Surveys of employee satisfaction to manage workflow.
  • The efficiency of the Arms Trade Treaty in decreasing weapons accessibility.
  • Sexual assault problem and solution .
  • Improved nutrition and sustainable agriculture to combat health inequality .

Practical Proposal Argument Ideas

  • Building buyer personas to find new customers.
  • Employee absenteeism and business proposal to address it .
  • Companies should make a shorter workweek to reduce unemployment .
  • Vertical farming technologies for improved land usage.
  • Proposal of employee training in Coca-Cola Company .
  • Plasma reactors as a way to create oxygen on Mars.
  • Community-based initiatives to encourage social interaction.
  • Organizational change proposal for healthcare institutions .
  • Entrepreneurship promotion to solve the wealth inequality issue .
  • Prioritizing border security to ensure national safety.
  • Public health legislation funding proposal .
  • Donating to charities to address third-world poverty.
  • Nutrition education to reduce obesity rates.
  • Business communication: proposal for receiving investment .
  • Implementation of Instagram restrictions to protect the self-esteem of teenagers .
  • The use of ADAS technologies to reduce the frequency of car accidents.
  • Vending machine “Great Coffee”: business proposal .
  • Employers should provide flexible hours to help workers with anxiety.
  • Expanding the range of services offered by postal providers to save postal service .
  • Wok to Walk: marketing plan proposal .
  • Work-life balance practices to prevent burnout at work.
  • Schools should implement year-round classes to improve student performance.
  • Cartier marketing analysis and strategy proposal for the post-pandemic era .
  • Application of sunscreen to reduce the risks of skin cancer .
  • Installation of sports facilities to encourage the population’s physical activity .
  • Leverage buyout proposal for CSL Limited .
  • Education about consumer responsibility to solve gun control issues.
  • Development of water resource management systems to avoid water scarcity .
  • Business ethics: business proposal for CEO .
  • The government should launch mHealth apps to make healthcare accessible.

📊 Project Proposal Ideas for College Students

Looking for a project proposal topic to write about? Below, you’ll find the best ideas for your paper!

Project Proposal Title Ideas in Health

  • The ban on tobacco to prevent illness and premature death.
  • Pressure ulcers: research proposal .
  • Recovery groups and their role in stopping substance abuse .
  • The efficiency of sex education in solving HIV/AIDS issues.
  • Community teaching work plan proposal: tuberculosis in Miami .
  • Accessible treatment centers to help people struggling with suicidal behavior .
  • Pediatric dentist training to create a positive experience for children.
  • Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers treatment proposal .
  • Water and sanitation projects to reduce water-borne disease rates.
  • The efficiency of regular balance training in preventing injuries.
  • Interdisciplinary plan proposal of a local hospital: objective and team organization .
  • Free screening for the early identification of breast cancer .
  • Workplace wellness initiatives to protect employee mental health .
  • Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting: research proposal .
  • The use of online apps to improve patient-doctor communication .
  • Geriatric care innovations to meet the health demands of the elderly.
  • Hypertension prevention plan proposal .
  • Machine learning and AI technology in the personalization of healthcare.
  • The effectiveness of parental courses to prevent children obesity .
  • Patient safety policy proposal .
  • Yoga promotion programs to improve mental health.
  • E-health platforms for remote monitoring of chronic conditions .
  • Capstone project change proposal: new staffing policy .
  • Women’s medical literature and its role in preventing maternal deaths.
  • Accessible mental health services to decrease depression rates.
  • Dementia: health promotion proposal .
  • The use of a healthy diet in preventing cancers and diabetes.
  • Vaccine access in poor countries to promote immunization .
  • A bed alarm budget proposal for healthcare .
  • Educational programs for parents to promote oral health at home .

Project Proposal Topics for Business

  • The use of verification links to stop online scamming.
  • Ocean Beauty Center: business proposal .
  • Customer experience technology to deliver positive customer experience .
  • Research into competitors to create a better brand presence.
  • Service marketing plan proposal .
  • The use of Amazon and eBay to pitch and brand your product.
  • Instant online help tools to prevent shopping cart abandonment.
  • Notes Restore: business plan proposal .
  • The efficiency of valuable content in maintaining customer loyalty .
  • Unique products to thrive in a competitive market.
  • Avlon: market research proposal .
  • The use of plain English in preventing product returns and refunds.
  • Increasing sales by offering a product at a reduced price.
  • Business proposal: a fitness center in Australia .
  • Employment of cybersecurity services to protect a corporate website from viruses.
  • The use of a recruitment agency to find qualified IT personnel.
  • Leisure facility in Sherbury: business proposal .
  • Regular developer training to save business during a crisis.
  • Optimization of website speed through efficient coding.
  • Talent management plan proposal .
  • The use of the latest updates to solve unreliable internet connectivity issues.
  • Mobile-friendly apps to improve customer support .
  • Southwest Airlines human resource recruitment plan proposal .
  • Authentic customer reviews to solve customer trust issues.
  • The use of multi-factor authentication to maintain payment security.
  • Emotional intelligence training proposal .
  • Chatbots and their role in solving poor customer support issues.
  • Workplace diversity and inclusion for fast business development.
  • Utah Symphony and Utah Opera: merger proposal .
  • The efficiency of social media influencers in business promotion.

Project Proposal Ideas for STEM Students

  • Floating gardens and rafts to grow food during a flood.
  • The use of innovative city technologies for solving a city’s design needs.
  • Navigating the engineering talent crisis .
  • Accessible infrastructure to improve the lives of people with disabilities.
  • Chemical dispersants to clean up an oil spill .
  • New technologies in retail supply chains .
  • The use of heat-absorbing materials to construct solar ovens.
  • AI healthcare diagnostics to provide patients with accurate results.
  • Uber case study: online technology development .
  • The use of monitoring systems to protect endangered species.
  • Making technologies more inclusive to help people with autism .
  • How can technology be used in healthcare ?
  • Aerospace engineering strategies to ensure safe flights.
  • Eco-friendly packaging to stop plastic pollution.
  • How new heart-scanning technology could save your life .
  • Building earthquake-resistant structures to ensure urban safety.
  • The use of biodegradable plastics to reduce environmental impact.
  • Use of mathematics in a vocational context .
  • Building seawalls to protect beach erosion.
  • Solar farms for the production of renewable energy.
  • Computerized sewerage system in Bedford Town .
  • Creating artificial organs to save patients waiting for transplantation .
  • Increasing microbial diversity to create a healthy and balanced soil ecosystem.
  • Computerized accounting in an enterprise resource planning system .
  • Early warning systems to save vulnerable areas from flood.
  • The use of vitamin C bath to stop apple oxidization.
  • Effective supply chain practices for computer and phone repair shop .
  • Integration of damping systems to build earthquake-resistant structures.
  • AI technology to design resistant bridges in urban areas.

Project Proposal Topics for Students in Education

  • Funding for low-income schools to solve the problem of education access.
  • Digital citizenship education proposal in Saudi Arabia .
  • Inclusive teaching as a solution to inequalities in education.
  • Students’ portfolios as a better alternative to standardized testing .
  • Standardized testing: research proposal .
  • Incentives for teachers to provide highly professional classes.
  • Increasing federal school funding to improve education in low-income areas.
  • York College OneCard proposal .
  • A peer tutoring program to improve students’ performance.
  • Parent-teacher conferences to address a lack of parental involvement .
  • Proposal for the New National Constitution of Libya .
  • Mentorship programs to cope with ineffective teaching methods.
  • Anti-bullying policies to maintain a more positive school climate.
  • Proposal to reduce college textbook cost .
  • Video chats to address a lack of face-to-face communication in online courses .
  • Study skills workshops to cope with students’ poor study habits.
  • Virtual simulation curriculum technology proposal .
  • Flexible learning environments to help students with anxiety disorder.
  • The use of a rewards system to increase school attendance .
  • How semester exams affect students’ emotional stability: article proposal .
  • Monitoring cameras to ensure school safety and security.
  • Anti-cheating measures to solve the issue of academic dishonesty .
  • Analysis of student equity plan proposal .
  • Additional facilities to accommodate the growing number of students.
  • Global education partnerships to make higher education more accessible.
  • Education issues: group proposal .
  • Innovative classrooms to develop the creativity of students with disabilities.
  • Introducing a financial literacy class to improve students’ money management skills.
  • Proposal for the creation of K2 and K3-5 reading interventions .
  • Launching a community service learning program to promote social responsibility .

