Argumentative and persuasive essays are both written with the intent of convincing the reader of a particular point or opinion. However, there are some important distinctions between the two styles of writing. Argumentative essays rely heavily on research and fact-based evidence to support the claims made by the author. The argument must be well-structured and logically presented. Persuasive essays, on the other hand, are more subjective and rely on the author's personal opinion to make a case. The persuasion is often accomplished by using an emotional appeal to sway the reader's opinion.
Argumentative essays are typically used when discussing complex topics such as politics or social issues. The goal of an argumentative essay is to make a claim or argument and then provide evidence to support it. A successful argumentative essay must contain sufficient evidence to support its claims and be logically consistent. The evidence should come from reliable sources such as peer-reviewed journal articles, academic websites, and books.
Persuasive essays are typically used to convince readers to take a particular course of action or to change their opinion on a certain topic. The author must use persuasive techniques such as ethos, pathos, and logos to make their case. Ethos is an appeal to authority, pathos is an appeal to emotion, and logos is an appeal to logic. It is important for the author to be aware of the audience they are writing for in order to use the most effective persuasive techniques.
Both argumentative and persuasive writing styles have their place in academic writing, but they should not be used interchangeably. It is important to understand the differences between them in order to make informed choices when writing an essay. Each style has its own purpose and can be used effectively when used correctly.