Persuasive Writing Convincing others of a stated opinion or belief Example: An article arguing in favor of raising the minimum wage

Thesis/Claim The thesis or claim of a persuasive writing or speech is the main focus of the argument Example: Anna Quindlen’s “Stuff is Not Salvation” makes the claim that Americans are addicted to buying things they do not need.

Counterargument A counterargument recognizes the opponent’s position and refutes it Example: Anna Quindlen in “Stuff is Not Salvation” acknowledges there are real needs people must spend money on, but they are things like tuition, medication, food, and rent.

Logical Appeals (Logos) A technique used in persuasive writing or speaking Attempts to reach the “mind” of the audience Supported by evidence such as facts, statistics, quotations, and examples

Emotional Appeals (Pathos) A technique used in persuasive writing or speaking Attempts to reach the “heart” of the audience and create an emotional response Writers or speakers may use loaded language, imagery etc…

Ethical Appeals (Ethos) A technique used in persuasion that taps into people’s morals and values. It appeals to their sense of doing what is “right.” Often focuses on the speaker/author’s credibility

Repetition Using the same words/phrases more than once for effect Example: Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” Speech uses the phrase “I have a dream” throughout the speech.

Parallelism Words, phrases, clauses, and sentences with a similar structure Example: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Rhetorical Questions A technique used in persuasive writing or speaking Questions asked purely for effect that are not meant to be answered . Everyday Example: “Have you lost your mind?”

Loaded Language uses words with strongly positive or negative connotations to stir people’s emotions Example: For the safety of our innocent children, we must protect our community from rampant crime.

Logical Fallacies Errors in reasoning that make an argument invalid; trying to persuade others using untrue statements Circular reasoning False cause and effect Hasty generalizations Personal attacks

Logical Fallacies Circular Reasoning: Making statements that seem like reasons, but are really just restating the author/speaker’s opinion False Cause and Effect: Stating that one event caused another when the two events are unrelated

Logical Fallacies Hasty Generalizations: Presenting broad statements as facts when they are actually based on only one or two cases or situations. Personal Attacks: Focusing on an opponent’s character or judgement rather than the issue at hand.

Analogy A comparison used to explain something complex or unfamiliar by relating it to something familiar Very similar to a metaphor, but usually longer and addresses a more complex idea