Know your audience well. Or better yet, know the opposing argument(s) well. A knowledge of both …show more content…
One way to do this is to outline your main points and compare it with the main points that you anticipate your audience, reader, or instructor to have. Remove opposing ideas from the list until you arrive at the meeting points between the two. But if you can't find common grounds among the main points you have listed...
Try to make an extended list of all the possible premises. The list should include the minor or sub-premises and its more minor points. For example, the major premise "poetry is an art" should further be divided into smaller premises or supporting ideas such as "poetry is an art because it requires mastery of words" or "poetry is an art because it requires the poet to go beyond immediate sensory experience" and other related supporting ideas.
Now that you know the proposition that you and your audience or reader share, use that shared belief to start you essay. That way, you'll be able to attract the attention of your audience without having to argue while introducing the topic. Be sure to use words that you know your audience can easily relate to and absorb. The task is to come into terms with your audience first and