Analysing Persuasive Texts
Identifying the issue
When you read an article, it’s important to clarify the issue being debated. When you’re identifying the issue, phrasing something as a question can often help clearly state what is being argued over.
- Should teens have the right to private medical appointments?
- Should euthanasia be legalised?
- Should fox poisoning be banned?
- Should heroin be decriminalised?
Identifying the contention
Contention is simply another word for point-of-view or opinion. Read the piece of persuasive writing carefully. What does the writer believe? Starting a sentence with the word ‘that’ can help you identify the writer’s contention.
The author is arguing...
- That reality television is a waste of time.
- That teens should have access to private medical appointments
- That fox baiting should be banned.
Identifying tone
Tone refers to the overall feeling of a piece of writing. Here are some useful words to help you describe tone.
When you read an article, it’s important to clarify the issue being debated. When you’re identifying the issue, phrasing something as a question can often help clearly state what is being argued over.
- Should teens have the right to private medical appointments?
- Should euthanasia be legalised?
- Should fox poisoning be banned?
- Should heroin be decriminalised?
Identifying the contention
Contention is simply another word for point-of-view or opinion. Read the piece of persuasive writing carefully. What does the writer believe? Starting a sentence with the word ‘that’ can help you identify the writer’s contention.
The author is arguing...
- That reality television is a waste of time.
- That teens should have access to private medical appointments
- That fox baiting should be banned.
Identifying tone
Tone refers to the overall feeling of a piece of writing. Here are some useful words to help you describe tone.
logical
rational reasonable analytical cogent |
neutral
impartial balanced objective unbiased |
informed
knowledgeable well-read |
passionate
emotional emotive ardent vehement |
witty
humorous satirical lighthearted tongue-in-cheek |
Persuasive Techniques
Writers can use a range of techniques to persuade. When you’re reading persuasive writing—or writing persuasively yourself—you need to think carefully about how techniques like these are used to position the reader to accept a particular point of view.
Writers can use a range of techniques to persuade. When you’re reading persuasive writing—or writing persuasively yourself—you need to think carefully about how techniques like these are used to position the reader to accept a particular point of view.
Adjective. Describing words, often used to make the reader feel a particular way about an issue.
e.g. “Reality shows allow us to feel a bland, artificial version of that incredible thrill you get from having a crack and chasing your ambitions.” Adverbs. Adverbs are words that modify adjectives or verbs. Like adjectives, they are selected to make a reader think or feel about something in a particular way. e.g. “In a recent article, I wrote about my dogs, a kelpie and a blue heeler, dying from 1080 fox bait. They had eaten it during a weekend trip to the high country and died horribly.” Alliteration. The repetition of words starting with the same to create emphasis. e.g. ”What must be remembered is this: like the abolition of torture in the free world, the cessation of cruelty to animals is paramount.” Appeals. Writers often appeal to different emotions, such as a reader’s sense of fairness, justice or patriotism. Anecdotes. Short, personal stories that help to illustrate a point. Everyday language. Writers will often use everyday language, sometimes called colloquial language, to make themselves seem down-to-earth. Cliches. Cliches are overused expressions that can be used to efficiently express an idea. |
Connotations. All words have connotations or associations. Some words, for example, may have the same literal meaning but very different connotations. Connotations may be negative or positive. Think about the word ‘thin’. There are lots of words that share this meaning—slender, lithe, slim, skinny, lean, slight, lanky, undernourished, wasted, gangly, rake-like, anorexic, spindly. If someone was describing your body, you would probably prefer to be called ‘slender’ or ‘slim’ rather than ‘lanky’ or ‘anorexic’. When people are writing an argument, they think very carefully about the words that they select and the impact these words will have on their
audience.
Emotive words. Words that provoke an emotional reaction from the audience.
Exaggeration. Writers often exaggerate or overstate something to help persuade readers of their point of view.
Evidence. Writers will often use evidence – which might take the form of facts, figures, quotes or graphs – to help support their argument.
Inclusive language. Inclusive language – using the words ‘we’ or ‘us’ – is often used to get a reader onside.
Imagery. Descriptive writing can be a powerful persuasive technique. Describing something vividly can persuade readers.
Logic. A logical, well-structured argument can be very persuasive.
Metaphor. Metaphors, when one thing is described as another, help to persuade by describing.
Pun. A play on words.
Rhetorical question. A question where the answer is obvious, can help lead readers to a particular conclusion.
Sarcasm. A mocking tone.
Simile. Similes, when one thing is compared to another, can help to persuade by describing.
