LANGUAGE DEVICES for Persuasive Writing

LANGUAGE DEVICES for Persuasive Writing

Wilhelmina C. Estrada

ADVOCACY

-generally involves speaking or acting with the intention of affecting or changing specific policies, systems or ideas. This change can occur in an array of settings: governmental, health, social, economic, and legal, among others.

CAMPAIGN

-are actions, events and activities to achieve a change and to raise awareness on a specific issue working more widely across organised groups or people.

1. EMOTIVE LANGUAGE

• use of words that evoke emotions and make people feel a certain way

• the writer can sound more convincing

• commonly used technique when writing headlines in newspapers or delivering speeches

Non-emotive version:

• Another person in the bar was injured by the man's glass.

1. Emotive Version:

An innocent bystander suffered facial injuries when the thug launched his glass across the bar.

2. MODAL VERBS

• words that express modality or how likely something is going to happen helps adjust the level of certainty of events to suit argument

• A moderate 'low modality' statement of opinion allows for a more tentative conclusion to be drawn

• In comparison, a 'high modality' opinion can appeal to the emotions and so can be perceived as persuasive and subjective

Examples:

• High modality: "Age can never be irrelevant."

• Low Modality: "It appears that age us rarely an irrelevant factor."

• "Patients do benefit." (Yes)

• "Patients do not benefit." (No)

• "Patients may benefit." (Low certainty)

• "Patients always benefit." (High certainty)

3. Involving the Reader

• the use of personal pronouns like YOU, YOUR, WE, OUR and INDICATIVE WORDS like TOGETHER

• establishes a connection between the author and the reader

• The use of personal pronouns can draw the readers into the material that you are writing and make them feel more involved immediately.

4. Rhetorical Questions

• questions that are not supposed to be answered

• asked for effect, to illustrate a point or let the reader think

• questions that sometimes state the obvious which can convince the reader to agree with the points being presented

Examples:

• Do you really think...

• Is it really worth...

• Do you want to be part of...

• What would happen if...

• How could you possibly...

5. Using Evidence

• this involves the use of facts, figures, or quotes from experts to highlight the writer's authority and make the arguments presented more convincing

6. Repetition

• "Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought." - Napoleon Hill

• This technique involves repeating key words, phrases, or ideas to appeal to the readers.

• Politicians often repeat words and phrases, which is a highly effective way to increase the odds listeners believe what they're saying.

7. Adjectives and Adverbs

• Using carefully selected adjectives and adverbs makes it possible for the writer to influence how the readers feel.

8. Association

• This technique tries to link an object or an idea with something already liked or desired by the target audience such as wealth, success, pleasure, and security.

9. Bandwagon

• Commonly used in advertisements, this persuasion technique makes the audience believe the idea that "everyone is doing it!" or that everyone likes something.

• Bandwagon works on the human psychology of wanting to belong.

Ad writers recognize that the majority opinion approach exerts social pressure and use the appeal by writing persuasive statements like:

• "Join the thousands who have chosen to switch to the better network."

10. Experts

• This means relying on expert advices from trusted people like doctors, scientists and other professionals for things that the audience do not know.

• The idea that these experts are risking their credibility to support an object or idea makes the persuasion more effective.