Concentration

Introduction

In a persuasive letter, you state your opinion or your feelings about something
that is important to you. Your letter needs to have facts, reasons and examples to
support your opinion. In a really good persuasive letter, you must try to imagine what
arguments the person receiving the letter might bring AGAINST your point of view.
Your letter will offer solutions for these arguments. In the letter, you also make a request
and you ask the reader to act on it. We are sure that what we have put on this page can
facilitate the importance and solve problems related with this activity.
If some words or phrases are too tough for you, you can always check the dictionary .

Four steps to writing your letter

1- TO START:

A- List the ideas or opinions you want to get across.

1.Underneath each idea, give at least one reason or example.
2.If you have more than one idea or opinion, number each in the order you want to
present them in the letter.

B- List the arguments against your idea or opinion.

3.Underneath each argument, list at least one solution.
4.If you have more than one argument, number them in the order you want to present
them in your letter.

2- WRITE YOUR LETTER:

Make sure it includes ALL parts of the Business Letter.

3- PROOFREAD:

A- Read carefully what you wrote:

1.Did you back up your ideas with a fact, reason or example.
2.Did you find arguments against your idea and did you offer interesting solutions?
3.Did you separate your ideas into paragraphs?

B- Check your sentences::

Is each sentence complete with just one main idea? Does it make sense when you read
it all by itself.

C- Check your spelling

Use a spell checker if you have one but remember it only catches misspelled words, not
wrong words that are spelled right (like there and their).

D- Have someone you have confidence in read your letter.

Remember that you are writing to a person in a position to accept or to reject your
arguments. He or she must feel that you are serious about them.

4- WRITE THE ENVELOPE AND MAIL IT

Samples

12 James Ave.
Sutton ON
R2K 3S9
September 23, 1996

Mr. Richard Billings
Sutton School Board
365 Palmer St.
Sutton, ON
R2K 3S9

Dear Mr. Billings

On behalf of the Sutton Basketball Association, we would like to ask you to
allow us to use the gymnasium on Thursday nights from 7 to 9. When we
approached Mr. Harvey, the principal of Sutton School, he said that it was not
the policy of the school board to open up the school in the evenings.

We are asking you to change the policy so that the youth in our town can have a
place to use for organized activities. The evening janitor is there until ten o'clock
and should be able to let us in and lockup after we leave. There will also be at
least 4 adults to supervise our activity. In discussion with the players, all said
they are willing to pay a dollar a night to use the facilities this covering any extra
cost that might occur.

Our school is a public building paid for with taxes from the community. We feel
it should be open to community groups. I hope you will seriously consider our
request and get back to us as soon as possible.

Yours truly,

Sam Allen
Sutton Basketball Association

234 Person Ave.
Knowlton, QC
J0E 1V0
April 16, 1996

Mr. Thomas Bently
Principal, Oak School
134 Maple St
Knowlton QC
J0E 1V0

Dear Mr. Bently:

I am writing to you on behalf of the students in grades five and six. We have
noticed that the basketball nets and backboards on the court at the back of the
school need repair. We would like the school to repair them so the basketball
courts could be used.

To begin with, a survey of the children in grades five and six showed that
seventy-five percent of them like to play basketball before school, at lunch hour
and after school. Being able to play basketball in a relaxed, non-competitive way
is a great way to make friends and builds confidence. When we are playing
basketball on the court, it leaves more space in the other playground areas for
other children. Finally, we would be willing to contribute twenty-five dollars
from our citrus fruit sales to help pay for the repairs.

We know that the sports money for this school year has already been spent.
However, we feel that fixing the basketball nets and backboards would benefit
many children. We hope the school can help us. Thank you for considering our
request.

Yours truly,

Brent Smith