Ever since I released the book Advanced Writing Skills, I have been planning to produce some companion exercises to go with it. These would be writing prompts with model example answers provided. Now, I’ve finally produced some of these, which I intend to release as a series of posts, to later be compiled into a collected exercise book.

I’m starting this today with a letter writing exercise, where your task is to persuade a local council towards action. This has a specific scenario, to highlight a need for library funding, but the general structure could be applied to almost any persuasion scenario: the intention is to highlight the current situation and its problems, and suggest the benefits of improvements, which can be either specific or general.

I’ve provided a model answer which you can use for inspiration, or to compare to when you complete the task, but note this could be completed in a large number of ways, and the more you can personalise it and be creative with the details the better! Feel free to share your own attempts in the comments.

Writing Exercise: Letter of Persuasion

Write a letter to your council encouraging them to invest in the local library. Aim for 250+ words.

Suggested Content:

• Introduction: Briefly state who you are and why you are writing
• Point 1: What is wrong with the current situation? (e.g. library has no funding, needs repairs, lacks books, needs more staff, is not open enough, is not accessible)
• Point 2: What are the specific benefits of more funding? (e.g. improved building for accessibility/comfort, improved catalogue to suit more people, improved work conditions to help library function better)
• Point 3: What are the broader benefits of more funding? (e.g. library serves education of general population, particularly poorer people, library provides a community hub, raises prestige of local area)
• Conclusion: Briefly summarise main points and provide a Call to Action

Tips:

• Try to be formal and polite, and generally avoid overly emotional language, but do not be afraid to add a few strong adjectives or adverbs to enforce your opinion and point.
• Be as specific as you can; names and details add authenticity.
• Consider your own personal experiences to come up with details. What would bother you in an underfunded local service? What benefits would convince you to improve it?
• As a piece of persuasive writing, it will be useful to expand on your points with language that engages a personal connection, for example referring to how you feel about issues, or how you expect the reader might feel about them.

Model Answer

To whom it may concern,

My name is Vivian Hammersmith and I am a resident of the Bridgeford district in Newtown. I’m writing to you because I have concerns about the current state of our local library which is terribly underfunded.

The library on the Newtown High Street is small, poorly heated and uncomfortable. It has been neglected for some time, as you can see from the old chairs and its narrow selection of books. It is also only open three days a week because there are no full-time members of staff.

With increased funding, I am sure it would not be difficult to update the building; even a new coat of paint would brighten it up and make it more inviting. At the same time, investing in more staff would make the library a more reliable location people could go to for general assistance, while an updated selection of books is necessary to ensure the material available is the most useful it can be.

All of this would combine to create a real community hub, as a library is supposed to be. It should be a place that serves the local area with friendly, accessible and up-to-date knowledge. This public service should offer universal access to education and culture, regardless of income, giving our local population every opportunity towards self-improvement. This can also surely help raise the profile of Newtown, as a town that cares for its local amenities.

As it stands, the library is a resource that is underused and just waiting for someone to take better charge of it. I trust that you can appreciate the case for increased investment, as it is not just the library that will benefit, but the entire town. Please bring this up as a topic for discussion at your next council meeting, and do let me know what you intend to do.

Yours faithfully,

Vivian Hammersmith

That’s a wrap! My version is quite elaborate, using advanced language, so do not feel it has to be as developed as this, but I hope it gives some ideas for ways to expand on the topic.

As I said, feel free to share your own attempts or any questions you have below.

If you found this exercise useful, check out my book, Advanced Writing Skills for Students of English, for more advice on writing in use.