Transcript Persuasive Techniques Used in Writing

Persuasive Techniques
Used in Writing
Or…how to
get what
you want!
What are PERSUASIVE
TECHNIQUES?
 Persuasive techniques are the
strategies authors use to make their
writing more convincing.
 Persuasive techniques:
 Get a reader’s attention
 Emphasize a point
 Polish the writing
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!
 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
THE TECHNIQUES
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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!
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.”
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 author’s 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!
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.
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.
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.
Name that technique!
 Studies show that watching the
History Channel will positively
impact a student’s grade in World
Studies.
Cause and Effect!
 Why? What are your clues?
 You have a cause: Watching the
History Channel.
 You have an effect: Positive
impact on grades.
Can you figure out this
one?
 Haven’t you ever wanted to just
kick back, relax, and watch some
really bad TV?
Rhetorical Question!
What was your context
clue?
The question mark?
No real answer expected!
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.
Repetition!
Why?
Repeated words!
Here’s another one!
 Watching too much TV will fry
every cell in your brain.
Overstatement! (hyperbole)
What were your context
clues?
Watching TV can’t
literally fry your brain.
This is an exaggeration!
This one?
 Watching TV all the time is like
becoming a vegetable, namely a
potato.
Analogy!
What was your clue?
The word “like” is often
used in analogies!
And this one?
 Americans view too much
television; 50% watch at least
three hours every day.
Appeal to Reason!
Your clue?
The numbers and %!
What’s this one?
 Watching your very favorite TV
show with all of your friends can
be mildly entertaining.
Understatement!
The clue?
The word “mildly” is
the biggest clue in this
statement.
And this one?
 Many parents use children’s 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 children’s reading levels,
the TV must be turned off.
Parents, don’t abdicate your job!
Sentence Variety!
What was your tip-off?
Three long sentences.
One short sentence.
How about this one?
 Every elementary school principal
in the state of Texas agrees that
watching too much television is
detrimental to their students.
Appeal to Authority!
How did you know?
The principal! (He’s an
authority!)
What’s 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.
Emotional Appeal!
Your clues?
Love.
Care.
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!!
COMMON FALLACIES
 Straw Man: When a writer ignores a
person’s 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.”
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.
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!
PERSUASIVE ESSAY FORMAT

P1 IntroductionThesis 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 ConclusionOffer a solution to the problem, wrap up arguments, restate thesis;
answers “so what”.