Project Proposal Ideas for Students about Environment

  • Buying e-books to protect the environment.
  • The issue of environmental pollution by Polipaks Group .
  • Extensive afforestation campaign to solve the deforestation problem.
  • Low consumption levels to avoid adverse ecological consequences.
  • Solar energy as an alternative energy source .
  • Fines and punishment to reduce illegal dumping.
  • Reusing things to stop climate change.
  • Business model of renewable energy .
  • Reducing single-use plastics on campus.
  • Collecting sunlight for energy to stop natural resource depletion.
  • Sustainable gas production in the UAE .
  • Tree planting programs to protect the environment.
  • Eco-friendly transportation methods to reduce carbon emissions.
  • Sustainable practices in the Coca-Cola Company .
  • Sustainable fashion and its role in reducing clothes consumption.
  • High taxes for activities that harm our planet to support eco-friendly behavior.
  • Carbon tax in the Australian industries .
  • Limiting time on the road to reduce vehicle emissions.
  • Supporting green businesses to encourage eco-friendly initiatives.
  • Optimizing food production to improve quality, reduce cost, and prevent waste .
  • Clean-up programs to remove litter and pollutants from public spaces.
  • Green roof technologies to mitigate the urban heat island effect.
  • Business plan: New Age Recyclers .
  • A carbon offset project to engage businesses in environment protection.
  • Education courses for people of any age to reduce their ecological footprint.
  • Recycling batteries: market analysis for a new product .
  • Replantation of native trees and plants to stop environmental degradation.
  • Investing in solar panels to solve the energy consumption problem.
  • Stanford University’s Habitat Conservation Plan .
  • Choosing recyclables to decrease waste production.

🔎 Research Proposal Essay Topics

If you’re looking for research proposal essay topics, check out the list below! We’ve collected ideas for a proposal in computer science, agriculture, history, and more.

  • Career counseling to support high school students.
  • Project proposal for counseling centers .
  • The effectiveness of advertisement in increasing brand awareness .
  • The reliability of criminological analysis in identifying the offender’s personality.
  • Research proposal on Ipad from Apple Inc .
  • Remote workplaces to save the small business during pandemics.
  • New therapeutic approaches to neurodevelopmental disorders .
  • Research proposal: stress in the UK (England) .
  • The effects of socioeconomic status on access to quality education.
  • The effectiveness of regular self-analysis in overcoming the psychological trauma of rape.
  • Mitigation of supply chain risk in disasters: research proposal .
  • Race to the Top program to improve students’ outcomes.
  • Effective business communication practices contributing to business growth.
  • A research proposal on banks and customer satisfaction .
  • Psychological tricks of media to exploit impulsive buying.
  • The advantages of using antipsychotics for preventing delirium .
  • Congestive heart failure: research proposal .
  • Therapies for school students to stop substance abuse.
  • Controlling school attendance to improve children’s social skills.
  • Research proposal: background of the problem of handoff communication in nursing .
  • The impact of urbanization on biodiversity preservation.
  • Trade globalization to create more job opportunities around the world.
  • Research proposal: Chlamydia Trachomatis .
  • Increase the age of smoking to 25 to reduce lung cancer rates .
  • Potential effects of stricter laws on corruption and transparency.
  • Primary prevention of HIV & AIDS: community teaching work plan proposal .
  • The effectiveness of smart home systems in reducing energy consumption.
  • Testing AI technologies to improve children’s diagnostics and treatment.
  • High-performance work system proposal for workers .
  • Including mental health topics in the school curriculum to protect students’ mental health.
  • Paid vacations to support nurses’ emotional health.
  • Non-profit National Kidney Foundation’s strategy proposal .
  • Meditation to treat mental disorders nonchemically during pregnancy.
  • Workplace diversity and its role in increasing business productivity .
  • Business proposal report for a child day care .
  • Face-to-face games to promote healthy child development .
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep patterns and mental health in youth.

Proposal Essay Ideas in Computer Science

  • New AI approaches to decrease the energy consumption of 5G networks.
  • Informatics solution proposal: general solution – EHR .
  • Ways to ensure data privacy in machine learning models.
  • Exploring new applications of quantum computing.
  • DesignIT Company: network consultation proposal .
  • AI in art: exploring the boundaries between art and technology.
  • Cognitive radio networks for improving future wireless systems.
  • Informatics solution proposal for a supply issue .
  • Quantum computing to advance medical predictive systems.
  • Using NLP for code generation to increase software development productivity.
  • Techfite firm’s emerging technology proposal .
  • Developing methods to make AI algorithms more transparent to users.
  • Investigating novel biometric authentication methods.
  • ElekTron Company’s network design proposal .
  • Methods to detect and mitigate biases in AI systems.
  • Usability in computer interface to ensure effective human-computer interactions.
  • Advanced education in computational science .
  • 3D object modeling to improve the architecture of large cities.
  • The use of one programming language to cut the costs of programming training.
  • Computer technologies to be installed at TVU Hotel .
  • Constant feedback to minimize algorithmic bias in AI technologies.
  • The use of computers to sequence human genes.
  • Data science in the energy management field .
  • Using machine learning for optimizing traffic flow in a smart city.
  • AI-based approaches to the early detection and mitigation of cyber threats.
  • The development of an information system to support inventory management .
  • The use of AI in automatic data analysis.
  • Web-based monitoring to improve healthcare services.
  • Scrum methodology to develop Agile software.

Interesting Proposal Essay Topics for Agriculture

  • The use of social media to improve agricultural marketing.
  • How China’s agricultural reform contributed to its success on economic growth .
  • Organic farming to minimize pollution from agriculture.
  • Farmer organizations to implement effective agricultural transformation procedures.
  • Financial profile of Oman Agriculture Development Company SAOG .
  • Increased availability of fertile land to prevent the agricultural land shortage.
  • Modern farming technology to solve the issue of inadequate drainage.
  • Obstacles and barriers of AIS in agriculture companies .
  • The use of antibiotics alternatives in animal agriculture for public health.
  • E-commerce platforms to promote farming on social media.
  • Al Ain Poultry Farm: management strategy and policy .
  • The incorporation of ecological practices into agricultural systems to protect the planet.
  • Maintaining ground cover to restore soil health and biodiversity.
  • Case study of Holly Farm: problems and solutions .
  • Farmers’ collaborations to maintain knowledge and resource sharing.
  • New technologies for storage of agricultural products.
  • Competitive advantage in farming, car, and restaurant industries .
  • Organic materials to recycle nutrients within the agricultural ecosystem.
  • Alternative farming methods to provide efficient resource use.
  • Political argument on farm subsidies .
  • Anti-discrimination policies to expand the rights of women in the agricultural sector.
  • Online podcasts to build trustful relationships between farmers and consumers.
  • Quillstine Farm’s start-up business plan .
  • Conserving genetic variety in crops and livestock for future resilience.
  • Increasing investment to address a lack of modern farming equipment.
  • Business plan: integrated farming .
  • Favoring crop rotation over monoculture farming to save natural habitats.
  • Waste management to cut down on agriculture’s environmental footprint.
  • State farm: addressing problematic intersections .
  • The use of mulch and cover crops to protect soil from wind and water erosion.

