Persuasive Language Techniques: Quick Reference Grid

Persuasive Technique Example Why do we use it? (Purpose) Emotive Language …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………... ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Repetition ...... ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Appeal to Authority …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Hyperbole …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Rhetorical Question …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Figurative Language …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………….. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………….. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………….. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. …………………………………………………….. Use of Statistics- ‘hard evidence’ …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. Anecdotal Evidence ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. Humour- ‘ridicule, irony & satire …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. …………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Appeal to History or Tradition ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Appeal to Patriotism ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. …………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………. Appeals to ‘common sense, decency and morality ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Appeals to Logic or Reason ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. ……………………………………. ……………………………………………………………………. ……………………………………………………. Emotive Language – What is it?

‘Emotive’means arousing emotions. Using emotive Look at the following letter to the editor: My Example of Emotive Language words in persuasive writing is a clear indication of a writer’s desire to persuade their audience to share So what happened? How did the Duchess, once a particular viewpoint or to prompt them to react in Fabulous Fergie, so quickly sink in the public a particular way. esteem to a level where the press routinely refer to her as Fun-loving, Free-loading Fergie, Her Royal Emotive words can create a positive or negative Idelness or even worse, the Duchess of Pork reaction in the reader. They are used deliberately to (complete with the diagram pointing out the create an emotional response. By responding at the meatier cuts)? level of level of feeling, the audience will tend to suspend critical analysis (i.e the reader will not From ‘Her Royal Heinous’ notice flaws in the central argument because they Sun Herald Spectrum, 10/2/90 will be feeling angry, hurt, upset, elated etc). Which emotive words can you find? Are they Writers generate this emotional response by using negative or positive? What attitude do these words words which have personal and emotional try to evoke? associations or connotations for the audience. The phrases ‘Free-loading Fergie’, ‘Her Royal Look at the example below: Idleness’ and ‘The Duchess of Pork’ all contain emotive words with negative connotations. They Objective description (no opinion/emotion): suggest that the Duchess is an overweight bludger The old car was driven down the street. and conveys an attitude of disapproval in readers.

Subjective description (positive): Your Task: The beautiful antique car was driven down the street. Collect examples from the newspaper that demonstrate the use of emotive language. Subjective description (negative): These can be articles, letters to the editor or simply The rusty old bomb clanked its way down the headlines. street. Glue them to this page, underline/highlight the Notice how a reader’s opinion about the car can be emotive language and write a sentence to describe altered just from changing/adding a few words? the effect this language has on the reader (i.e how it Did your opinion of the car change with these makes the reader feel). words? Repetition- What is it?

Repetition refers to the repeating of words, phrases However, when used sparingly for effect, it can Your task: and ideas in speech or writing. The repetition or reinforce the writer's message and/or entertain the restatement of an idea at intervals not only reader. Look through the newspaper and collect any promotes clarity, but encourages the acceptance of examples of repetition that you can find. Paste an idea. Read the following excerpt from The Age: them to this page and highlight the repetition.

When you repeat and emphasise one idea, Those Bastards are evil: Jackass Star competing ideas are subordinated and sometimes are driven completely out of the audience's mind. The star of Jackass has angrily denied links Dr. Anthony Compollo, Chairman of the between his prank films and a DVD of an alleged Department of Sociology and Youth Ministries at sexual assault produced by school children. Eastern College in Pennsylvania, gave a speech in Johnny Knoxville asserted that his film segments- which he referred to the "bad news on Friday," the which include taking a penny farthing in a rodeo harsh reality that we have to deal with in life. But ring- were not at the root of the Werribee film. he urged us to look forward to the "good news on “ I’m sorry, but we didn’t invent cameras or do Sunday." He declared, "It's Friday, but Sunday's something stupid. People have been doing that coming." He gave illustrations of the bad news and since the beginning of time,” he said. “Those little the good news, but periodically he would say, "It's bastards are evil, what they did to some girl…how Friday, but Sunday's coming." And by the end of do you put that on us?” the speech, he had the whole audience shouting, Knoxville broke the neck off a mini-bar bottle of "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." whiskey, his passion igniting as he baulked at suggestions the contentious DVD may have been One of the best-known examples of repetition is inspired by his pay TV series, his 2002 film Martin Luther King's inspired use of "I have a Jackass: The Movie or its sequel Jackass Number dream," in his speech at the Lincoln Memorial Two, which opens in Australia on November 9. during the 1963 Civil rights March on Washington. “ We’re not mean-spirited, we’re not evil…shoot In both these cases, the speeches had rising those little bastards,” he said jabbing his finger. momentum, punctuated by the repeated refrains. The article continues with Knoxville’s angry tirade There are some cautions to consider when using on the media for suggesting his films helped create repetition as a persuasive technique. the Werribee saga. Overly repetitive writing can become tiresome. From The Age, 26/10/06 Readers can get bored and tune out when they read or hear the same arguments over and over. What repetition can you find in this excerpt? What idea does it help to reinforce? Appeals to Authority- What is it?

