Persuasive WritingPersuasive Writing

PersuasionPersuasion- writing or speech that - writing or speech that tries to get people to think or act in a tries to get people to think or act in a certain way. It is used in editorials, certain way. It is used in editorials, speeches and advertisementsspeeches and advertisements

PositionPosition- a writer’s opinion about a - a writer’s opinion about a topic.topic.

Logical AppealLogical Appeal

Definition-Definition- Appeal to the Appeal to the

reader’s reader’s sensesense of of logic. The writer logic. The writer or speaker uses a or speaker uses a well-reasoned well-reasoned argument based argument based on facts and on facts and evidenceevidence..

Example-Example- ““One way to end One way to end

childhood hunger childhood hunger would be to use would be to use federal funds to federal funds to expand the school expand the school breakfast breakfast program.”program.”

Emotional AppealEmotional Appeal

Definition-Definition- Appeals to the Appeals to the

reader’s emotions, reader’s emotions, such as their fear. such as their fear. It uses words with It uses words with strong emotional strong emotional associations, or associations, or connotations.connotations.

Example-Example- ““If we don’t act If we don’t act

now to solve this now to solve this terrible problem, terrible problem, our precious our precious children will be in children will be in grave danger.”grave danger.”

“He’s not just my son. He’s my hero.”

Ethical AppealEthical Appeal

Definition-Definition- It appeals to the It appeals to the

reader’s sense of reader’s sense of right and wrong. It right and wrong. It uses words with uses words with strong moral or strong moral or ethical ethical associationsassociations..

Example-Example- ““It is disgraceful It is disgraceful

that the richest that the richest nation in the world nation in the world allows children to allows children to go to bed hungry go to bed hungry every night.”every night.”

“When we find bad breath, we kill it!”

PropagandaPropaganda

A form of persuasion that attempts A form of persuasion that attempts to influence people into accepting a to influence people into accepting a position without thinking about it too position without thinking about it too clearly. These techniques come in clearly. These techniques come in several ways and can be found in several ways and can be found in newspapers, periodicals or online newspapers, periodicals or online texts.texts.

BandwagonBandwagon

using the argument using the argument that because that because everyone is doing it, everyone is doing it, you should tooyou should too

BandwagonBandwagon

TestimonialTestimonial

using the using the testimony or testimony or statement of statement of someone to someone to persuade you to persuade you to think or act as think or act as he or she doeshe or she does

Using celebrities Using celebrities or experts to or experts to make a product make a product or an idea seem or an idea seem worthwhile or worthwhile or believable.believable.

TestimonialTestimonial

Glittering GeneralitiesGlittering Generalities

Statements that sound good and are Statements that sound good and are hard to argue with- but don’t really mean hard to argue with- but don’t really mean anything. For example- a politician might anything. For example- a politician might say “We need to improve our school say “We need to improve our school system!” This is a safe statement that is system!” This is a safe statement that is hard to disagree with, however it hard to disagree with, however it provides no real information on how to provides no real information on how to improve the school system.improve the school system.

Other Other techniques you techniques you should know:should know:

Plain FolksPlain Folks using a person who represents using a person who represents

the “typical” target of the ad to the “typical” target of the ad to communicate to the target communicate to the target audience the message that audience the message that because we are alike and I because we are alike and I would buy/use/believe this, you would buy/use/believe this, you should tooshould too

Snob AppealSnob Appeal associating the product, person, associating the product, person,

or cause with successful, or cause with successful, wealthy, admired people to give wealthy, admired people to give the audience the idea that if they the audience the idea that if they buy or support the same things, buy or support the same things, they will also be one of the “in-they will also be one of the “in-crowdcrowd

Flag WavingFlag Waving

connecting the connecting the person, product, or person, product, or cause with cause with patriotismpatriotism

Circular ArgumentCircular Argument

A CIRCULAR ARGUMENT states a A CIRCULAR ARGUMENT states a sweeping generalization sweeping generalization (a statement (a statement based on a stereotype) and makes an based on a stereotype) and makes an oversimplified statement about a oversimplified statement about a group based on limited information.group based on limited information.

conclusion as part of the proof of the conclusion as part of the proof of the argument.argument.

Circular ArgumentCircular Argument

Appeal to NumbersAppeal to Numbers

An appeal to numbers, facts, or An appeal to numbers, facts, or statistics attempts to persuade the statistics attempts to persuade the reader by showing how many people reader by showing how many people think something is true.think something is true.

Appeal to Numbers

TransferTransfer linking a known personal linking a known personal

goal or idea with a product goal or idea with a product or cause in order to transfer or cause in order to transfer the audiences’ positive the audiences’ positive feelings to the product or feelings to the product or causecause

RepetitionRepetitionthe product name the product name is repeated at is repeated at least least 44 times times

RepetitionRepetition

Emotional WordsEmotional Words using words that will make you feel using words that will make you feel

strongly about someone or strongly about someone or something/using negative or something/using negative or derogatory words to create an derogatory words to create an association in the reader’s mind association in the reader’s mind between the person or object and between the person or object and something that is bad, feared, or something that is bad, feared, or distastefuldistasteful