Proposal Topics for a History Paper

  • World War II lessons to prevent future conflicts.
  • The City of Dubai: history, development, and challenges .
  • Modern technology to restore the chronology of ancient events.
  • The lasting impact of the Silk Road on global trade.
  • History of supply chain management .
  • The evolution of democracy in Ancient Greece.
  • Anti-nationalism programs to prevent an imbalanced view of the past.
  • Major historical influences on Karl Marx’s materialist conception of history .
  • The impact of colonialism on indigenous cultures.
  • The evolution of human rights : from declaration to practice.
  • Corporate social responsibility and its historical background .
  • The history of urban legends and folklore: transmission and societal impact.
  • Environmental change and its impact on historical societies.
  • Management and its historical evolution .
  • The economic motivations and consequences of colonization.
  • The history of entertainment and its social influence.
  • Enron Company’s history of rise and fall .
  • Disinformation and misinformation campaigns throughout history.
  • The evolution of humanitarian aid and international relief efforts.
  • Islamic banking: history and economic crises .
  • Economic and social impact of pandemics throughout history.
  • The evolution of warfare ethics: from ancient codes to modern international law.
  • Justice is one of the key themes in human history .
  • The history of human-animal relationships and their cultural significance.
  • The Marshall Plan for European economic recovery post-WWII.
  • History of inclusion in early childhood education .
  • The influence of global trade routes on culinary traditions.
  • New historical approaches to overcome scientific doubt.
  • The history of Saudi Aramco from 1930 to 1940 .
  • AI technology to indicate fabricated historical documents.

😄 Funny Topics for Proposal Essays

Are you looking for funny proposal topics? Then, we have something for you! Read on to find some of the most outstanding ideas!

  • Mobile apps to prevent people from running into objects while they are texting.
  • Mindbody app: proposed business plan .
  • Mental exercises to increase student productivity at school.
  • Pavlov’s dog experiment to teach pets to use the toilet.
  • Financial proposal for ‘SILK’ hair protection gel .
  • The use of humor to reduce stress and depression.
  • Surviving Monday mornings: a comprehensive guide to coffee consumption.
  • Goals and features of a proposed school library .
  • Online monitoring to stop students’ procrastination.
  • Mini lie detector to get away with telling a white lie.
  • Business proposal for the Al-Yamamah College and JavaNet .
  • New device to ensure your shampoo and conditioner are at the same rate.
  • Plants and their role in reviving the space where you are working.
  • Marketing proposal for Bikemate .
  • The art of organization to protect the house from clutter.
  • AI kitchen appliances to ensure food safety.
  • Business plan for the proposed Chinese medicine clinic in Kuwait .
  • Rap music to make home tasks fun and effective.
  • Second hand to save budget from unplanned shopping.
  • Zetech Organization’s proposed change: strengths and weaknesses .
  • Funny mugs to throw a perfect tea party.
  • Online books to not die from boredom in the queue.

Proposal Title Ideas about Animals

  • The use of langur pee smell to protect New Delhi from monkeys.
  • Animal Foodland organization’s marketing plan .
  • Conducting a study on dogs’ understanding of human emotional cues.
  • Purchasing cruelty-free cosmetics to protect animals from being killed.
  • Woolly Mammoth project – mythical animal .
  • Animal adoption programs solve the problem of animal homelessness.
  • Spaying and neutering to solve the pet overpopulation issue.
  • Traveling by train among animals and plants .
  • Taking part in Animal Rescue Team training to help animals in crisis.
  • Veterinary care standards to improve conditions for animals in captivity.
  • Cosmetic and medical animal testing .
  • Establishing training programs to provide certificates of pet ownership.
  • Natural habitat rehabilitation to save endangered species.
  • Animal-based therapy overview and analysis .
  • Creating protected areas to safeguard oceanic biodiversity.
  • Responsible tourism to ensure wildlife safety and security.
  • Red fluorescent protein transgenic dogs experiment .
  • Global cooperation to stop illegal cross-border animal trafficking.
  • Education programs to raise awareness of animal conservation.
  • Business ethics decision situation in veterinary practice .
  • Supporting fur-free fashion to protect wildlife.
  • Encouraging TV talk shows to discuss animal issues.
  • China Southern Airlines and monkey transportation .

Proposal Paper Ideas about Sports

  • Developing a community-based sports initiative for physical fitness and health.
  • How does social media influence sports brands marketing ?
  • Education on sports ethics to create an inclusive environment in a team.
  • Anti-doping programs to reduce the cases of steroid use.
  • Sports marketing affected by the internet of things .
  • Financial rehabilitation services to help athletes with injuries.
  • Creating fitness programs for children to promote a culture of health.
  • Leadership in the sports club group .
  • Equal pay for female athletes in professional sports to stop discrimination.
  • Increasing access to sporting opportunities for people with disabilities.
  • Preparing to be an effective follower in sports .
  • Detailed protocols to prevent and manage dangerous situations in sports.
  • Equipment-sharing programs to make sports activities more affordable.
  • Kids and sports: lack of professional sports guides .
  • Physical education programs in the schools to promote healthy lifestyles.
  • Recovery strategies to prevent burnout and overtraining of athletes.
  • Balancing college sports and academic mission .
  • Supportive team program to assist athletes in coping with eating disorders .
  • Monitoring systems to ensure safe and sustainable workloads.
  • Advertising campaign for online sports nutrition store .
  • Sports psychologists and their role in helping athletes with mental toughness.
  • Sponsorship programs to reduce individual financial pressure in the sports industry.

Creating a well-developed structure is vital for any writing assignment. That’s why we’ve prepared a detailed template with the elements of a good proposal.

✍️ How to Make a Proposal Essay

Whether you are writing a proposal argument or a research proposal, the writing steps will be the same. Below are the steps you should take to complete this assignment.

This image shows how to write a proposal essay.

1. Choose Your Topic

Choosing a good topic is vital in writing a proposal essay. Select the subject you are interested in. This way, you’ll be more willing to invest your time and efforts into this project. In addition, ensure that your topic is narrow, specific, and significant. If your topic is too broad, reading background information can help you limit its scope.

2. Research

Find trustworthy sources with the information you can use to support your proposal. It will help you write the background section and highlight the importance of the problem. In addition, reliable sources will help you provide evidence justifying your chosen solution to the problem.

Developing a detailed outline helps ensure that your paper is logical and cohesive. The outline will let you see how you will link all of the facts to support the thesis statement. Also, it can save you time by identifying any gaps and weaknesses in your argument before you start writing your paper.

4. Draft Your Proposal Essay

When drafting your proposal, remember that it is a type of persuasive writing. It should present a project and encourage the reader to go along with a plan of action outlined in the paper. So, ensure your proposal is convincing, logical, and credible and considers the audience, purpose, and tone.

Start your essay by presenting the purpose and essence of your project. The main body of your proposal essay should contain background information on the problem and persuasive reasons to support your proposal. Finally, the conclusion should underline the significance of the issue and call the audience to action.

5. Revise and Edit

Carefully revise and edit your draft. Consider whether the problem is described concisely, the solution is complete, and your evidence is used appropriately. Also, read your work to find any grammar or spelling mistakes. If you still have doubts about your paper, you can ask your professor or classmate to read it and give their feedback.

📃 Sample of a Proposal Essay

To help you understand how a proposal essay is structured, we’ve prepared a topic proposal example. Check it out!

Equipping Schools with Recycling Bins for Environmental Preservation

The purpose of this proposal is to implement a school-wide recycling program by strategically placing recycling bins across the campus. This initiative will promote zero waste culture, ensure the school’s sustainability, and contribute to environmental preservation.

The school is a perfect place to develop environmental awareness because it has the opportunity to build students’ knowledge and skills necessary to address environmental issues. One way to do so is to teach students to avoid improper waste disposal through recycling.

The proposal involves procuring and placing recycling bins across the school, including classrooms, common areas, and outdoor spaces. In addition, educational campaigns will be held to raise awareness among students, staff, and parents about the significance of waste segregation and recycling. Regular monitoring and evaluation will ensure the program’s effectiveness.

Several problems may arise while implementing this project, including resistance to change and logistical concerns about bin placement. Some may also object to the proposal due to the costs associated with it. However, the resistance to change can be mitigated by educational campaigns. The bin placement problem can be solved by involving staff and students in determining the optimal locations for recycling bins. Finally, financial constraints can be addressed by seeking partnerships with local businesses and community organizations.

Equipping the school with recycling bins is a step toward a sustainable future. By reducing waste and promoting sustainable practices, our school can lead by example and inspire positive changes within the community. This initiative gives a chance to raise environmentally conscious students and contribute to a healthier planet. Let us embrace this program to foster a sustainable school environment.

❓ Proposal Topics FAQ

How to write a proposal for an essay topic.

