Persuasion

What is persuasion?

What is Persuasion? Something that sets out to influence or change an audience's thoughts or actions. Convincing others that your opinion is the correct opinion Can be: Verbal- speeches, debates Written- letters, essays, articles Visual- magazine ads, TV commercials

Forms of Persuasive Writing Advertisements Editorials Speeches Propaganda Reviews Blogs Persuasive Essays

Advertisements try to convince you to do or buy something.

Editorials about current issues appear in newspapers and magazines, or on television, radio, and the internet

Persuasive speeches try to convince an audience to take action

Propaganda is often about political issues, and usually includes emotionally charged appeals.

Reviews evaluate items like books or movies and state an opinion as to whether the product is worth the reader’s time and money.

Blogs provide commentary on a particular topic, often combining text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. Blogs also allow readers to respond.

Persuasive essays use logic, reason, and emotion to convince readers to join the writer in a certain point of view.

Aristotle said: Persuasion is clearly a sort of demonstration, since we are most fully persuaded when we consider a thing to have been demonstrated. Of the modes of persuasion furnished by the spoken word there are three kinds. [...] Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. [...] Secondly, persuasion may come through the hearers, when the speech stirs their emotions. [...] Thirdly, persuasion is effected through the speech itself when we have proved a truth or an apparent truth by means of the persuasive arguments suitable to the case in question

The Three Modes of Persuasion Ethos Pathos Logos

Ethos Appeal to the authority or honesty of the speaker Appeal to a person’s ethics or character Is the speaker a credible source? Examples: A professor would be credible in his field of study A business man would be credible in business A mother would be a credible source about their child

Pathos Appeal to the emotions Stirring up an emotional reaction in your audience to get them to be persuaded. Examples: Showing pictures of sick dogs to get people to donate money to the humane society Telling a sad story about a person dying because they weren’t wearing a seat belt in order to get more people to wear seat belt.

Logos Logical Appeal (Logos)—Does the author’s proposal make sense? Facts and figures that support the author’s claims Often contain expert Testimony or statistical information Suggest that the product is the “logical” or “right” choice

Persuasive Techniques Bandwagon: “Everyone else is doing it, so you should too!” Testimonial: Famous people endorsing a product Emotional Appeal: Showing images or words that stir up emotions. Ex: Those commercials about abused animals with sappy music playing.

Persuasive Techniques Plain Folks: Ordinary people like you. Make you think that they can be trusted because they are ordinary people Snob Appeal: Perfect people dressed in expensive clothes “I accept only the best, so that’s what I use this product” Repetition- idea is repeated over and over, like in that "Head On" commercial

Persuasive Techniques Free or Bargain- a speaker suggests that the public can get something for nothing or almost nothing Card Stacking- telling only one side of the story as if there were no opposing view or other consideration Exigency- creating the impression that action is required immediately or the opportunity will be lost forever

Persuasive Techniques Name Calling- negative or derogatory words to create a distasteful association in the mind of the audience Reasoning- luring the reader by listing or explaining reasons or an idea Glittering Generalities- in glowing terms and offering no evidence the speaker or advertiser supports a candidate or a solution to social problems

The Persuasive Essay The lead/hook captures the reader’s attention The thesis states the writer’s assertion (belief) about the topic The supporting arguments (logos, pathos, ethos) convince the reader that the thesis is correct Optional counter arguments respond to reader concerns and objections The conclusion restates the thesis (comes back to the point)

Leads/Hooks

The Thesis Statement A thesis statement is always one sentence that states your assertion (belief) about a topic. A thesis statement usually includes a forecast (brief preview of your arguments). (I believe) ____________________ because of argument 1, argument 2, and argument 3.

Text Structure

Which of the following is a good thesis statement? I believe we must stop wasting food now! The problem of food waste can easily be solved by implementing three simple steps: reduce, reuse, recycle. If you aren’t reducing, reusing, and recycling, you should. I believe wasting food is a huge problem. We need to reduce our food waste. For example, make a shopping list before you go to the store, and only buy things you truly need. You shouldn’t buy a gallon of milk if you are only going to drink a quart of it during the week. Who cares if the gallon size is on sale?

Counter Arguments Address Reader Objections Your counter argument is where you mention what the opposition might say against your belief, and then defend against it. Write a counterargument and defend against it for the following belief: Schools should make overweight students eat diet meals for school lunch.

Remember… When writing persuasively, always remember the interaction between the writer and the reader. The writer is trying to persuade a reader who may be enthusiastic or resistant or simply disinterested. Persuasive writing must be well organized, but it must also hook the reader, and then keep him or her engaged with creative and authentic word choice