One of the ways authors try to persuade readers to adopt having a colossal impact on the world’s oceans” would their point of view is by using an expert who happens to that be as believable as someone who was an Your task: share their point of view. It can be done in many ways: environmentalist or someone who monitors water health Collect examples from the newspaper where an saying it? author has used an ‘expert’ to justify an argument.  By being a notable figure in the field in Paste them to this page. question, such as a college professor or an The point to remember when using an expert in your executive of a company whose business is that writing is to use one that is qualified in the field you are of the subject. writing about.  By having a vested interest in a matter, such as the person being related to the subject in Also, you need to be aware of bias. Is the ‘expert’ being question. paid to promote a particular viewpoint? Do they have a  By showing impressive ethos that shows the vested self-interest in the issue? audience the speaker is knowledgeable on the topic. Read the following excerpt: Time for a curb on pit bull terriers The author will incorporate direct quotes or opinions ….Pit bull owners say banning the breed amounts to a from the expert into their writing. This tactic is meant to ‘canine holocaust’ and that the dogs have done nothing convince readers because ‘someone who knows’ is wrong. It is true that the dogs have done nothing wrong, supporting the viewpoint and the reader should agree as given that dogs are unable to make a moral choice. But well. people make a moral choice about owning them. And since these dogs are known to be dangerous and indeed, There is one aspect to consider when being presented have been bred to fight and attack, it is pertinent to ask with so-called expert evidence. The first thing you why any responsible person would choose to keep them should do is ask yourself whether or not the ‘expert’ as a family pet. quoted is in fact an ‘expert’ in that particular field. For Objections are made that banning dogs on the basis of example, it is common practice for companies to use breed would be too difficult because of the problems of famous sports stars to endorse their products (such as definition, particularly with cross-bred animals. health foods). Ask yourself, does this sports star have However, RSPCA president Hugh Worth says that while expertise in this area which directly relates to this a ban might not eliminate every pit bull, it would reduce product? i.e sports star who is in fact a sprinter the risks of attack…. endorsing a particular brand of running shoe may actually use the shoes and therefore have a good From The Age, 14/11/2000 knowledge of the shoes. If the same sports star was endorsing diet pills, would they have the same degree of Who is the authority consulted in this article? Would expertise? you consider him to be an expert on this subject? Why or why not? The same applies to ‘qualified’ experts. A doctor is an expert, but if they were quoted as saying “Littering is Hyperbole- What is it?

Hyperbole is pronounced Hy-per-buh-lee Neighbour Henry Siloli said he heard not Hy-per-bowl. hysterical screaming about 12.30pm. “I heard a lady crying for help, so I ran down Hyperbole is a figure of speech in which there,” Mr Siloli said. “She said, ‘My son’s in statements are exaggerated. It is used to evoke the yard being attacked by dogs’.” strong feelings or to create an impression and Mr Siloli said a passer-by immediately jumped is not meant to be taken literally. into the yard, but quickly retreated after he also was attacked. Hyperbole is used to create emphasis. It is Another two then leaped over the fence to help, often used in poetry and as a literary device in one fending off the dogs as the other rescued writing. Some examples include: the boy. “The boy had all his clothes ripped off in the - “He has the brain the size of a pea.” attack and there was a lot of blood. - “I could eat a horse.” “A chunk was taken out of one of his legs, and - “I’ve heard that a million times today.” he had bites all over his ears, back and arms… - “She was a hundred feet tall.” From Herald Sun, 9/11/2000 Look at the excerpt from the article below and see if you can identify any use of Your task: hyperbole: Look in various newspapers and cut/paste examples of hyperbole you find on this page. Dog pack savages boy, 6, in back yard Use a marker to highlight the exaggerations and state why they are exaggerations. A boy was mauled by pit bull terrier-cross dogs yesterday after he fell into a neighbour’s yard. The six year old was bitten on the arms, legs, back and ears in the horrifying attack. He had climbed a fence and tumbled into his neighbour’s yard at Ardoyne St, Sunshine which is home to two adult dogs and five pups. Rhetorical Question- What is it?

