Persuasive Techniques Used in Writing

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Persuasive Techniques Used in Writing

• Orhow to get what
  you want!

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What are PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES?

• Persuasive techniques are the strategies authors
  use to make their writing more convincing.
• Persuasive techniques
• Get a readers attention
• Emphasize a point
• Polish the writing

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Why are we learning about Persuasive Techniques
in English class?

• You might be asked to identify one or more of
  them on the STAAR/EOC.
• You will be asked to identify one or more of them
  on the District Benchmark Exam.
• Identifying the techniques can help you judge the
  effectiveness of persuasive essays, editorials,
  and arguments.
• You can use these techniques in your own writing!

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• What is persuasive?
• Mature tone
• Grade-level language
• Passionate voice
• Formal organization
• Consider audience
• Few errors
• Uses no contractions

• What is not persuasive?
• Over reliance on emotions
• Repetition
• Generalizing
• Oversimplifying
• Fallacies in logic

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THE TECHNIQUES
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ANALOGY

• DEFINITION a comparison of similar ideas, often
  used to explain a complex situation by showing
  how it is like a simple one
• EXAMPLE Boot camp is like one long piano lesson
  grueling, but ultimately rewarding.

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CAUSE AND EFFECT

• DEFINITION This technique demonstrates that two
  or more things are connected by stating that one
  causes another.
• EXAMPLE Many studies show that eating 200
  carrots a day causes a person to become smarter.

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OVERSTATEMENT (hyperbole)

• DEFINITION a deliberate exaggeration for
  emphasis or effect
• EXAMPLE With a Herculean effort, straining every
  muscle in her young form, Jane answered the phone.

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REPETITION

• DEFINITION occurs when words are repeated in
  order to make a stronger impact on the reader
• EXAMPLE The people of this city deserve a mayor
  they can trust, a mayor they can respect, a mayor
  they can count on.

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RHETORICAL QUESTION

• DEFINITION a question that prompts the reader to
  think, but which the writer does not answer
  because the answer is usually obvious to the
  reader
• EXAMPLE Who among us has not dreamed of the day
  when we can soar among the clouds using only the
  power of our minds?

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SENTENCE VARIETY

• DEFINITION occurs when the length and structure
  of sentences is varied in order to make certain
  statements stand out more
• EXAMPLE In high schools all over the country,
  students are being fed lunches that are neither
  tasty nor nutritious. This MUST stop!

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UNDERSTATEMENT

• DEFINITION the deliberate expression of an ideas
  as less important than it actually is
• EXAMPLE One passenger described the plane crash
  as rather upsetting.

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APPEAL TO REASON (a.k.a. rational appeal)

• DEFINITION This is persuasive writing that
  appeals to the part of humans that likes to
  think. It tries to persuade us by giving what
  appear to be good, solid reasons to share the
  authors point of view. It uses facts,
  definitions, cause and effect, etc.
• EXAMPLE Many studies show that the most
  successful way for a student to improve his
  reading level is to READ!

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EMOTIONAL APPEAL

• DEFINITION This is when the writer appeals to
  powerful emotions, such as our love of country,
  family, peace, and justice, as well as to our
  fear and hatred of the things that threaten us.
• EXAMPLE Students, if you truly care about your
  grades and your futures, you will strive to earn
  higher grade point averages.

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APPEAL TO AUTHORITY

• DEFINITION This is when writers rely on their
  authority, credibility, or general character
  They may have education or personal experience
  that makes them an authority, or they may get
  their information from others who do, mentioning
  experts as sources to lend credibility.
• EXAMPLE The sophomore English teachers know from
  experience that the most successful students are
  those who come to school every day, pay attention
  in class, and complete all class assignments.

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Now you try!

• Write down the 10 persuasive techniques on your
  whiteboard.
• Make a box next to each technique.
• Read the examples on the following slides.
• Make a check in the box that identifies the
  technique used for each example.

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Name that technique!

• Studies show that watching the History Channel
  will positively impact a students grade in World
  Studies.

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Cause and Effect!

• Why? What are your clues?
• You have a cause Watching the History Channel.
• You have an effect Positive impact on grades.

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Can you figure out this one?

• Havent you ever wanted to just kick back, relax,
  and watch some really bad TV?

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Rhetorical Question!

• What was your context clue?
• The question mark?
• No real answer expected!

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How about this one?

• We can learn from TV in the morning we can learn
  from TV in the afternoon we learn from TV in the
  evening.

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Repetition!

• Why?
• Repeated words!

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Heres another one!

• Watching too much TV will fry every cell in your
  brain.

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Overstatement! (hyperbole)

• What were your context clues?
• Watching TV cant literally fry your brain.
• This is an exaggeration!

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This one?

• Watching TV all the time is like becoming a
  vegetable, namely a potato.

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Analogy!

• What was your clue?
• The word like is often used in analogies!

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And this one?

• Americans view too much television 50 watch at
  least three hours every day.

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Appeal to Reason!

• Your clue?
• The numbers and !

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Whats this one?

• Watching your very favorite TV show with all of
  your friends can be mildly entertaining.

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Understatement!

• The clue?
• The word mildly is the biggest clue in this
  statement.

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And this one?

• Many parents use childrens TV as a babysitter,
  or worse, as a substitute mother or father.
  Instead of reading to their children, they plop
  them in front of the television. If we want to
  raise childrens reading levels, the TV must be
  turned off. Parents, dont abdicate your job!

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Sentence Variety!

• What was your tip-off?
• Three long sentences.
• One short sentence.

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How about this one?

• Every elementary school principal in the state of
  Texas agrees that watching too much television is
  detrimental to their students.

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Appeal to Authority!

• How did you know?
• The principal! (Hes an authority!)

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Whats this technique?

• Parents, if you truly love your children and care
  about their futures, you will turn off the TV and
  take them for a walk.

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Emotional Appeal!

• Your clues?
• Love.
• Care.

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One more

• Completing your homework will be the most fun you
  have had this entire year in English II!
• What persuasive technique have I just used?
• You are correct!
• It is OVERSTATEMENT!!

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COMMON FALLACIES

• Straw Man When a writer ignores a persons real
  position instead substitutes a distorted or
  exaggerated position as if it were real.
• Appeal to Tradition When it is assumed that
  something is better or more correct simply
  because it is older, it is the tradition, or it
  has always been done this way.

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COMMON FALLACIES

• Red Herring when the persuader diverts the
  attention of the reader or listener by changing
  the subject to a completely different issue.
• Hasty Generalization when a person comes to a
  conclusion even though there is not enough
  evidence to prove it. This mainly occurs when
  writers are lazy or sloppy.

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COMMON FALLACIES

• Ad Hominem when a person uses abusive remarks
  instead of evidence to prove a point. The attack
  is against the person making the claim instead of
  against the claim itself.
• Avoid using fallacies as they are not logical and
  do not support the persuasive nature of your
  essay!

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PERSUASIVE ESSAY FORMAT

• P1 Introduction-Thesis statement must be
  included with 2 reasons for stance on issue.
• P2 Reason 1 with evidence and examples
• P3 Reason 2 with evidence and examples
• P4 Counter-arguments, refutation of
  counter-arguments, convince reader your position
  is better
• P5 Conclusion-Offer a solution to the problem,
  wrap up arguments, restate thesis answers so
  what.