To help students work on their persuasion and convincing skills, try these persuasive writing prompts.
Persuasive writing tries to persuade or convince someone to take a particular action or think a certain way.
Using these persuasive writing prompts, students will be able to express their beliefs, ideas, points of view, and preferences regarding various subjects.
It’s a great way for teachers to see how students think and what mindsets they hold.
What’s more, these persuasive writing prompts strengthen writing skills and activate critical thinking.
So help students sharpen their writing and thinking skills using these engaging persuasive writing prompts.
Related: sentence starters for opinion writing
Persuasive Writing Prompts
Following you will find a variety of persuasive writing prompts that even reluctant writers enjoy.
1. Everybody should study a second language.
2. Persuade someone to pick you to be on his/her sports team.
3. Basketball is better than football.
4. Convince a friend to attend a sporting event with you.
5. Students should be required to perform community service.
6. Penmanship is important. Do you agree? Why or why not?
7. What’s the best season?
8. Standardized testing should be eliminated for good.
9. There is no value in playing video games.
10. Persuade a friend to come outside and play.
11. Everyone should respect senior citizens.
12. Convince your friends to sign up to be in the talent show.
13. Which vegetables are best for one’s health?
14. Fast food should never be served in school.
15. Write a letter persuading your parents to buy you a new pet.
16. Convince your parents to buy a gift you always wanted.
17. Oatmeal is a better breakfast than cereal.
18. Intangible rewards are better than tangible rewards.
19. An arts and crafts activity should accompany every lesson.
20. Convince your parents to let you stay up past your bedtime on a school night.
21. Persuade the teacher to get a class pet.
22. Children should receive a weekly allowance.
23. Convince the teacher to have show-and-tell every week.
24. Persuade the teacher to play an outdoor game with the class.
25. Zoos are more educational than museums.
26. The class should take a field trip every month.
27. Whole class rewards are better than individual rewards.
28. Persuade your family to have a picnic in the local park.
29. A snack break should be included in every class schedule.
30. Convince the teacher to have extra recess.
31. Some classroom helper jobs are more important than others.
32. Students should be able to sit wherever they want in class.
33. Animal charities are just as important as charities for people.
34. Citizens should donate to their favorite charities annually.
35. Short hair on girls is just as stylish as long hair.
36. Cats make better pets than dogs. Do you agree? Why or why not?
37. Which is best…a waffle cone or a regular cone?
38. The world should have a global currency instead of by country.
39. Dinosaurs really did not exist.
40. Students should be allowed to choose their teachers.
41. Everyone should start a garden.
42. Growing your own food is healthier than buying from a supermarket.
43. Birthday parties should be allowed at school. What do you think?
44. Should the length of lunch break be extended?
45. Cursive writing is still an important skill.
46. It’s best not to have a TV in one’s bedroom.
47. Which is best…your state or another? Why?
48. Occasional boredom is good.
49. We are all unique.
50. What animals make the best pets and why?
51. Borrowing books is better than buying books.
Final Thoughts: Persuasive Writing Prompts
Now you have a resource of persuasive writing prompts to use for various writing activities.
If you found these prompts helpful, you may be interested in mentor texts for teaching persuasive writing.