Transcript Hi, this is a test - Ms. Knudsen's English classes

Persuasion is…
…writing or speaking that attempts to
convince people to accept a position
or take a desired action.
position (or claim): a stated idea or
opinion that a writer has about a
subject or issue.
*How does persuasion apply
to me?
In your high school
career, you will be
required to write
many types of
essays:
 Narrative
 Descriptive
 Expository
and…
Persuasive!
A persuasive essay is a way for a writer to
share his/her views and convince others
to accept them.
The goal of a persuasive essay is to state
the position clearly and support it with
reasons and evidence.
Reasons may include rhetorical devices and
persuasive techniques.
rhetoric: art of speaking or writing effectively
Parts of Persuasive Essays

Thesis: a clear, arguable statement in response to the
topic. This should explicitly state your point of view as
specifically as possible.

Anticipating Biases: predict beliefs/opinions that your
reader may hold that may cause them to disagree and
convince them otherwise.

Counter-argument (counterclaim): take your opponent’s
strongest arguments and prove them wrong.

Concession: the “Yeah . . . But”; accepting part of the
opponent’s argument while showing why it doesn’t counter
yours

Call to action: the explicit statement of what you want
your audience to do, think, or feel. Often stated (or
restated) in the conclusion.
Persuasive Language

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Vivid descriptions/powerful images: appeal to
the reader’s five senses with detailed
descriptions. Figurative language can help
create these images and evoke the appropriate
emotion.
Metaphor: extended comparisons between
dissimilar things; the audience may be familiar
with what you are comparing the topic to, so it
will help them understand your point of view.
Analogy: a form of direct comparison. Come up
with a similar situation and compare it to yours.
Loaded words: choosing words that carry
emotional connotation with them even when
isolated.
Persuasive Language, cont’d

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Repetition: stating and restating as often
as possible what you are trying to
convince your reader of.
Anaphora: a specific type of repetition in
which the word or phrase (or whole
sentence) is used repeatedly to build up
emotion or rhythm (used especially in
speeches).
Rhetorical questions: posing questions
as “food for thought” for your readers.
The answer is usually implied, not
explicitly stated. The question should
evoke an emotional response.
Persuasive Techniques

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Anecdote: offer a specific personal
experience that serves your cause. Use
names and specific details. Show the
reader your experience.
Testimonial: personal endorsement; a
statement in support made by an
individual.
Over-generalization: when authors use
words like “only”, “all”, and “every” to
exaggerate their opinions in order to make
them seem stronger.
Persuasive Techniques, cont’d

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Bandwagon: mass appeal; convincing
your reader that the majority share your
view.
Statistic: numerical fact; percentage.
Case study: Using research, seek out
facts that support your side.
Expert opinion: opinions that count more
than most because of the specialized
experience of the person giving the
opinion.
*Persuasive appeals help a
writer support his/her
position.
Rhetorical devices appeal to the reader’s
I.
Emotions (pathos) - feelings
II.
Logic (logos) - evidence (facts and examples)
III.
Ethical beliefs (ethos - good and evil and
moral (right and wrong) duty
IV.
Appeal to authority – having a spokesperson
Therefore, there are four types of appeals:
1. Emotional appeal
(pathos)
 Emotional appeal is aimed at readers’
hearts.
 Emotional appeals speak to emotions such
as fear, love, sympathy, and pride,
outrage, and happiness.
 Tools used: Vivid descriptions, anecdotes,
testimonials, analogies, repetition, overgeneralization, bandwagon
 Example: Recycling keeps us from being
buried in trash.
2. Logical appeal (logos)
Logical appeal speaks to readers’ common sense
and logic.
Logical appeals make sense.
Tools used: Analogies, statistics, case study,
expert opinions
Example: Recycling saves precious resources.
3. Ethical appeal (ethos)
Ethical appeal addresses the readers’ sense
of right and wrong as determined by their
culture, religion, or upbringing.
Ethical appeals also rely on a reader’s belief
that the writer is ethical.
Example: Recycling reduces the garbage
we produce.
4. Appeal to Authority

May overlap with the three above

Convince others by showing them
that people they know and respect
share your position.

Tools used: Expert opinions,
testimonials, analogies
Beware…
It is important to be able to recognize
emotional appeals in arguments AND to be aware of how they can
persuade an audience without
credible (believable) evidence.
argument: a series of statements in a
text designed to convince the reader
of something.
*Sample writing prompts:
Every year, certain books read in the
schools are objected to by various
individuals and organizations as
being immoral, subversive, or
offensive to minority groups.
Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye,
Huxley’s Brave New World, and
Twain’s Huckleberry Finn are typical
of the books that often figure in such
incidents.
*Continued:

Consider and present both the
arguments for and those against
studying controversial books in class
or having them available in the
school library.
*Writing prompt:
Through tatter’d clothes small vices do
appear;
Robes and furr’d gowns hide all. Plate
sin with gold,
And the strong lance of justice hurtless
breaks;
Arm it in rags, a pigmy’s straw does
pierce it.
Shakespeare, King Lear
*Continued…

The lines above are from a speech
by King Lear. Write a carefully
reasoned essay in which you briefly
paraphrase Lear’s statement and
then defend, challenge, or qualify his
view of the relationship between
wealth and justice. Support your
argument with specific references to
your reading, observation, or
experience.
*Writing prompt:
There’s an old proverb, “There’s no
great loss without some gain.”
Another way to put it is, “Every cloud
has a silver lining.”
Do you agree or disagree with this
observation? Support your position
with illustrations from your
observation, studies, reading or
personal experience.
*Writing prompt:
“The fearless are merely fearless.
People who act in spite of their fear
are truly brave.”
-James A. LaFond-Lewis
*Frank Herbert:
“I must not fear. Fear is the mindkiller. Fear is the little-death that
brings total obliteration. I will face
my fear. I will permit it to pass over
me and through me. And when it
has gone past I will turn the inner
eye to see its path. Where the fear
has gone there will be nothing. Only
I will remain.”
*Continued…
Do you agree with the idea that people
can exercise control over their fear,
or does fear control people?
In an essay, support your position by
discussing an example (or examples)
from literature, science and
technology, the arts, current events,
or your own experience or
observation.