Persuasive Techniques

Appeals to Reason and Logic

• Predicting undesirable effects or logical consequences.

• Emotional appeals to persuade the audience.

• Using anecdotes to illustrate a point.

• Relying on expert opinions without evidence.

Appeal to Patriotism

• Referring to national customs or questioning the loyalty of opponents.

• Promoting international cooperation and understanding.

• Encouraging criticism of government policies.

• Advocating for global citizenship.

Appeal to Authority

• Using expert evidence to support an argument.

• Citing personal experiences as evidence.

• Relying on popular opinion to justify a claim.

• Ignoring opposing viewpoints in a discussion.

Inclusive Language

• The use of pronouns such as 'we' or terms like 'our people'.

• The use of complex vocabulary to impress the reader.

• The use of jargon specific to a profession or field.

• The use of formal language to maintain distance.

Humour

• Use of puns, irony, satire, sarcasm, etc. Example: 'George Dubbya Bush and his weapons of mass distraction.' Purpose: Denigrates the subject of the joke and provides an engaging tone.

• A form of serious literature that explores deep philosophical questions.

• A technique used in scientific writing to present data objectively.

• A style of writing that focuses on emotional expression and personal experiences.

Appeal to the 'hip pocket' $$

• Suggesting that a change/policy will cost individuals or the community.

• A strategy to appeal to emotional sentiments rather than financial concerns.

• A method to increase public awareness about financial literacy.

• An approach to promote government subsidies for essential services.

Repetition

• Repeating arguments, images, expert evidence, appeals, emotive language, big statements. Example: 'The soil erosion problem has been neglected for 200 years.' Purpose: Emphasises key parts of the arguments and helps readers remember them.

• Using complex vocabulary to confuse the audience.

• Presenting only one side of an argument without evidence.

• Ignoring counterarguments to strengthen one's position.

Rhetorical Questions

• Using a question to which there is only one answer, or to which no answer is needed.

• A question that requires a detailed response.

• A question that is asked to gather information.

• A question that is used to confuse the audience.

Emotive Language

• Using words that evoke deep feelings in the reader.

• A type of language that is purely factual and objective.

• Language that is used to confuse the reader.

• A style of writing that avoids emotional appeal.

Pictorial Support (Images)

• Images are used solely for decoration in articles.

• Images provide a quick factual reference and aid understanding.

• Images are only relevant in scientific texts.

• Images are not effective in provoking emotional responses.