One effective method for conveying one’s thoughts and ideas is through writing. As Leki and Carson (1994) emphasize: \"ability to write well is necessary both to achieve academic success and to demonstrate that achievement\" (p. 83). Many scholars believe that cultural backgrounds play a vital role in how an individual writes. With the growing number of Iranian students studying overseas, it is necessary to see whether the Persian rhetorical culture does in fact influence students\' English writing. In this study, the researcher aims to investigate the style differences between English and Persian writing and to determine whether participating Iranian EFL students transfer Persian writing cultural norms to their English argumentative writings. Also, both students’ and teachers’ perspectives on the most problematic areas of English writing was studied. The presence of myside bias was also considered in the essays. Data for the study was collected through two argumentative essays (Persian and English). The results were triangulated through the use of a questionnaire and interview. The findings support the contrastive rhetoric theory in that the students’ L1 does influence the way they write in L2.

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