PersuasionSee It My Way

What Is Persuasion?

Persuasion is a type of writing designed to change the way a reader or listener thinks or acts.

Persuasive writing can be found in

•speeches

•newspaper editorials

•essays

•articles

•advertisements

Building an Argument

•A sound persuasive argument consists of

•a clearly stated opinion

•relevant reasons for that opinion

•evidence that supports each reason

•Evidence may take the form of facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes, or expert testimony.

•Most persuasive writing also includes a call to action.

Types of Persuasive Appeals

•Logical appeals focus on facts in order to persuade the audience’s brain that the writer’s opinion is correct.

•Spaying Fluffy will prevent her from getting certain types of cancer.

•Emotional appeals attempt to persuade the audience’s heart of the writer’s opinion.

• If Fluffy is spayed, she will be a healthier, happier companion.

•Ethical appeals target the audience’s sense of duty or of right and wrong.

•Preventing unwanted litters of kittens is everyone’s responsibility.

Persuasive Techniques

Persuasive techniques often appeal to the audience’s emotions or ethics. Extreme forms of persuasion are called propaganda.

Some persuasive or propaganda techniques include:

•loaded words

•glittering generalities

•bandwagon appeals

•testimonials

Persuasive Techniques

•Loaded words carry strong emotional associations. •Our awesome volleyball team won the tournament, pulverizing the Jarvis High’s horrible team in the final.

•Glittering generalities are a kind of loaded words. These overwhelmingly positive statements ignore any evidence to the contrary.

•Laugh-a-Minute is unquestionably the funniest television series ever to air.

Persuasive Techniques•Bandwagon appeals imply that “everyone” agrees with the writer’s opinion and warns readers or listeners not to be left out by disagreeing or failing to act.

•Clearly, no one opposes recycling.

•Don’t be considered a dinosaur by failing to recycle.

•Testimonials are endorsements by celebrities or other well-known personalities who have no connection to or expert knowledge of the product.

•“After I won the Super Bowl, what I wanted most was a big bowl of Malloy’s Chicken Chowder.” (said by a player in the game)

•“Moms like me know that nothing keeps kids going like Malloy’s Chicken Chowder.” (said by an ordinary Mom)

Faulty Arguments

Common kinds of faulty reasoning, or logical fallacies, to watch for include:

•circular reasoning

•hasty generalization

•name-calling

•either-or reasoning

•false cause and effect

Faulty Arguments

•Circular reasoning occurs when the reason for an opinion is simply the opinion stated in different words.

•Taylor Swift is the best singer in the world because she’s so talented and good at what she does.

•A hasty generalization is a statement based on insufficient evidence.

•A student driver hit another car last week; if we allow students to leave school for lunch, accidents will increase tenfold.

Faulty Arguments

•Name-calling, also known as an ad hominem attack, occurs when a writer attacks a person who holds an opposing view rather than attacking the view itself.

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•People who think students should remain on campus for lunch are cowards who hate freedom.

•My opponent is a bleeding-heart liberal who is soft on crime.

Faulty Arguments

•Either-or reasoning occurs when a writer describes a situation as though there were only two choices when in fact there may be several options.

•If you love cats, you obviously hate dogs.

•False cause and effect occurs when a writer asserts that because one event follows another, the first event must have caused the second.

•Wearing the new uniforms, our track team lost; therefore, we must return to wearing the old uniforms immediately.

What Have You Learned?

1. Which kind of appeal does this statement make?In a democracy, it is every citizen’s duty to vote.

a. logical b. emotional c. ethical

2. A sports star who endorses a soft drink is offering

a. loaded words b. bandwagon appeal c. testimonial

3. Stating that people who disagree with the writer’s opinion are selfish is an example of

a. name-calling b. either-or reasoning c. false cause and effect

The End