Persuasive Techniques

Anecdotal evidence

Personal stories or experiences, often given as evidence or example.

Appeals

An appeal involves calling upon a particular principle or quality, such as:

• family values

• fear

• financial concerns

• Pride/Patriotism

• Logic and reason

• Common sense

Attack

Directly attacking or insulting views which oppose your own.

Colloquial language

Informal, causal, or local language used everyday which can help the audience identify with the author.

Connotation

An idea or feeling which a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal meaning.

Facts and statistics/evidence

Quotes, statistics, or other definitive information used to prove a point

Hyperbole/exaggeration

Extreme exaggeration of a trait or argument.

Inclusive and exclusive language

Using language that either positions the reader alongside the writer or creates a sense of ‘other’ with exclusive language

Repetition, the rule of threes

Repetition of an argument, example, phrase, etc.

Rhetorical question.

A question asked in order to create dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

Figures of authority/expert opinion

Views or comments by a group of designated experts or people in a give firld

anecdotal evidence, impact on audience

•   speaker is relatable to audience

• make the reader feel sympathetic

Appeals, impact on audience

• Power to take action

• Relates to audience

Attack, impact on audience

• Encourages people to join the speaker’s side to avoid the attack/being in the wrong

• Makes opposing side seem incorrect and inferior.

Colloquial language, impact on audience

-        Audience can identify with author find familiarity,

-        Less formal, more relaxed tone

-        Understood easily

CONNOTATION impact on audience

FACTS AND STATISTICS/EVIDENCE impact on audience

HYPERBOLE/EXAGGERATION impact on audience

INCLUSIVE & EXCLUSIVE LANGAUGE impact on audience

REPETITION, THE RULE OF 3, impact on audience

RHETORICAL QUESTION, impact on audience

FIGURES OF AUTHORITY/EXPERT OPINION impact on audience

LIST PERSUASIVE DEVICES

anecdotal evidence

appeals

attack

colloquial language

connotation

facts and statistics/evidence

hyperbole/exaggeration

inclusive/exclusive language

repetition, the rule of three

figures of authority/ expert opinion