Persuasive Text Techniques PDF

 At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:  identify the features of persuasive text  differentiate the persuasive techniques used in advertisement  use different persuasive techniques in product and service advertisement  A persuasive text is a kind of writing that i...

 At the end of the lesson, the learners will be able to:  identify the features of persuasive text  differentiate the persuasive techniques used in advertisement  use different persuasive techniques in product and service advertisement  A persuasive text is a kind of writing that intends to influence readers to accept an opinion, buy a product, adapt an idea, or take a particular action. In persuasive text, the word that can be derived is to persuade. Persuasion is the act of convincing others to believe in ideas, actions, or behaviors which you think are right or desirable. For example, what you will say to persuade your parents to allow you to go out with your friends on school days also qualifies as persuasion. Remember the key word “convince”.  Powerful verbs give a vivid picture or an action of what someone is doing.  Instead of the word eat, a speaker may use the words munch, chew, bite, devour, or nibble to stimulate a mental image of specific action in the minds of the audience.  Powerful verbs are used to give clearer picture for the audience.  Emotive language carries emotional content that evokes feelings.  A child may be characterized as a “young, innocent, and defenseless boy or girl”. These descriptive words elicit a strong emotion (sympathy) from the audience.  Sensory words are words that appeal to the five senses.  To describe a hotdog, instead of telling it is tender and delicious, you may say that the hotdog is delectable, juicy, and mouth- watering.  Rhetorical questions refer to questions that are asked only for effect and do not require answers.  They are used to capture the audience attention.  According to Edward P.J. Corbett: “Rhetorical question is an effective persuasive device, subtly influencing the kind of response one wants to get from an audience”.  Asking "Why is practicing mindfulness beneficial for reducing anxiety?" would be more effective than saying "Practicing mindfulness exercises can reduce anxiety levels because..."  Figurative language refers to a language that deviates from the conventional order and meaning in order to convey a complicated meaning, colorful writing, clarity, or evocative comparison.  It uses an ordinary sentence to refer to something without directly stating it.  “I won’t let you down.”  This phrase taken from the Rexona commercial does not imply the literal meaning but shows a figurative meaning that means it will give you a full confidence of not sweating for twenty four hours.  Exaggeration is a statement that makes something worse, or better, than it really is.  In literature and oral communication, writers and speakers use exaggeration as a literary technique, to give extra stress and drama in a work or speech.  Candide by Voltaire: “I have wanted to kill myself a hundred times, but somehow I am still in love with life.”  To kill myself a hundred times uses exaggeration because we know that we only die once.  Facts are a powerful means of convincing. It can come from your reading, observation, or personal experience.  Facts are used to add weight to or back up the claim of a product or a speaker.  A car manufacturer quotes the amount of time it takes their car to get from 0 to 100 k.p.h.  For their advertisement, the car manufacturer uses factual information about the speed of the car they are selling. According to Aristotle, these are the three forms of rhetorical appeals or modes of persuasion:  Ethos is an appeal to the credibility or authority of the speaker. In this type of appeal, the speaker convinces the audience that he or she is trustworthy and knowledgeable about the topic.  Pathos is an appeal to the audience’s emotions. In this type of appeal, a speaker makes an emotional appeal by making the audience feel something (e.g. love, pity, sympathy and fear). According to Aristotle, these are the three forms of rhetorical appeals or modes of persuasion:  Logos is an appeal to logic or reason. In this type of appeal, a speaker attempts to persuade the audience by making a claim and providing evidence such as expert testimonies, facts, statistics, historical data and analogies to support his/her claim.