What makes writing persuasive?
The writer aims to influence the reader’s view or action. Start by deciding what the reader should accept, then choose reasons that support that position. Develop those reasons so the reader can follow the logic.
NAPLAN can ask for persuasive or narrative writing. The official persuasive marking guide explains the rubric. Our prompts and paragraph below are original practice material, and the review comments are learning guidance rather than official marking.
Official guidance: NAP: Writing test FAQs
Four original persuasive writing prompts
A repair corner
Should schools provide a place where students can learn to repair everyday items? Write to convince the school community.
Plan before writing
- What would students learn?
- Who would help the activity run safely?
- How would you respond to a concern about time or cost?
Books for the journey
Should local buses and trains have small free book collections for passengers? Explain and support your position.
Plan before writing
- Who could benefit?
- What practical problem would need to be solved?
- Why is your position stronger than the alternative?
One shared lunch
Should each class organise a shared lunch once a term? Write a persuasive response.
Plan before writing
- What is your position?
- How could the activity include everyone?
- What concern about allergies, cost or organisation should you address?
Space to play
Should a town replace some public parking spaces with a small play area? Convince a reader of your view.
Plan before writing
- Which users of the space need to be considered?
- What is your most convincing reason?
- Can you acknowledge a disadvantage while defending your position?
Plan a position, reasons and explanation
There is no need to treat “three reasons” as a universal rule. Two developed reasons can provide better practice than three repeated assertions. Match the task to the learner, and keep the response connected to the prompt.
- Position: state what you want the reader to agree with.
- Reasons: choose distinct points that support that position.
- Development: explain each reason and add a relevant example.
- Objection: for learners ready for it, consider a serious alternative view.
- Conclusion: draw the argument together without introducing a new unsupported claim.
An original persuasive paragraph with commentary
A repair corner: one reason developed
A school repair corner would let students see that a broken object does not always need to be thrown away. Under adult supervision, a learner could mend a loose button or repair a torn book cover. These small jobs turn the idea of reducing waste into something students can actually do. The corner would need simple safety rules, but that is a reason to organise it carefully, not to abandon it.
What reason does the paragraph develop?
Show answer and explanation
A repair corner gives students a practical way to reduce waste.
The opening claim is followed by concrete examples, then a sentence explaining their relevance. The reader can see the link between the activity and the benefit.
How does the writer respond to a possible concern?
Show answer and explanation
The writer acknowledges safety and argues for careful organisation.
The final sentence takes a reasonable objection seriously. It answers the concern without claiming there is no risk or inventing a statistic.
What would the rest of the response need?
Show answer and explanation
An introduction establishing the position, further developed material and a conclusion.
This paragraph is only part of an argument. It is not a complete task response or a template that will fit every prompt.
Use persuasive devices for a purpose
A rhetorical question can direct attention to a problem. Repetition can emphasise a central idea. A comparison can make a consequence concrete. Use these choices when they help this argument, rather than inserting a fixed number of devices.
Avoid presenting made-up research as fact. If the example is hypothetical, signal it with wording such as “For example, a student could…”. Persuasion becomes clearer when the reader can distinguish a supported claim from a possible scenario.
Review the argument before polishing it
Choose one revision that makes the reasoning clearer. A precise explanation usually helps more than replacing familiar words with long words that do not fit the sentence.
- Underline the position. Is it consistent throughout the response?
- Name the main reason in each paragraph. Are the reasons different?
- Find the sentence that explains why each example matters.
- Check whether a counterargument is answered fairly.
- Reread paragraph links, sentence boundaries, spelling and punctuation.
Frequently asked questions
Does persuasive writing always need three arguments?
No fixed number should replace development. Choose distinct reasons and explain them clearly. Use the official marking guide to understand assessment, rather than treating a paragraph count as a scoring rule.
Do learners need facts for these prompts?
They can reason from everyday situations and clearly labelled hypothetical examples. They should avoid inventing statistics or pretending that an imagined study is real evidence.
Can I use the sample paragraph as a complete response?
It is one original paragraph for analysis, not a full response. Use it to notice how a reason, an example and an explanation work together.
Check the official guidance.
Reviewed by TestHero on . Official facts are drawn from the sources below. Examples, prompts and learning suggestions are original TestHero material.
TestHero is an independent practice product. Practice results are not official NAPLAN scores. Check the school and current official guidance for administration details.