Persuasion
What is persuasion?
Under what circumstances might a person need to employ persuasive techniques?
What text types tend to be used to persuade?
What makes a text persuasive?
Language (words) Structure (organisation & order of ideas) Form (techniques)
Language (words) Structure (organisation & order of ideas) Form (techniques)
What techniques and word types do you already know that can be used to persuade another person or group?
Rhetoric 101 The art of eloquently convincing an audience of your opinion or viewpoint
Formality & flattery Adopt a formal and flattering tone – but don’t be effusive or sycophantic!
Personal pronouns Personalise the delivery by using ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘your’
Appeal to the head Logic, common sense
Appeal to the heart Fear, guilt, empathy, altruism
Hard evidence Facts, statistics, research & surveys,
Soft evidence Expert opinion, anecdotes & examples
Incentives Rewards, offers, accentuate the positives
Humour A wry sense of humour whilst not seeming flippant about serious issues can win over an audience
The law of contrast All things are relative!
Hyperbole Credible exaggeration for effect
Emotive language Don’t shy away from strongly expressed opinion and dramatic vocabulary “Swearing is a vile habit” changes if we say “Swearing is a bad habit.” “House prices fall throughout country” is different than “Real Estate prices plummet throughout the country.”
Rule of 3 It’s simple, repeatable and very effective!
Poetic devices Alliteration, simile & metaphor to paint word pictures and create musicality
Rhetorical questions Can you think of a good reason why you wouldn’t include them in your writing?
Imperatives As you gain confidence that you have hooked your audience, don’t be afraid to use commands to drive home your point
Rhetoric revisited Formality & flattery Personal pronouns Appeal to the head Appeal to the heart Hard evidence Soft evidence Incentives Humour The law of contrast Hyperbole Emotive language The rule of 3 Poetic devices Rhetorical questions Imperatives
How to structure a persuasive text
Language (words) Structure (organisation & order of ideas) Form (techniques)
What kind of structure do you think is most likely to make your text memorable and persuasive?
A hard-hitting opening line
The first paragraph should offer an overview of your stance or opinion that you will be putting forward for consideration
The main body of your writing will be divided into clear paragraphs – each will present a new point or idea that supports your overarching premise
The body of your writing should also acknowledge that there is a counter-argument, but must rebut those arguments as being flawed or faulty.
Make full use of the rhetorical techniques you are now familiar with in each of your paragraphs to ensure that the CONTENT and STRUCTURE complement one another
Your final paragraph should summarise your stance and reinforce the strength of the ideas you have presented
The last line should be memorable, punchy and an ‘applause cue’