  • Choose a topic.
  • Identify your thesis or research question.
  • Look for sources that you can use to support your thesis/research question.
  • Create a detailed outline.
  • Write the first draft.
  • Edit the finished paper to fix grammar or spelling mistakes and ensure coherence.

How to write a proposal essay introduction?

Start with an attention-grabbing hook to pique your audience’s curiosity. Then, summarize the details of the problem and outline the purpose of your proposed project. Finally, add a strong thesis statement, summarizing your suggested solution and giving a preview of your supporting arguments.

How to write a proposal argument essay?

  • Summarize the details of the problem and present the thesis.
  • Give a detailed history of the problem.
  • Present your proposal in detail.
  • Examine the contrasting viewpoints.
  • Sum up the main points of your essay.

What to write a proposal essay on?

Since you advocate for a change or a solution to a problem in your proposal essay, you should choose a topic you care about. You can write a proposal essay on virtually everything, from presenting a solution to climate change to implementing a community-based reading program or raising awareness about the importance of gut microbiota.

  • Topic Proposals | University of Hawaii
  • Selecting a Research Topic: Overview | MIT Libraries
  • Proposals | University of Mary Washington
  • Research Proposals | University of New Hampshire
  • 10 Major Social Problems That Could Be Fixed with Innovative Solutions | Listverse
  • How to Write a Topic Proposal | LUC Writing Center
  • The Art of Proposal Writing: Proposal as Genre | Graduate College at Illinois
  • Outline for Research Project Proposal | Portland State University
  • Tips for Successful Proposal Writing | University of California, Davis
  • How to Write a Good Postgraduate Research Proposal | The University of Edinburgh
  • Proposal Argument Topic Ideas | Classroom
  • What Is a Proposal Argument Essay? | Classroom
  • Proposal Argument Essay | Madigan Library at Penn College
  • Practical Proposal Essay Topics for Students | YourDictionary
  • How to Write a Proposal Essay/Paper | Owlcation
  • Guidelines for Proposal and Essay | York University
  • The Academic Proposal | University of Toronto
  • Writing Process: Creating a Proposal | Openstax
  • How to Write a Research Proposal | University of Sheffield
  • How To Write a Project Proposal (With Tips and Example) | Indeed

How to Write an Animal Testing Essay: Tips for Argumentative & Persuasive Papers

Descriptive essay topics: examples, outline, & more.

The Art of Persuasion: How to Write Proposals that Convince and Convert

Your business may have the smartest smarty-pants in your industry but if you can’t convince potential clients of that, then none of it matters. The whole point of a proposal is to persuade your prospect to say yes. Here’s how to write a business proposal that convinces clients and converts like a rainbow-pooping unicorn, with compelling examples from the masters of persuasive writing: advertisers.

a perfectly persuasive proposal

9 min. read

Because I’ve been involved behind the scenes in so many pitches and proposals over the years, when I watch ads on TV or online, I’m usually not thinking about the product they’re selling. I’m wondering how the agency convinced the client to go with that concept.

Regardless of whether I think it’s a good ad or a bad one, I’m curious how the agency persuaded the client to choose that particular direction because selling your ideas to people is difficult. Especially if it’s something that involves taking a risk or is unusual, like the rainbow-pooping unicorn concept of the Squatty Potty video.

Like, what went on in that pitch? (I think this is a brilliant way to sell an icky subject, btw.)

We’ve probably all been in situations where a potential client chose a competitor even though we know we would have done a much better job, but somehow they were convinced that the other company was the best choice.

When it comes to proposals, it’s not always the most qualified company who wins, but the most convincing company.

Being persuasive is the key to successful sales. It’s about inspiring people to buy, to care, to spread the word.

In this post, I’ll try my own hand at persuasion by sharing my tips on how you can write proposals that convince and convert.

9 steps to a more persuasive proposal

1. qualify your lead.

If your potential client isn’t a good fit for your company to start with, they’re not actually serious about doing business, or they don’t have an appropriate budget, you’re not going to be able to convince them of anything, and you’ll just be wasting your time.

Validating your leads before you spend hours preparing a proposal is probably the most crucial step in sales. Figuring out if this potential client actually has potential should be your first step in the sales process—before you even type one little word of your proposal.

To help with that, here are five things to ask yourself when talking to a lead to see if they’re worth pursuing:

  • Is this my ideal client in terms of industry, size, or revenue?
  • Can I/my team really help them solve their problem?
  • Am I truly excited about this project?
  • Does this client have a budget I can work with?
  • Is there a personality fit? You don’t have to turn into BFFs but if there isn’t some connection, you might have problems once you start working together.

By confirming that this client is actually a good fit for your business, you’ll have a much better chance of convincing them to choose you.

2. Answer the question, “WHY?”

This is really is the crux of all persuasion but I’m surprised how many proposals don’t directly and clearly address it. People don’t like to be told what to do without a good explanation, so you need to guide them through that.

Every proposal should answer these ‘why?’ questions:

  • Why is the client looking for help?
  • Why should they choose your business?
  • Why shouldn’t they choose the competition?
  • Why is your solution the right one for this client?
  • Why should they trust you?
  • Why are you the expert in this situation?
  • Why should I spend this much money when it’s more than what the competition is charging?

When preparing your proposal, you need to think of every ‘why?’ that might emerge that could derail your efforts of persuasion, and be sure to have a compelling answer.

3. Understand the client

To convince anyone of anything you first need to establish that you know something about the situation. Make sure your proposal demonstrates that you understand the client, their business, their customers, their industry, and the challenges they’re facing.

This involves listening to the client, doing research, and directing the proposal to focus on the client, not you. I don’t know how many proposals I’ve read that were just all about the agency or business - me, me, me, and more about me - with very little attention paid to the actual client and their problem.

Proving you get it (and understand them) establishes credibility so the client’s more likely to be open to what you have to say and more easily convinced that you know what you’re talking about.

4. Make your case, consistently

If you want to persuade someone of something, you need to be clear about what that something is and be consistent in defending and proving that point throughout your proposal.

People are very suspicious of others who appear inconsistent in their views and opinions. Sometimes the very the act of changing your mind (justifiably or not) can be viewed negatively by others, as if you don’t have the fortitude to stick to your guns, or that you had poor decision-making abilities the first time around.

Be straightforward with your position and keep proving it over and over throughout your proposal using storytelling, stats, and other proof points to drive it home.

Being consistent is also a form of repetition which is another effective persuasion technique. People need to hear something more than once to really absorb what you’re saying and adopt the same view.

This will establish trust with the client and if they trust you, they’re more likely to be convinced by what you say and that you’ll deliver on your promises.

5. Use the 'Problem, Agitate, Solution' technique

Also known as PAS, this is a classic copywriting formula and persuasion technique, perfect for writing a convincing proposal.

As discussed earlier, it’s important that you show the client you understand the problem or challenge they’re struggling with.

The next step is to agitate the problem, making it a little more painful, demonstrating how dangerous the risks are if the problem persists, and how crucial it is to find a solution.

This isn’t about fear-mongering but again, showing that you understand the pain, you have experience with it, and you want to shelter the client from it getting much worse.

Then you swoop in with your brilliant solution that will make everything better, alleviate the pain, and save the future from certain demise.

An exaggerated and often hilarious example of this technique is regularly used in those gadget commercials on TV, like this one for Wraptastic.

Life before Wraptastic is grey, frustrating, wasteful, and time-consuming. Then along comes Wraptastic and life is in full colour, everything is easy, and not only will I be able to wrap three hero sandwiches in five seconds, but my hands will also be safe from the shark-like aggression of the teeth on the average food wrap box.

Obviously, the way these gadget companies use PAS is waaaaaaay over the top but you can adapt this formula for your own clients and services in a way that is relatable, professional, and convincing. AND TRUTHFUL.

6. Provide social proof

We are social creatures who want to fit in, be accepted, and be associated with the same characteristics as the peer group we admire.

You see this with the rise of influencer marketing. That person I think is smart and successful said this product or service changed their life, saved their business, made them better looking. So because this ‘expert’ said it was awesome and I have the same problem, I’m going to try this product, too. That's good social proof.

Integrate case studies (I prefer the term 'success stories’—more persuasive language!), testimonials, reviews , and referrals in your proposal to help build your case that your solution is the right one.

