Persuasive Writing Unit

Question 1

Persuasive devices

Answer 1

• Writers and speakers use a number of common persuasive devices to persuade their reader or audience.
• To make informed decisions about who and what to believe, you must be aware of how language is used in different ways to persuade.

Question 2

Emotive language

Answer 2

• Emotive language is language designed to manipulate the audience or readers emotions.
• If the writer can encourage the reader to feel sympathy for a person or an issue, then the reader is more inclined to agree with the writer or with someone who wants to help them. Conversely, if readers are made to feel angry towards a person or a group, they will be less inclined to agree with them.

Question 3

Evidence

Answer 3

• Evidence is a common persuasive device.
• Some types of evidence include statistics, expert evidence, and anecdotal evidence.
• An anecdote is a short telling of a true past experience to illustrate a point.
• Evidence can be used to encourage a reader to logically agree with an argument, or manipulate their emotions.

Question 4

Imagery and Metaphor

Answer 4

• Creators of persuasive texts can use imagery - both literal and non literal (metaphorical) - to create a visual image in the audiences’ mind. For example, an editorial about a politician whose performance has been poor might say: ‘In case, the Opposition leader has sunk to new depths’. The politician hasn’t actually sunk, but the metaphor creates an image of sinking to a low action.

Question 5

Rhetorical questions

Answer 5

• A rhetorical question does not require an answer: It is a question to which the reader or listener intuitively knows the answer, and an answer is not required because it is self-evident or obvious. For example, when we read ‘Do we really want more people homeless on our streets?”, we know that the implied answer is ‘No, we don’t’.
• The question encourages the audience to consider the issue and accept the writers arguments.

Question 6

Repetition

Answer 6

• Repetition is repeating words, phrases, or images to create a particular effect.
• It can be used for emphasis, to highlight a central idea or to reinforce an important point.
• It helps persuade the audience.
• Repetition is particularly useful in persuasive speeches, it can create a rhythmic effect, for example in Martin Luther King’s famous 1963 ‘I have a dream’ speech.

Question 7

Vocabulary choice, connotation, and tone

Answer 7

• One way that writers manipulate readers’ emotions is through the words they choose to describe things or people. They carefully select words with negative or positive associations or connotations.
• A word’s connotation is the meaning implied by a word in addition to its literal meaning. For example, the word slim has positive connotations, whereas the word gaunt has negative connotations.
• The tone of a persuasive text is also created through the writers choice of language, and tone can work to persuade a reader or audience. The tone of a piece of writing is the way that it ‘sounds’. Tone helps to show the writers attitude and feelings about the subject and the readers.

Question 8

Text type - Cartoon

Answer 8

• Visual
• Contention can be very critical
• Can use small amounts of text
• Cartoonist dosen’t always choose to use color

Question 9

Text Type - Editorial

Answer 9

• Name of author is not provided (an editorial is written on behalf of a newspaper)
• Name of newspaper can appear in the piece (usually accompanied with praise)
• Usually in response to a very controversial or public event/incident

Question 10

Text Type - Opinion piece

Answer 10

• Name of author is provided under the title
• Contention and arguments are given

Question 11

Text Type - Letter to the editor

Answer 11

• Name of writer and suburb is provided at the end of the letter
• Sometimes references the article it is responding to
• An extreme contention is usually presented (completely opposing or overwhelming praise and support)