Persuasion

Rhetoric 101 The art of eloquently convincing an audience of your opinion or viewpoint

Formality & flattery Adopt a formal and flattering tone – but don’t be effusive or sycophantic!

Personalise the delivery by using ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘your’ Personal pronouns Personalise the delivery by using ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘your’

Appeal to the head Logic, common sense

Fear, guilt, empathy, altruism Appeal to the heart Fear, guilt, empathy, altruism

Facts, statistics, research & surveys, Hard evidence Facts, statistics, research & surveys,

Expert opinion, anecdotes & examples Soft evidence Expert opinion, anecdotes & examples

Rewards, offers, accentuate the positives Incentives Rewards, offers, accentuate the positives

Humour A wry sense of humour whilst not seeming flippant about serious issues can win over an audience

All things are relative! The law of contrast All things are relative!

Credible exaggeration for effect Hyperbole Credible exaggeration for effect

Don’t shy away from strongly expressed opinion and dramatic vocabulary Emotive language Don’t shy away from strongly expressed opinion and dramatic vocabulary

It’s simple, repeatable and very effective! Rule of 3 It’s simple, repeatable and very effective!

Poetic devices Alliteration, simile & metaphor to paint word pictures and create musicality

Rhetorical questions Can you think of a good reason why you wouldn’t include them in your writing?

Imperatives As you gain confidence that you have hooked your audience, don’t be afraid to use commands to drive home your point

Rhetoric revisited Humour Formality & flattery The law of contrast Hyperbole Emotive language The rule of 3 Poetic devices Rhetorical questions Imperatives Formality & flattery Personal pronouns Appeal to the head Appeal to the heart Hard evidence Soft evidence Incentives

How to structure a persuasive text

What kind of structure do you think is most likely to make your text memorable and persuasive?

A hard-hitting opening line

The first paragraph should offer an overview of your stance or opinion that you will be putting forward for consideration

The main body of your writing will be divided into clear paragraphs – each will present a new point or idea that supports your overarching premise

Make full use of the rhetorical techniques you are now familiar with in each of your paragraphs to ensure that the CONTENT and STRUCTURE complement one another

Your final paragraph should summarise your stance and reinforce the strength of the ideas you have presented

The last line should be memorable, punchy and an ‘applause cue’

GCSE-style writing question

An open air concert has been planned for next summer but the farmer who owns the land where the concert is to be held has received objections from locals. He is now undecided about whether or not to allow the event to take place. Write a letter persuading him to allow the concert to go ahead.