© Stacey Lloyd 2014

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Warm regards Stacey Lloyd
 
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CONTENTS & IDEAS FOR USE

PAGE WORKSHEET WHAT IS IT? IDEAS FOR USE
20   This  one-­‐page  informational  handout   As  an  introductory  exercise,  I  usually  go  
covers  twenty  common  techniques  of   through  this  list  with  my  students,  asking  
Techniques  of  
1 Persuasive  
persuasion  found  in  advertising,   for  examples  and  suggestions.  Then  this  
propaganda,  persuasive  speeches  and   page  is  stuck  in  their  notebooks  for  
Language   writing.   reference  and  study  purposes.    
This  worksheet  puts  students’   I  usually  hand  out  this  worksheet  and  
Identifying   knowledge  of  persuasive  language  to   instruct  students  to  complete  it  
Persuasive   the  test  by  requiring  them  to  identify   individually.  Then  I  instruct  them  to  swap  
2 how  techniques  are  used  in  extracts  
Techniques  in   from  advertisements.  This  is  a  great  
their  pages  with  a  partner  and  compare  
and  discuss  their  answers  to  see  if  they  
Advertising   way  for  students  to  see  the  everyday   identified  similar  techniques  and  if  they  
usage  of  these  concepts.   agree  with  each  other.    
As  these  exercises  are  not  graded,  I  
A  suggested  answer  key  for  the  above   usually  go  through  the  answer  key  with  
3 Answer  Key   worksheet.   the  class,  having  them  correct  their  own  
answers,  or  those  of  a  peer.  
This  worksheet  focuses  on  an  extract  
Identifying   from  Winston  Churchill’s  speech  
Persuasive   “Blood,  Toil,  Tears  and  Sweat”.   I  use  this  as  a  good  homework  task,  or  for  
extension  purposes.  However,  it  could  
4 Techniques  in   Students  are  required  to  read  the   also  be  used  as  a  class  task  for  students  to  
a  Political   extract  and  then  complete  the  table  –  
complete  individually  or  in  pairs.    
Speech   identifying  the  effects  of  the  different  
techniques.    
As  these  exercises  are  not  graded,  I  
A  suggested  answer  key  for  the  above   usually  go  through  the  answer  key  with  
5 Answer  Key   worksheet.   the  class,  having  them  correct  their  own  
answers,  or  those  of  a  peer.  
This  worksheet  requires  students  to  
put  their  knowledge  into  action  by   This  worksheet  can  be  used  for  individual  
writing  their  own  persuasive   work  or  homework.  However,  what  I  
Using   sentences  with  the  use  of  persuasive   sometimes  do  is  ask  students  to  write  
6 Persuasive   language  techniques.     their  sentences  but  not  identify  the  
Techniques     techniques.  Rather,  they  must  swap  their  
PLEASE  NOTE:  There  is  no  answer  key   work  with  a  partner  who  must  see  if  they  
for  this  worksheet  as  it  is  a  individual   can  identify  the  techniques  used.    
writing  exercise.    
  © Stacey Lloyd 2014
20 Techniques of Persuasive Language
Examples of persuasive language are all around us: in advertising, politics, editorials, and reviews (just
to name a few). It is important to understand techniques of persuasion so that you can identify and
analyze them in use, but also so that you can utilize them in your own writing and speech.

Adjectives are descriptive words used to add Evidence is the facts or information that
emphasis and to create an emotional response. indicate whether a view is true or valid and is
used to give weight to an argument or belief.
Alliteration is the repetition of initial
consonant sounds in order to emphasize certain Figurative Language is used to create
words and make them more memorable. imagery and express things non-literally; it can
help to make an idea more emotive, vivid and
Anecdotes are short personal stories used to convincing.
connect with the audience and add evidence or
credibility to an argument. Generalization is the inference that a claim is
true for most people or a majority and is used to
Assertion is when an idea is presented as fact speak to prevailing beliefs or prejudices of an
audience.
without full explanation or evidence; it is used to
assert authority and make claims sound factual.
Rule of Three is when groups of 3 adjectives
or phrases are used to make ideas memorable.
Attacks are when a speaker/writer addresses
an opposing view or speaker and attacks their
argument or character.
Jargon is special words or expressions used by a
profession or certain group; it is used to signal
expertise and establish credibility.
Bias is the presentation of only one side of an
issue or viewpoint and is used to subjectively
influence an audience.
Loaded Words are words charged with an
underlying meaning or implication and are used
to produce emotion in an audience.
Connotation is the ideas or feelings that a
certain word invokes and is used to create certain
emotional responses in an audience.
Pronouns are words that take the place of
nouns and are used to create a sense of unity with
an audience or distance from a common enemy.
Credibility (Ethos) is the establishment of
authority and reliability, and is used gain the Reason (Logos) is the power of the mind to
confidence and trust of the audience. think and form judgments logically; it is used to
appeal to the rationality of an audience.
Emotion (Pathos) is feelings accentuated by
experiencing love hate, fear etc. An appeal to Repetition is the reoccurrence of certain words
emotion is used to engage with an audience and or phrases and it is used to emphasize certain
create an emotional response. ideas, and make them more memorable.

