9.7.4: A Sample Expository and Persuasive Essay
Throughout this English course, you will write a variety of essays or literary tasks. The sample essay that follows gives you an idea of what an expository or persuasive essay is. You can see how it is broken up into paragraphs and also has an introduction and conclusion. Please note that your own essays might have several more paragraphs and you will not be required to stick to the five paragraph essay.
Example Essay
This example of a persuasive essay might help you when trying to write an essay of your own.
Animal Testing in the Cosmetic Industry
Introduction
Recent pictures in the news of caged animals with metal prongs holding their eyes open to test for chemicals have burned themselves into our memories. These painful tests have been supported by the cosmetic industry in the name of science for the past 40 years. The main question in 2009 is whether or not animals testing is still necessary?
While most animal rights activists will say absolutely not, many scientists who are constantly searching for chemicals in product that cause cancers in humans still say yes. My main questions are what alternatives are there to this testing and what can be done?
Body
(Paragraph 1)
First, while some scientists say that deodorants or talcum powder cause breast or ovarian cancer, others say that more research has to be done (1), (2). Second, no matter how you look at it, we as consumers are being caught in the middle. Most of us use cosmetics in one form or other and we still need to feel safe. But is it right to inflict so much pain on innocent animals? Those poor animals should not need to suffer and die just to protect humans from harm and discomfort. What we must focus on, then, are the alternatives to animal testing.
(Paragraph 2)
What are the alternatives? The alternatives to animal testing that seem most logical would be those which replace animals in specific tests, therefore reducing the number of animals used. Another alternative is to make the tests better to lessen the animals’ suffering (3). A third alternative is to use human tissue or human skin cells and avoid using animals altogether. Hopefully, these alternatives will mark a new trend in the decline of animal testing in the future.
(Paragraph 3)
What can be done? Personally, I feel that violent methods used by extreme animal rights groups is not the answer. Burning down laboratories where caged animals are tested on or where humans lose their lives are only short term and inhuman. Setting animals free may cause them even more pain and suffering. Wouldn’t it be better to find ways where we as consumers can make a difference by refusing to buy animal tested products? In my opinion this would directly affect the cosmetic industry and force them to take action. Proof that some large scale action can be effective was when the EU issued the EU Cosmetic Directive, which on March 11, 2009, banned both animal testing and the marketing of animal tested products (4).
Conclusion
In conclusion, based on the new alternatives that test for harmful chemicals and the new initiatives made by the EU to ban the buying and selling of animal tested cosmetics, we can only hope that it will no longer be necessary to use animals in testing at all. As for us consumers, it is up to us to check that the products we use have not been tested on animals. Not only will we feel safe, but we will no longer have to feel guilty for making animals suffer when we buy cosmetic products.
Works Cited
Europa: Activities of the European Union – Summaries of Legislation. “Cosmetic Products: Composition, Labelling, Animal Testing.” Retreived from europa.eu/scadplus/leg/en/lvb/l21191.htm.
National Cancer Institute. Fact Sheet: “Antiperspirants/Deodorants and Breast Cancer.” Retrieved from www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/risk/ap-deo.
Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. 2004. Retrieved from www.ovariancancer.org/index.cfm.
The Humane Society of the United States. “Animal Testing: The Beginning of the End?” Retrieved from www.humanesociety.org/search.jsp.
Contributors and Attributions
CC LICENSED CONTENT, SHARED PREVIOUSLY:
- Adapted from Writing for Success . Provided by: The Saylor Foundation. License: CC-NC-SA 3.0 .
This page most recently updated on June 6, 2020.