And don’t worry, you don’t necessarily have to have Gary Vaynerchuk or LeBron James hyping your services. You just need other people and businesses your clients can relate to who talk about how you solved their problem.

7. Watch your tone of voice

Regardless of the message you want to communicate to your potential client, they’re not going to understand or relate to it if you don’t speak their language, or if you use a tone of voice in your writing that alienates them.

While you want to establish yourself as an expert in your proposal, your tone and language are important. You don’t want to come off as condescending to your client or imply that they are idiots for not coming to you sooner.

Avoid using jargon and other overly technical terms your client won’t understand. It doesn’t make you look smarter, it makes them feel excluded. More importantly, if they can’t understand what you’re talking about, they won’t be persuaded by what you have to say.

Establishing a relatable tone of voice in writing your proposal will help to emotionally connect with your clients, and emotionally connecting with your clients is another persuasive technique.

Is your tone professional, conversational, empathic, educational, or irreverent?

Think about your clients - who they are, what they value, how they see themselves, and how they want to see themselves in relation to your service or product. Choose a tone of voice in your writing that speaks to them, while still being on-brand for your company.

8. Use plain language

Plain language writing is about just that — writing in a clear, concise manner so that readers easily and quickly understand what you’re trying to convince them of.

It’s also known as plain English in some circles but whatever you call it, it’s about removing all ambiguity, convoluted language, and jargon from any document.

Making sure your proposals are as straightforward as possible will make it easier for clients to be persuaded. They’ll understand what you’re offering, what the process will be, and what results they should expect.

Plain language makes your proposal easier to understand, easier to remember, and easier for the client to say yes.

You can read a post I wrote a few months ago that outlines the importance of plain language in sales and how to incorporate it into your proposals .

9. Design is persuasive, too

Your products and services may be superior compared to your competition but if they don’t LOOK superior, it’s going to be hard to convince your client otherwise.

Making your proposal legible, aesthetically pleasing, and professional-looking will go a long way in persuading a client that you are the best choice, regardless of the actual words you use.

Here are four basic rules to follow when designing your proposal:

  • Don’t cram every page with text.
  • Use whitespace and beautiful images to let the design breathe.
  • Make appropriate use of colour.
  • Use legible and elegant typography.

If you need help, hire a professional to design your template and follow their guidelines, or start with a well-designed stock template ( may I offer a few suggestions ? ) and make it your own.

Creating the win-win situation

Being persuasive comes down to gaining the trust, and respect of your potential client so that they are easily convinced by the solution you offer them.

You want to address all their concerns so they feel there little risk in their decision to choose your business, and leave them feeling confident about themselves and the future of their company.

Learning to sell and write more persuasively can be the tipping point for converting more proposals into closed deals. And more closed deals help convince more clients.

writing language and tone for business proposals

Tips for Writing Better Business Proposals: Language, Tone, and Style

May 23, 2017

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Proposal Writing: These 3 Simple Words Will Transform Your Process

July 23, 2019

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4 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Grant Proposal

Learn how to write a strong grant proposal for your research.

Updated on January 22, 2020

4 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Grant Proposal

The key to a successful grant application is writing a persuasive proposal.

You must persuade the review panel at the funding body that you have planned your work carefully, that you are going to succeed, and that the findings will be useful.

So how do you persuade the panel? Here are my 4 top tips:

Tip #1. Understand who will be reviewing your application and their assessment criteria

It's important that you find out about the specific review process for the scheme you are applying for and understand who will be reviewing your proposal, as early as possible in the writing process. Once you know who your audience is, you should then target that audience.

For example, roughly what range of expertise is likely to be represented by your review panel? Will the panel seek written comments from external reviewers who are specialized in your field to help them make a decision? Knowing your audience will help you establish which specialist terms and concepts need to be explained, and how much you need to guide your reader through the logical argument.

For some grant programs, particularly major ones, you can find out a lot about the panels by searching online. You might find interviews with panel members about what they do. Otherwise, ask someone at the funding body or your institute's grant or program officer, or look for information on similar programs run by other funding bodies.

All panels will also have guidelines on how to assess grant proposals, and it's crucial to find these if they're available, and read them early on. This way, you can ensure that you meet these criteria.

Reviewers are busy people, and they will be keen to go through the pile of applications as quickly as possible. You must ensure that they can easily find the answers they are looking for, and in particular, that they can easily tell whether your proposal aligns with the objectives and principles of the scheme.

Writing a compelling Abstract or Summary, using a well-defined structure with headings to point reviewers in the right direction, and using key words from the scheme guidelines and the funding body mission will facilitate the reviewers' job. Writing an enticing story using clear, accessible language will make reviewers' job a little easier and more enjoyable, and they may be more inclined to write a favorable report.

Tip #2. Explain your research plan and why this research is important now

a scientist writing on a tablet

Make sure you explain any ideas that might be unfamiliar to at least some of the panel. You don't need to give a detailed general introduction to the field, but it can help to provide a brief reminder of ideas that are fundamental to your work.

You'll also need to explain why you've planned what you've planned. What gaps in the literature does it fill? How might it help us reach a realistic, and hopefully useful, goal for the field?

If possible, present a few realistic implications for your funder's interests – perhaps they might benefit society, the economy or human health. In some fields, this can be tricky – particularly theoretical fields whose applications have yet to be determined – in which case the impacts you suggest might be more distant or more academic.

Tip #3. Explain the rationale behind your approach and methods

Scientist looking at research data for grant application

It's essential to explain the motivation behind your overall approach, even if you think it's obvious. For example, why did you decide to focus on copper catalysts, and not other types of catalyst? Justify your scope. What will your work add beyond what's already available in the literature?

Similarly, you should ensure that you justify your choice of methods. Why are they the most appropriate to answer the scientific questions your proposal aims to address? It's important to think about the questions that the review panel might have, and make sure that you include details that could have a large effect on the robustness of your conclusions. How many samples do you need for your analysis to be statistically sound and your conclusions robust? If you're doing experimental work, will you randomize the samples or blind the analyses and, if so, how? The review panel needs to know – it could affect whether your study turns out to be reliable and reproducible.

And what if something goes wrong? This is particularly important in situations that involve uncontrollable factors, such as in clinical trials and field work. For example, you're testing your solar array in a desert, so what will you do if there's a sandstorm? There is no need to describe things that are never going to happen. This is all about showing the panel that you have a realistic, careful plan that accounts for a few of the most likely scenarios.

Tip #4. Show that your team has the necessary expertise to succeed

Researcher standing in a greenhouse

And finally, are you and your team up to the job? Can your team cover all of the relevant techniques and concepts in the work? In some grant formats, you'll be prompted to explain this, for example in a personal statement. Even if you're not, it's important to include this information somewhere.

Avoid claims of superhuman powers, but also avoid underselling the relevance of your experience. If you've published relevant work, make sure you cite it within the text, emphasize that you did that work, and consider explaining any similarities and highlighting any techniques that you successfully applied in the previous study that you are also proposing to use here.

Peter Gorsuch is the Chief Editor for Scientific Editing at Nature Research Editing Service. The Scientific Editing service is provided by Nature Research and available to all researchers, regardless of where they publish. It offers Nature-standard editing for grant proposals , research papers, and reviews. To learn more about Scientific Editing, visit the visit the website .

Peter Gorsuch, Chief Editor and Product Manager, Scientific Editing, Nature Research Editing Service, PhD, Plant Physiology, University of York

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Chief Editor and Product Manager, Scientific Editing, Nature Research Editing Service

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 113 perfect persuasive essay topics for any assignment.

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feature_essaytopics

Do you need to write a persuasive essay but aren’t sure what topic to focus on? Were you thrilled when your teacher said you could write about whatever you wanted but are now overwhelmed by the possibilities? We’re here to help!

Read on for a list of 113 top-notch persuasive essay topics, organized into ten categories. To help get you started, we also discuss what a persuasive essay is, how to choose a great topic, and what tips to keep in mind as you write your persuasive essay.

What Is a Persuasive Essay?