Exaggeration is the representation of Rhetorical Questions are statements which

something as greater than is actually the case and are voiced as questions but are not expected to be
is used to grab the attention of the audience and answered; they are used to imply certain answers
emphasize certain points. and draw audiences to certain conclusions.
© Stacey Lloyd 2014
For each of the following advertising extracts, identify the persuasive
language technique being used, and explain how it is persuasive.
in advertising
_________________________________________________________________
1 _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2 Love comfort. Love valu _________________________________________________________________
e. _________________________________________________________________
Love Super Soft Sofas. _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
3 _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

4 _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Percy’s Pencils
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

5 s
_________________________________________________________________
Celebrity stylist Rob Hallmupseoo _________________________________________________________________

Nature’s Nectar sha _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________
6 Do you want to take care of your family’s health?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
VITA-HEALTH VITAMINS _________________________________________________________________
Supplements for men, women & children _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
7 _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
. _________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
8 Lee’s Pre-Cooked Meals _________________________________________________________________
erybody needs a little
Because ev _________________________________________________________________
more free time. _________________________________________________________________
© Stacey Lloyd 2014
 A NSWER
For each of the following advertising extracts, identify the persuasive
language technique being used, and explain how it is persuasive.
in advertising
KE Y
Logos is employed here as the advertiser has used
1)_________________________________________________________________
1 statistics to try to persuade the consumer that their
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
product is the rational choice, and backed up by ‘fact’.
_________________________________________________________________
2)_________________________________________________________________
Here is an example of Repetition - or specifically, Anaphora: The
2 Love comfort. Love value. _________________________________________________________________
repeated ‘love’ emphasizes it, and has positive connotations,
_________________________________________________________________
thus making the product attractive and associated with ‘love’.
Love Super Soft Sofas.
_________________________________________________________________
Also, there is alliteration in the name of the product (alliterative
_________________________________________________________________
‘s’), which makes it more memorable.
3 _________________________________________________________________
3)_________________________________________________________________
This one uses Figurative Language and more specifically,
a pun. It’s a play on the word ‘nail’ and is persuasive as
_________________________________________________________________

4 nails (as in the hardware) are strong and durable,

_________________________________________________________________
Percy’s Pencils _________________________________________________________________
which is what one wants from a nail polish.
_________________________________________________________________
4) Alliteration is used here (repeated ‘p’) as well as a list
_________________________________________________________________
of 3 adjectives: Both of which make this memorable.
_________________________________________________________________

