Persuasive Techniques

Persuasive Language

Learn to recognise and use it

Argumentative versus Persuasive

Both try to convince the audience to agree with them.

In argumentative writing, facts and logic are used to defeat the opposite ideas.

In persuasive writing, strong opinions are used to appeal to the audience's emotions.

Multiple Choice

A persuasive text

• informs readers

• encourages readers to read more

• is always political or religious

• attempts to convince readers to agree with a particular viewpoint

Multiple Choice

What is author's purpose?

• A summary of a story

• Why the author wrote the text

• When and where the story takes place

• How the author feels about a topic

Multiple Choice

Why do people write persuasive texts?

• To convince someone of what they believe or need

• To make people laugh

• To inform people about the world

• To write an interesting story

Multiple Select

Which of the following uses persuasive skills? Choose all that are correct.

• A set of rules

• The trailer of a movie

• A birthday card

• An advertisement

• A political speech

What forms can Persuasive Writing take?

• Letters of complaint, requests, and appeals

• Advertisements

• News and Magazine Articles

• Essays

• Speeches

• Reviews of books and movies

• ...there are many forms!

Persuasive techniques include:

• Rhetorical questions plant ideas in the readers' heads.

• Exaggerations and emotive words engage the reader's feelings.

• First and second person pronouns (I, we, you, etc.) make it personal.

• Persuasive verbs and commands order the reader to take action.

• Opinions of ordinary people and celebrities encourage readers to follow their examples.

• Statistics, graphs, and other evidence appeal to the readers' logic and reasoning.

• Incentives (rewards, special offers, prizes, reduced prices) or threats can be used too.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is most likely a rhetorical questions in persuasive writing?

• Who would like to eat an ice cream now?

• What gift would you like for your birthday?

• Would you like to have a luxury holiday in a game reserve?

• Who is your favourite celebrity?

Multiple Select

Check all the examples of hyperbole in the following sentences.

• The teachers carried millions of boxes of sports equipment onto the sports field.

• The sun is extremely hot and can reach temperatures around 15 million degrees C.

• They walked a very long way and were incredibly tired.

• A Mars Bar a day helps you work, rest and play.

• BMW - the ultimate driving machine.

Emotive Words

Emotive words make most readers feel strong emotions.

For example, in an appeal for donations to an animal rescue society, this sentence is used - The ponies suffer unimaginable pain as they are left to starve.

The emotive words "unimaginable pain" can be used to make the reader feel guilt or sadness.

Multiple Select

Which of these abstract nouns are positive emotive words?

• Freedom

• Pride

• Terror

• Love

• Starvation

Multiple Select

Which of these adjectives are negative emotive words?

• interesting

• tragic

• magical

• wonderful

• appalling

Multiple Select

Which of these verbs are emotive words?

• saved

• fished

• betrayed

• thought

• adored

Multiple Select

Imperative verbs are often used in persuasive writing. These are 'bossy' command verbs. Check all the examples below that contain imperative verbs.

• Do you want the best for your child?

• If you eat Frosty Ice Cream, you will be the happiest person in the world!

• For the freshest fruit straight from the orchard, buy your fruit here.

• Eating cereal daily will give you enough vitamins and minerals.

• Two bicycles for the price of one - get yours while we still have stock.

Facts and Opinions

A fact is a truth that can be proved. An opinion is a personal view telling us what something thinks about something.

Multiple Choice

Decide whether the following statement is a fact or opinion.

January is a hot summer month in South Africa.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

Decide whether the following statement is a fact or opinion.

It is wonderful that an update for my favourite game is being released.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

Decide whether the following statement is a fact or opinion.

According to the recent results of the tests, we can see that most children performed better on coding than on computational thinking.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

Decide whether the following statement is a fact or opinion.

Many scientists suspect that there are aliens living in other places in the universe.

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

9. Facts can be

• proved.

• Explained by opinions.

• found only in books.

• only used on persuasive texts.

To persuade someone of something, you need to make a claim. The claim is what you are trying to persuade. Your claim is an OPINION.

These are examples of claims:

• Cats are better pets than dogs.

• School uniforms should be compulsory.

• 'Harry Potter' is a better book series than 'Lord of the Rings'.

But... you need more than a claim!

• You need evidence to back up your claims.

• If you just present your claims with no evidence, no one will believe you or be convinced.

• You are using evidence (facts) to back up your claim (opinion).

• Evidence can include, statistics, graphs, research findings, experts' opinions, facts and figures, and so on.

• 📢 EXAMPLE OF A CLAIM VS. EVIDENCE:

• 😊 Claim - Cats are better than dogs.

• 😊 Evidence - Cats, on average, are much less expensive to adopt and maintain.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT a claim?

• The Western Cape is the most popular province in South Africa.

• Popcorn is the healthiest snack to eat.

• Freedom Day in South Africa is celebrated on 27 April.

• Purim is the best Chag of the year.

Multiple Choice

18. Which is NOT an example of evidence?

• Cape Town's nickname is the Mother City.

• The Castle of Good Hope used to have a sea view.

• Table Mountain is the most unique mountain in the world.

• The world's first heart transplant took place in Cape Town.

Multiple Choice

Statistics, expert opinion, research findings, and anecdotes are all examples of

• personal views

• evidence

• reasons

• humour

Multiple Choice

Dr. Schultz said, "Diabetic shoes are necessary for healthy feet for diabetic patients." This is an example of

• Statistic

• Opinion

• Quotation

• Anecdote

• Fact

Open Ended

Which part of this sentence is FACT?

Dr. Schultz said, "Diabetic shoes are necessary for healthy feet for diabetic patients."

Open Ended

Which part of this sentence is OPINION?

Dr. Schultz said, "Diabetic shoes are necessary for healthy feet for diabetic patients."

Incentives

Incentives are used to motivate or encourage people to do something. They are often used in advertisements to encourage people to buy the product, but they can be used in other persuasive writing too.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT an incentive?

Multiple Select

Which of the following persuasive statements are incentives? Check all the correct answers.

• Adopt a pet today and your life will change for the better.

• You will not regret improving your fitness level as it will make you healthier.

• It is widely known that snakes are the cleanest pets.

• Limiting screen time for adults as just as important as it is for children.

• If you are dissatisfied in any way with our WiFi installation, we will give you your money back.

Poll

Which of these did you learn the most about today? You can select more than one.

• Facts and opinions

• Figures of speech like rhetorical questions and hyperboles, etc.

• Emotive language

• Claims and evidence

• Incentives