In a persuasive essay, you attempt to convince readers to agree with your point of view on an argument. For example, an essay analyzing changes in Italian art during the Renaissance wouldn’t be a persuasive essay, because there’s no argument, but an essay where you argue that Italian art reached its peak during the Renaissance would be a persuasive essay because you’re trying to get your audience to agree with your viewpoint.

Persuasive and argumentative essays both try to convince readers to agree with the author, but the two essay types have key differences. Argumentative essays show a more balanced view of the issue and discuss both sides. Persuasive essays focus more heavily on the side the author agrees with. They also often include more of the author’s opinion than argumentative essays, which tend to use only facts and data to support their argument.

All persuasive essays have the following:

  • Introduction: Introduces the topic, explains why it’s important, and ends with the thesis.
  • Thesis: A sentence that sums up what the essay be discussing and what your stance on the issue is.
  • Reasons you believe your side of the argument: Why do you support the side you do? Typically each main point will have its own body paragraph.
  • Evidence supporting your argument: Facts or examples to back up your main points. Even though your opinion is allowed in persuasive essays more than most other essays, having concrete examples will make a stronger argument than relying on your opinion alone.
  • Conclusion: Restatement of thesis, summary of main points, and a recap of why the issue is important.

What Makes a Good Persuasive Essay Topic?

Theoretically, you could write a persuasive essay about any subject under the sun, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Certain topics are easier to write a strong persuasive essay on, and below are tips to follow when deciding what you should write about.

It’s a Topic You Care About

Obviously, it’s possible to write an essay about a topic you find completely boring. You’ve probably done it! However, if possible, it’s always better to choose a topic that you care about and are interested in. When this is the case, you’ll find doing the research more enjoyable, writing the essay easier, and your writing will likely be better because you’ll be more passionate about and informed on the topic.

You Have Enough Evidence to Support Your Argument

Just being passionate about a subject isn’t enough to make it a good persuasive essay topic, though. You need to make sure your argument is complex enough to have at least two potential sides to root for, and you need to be able to back up your side with evidence and examples. Even though persuasive essays allow your opinion to feature more than many other essays, you still need concrete evidence to back up your claims, or you’ll end up with a weak essay.

For example, you may passionately believe that mint chocolate chip ice cream is the best ice cream flavor (I agree!), but could you really write an entire essay on this? What would be your reasons for believing mint chocolate chip is the best (besides the fact that it’s delicious)? How would you support your belief? Have enough studies been done on preferred ice cream flavors to support an entire essay? When choosing a persuasive essay idea, you want to find the right balance between something you care about (so you can write well on it) and something the rest of the world cares about (so you can reference evidence to strengthen your position).

It’s a Manageable Topic

Bigger isn’t always better, especially with essay topics. While it may seem like a great idea to choose a huge, complex topic to write about, you’ll likely struggle to sift through all the information and different sides of the issue and winnow them down to one streamlined essay. For example, choosing to write an essay about how WWII impacted American life more than WWI wouldn’t be a great idea because you’d need to analyze all the impacts of both the wars in numerous areas of American life. It’d be a huge undertaking. A better idea would be to choose one impact on American life the wars had (such as changes in female employment) and focus on that. Doing so will make researching and writing your persuasive essay much more feasible.

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List of 113 Good Persuasive Essay Topics

Below are over 100 persuasive essay ideas, organized into ten categories. When you find an idea that piques your interest, you’ll choose one side of it to argue for in your essay. For example, if you choose the topic, “should fracking be legal?” you’d decide whether you believe fracking should be legal or illegal, then you’d write an essay arguing all the reasons why your audience should agree with you.

Arts/Culture

  • Should students be required to learn an instrument in school?
  • Did the end of Game of Thrones fit with the rest of the series?
  • Can music be an effective way to treat mental illness?
  • With e-readers so popular, have libraries become obsolete?
  • Are the Harry Potter books more popular than they deserve to be?
  • Should music with offensive language come with a warning label?
  • What’s the best way for museums to get more people to visit?
  • Should students be able to substitute an art or music class for a PE class in school?
  • Are the Kardashians good or bad role models for young people?
  • Should people in higher income brackets pay more taxes?
  • Should all high school students be required to take a class on financial literacy?
  • Is it possible to achieve the American dream, or is it only a myth?
  • Is it better to spend a summer as an unpaid intern at a prestigious company or as a paid worker at a local store/restaurant?
  • Should the United States impose more or fewer tariffs?
  • Should college graduates have their student loans forgiven?
  • Should restaurants eliminate tipping and raise staff wages instead?
  • Should students learn cursive writing in school?
  • Which is more important: PE class or music class?
  • Is it better to have year-round school with shorter breaks throughout the year?
  • Should class rank be abolished in schools?
  • Should students be taught sex education in school?
  • Should students be able to attend public universities for free?
  • What’s the most effective way to change the behavior of school bullies?
  • Are the SAT and ACT accurate ways to measure intelligence?
  • Should students be able to learn sign language instead of a foreign language?
  • Do the benefits of Greek life at colleges outweigh the negatives?
  • Does doing homework actually help students learn more?
  • Why do students in many other countries score higher than American students on math exams?
  • Should parents/teachers be able to ban certain books from schools?
  • What’s the best way to reduce cheating in school?
  • Should colleges take a student’s race into account when making admissions decisions?
  • Should there be limits to free speech?
  • Should students be required to perform community service to graduate high school?
  • Should convicted felons who have completed their sentence be allowed to vote?
  • Should gun ownership be more tightly regulated?
  • Should recycling be made mandatory?
  • Should employers be required to offer paid leave to new parents?
  • Are there any circumstances where torture should be allowed?
  • Should children under the age of 18 be able to get plastic surgery for cosmetic reasons?
  • Should white supremacy groups be allowed to hold rallies in public places?
  • Does making abortion illegal make women more or less safe?
  • Does foreign aid actually help developing countries?
  • Are there times a person’s freedom of speech should be curtailed?
  • Should people over a certain age not be allowed to adopt children?

Government/Politics

  • Should the minimum voting age be raised/lowered/kept the same?
  • Should Puerto Rico be granted statehood?
  • Should the United States build a border wall with Mexico?
  • Who should be the next person printed on American banknotes?
  • Should the United States’ military budget be reduced?
  • Did China’s one child policy have overall positive or negative impacts on the country?
  • Should DREAMers be granted US citizenship?
  • Is national security more important than individual privacy?
  • What responsibility does the government have to help homeless people?
  • Should the electoral college be abolished?
  • Should the US increase or decrease the number of refugees it allows in each year?
  • Should privately-run prisons be abolished?
  • Who was the most/least effective US president?
  • Will Brexit end up helping or harming the UK?

body-sparkler-us-flag

  • What’s the best way to reduce the spread of Ebola?
  • Is the Keto diet a safe and effective way to lose weight?
  • Should the FDA regulate vitamins and supplements more strictly?
  • Should public schools require all students who attend to be vaccinated?
  • Is eating genetically modified food safe?
  • What’s the best way to make health insurance more affordable?
  • What’s the best way to lower the teen pregnancy rate?
  • Should recreational marijuana be legalized nationwide?
  • Should birth control pills be available without a prescription?
  • Should pregnant women be forbidden from buying cigarettes and alcohol?
  • Why has anxiety increased in adolescents?
  • Are low-carb or low-fat diets more effective for weight loss?
  • What caused the destruction of the USS Maine?
  • Was King Arthur a mythical legend or actual Dark Ages king?
  • Was the US justified in dropping atomic bombs during WWII?
  • What was the primary cause of the Rwandan genocide?
  • What happened to the settlers of the Roanoke colony?
  • Was disagreement over slavery the primary cause of the US Civil War?
  • What has caused the numerous disappearances in the Bermuda triangle?
  • Should nuclear power be banned?
  • Is scientific testing on animals necessary?
  • Do zoos help or harm animals?
  • Should scientists be allowed to clone humans?
  • Should animals in circuses be banned?
  • Should fracking be legal?
  • Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?
  • What’s the best way to reduce illegal poaching in Africa?
  • What is the best way to reduce the impact of global warming?
  • Should euthanasia be legalized?
  • Is there legitimate evidence of extraterrestrial life?
  • Should people be banned from owning aggressive dog breeds?
  • Should the United States devote more money towards space exploration?
  • Should the government subsidize renewable forms of energy?
  • Is solar energy worth the cost?
  • Should stem cells be used in medicine?
  • Is it right for the US to leave the Paris Climate Agreement?
  • Should athletes who fail a drug test receive a lifetime ban from the sport?
  • Should college athletes receive a salary?
  • Should the NFL do more to prevent concussions in players?
  • Do PE classes help students stay in shape?
  • Should horse racing be banned?
  • Should cheerleading be considered a sport?
  • Should children younger than 18 be allowed to play tackle football?
  • Are the costs of hosting an Olympic Games worth it?
  • Can online schools be as effective as traditional schools?
  • Do violent video games encourage players to be violent in real life?
  • Should facial recognition technology be banned?
  • Does excessive social media use lead to depression/anxiety?
  • Has the rise of translation technology made knowing multiple languages obsolete?
  • Was Steve Jobs a visionary or just a great marketer?
  • Should social media be banned for children younger than a certain age?
  • Which 21st-century invention has had the largest impact on society?
  • Are ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft good or bad for society?
  • Should Facebook have done more to protect the privacy of its users?
  • Will technology end up increasing or decreasing inequality worldwide?

