The Five Persuasive Techniques

Claim Example: To convince the reader that M&M’s is the greatest candy is a healthy snack. State your argument.

Citing Authority Experts can make your argument seem more convincing.

Testimonial Famous people (celebrities/athletes) who endorse an idea or product can be very convincing. “Breakfast of Champions”

Citing Statistics Example: According to the Federal Food and Drug Administration a Snickers bar has 1280 calories and 310 grams of sugar. That’s not very healthy. Facts, numbers, and information can be very convincing.

Bandwagon Example: Everybody has Verizon. So I should join the crowd. Persuades people to do or believe something by telling them everyone else is doing it and if they don’t, they’ll be left out.

Glittering Generality This technique uses slogans or simple phrases that sound good but provide little or no real information. EX: “…feel ten years younger…new and improved…family values…all- natural products”.

Your Turn! In groups, find advertisements that use each of the five persuasive techniques. Be prepared to share!

Practice with a Passage

FACT vs OPINION FACT: A statement or event that is true or that has happened. Signals: statistics, clear simple statements Example: M&M’s are made of chocolate.

FACT vs OPINION OPINION: A bias or personal viewpoint not based on fact. Signal words: “I think” or “I believe” “should” M&M’s have been the greatest invention in the food industry since sliced bread.

Fact and Opinion

Review - Identify and Label: Text Structures – Problem and Solution – Cause and Effect – Sequence – Description – Compare and Contrast Text Features Bold face Graphs/charts Text box/side bar Subtitles Lists (bullets, numbers) Captions Photo/picture/illustration s Italics

More Practice “Fashion Police” “Guilt by the Bottleful”