1. Persuasive Writing
TOPIC: FOOTBALL AT THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL LEVEL
GOAL: STUDENTS SHOULD
DEFINITELY NOT PLAY FOOTBALL
AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
THREE REASONS:
1. FOOTBALL IS TOO PHYSICAL OF
A SPORT, AND ADOLESCENTS
NEED TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE
NONVIOLENT SPORTS AND/OR
WAYS OF RELEASING THEIR

2. ENERGY.
2. FOOTBALL IS A DEMANDING
SPORT, AS IT TAKES A LOT OF
TIME TO PRACTICE, WHICH
TAKES AWAY FROM A CHILD’S
EDUCATION.
3. FOOTBALL IS TYPICALLY ONLY
PLAYED BY BOYS, WHICH
PERPETUATES THE
STEREOTYPE THAT MALE
SPORTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT
THAN FEMALE SPORTS.
THESIS STATEMENT:
ALWAYS LOCATED IN THE

3. INTRODUCTORY
PARAGRAPH
USUALLY IS THE LAST
SENTENCE IN THE
PARAGRAPH
 USUALLY INTRODUCES
YOUR THREE MAIN
REASONS IN ORDER
USUALLY IS ONLY ONE
SENTENCE
ALWAYS CONTAINS THE
GOAL OF YOUR ESSAY
SHOULD CONTAIN
PERSUASIVE LANGUAGE
AND STRONG VERBS

4. SHOULD BE IN ACTIVE
VOICE
THESIS STATEMENT: School
administrators should eliminate
football at the middle school level
because this sport is too violent,
time-consuming, and discriminatory
for adolescents.
HOOKS:

5. RHETORICAL QUESTION:
WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT
TO PRACTICE SUCH A VIOLENT
SPORT?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS
LIKE TO BE HIT EVERY DAY
AFTER A LONG DAY OF SCHOOL?

6. IMAGERY:
A 200-POUND DEFENSIVE
LINEMAN COMES RUSHING AT
YOU AT FULL FORCE, AND AS
YOU TREMBLE IN FEAR, YOU
FEEL THE SENSATION OF BEING
RUN OVER BY A TRUCK.
AS YOU FEEL THE FORCE OF A
275-POUND PREPUBESCENT
BEHEMOTH, THE FOOTBALL
FLIES OUT OF YOUR SCRAWNY
HANDS, BLOOD COVERING THE
FOOTBALL, AND ALL YOU SEE IS
A DARK ABYSS.

7. STATISTIC:
ONE OUT OF EVERY FIVE
ADOLESCENTS WHO PLAYED
FOOTBALL GROWS UP TO BE A
MORE VIOLENT PERSON.
QUOTATION:
“I EXPECT MY STUDENTS TO PUT
FORTH ALL THEIR ENERGY INTO
FOOTBALL FIVE DAYS A WEEK,”
SAYS BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
MIDDLE SCHOOL FOOTBALL
COACH. STUDENTS SHOULD BE
FOCUSING ON THEIR

8. SCHOOLWORK FIVE DAYS A
WEEK, NOT FOOTBALL.
A 200-pound defensive lineman rushes at
you at full force, and as you tremble in fear,
you feel the sensation of being run over by a
truck. Does this sound like a typical day for
Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady? In
actuality, middle school football players
endure this type of suffering every year on
the field. School is a place for education,
not bloodthirsty sports. School
administrators should eliminate football at
the middle school level because this sport is
too violent, time-consuming, and

9. discriminatory for adolescents.