A rhetorical question refers to a question that is asked without really expecting an answer. The expected answer is usually ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Rhetorical questions are asked purely for the “ We have to face facts.” She said. “The city sake of persuasive effect rather than as a Heart is facing heavy competition from other genuine request for information. Using them retail and commercial areas in Mildura. If we implies that answer is too obvious to require a don’t act now to convince people that the City reply. Heart is a safe place to shop, we’ll see Your Task: businesses moving out. It’s that simple….. A rhetorical question seeks to encourage Look through the newspaper and find your reflection within the reader as to what the However the decision to install day/night own examples of rhetorical questions. Paste answer to the question (at least, the answer surveillance cameras has been met with heated them to this page and highlight the implied by the writer) must be. opposition from the Right-To-Privacy Citizens rhetorical questions. Outline what idea/s the group. author is trying to convey to you as the Read the following excerpt from the reader. Sunraysia Daily: Spokesperson for the group, Melinda Buckly voiced deep concerns over the intrusion into After months of heated debate, the Mildura people’s private lives. Rural City Council has decided to go ahead with street surveillance cameras, recommended “It’s the thin edge of the wedge!” she protested by the City Heart Traders Association. after the press conference. “If this sort of invasion into our lives continues, where’s it In a joint press conference held yesterday, to going to end? Are we going to have spy announce Wednesday night’s decision, City cameras in our own backyards? Our homes?...” Heart Manager, Angela McPherson insisted, “It was a logical decision to place cameras in Did you notice the use of rhetorical the Langtree Avenue Mall, given the questions? Do you think Ms Buckley circumstances.” Ms McPherson made actually wants you to answer her questions? references to the rise in petty crime and the What idea/concept is she trying to convince subsequent loss of business. you of through using rhetorical questions? Use of Statistics – What is it?

The use of statistics involves using the results of In a survey of 2000 children aged six to thirteen, 32 - Was there any evidence of bias? (If a studies, research, surveys etc to prove an argument. percent said that hot chips were their favourite survey on smoking came from tobacco Statistics involve using figures/ numbers/ food, 26 percent said pizza and 22 percent said pies companies, you would probably treat it percentages/graphs etc. and pastries. with more caution) - What sort of questions were asked? Were Look at the following example: This contrasts sharply with a preference for healthy the questions free of bias and ones which food which was shared by only 30 percent of the did not point to a particular response? Obesity, a growing problem for Australian surveyed children. - What was the size of the sample group? children. - Was the sample group one which was The Federal Government is reported planning to generally representative of the whole Obesity rates among boys of primary school age send more than 150,000 children to after-school community? Did it have a good cross children have trebled in just five years, although exercise sessions to tackle a ‘crisis’ in childhood section of age, gender, religion etc? more girls are overweight. obesity. Your task: One in ten boys aged seven to eleven are now From The Age, 16/9/05 obese, while another 16 percent were found to be Find examples of authors using statistics to overweight, according to a Public Health Unit What statistics are used to support arguments here? support their point of view. Paste them here. survey of school children.

More than one in five girls was judged to be overweight, while 7 percent were judged to be When confronted with statistics which apparently obese. support a particular point of view, you should ask yourself these questions: In total, more than one quarter of the children weighed more than they should, according to - What is the source of this statistical internationally agreed weight-to-height ratios. evidence? )This should appear at the bottom of the survey) The concerning increase of childhood obesity is - Were the people who produced the mirrored in the decline of healthy eating statistics experts in their fields? (Do they preferences among children. have a reputation for reliability?)