Persuasive essay outline template

Quick answer

A persuasive essay outline opens with a hook and a clear position, gives three reasons that appeal to logic, credibility and emotion, answers the strongest objection, and ends with a call to action. Fill in one sentence per line, then write from the outline.

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Persuasive Essay Outline
Topic: [The issue]
Audience: [Who you want to persuade and what they already believe]
Goal: [What you want the audience to think or do by the end]
 
I.Introduction
A.Hook: [A striking fact, story, question or quote that makes the issue matter.]
B.Background: [Short context on the issue.]
C.Thesis: [Your position and the action you want.]
II.Reason 1: [Strongest reason, as a full sentence.]
A.Support: [Fact, statistic, expert source or example, with the source.]
B.Appeal: [Logic, emotion or credibility: which one you use here.]
C.Link: [How this reason supports the thesis.]
III.Reason 2: [Second reason, as a full sentence.]
A.Support: [Fact, statistic, expert source or example, with the source.]
B.Appeal: [Logic, emotion or credibility: which one you use here.]
C.Link: [How this reason supports the thesis.]
IV.Reason 3: [Third reason, as a full sentence.]
A.Support: [Fact, statistic, expert source or example, with the source.]
B.Appeal: [Logic, emotion or credibility: which one you use here.]
C.Link: [How this reason supports the thesis.]
V.Answer the Other Side
A.Objection: [What opponents say.]
B.Response: [Why that does not change your position.]
VI.Conclusion
A.Restate the position: [Thesis in new words.]
B.Call to action: [Exactly what you want the reader to do or support.]
C.Final image or thought: [A line that returns to the hook.]
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Before you submit

Starting from a blank document? Set it up yourself

In Microsoft Word

  1. Open a new document and type the issue, your audience and your position.
  2. Use Home, Multilevel List for the numbering.
  3. Add the introduction, three reasons, the section that answers the other side and the conclusion.
  4. Under each reason, add evidence and the kind of appeal it makes.

In Google Docs

  1. Open a new document and type the issue, your audience and your position.
  2. Use Format, Bullets and numbering, Numbered list for the numbering.
  3. Add the introduction, three reasons, the section that answers the other side and the conclusion.
  4. Under each reason, add evidence and the kind of appeal it makes.

Filled-in example

Sample content for illustration. Do not cite.
Filled-in example

a worked outline on a sample persuasive topic. Sample content only.

Download the example
Persuasive Essay Outline: Example
Topic: Protected bike lanes
Audience: City council members
Goal: Vote to fund protected bike lanes on the main downtown routes
 
I.Introduction
A.Hook: Every year, people on bikes are hurt on streets that were designed only for cars.
B.Background: Downtown streets carry more bike traffic than they did five years ago, but there are no protected lanes.
C.Thesis: Our city should fund protected bike lanes on the main downtown routes because they make streets safer, reduce traffic, and bring customers to local businesses.
II.Reason 1: Protected lanes make streets safer for everyone.
A.Support: Crash data from comparable cities before and after protected lanes.
B.Appeal: Logic, with a short story about a local cyclist for emotion.
C.Link: Safety is the first reason in the thesis.
III.Reason 2: Each person on a bike is one less car in traffic.
A.Support: Local counts of bike trips on the main routes.
B.Appeal: Logic, with credibility from city transport data.
C.Link: Less traffic is the second reason in the thesis.
IV.Reason 3: People on bikes shop locally.
A.Support: Studies of spending by customers who arrive by bike.
B.Appeal: Logic, with a quote from a local shop owner for credibility.
C.Link: Business benefit is the third reason in the thesis.
V.Answer the Other Side
A.Objection: Lanes take away parking spaces.
B.Response: Compare the number of customers served per parking space and per bike space.
VI.Conclusion
A.Restate the position: Protected lanes are a practical investment in downtown.
B.Call to action: Vote yes on the transportation budget amendment at the next council meeting.
C.Final image or thought: Picture the same street with a child riding safely to school.
Note: in a real outline, replace each description of evidence with a specific source (author, year, page).
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Ethos, pathos and logos

  • Ethos: appeal to credibility. Use trustworthy sources and show that you are fair and informed.

  • Pathos: appeal to emotion. Use a story, example or vivid detail that makes the reader care.

  • Logos: appeal to logic. Use facts, data and clear reasoning.

A strong persuasive essay uses all three, usually with logos and ethos carrying the main weight.

How to use this template

  1. Download the Word file or choose Copy to Google Docs to get your own editable copy.

  2. Decide who you are persuading and what you want them to do. Write this under Audience and Goal.

  3. Write a thesis that includes a clear position, and where possible the action you want.

  4. List your three strongest reasons, strongest first or last depending on how you want to build the argument.

  5. For each reason, add support from a credible source and note which appeal you are using.

  6. Write the objection you expect and your response to it.

  7. Finish with a specific call to action, not a general wish.

Rules at a glance

Element

Guidance

Thesis

Clear position, ideally with the action you want

Reasons

Three is typical; lead or finish with the strongest

Support

Facts, statistics, expert sources, examples. Cite sources

Appeals

Ethos, pathos and logos, with logic and credible sources doing most of the work

Opposing view

Acknowledge it and answer it

Ending

A specific call to action

Tone

Confident and respectful. Avoid insulting the other side

Common mistakes

  • Relying on emotion alone. Without evidence the essay reads as one-sided.

  • A vague thesis such as “Pollution is bad.” Say what you want done.

  • Ignoring the other side. Answering the strongest objection makes your case more convincing.

  • Overstating the evidence. Claims like “everyone agrees” cost you credibility.

  • No call to action. Tell the reader the next step.

  • Attacking opponents instead of their arguments.

Frequently asked questions

What is a persuasive essay outline?

It is a plan for an essay that tries to convince the reader to agree with a position or take an action. It lists your thesis, reasons, support, a response to opposing views and a closing call to action.

What is the difference between persuasive and argumentative essays?

Both take a position. Argumentative essays rely mainly on evidence and logic and treat opposing views in depth. Persuasive essays add emotional appeal and credibility and usually end by asking the reader to act. See the argumentative outline for the evidence-led version.

How many paragraphs should a persuasive essay have?

A standard version has five: introduction, three reasons and a conclusion. Longer assignments add more reasons or a separate paragraph answering the other side.

What is a good hook for a persuasive essay?

A surprising statistic, a short story, a direct question or a strong quote that connects to your topic. Pick the one your audience will care about most.

What is a call to action?

A specific request to the reader at the end of the essay, such as voting for a policy, changing a habit or supporting a cause. The more concrete it is, the more effective it is.

Should I include a counterargument?

Yes. Naming the strongest objection and answering it shows you have thought about the issue and makes your position more credible.

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Structure follows standard guidance on persuasive writing from university and secondary school writing centers (for example the Purdue OWL). Last reviewed October 2026.

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