Persuasive Techniques

Question 1

What is the purpose of repetition?

Answer 1

To reinforce critical messages, to emphasize a point and to improve understanding.

Question 2

“You must sign my petition to tell the president that this is not okay!” is an example of what persuasive technique?

Answer 2

Call to action.

Question 3

What is another name for hyperbole?

Answer 3

Exaggeration.

Question 4

What is the purpose of statistics in a persuasive essay?

Answer 4

To convince the reader that your position is correct using data and evidence.

Question 5

What is an appeal to authority?

Answer 5

When the author of a persuasive essay references a credible expert in the field that agrees with their position.

Question 6

What is another name for an appeal to authority?

Answer 6

Expert opinion.

Question 7

What is a logical fallacy?

Answer 7

Logical fallacies are errors in reasoning that occur when arguments are presented with little or no evidence to present them (clutching at straws)

Question 8

What are some logical fallacies?

Answer 8

-Strawman
-Bandwagon
-Appeal to Authority (if done wrong)
-False dichotomy/dilemma
-Correlation/Causation
-Texas Sharpshooter

Question 9

What is the strawman fallacy?

Answer 9

When you argue against a point that was not actually made, presenting evidence against something no-one actually claimed.

Question 10

What is the bandwagon fallacy?

Answer 10

When you argue that something is true because many believe it to be true or that something is better because most people practice it.

Question 11

When can Appeal to Authority become fallacious?

Answer 11

When your entire point relies upon the statement of the expert, the expert is not qualified in the area they are claiming about or the statements about the expert are vague and do not actually name an expert.

Question 12

What is the false dichotomy/dilemma fallacy?

Answer 12

When you present an argument as only having two sides, a true and false/right and wrong, when there is really a spectrum of options.

Question 13

What is the correlation/causation fallacy?

Answer 13

When you assume that just because two things happen at the same time that one causes another or influences it in some way without any other evidence.

Question 14

What is the Texas sharpshooter fallacy?

Answer 14

When you go ‘cherry picking’ for evidence, selectively ignoring evidence that disproves your point and misrepresenting the position as a result.

Question 15

What type of words are the following? ‘must, will, cannot, need to’

Answer 15

High-modality words.

Question 16

What persuasive technique uses words like us, we, our?

Answer 16

Inclusive language.

Question 17

What is the name of the persuasive technique that uses repeated letter sounds at the beginning of words?

Answer 17

Alliteration.

Question 18

What is a rhetorical question?

Answer 18

A question that does not require or expect an answer, but is placed in the text to make the reader think or draw attention to something.

Question 19

What is humor used for in persuasive texts?

Answer 19

Humor can be used to establish a connection with your audience and to grab their attention.

Question 20

What is the purpose of hyperbole in persuasive texts?

Answer 20

Hyperbole is memorable to the audience, appeals to emotion, grabs attention and emphasizes key points. Hyperbole can be one of your biggest tools in a persuasive text.

Question 21

Why do we need to know how to recognise logical fallacies?

Answer 21

Knowing how to recognise logical fallacies helps you avoid them in your own work and you can point them out to mrs beecher and piss her off