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Tips for Writing a Strong Persuasive Essay

After you’ve chosen the perfect topic for your persuasive essay, your work isn’t over. Follow the three tips below to create a top-notch essay.

Do Your Research

Your argument will fall apart if you don’t fully understand the issue you’re discussing or you overlook an important piece of it. Readers won’t be convinced by someone who doesn’t know the subject, and you likely won’t persuade any of them to begin supporting your viewpoint. Before you begin writing a single word of your essay, research your topic thoroughly. Study different sources, learn about the different sides of the argument, ask anyone who’s an expert on the topic what their opinion is, etc. You might be tempted to start writing right away, but by doing your research, you’ll make the writing process much easier when the time comes.

Make Your Thesis Perfect

Your thesis is the most important sentence in your persuasive essay. Just by reading that single sentence, your audience should know exactly what topic you’ll be discussing and where you stand on the issue. You want your thesis to be crystal clear and to accurately set up the rest of your essay. Asking classmates or your teacher to look it over before you begin writing the rest of your essay can be a big help if you’re not entirely confident in your thesis.

Consider the Other Side

You’ll spend most of your essay focusing on your side of the argument since that’s what you want readers to come away believing. However, don’t think that means you can ignore other sides of the issue. In your essay, be sure to discuss the other side’s argument, as well as why you believe this view is weak or untrue. Researching all the different viewpoints and including them in your essay will increase the quality of your writing by making your essay more complete and nuanced.

Summary: Persuasive Essay Ideas

Good persuasive essay topics can be difficult to come up with, but in this guide we’ve created a list of 113 excellent essay topics for you to browse. The best persuasive essay ideas will be those that you are interested in, have enough evidence to support your argument, and aren’t too complicated to be summarized in an essay.

After you’ve chosen your essay topic, keep these three tips in mind when you begin writing:

  • Do your research
  • Make your thesis perfect
  • Consider the other side

What's Next?

Need ideas for a research paper topic as well? Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

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100 Persuasive Essay Topics

  • M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Georgia
  • B.A., History, Armstrong State University

Persuasive essays are a bit like argument essays and persuasive speeches , but they tend to be a little kinder and gentler. Argument essays require you to discuss and to attack an alternate view, while persuasive essays are attempts to convince the reader that you have a believable argument. In other words, you are an advocate, not an adversary.

A Persuasive Essay Has 3 Components

  • Introduction : This is the opening paragraph of your essay. It contains the hook, which is used to grab the reader's attention, and the thesis, or argument, which you'll explain in the next section.
  • Body : This is the heart of your essay, usually three to five paragraphs in length. Each paragraph examines one theme or issue used to support your thesis.
  • Conclusion : This is the final paragraph of your essay. In it, you'll sum up the main points of the body and connect them to your thesis. Persuasive essays often use the conclusion as a last appeal to the audience.

Learning how to write a persuasive essay is an essential skill that people use every day in fields from business to law to media and entertainment. English students can begin writing a persuasive essay at any skill level. You're sure to find a sample topic or two from the list of 100 persuasive essays below, sorted by degree of difficulty.

Watch Now: 12 Ideas for Great Persuasive Essay Topics

  • Kids should get paid for good grades.
  • Students should have less homework.
  • Snow days are great for family time.
  • Penmanship is important.
  • Short hair is better than long hair.
  • We should all grow our own vegetables.
  • We need more holidays.
  • Aliens probably exist.
  • Gym class is more important than music class.
  • Kids should be able to vote.
  • Kids should get paid for extra activities like sports.
  • School should take place in the evenings.
  • Country life is better than city life.
  • City life is better than country life.
  • We can change the world.
  • Skateboard helmets should be mandatory.
  • We should provide food for the poor.
  • Children should be paid for doing chores.
  • We should populate the moon .
  • Dogs make better pets than cats.

Intermediate

  • The government should impose household trash limits.
  • Nuclear weapons are an effective deterrent against foreign attack.
  • Teens should be required to take parenting classes.
  • We should teach etiquette in schools.
  • School uniform laws are unconstitutional.
  • All students should wear uniforms.
  • Too much money is a bad thing.
  • High schools should offer specialized degrees in arts or sciences.
  • Magazine advertisements send unhealthy signals to young women.
  • Robocalling should be outlawed.
  • Age 12 is too young to babysit.
  • Children should be required to read more.
  • All students should be given the opportunity to study abroad.
  • Yearly driving tests should be mandatory past age 65.
  • Cell phones should never be used while driving.
  • All schools should implement bullying awareness programs.
  • Bullies should be kicked out of school.
  • Parents of bullies should have to pay a fine.
  • The school year should be longer.
  • School days should start later.
  • Teens should be able to choose their bedtime.
  • There should be a mandatory entrance exam for high school.
  • Public transit should be privatized.
  • We should allow pets in school.
  • The voting age should be lowered to 16.
  • Beauty contests are bad for body image.
  • Every American should learn to speak Spanish.
  • Every immigrant should learn to speak English.
  • Video games can be educational.
  • College athletes should be paid for their services.
  • We need a military draft .
  • Professional sports should eliminate cheerleaders.
  • Teens should be able to start driving at 14 instead of 16.
  • Year-round school is a bad idea.
  • High school campuses should be guarded by police officers.
  • The legal drinking age should be lowered to 19.
  • Kids under 15 shouldn't have Facebook pages.
  • Standardized testing should be eliminated.
  • Teachers should be paid more.
  • There should be one world currency.
  • Domestic surveillance without a warrant should be legal.
  • Letter grades should be replaced with a pass or fail.
  • Every family should have a natural disaster survival plan.
  • Parents should talk to kids about drugs at a young age.
  • Racial slurs should be illegal.
  • Gun ownership should be tightly regulated.
  • Puerto Rico should be granted statehood.
  • People should go to jail when they abandon their pets.
  • Free speech should have limitations.
  • Members of Congress should be subject to term limits.
  • Recycling should be mandatory for everyone.
  • High-speed internet access should be regulated like a public utility.
  • Yearly driving tests should be mandatory for the first five years after getting a license.
  • Recreational marijuana should be made legal nationwide.
  • Legal marijuana should be taxed and regulated like tobacco or alcohol.
  • Child support dodgers should go to jail.
  • Students should be allowed to pray in school.
  • All Americans have a constitutional right to health care.
  • Internet access should be free for everyone.
  • Social Security should be privatized.
  • Pregnant couples should receive parenting lessons.
  • We shouldn't use products made from animals.
  • Celebrities should have more privacy rights.
  • Professional football is too violent and should be banned.
  • We need better sex education in schools.
  • School testing is not effective.
  • The United States should build a border wall with Mexico and with Canada.
  • Life is better than it was 50 years ago.
  • Eating meat is unethical.
  • A vegan diet is the only diet people should follow.
  • Medical testing on animals should be illegal.
  • The Electoral College is outdated.
  • Medical testing on animals is necessary.
  • Public safety is more important than an individual's right to privacy.
  • Single-sex colleges provide a better education.
  • Books should never be banned.
  • Violent video games can cause people to act violently in real life.
  • Freedom of religion has limitations.
  • Nuclear power should be illegal.
  • Climate change should be the president's primary political concern.
  • Arizona State University Writing Center staff. " Persuasive Essay Structure ." ASU.edu, June 2012.
  • Collins, Jen, and Polak, Adam. " Persuasive Essays ." Hamilton.edu.
  • 100 Persuasive Speech Topics for Students
  • Middle School Debate Topics
  • 50 Argumentative Essay Topics
  • 40 Writing Topics for Argumentative and Persuasive Essays
  • High School Debate Topics
  • 49 Opinion Writing Prompts for Students
  • How to Write a Solid Thesis Statement
  • 501 Topic Suggestions for Writing Essays and Speeches
  • Controversial Speech Topics
  • How to Write a Persuasive Essay
  • Tips on How to Write an Argumentative Essay
  • The Ultimate Guide to the 5-Paragraph Essay
  • 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
  • Writing Prompts for 5th Grade
  • 12 Interesting Ethical Topics for Essay Papers
  • Write a Compare and Contrast Essay