5 s
_________________________________________________________________
Celebrity stylist Rob Hall use This is an example of ethos as it appeals to the
5)_________________________________________________________________
mpoo _________________________________________________________________
Nature’s Nectar sha
expertise of a celebrity stylist. Therefore, it adds
credibility to their product. Also the ‘n’ is alliterative.
_________________________________________________________________
6 Do you want to take care of your family’s health?
_________________________________________________________________
6)_________________________________________________________________
The rhetorical question here is also an example of
VITA-HEALTH VITAMINS pathos as it is playing on the reader’s emotional love
_________________________________________________________________
Supplements for men, women & children _________________________________________________________________
for their family, and their concern for their health.
_________________________________________________________________
There is also a list of 3 which makes it memorable.
7 _________________________________________________________________
7)_________________________________________________________________
The descriptive adjectives ‘new’ and ‘improved’ have positive
_________________________________________________________________
connotations and add emphasis. Also, the jargon signals
_________________________________________________________________
knowledge, research and expertise and thus employs logos .
_________________________________________________________________
8 Lee’s Pre-Cod ooked Mealilsttle 8)_________________________________________________________________
Assertion is used in the statement “...everybody needs
Because everyb eey tinemed sa a little more free time.” – This makes it sound like an
_________________________________________________________________
more fr e. _________________________________________________________________
irrefutable fact, which is persuasive.
© Stacey Lloyd 2014
 Read the following extract from a famous political speech
by Winston Churchill, and then fill in the table below.
in a political speech
Winston
Extract from “Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat” Churchill
“We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us was a
many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is British
our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our politician
might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against and Prime
a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue Minister of the United Kingdom
of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can during the Second World War.
answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all He was also an excellent public
terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without speaker, artist and writer.
victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the
British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, This extract comes from a
no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move speech he delivered on May 13th
forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I 1940. He had just been made
feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this Prime Minister of the United
time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, ‘Come then, let us go Kingdom and it was the first
forward together with our united strength.’” year of WWII.

TECHNIQUE EXAMPLE EFFECT

Rule of
Three

Use of
Pronouns

Ethos

Loaded
Words

Anaphora

Alliteration

Rhetorical
Question
  © Stacey Lloyd 2014
 An
in a political speech
s we
Read the following extract from a famous political speech r
by Winston Churchill, and then fill in the table below. Ke
y
Winston
Extract from “Blood, Toil, Tears & Sweat” Churchill
“We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us was a
many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is British
our policy? I can say: It is to wage war, by sea, land and air, with all our politician
might and with all the strength that God can give us; to wage war against and Prime
a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalogue Minister of the United Kingdom
of human crime. That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can during the Second World War.
answer in one word: It is victory, victory at all costs, victory in spite of all He was also an excellent public
terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be; for without speaker, artist and writer.
victory, there is no survival. Let that be realized; no survival for the
British Empire, no survival for all that the British Empire has stood for, This extract comes from a
no survival for the urge and impulse of the ages, that mankind will move speech he delivered on May 13th
forward towards its goal. But I take up my task with buoyancy and hope. I 1940. He had just been made
feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail among men. At this Prime Minister of the United
time I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and I say, ‘Come then, let us go Kingdom and it was the first
forward together with our united strength.’” year of WWII.

TECHNIQUE EXAMPLE EFFECT

By listing points in sets of three, they are made more memorable and
Rule of ‘... by sea, land and
emphasized. Here, the instructions for war are listed as three points and
Three air...’ thus made clear and highlighted.
Using ‘we’ helps Churchill to include himself with his audience which
Use of creates a shared sense of purpose and unity. However, when he switches
Pronouns
‘We’ / ‘I’ to ‘I’ he indicates his sense of personal duty and confidence, as he
assures his audience of his responsibility.
By mentioning God here, Churchill is implying that God is for them, which
Credibility ‘...all the strength that
adds credibility to their cause. Similarly, it implies he holds Christian views,
(Ethos) God can give us;’ which – to an audience of the time – would make him trustworthy.

Loaded He repeats this word five times and it is loaded with underlying meaning. It
Words ‘Victory’ is positively connoted and appeals to the emotions of his audience – most
notably their patriotic feelings and desire to win the war.
‘to wage war...’ These uses of anaphora (repetition at the beginning of successive clauses)
(repeated twice) / ‘no reinforce the idea that they must go to war / the idea that without
Anaphora
survival...’ (repeated 3 victory there will be no existence worth living. This repetition emphasizes
times) Churchill’s point and makes it memorable.

Alliteration ‘wage war’ Alliteration is used to emphasise and make the words more memorable.

‘You ask, what is our Churchill doesn’t expect to have these questions answered as he answers
Rhetorical them himself. He uses them by way of showing awareness of their
Question
policy?’ / ‘You ask, concerns and addressing them. It is persuasive in that he answers any
what is our aim?’ opposing thoughts and questions his audience might have.
  © Stacey Lloyd 2014
  

Every 8 seconds somebody dies from tobacco use. Do you really want to
be a part of that statistic?
Evidence (logos) / Rhetorical Question

© Stacey Lloyd 2014

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© Stacey Lloyd 2014