IMAGES

  1. 50 Free Persuasive Essay Examples (+BEST Topics) ᐅ TemplateLab

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  2. 50 Free Persuasive Essay Examples (+BEST Topics) ᐅ TemplateLab

    writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

  3. 50 ejemplos de ensayos persuasivos gratuitos (+ MEJORES temas)

    writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

  4. How to Write a Persuasive Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

    writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

  5. 50 Free Persuasive Essay Examples (+BEST Topics) ᐅ TemplateLab

    writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

  6. 50 Free Persuasive Essay Examples (+BEST Topics) ᐅ TemplateLab

    writing persuasive essays and proposal arguments

VIDEO

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  2. Business Persuasive Proposal

  3. Persuasive Writing Strategies

  4. Writing a Persuasive Essay

  5. PERSUASIVE Writing Techniques || GRADE 10 || MELC-based VIDEO LESSON

  6. How do I start a persuasive essay?

COMMENTS

  1. Sample Proposal Argument

    Sample Proposal Argument. Now that you have had the chance to learn about writing a proposal argument, it's time to see what one might look like. Below, you'll see a sample proposal argumentative essay written using APA 7 th edition formatting guidelines. Click the image below to open a PDF of the sample paper. Previous. Next.

  2. Mastering the Proposal Argument Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

    To craft a compelling proposal argument essay, you will need to employ critical thinking, persuasive writing skills, and conduct thorough research. Follow this step-by-step guide to help you write a persuasive proposal argument essay. Select a Topic. The first step in writing a proposal argument essay is choosing the topic.

  3. How to Write a Persuasive Essay: Tips and Tricks

    TIP 1: Be careful not to introduce a new argument in the conclusion—there's no time to develop it now that you've reached the end of your discussion! TIP 2: As with your thesis, avoid announcing your conclusion. Don't start your conclusion with "in conclusion" or "to conclude" or "to end my essay" type statements.

  4. Type 4: Proposal Argument

    In order to build up to a proposal, an argument needs to incorporate elements of definition argument, evaluation argument, and causal argument. First, we will need to define a problem or a situation that calls for action. Then we need to make an evaluation argument to convince readers that the problem is bad enough to be worth addressing.

  5. How to Write an Argumentative Essay

    Make a claim. Provide the grounds (evidence) for the claim. Explain the warrant (how the grounds support the claim) Discuss possible rebuttals to the claim, identifying the limits of the argument and showing that you have considered alternative perspectives. The Toulmin model is a common approach in academic essays.

  6. PDF Strategies for Essay Writing

    Your thesis is the central claim in your essay—your main insight or idea about your source or topic. Your thesis should appear early in an academic essay, followed by a logically constructed argument that supports this central claim. A strong thesis is arguable, which means a thoughtful reader could disagree with it and therefore needs

  7. The Persuasive Argument

    The argumentative essay is a genre of writing that requires the student to investigate a topic; collect, generate, and evaluate evidence; and establish a position on the topic in a concise manner. Argumentative essays are also known as "persuasive essays," "opinion essays," or "position papers.". In an argumentative essay, the ...

  8. Writing a Persuasive Essay

    The thesis should. 1. be a complete sentence, 2. identify the topic, and. 3. make a specific claim about that topic. In a persuasive paper, the thesis is a claim that someone should believe or do something. For example, a persuasive thesis might assert that something is effective or ineffective.

  9. Ultimate Guide To Writing A Proposal Essay

    To make your proposal essay as persuasive as possible, here are some tips to keep in mind: - Use strong, clear language that conveys your confidence in your proposal. - Make sure your argument is logical and well-supported by evidence. - Use emotional appeals sparingly and only when appropriate.

  10. The Proposal Essay: A Specific Type of Argument

    Proposal Argument. A proposal argument is a structure of argument that focuses on presenting some kind of proposal as a solution to a problem, outlining the details of the proposal, and providing good reasons to support the proposal. This type of essay works well if you see a problem you want to fix or see change you want to make.

  11. Chapter 28: Arguments and Persuasive Writing

    The proposal method of argument is used when there is a problematic situation, and you would like to offer a solution to the situation. ... child will likely have more of an emotional impact than pages dedicated to describing that same condition in writing. Tips for Writing a Persuasive Essay. Choose a topic that you feel passionate about. If ...

  12. Proposal Argument Model

    63 Proposal Argument Model Proposal Method. from Introduction to College Writing at CNM. The proposal method of argument is used when there is a problematic situation, and you would like to offer a solution to the situation. The structure of the proposal method is similar to the other persuasive methods, but there are slight differences.

  13. 9.3: The Argumentative Essay

    In an academic argument, you'll have a lot more constraints you have to consider, and you'll focus much more on logic and reasoning than emotions. Figure 1. When writing an argumentative essay, students must be able to separate emotion based arguments from logic based arguments in order to appeal to an academic audience.

  14. Strong Thesis Statements

    An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

  15. Proposal Essay Examples: Convincing Ideas for Your Research Paper or Essay

    Writing a proposal essay, therefore, is an opportunity to demonstrate your analytical acumen and your capacity to think creatively. ... This research will not only fortify your arguments but also make your essay more credible and authoritative. 3. ... In conclusion, crafting a persuasive proposal essay involves thoughtful planning, in-depth ...

  16. 414 Proposal Essay Topics + Writing Guide & Example

    414 Proposal Essay Topics for Projects, Research, & Proposal Arguments. Writing a proposal essay is an essential skill for students navigating academia and beyond. Whether you are advocating for change, proposing a solution to a problem, or presenting a new idea, your writing should be clear, convincing, and creative.

  17. Resources for Persuasive and Argumentative Essay Writing

    Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century. Resources for Persuasive and Argumentative Essay Writing is a list of 16 apps, games, and websites curated by ...

  18. How to Write a Persuasive Proposal

    5. Use the 'Problem, Agitate, Solution' technique. Also known as PAS, this is a classic copywriting formula and persuasion technique, perfect for writing a convincing proposal. As discussed earlier, it's important that you show the client you understand the problem or challenge they're struggling with.

  19. 4 Tips for Writing a Persuasive Grant Proposal

    Understand who will be reviewing your application and their assessment criteria. Tip #2. Explain your research plan and why this research is important now. Tip #3. Explain the rationale behind your approach and methods. Tip #4. Show that your team has the necessary expertise to succeed. Learn how to write a strong grant proposal for your research.

  20. 113 Perfect Persuasive Essay Topics for Any Assignment

    Argumentative essays show a more balanced view of the issue and discuss both sides. Persuasive essays focus more heavily on the side the author agrees with. They also often include more of the author's opinion than argumentative essays, which tend to use only facts and data to support their argument. All persuasive essays have the following:

  21. 100 Persuasive Essay Topics

    Learning how to write a persuasive essay is an essential skill that people use every day in fields from business to law to media and entertainment. English students can begin writing a persuasive essay at any skill level. You're sure to find a sample topic or two from the list of 100 persuasive essays below, sorted by degree of difficulty.