Tone. The tone of an article or speech refers to its overall feeling. Is it passionate? Logical? Reasonable? Mocking? Humorous?
Thinking about persuasive language
The best way to understand how persuasive language can be used to convey a point of view is by reading examples of persuasive writing. Read the newspaper on a daily basis, particularly the editorials and opinion pages. This will not only help you keep abreast of current events, it will also help you develop the language skills necessary to do persuasive writing yourself.
Read the following articles and answer the questions below to help you develop an understanding of how writers persuade.
They’re pests but cruelty is inexcusable
Life’s too short for reality TV
Should teens have the right to see a doctor in private?
Analysis questions
1. Identify the issue.
2. Identify the contention, otherwise known as the point of view, of the writer.
3. What is the tone of the article?
4. Identify five examples of persuasive language or persuasive techniques and explain how it is supposed to make the reader feel. Draw up a table like the one below to help you identify and explain the impact of these techniques.
audience.
Emotive words. Words that provoke an emotional reaction from the audience.
Exaggeration. Writers often exaggerate or overstate something to help persuade readers of their point of view.
Evidence. Writers will often use evidence – which might take the form of facts, figures, quotes or graphs – to help support their argument.
Inclusive language. Inclusive language – using the words ‘we’ or ‘us’ – is often used to get a reader onside.
Imagery. Descriptive writing can be a powerful persuasive technique. Describing something vividly can persuade readers.
Logic. A logical, well-structured argument can be very persuasive.
Metaphor. Metaphors, when one thing is described as another, help to persuade by describing.
Pun. A play on words.
Rhetorical question. A question where the answer is obvious, can help lead readers to a particular conclusion.
Sarcasm. A mocking tone.
Simile. Similes, when one thing is compared to another, can help to persuade by describing.
Tone. The tone of an article or speech refers to its overall feeling. Is it passionate? Logical? Reasonable? Mocking? Humorous?
Thinking about persuasive language
The best way to understand how persuasive language can be used to convey a point of view is by reading examples of persuasive writing. Read the newspaper on a daily basis, particularly the editorials and opinion pages. This will not only help you keep abreast of current events, it will also help you develop the language skills necessary to do persuasive writing yourself.
Read the following articles and answer the questions below to help you develop an understanding of how writers persuade.
They’re pests but cruelty is inexcusable
Life’s too short for reality TV
Should teens have the right to see a doctor in private?
Analysis questions
1. Identify the issue.
2. Identify the contention, otherwise known as the point of view, of the writer.
3. What is the tone of the article?
4. Identify five examples of persuasive language or persuasive techniques and explain how it is supposed to make the reader feel. Draw up a table like the one below to help you identify and explain the impact of these techniques.
Example
“They had eaten it during a weekend trip to the high country and died horribly.” “cessation of cruelty” “…stop foxes being culled in this barbaric manner. Use your voice, they said, spread the news and stop an inhumane practice.” |
Technique
Adverb Alliteration. Adjectives/Connotations |
Effect on the Reader
Makes the reader feel sorry for the animals who eat the bait and builds a case for a ban on the poison. Emphasises that the cruelty must be stopped. The word “barbaric” makes the reader feel like this is uncivilized. The word “inhumane” has a powerful effect on the reader convincing them that it is cruel. |
Discussing persuasive language
In English, you will often be asked to write an essay about how writers or speakers have used language to persuade.
Introduction: Describe the issue generally. Mention the article’s title, it’s author and the author’s contention.
> e.g. There has recently been considerable controversy over the use of 1080 fox bait to control Victoria’s fox population. In his article ‘They’re pests but cruelty is
inexcusable’, writer Dmitri Kakmi puts forward a logical and, at times, emotive argument about how cruel and inhumane the use of this bait is.
Body: Identify a range of techniques and explain how they are used to persuade the audience. Always make reference to how different techniques make the reader feel or react.
> e.g. Midway through his argument, Kakmi turns his attention to the foxes themselves. After describing the ‘cruel’ and ‘barbaric’ fox bait, he uses imagery to
describe the foxes in very favourable terms which further helps to persuade the reader that this fox bait is reprehensible. He describes the foxes as ‘beauties of
the animal kingdom’, describing how people are ‘wonderstruck’ by a ‘sudden flash of auburn bushy tail’. The phrase ‘wonderstruck’ helps to highlight how
beautiful these animals are. Similarly, he describes their gaze like being watched by ‘an intelligence from another world’. This make the reader feel that they are
aware, intelligent. Who would want to inflict cruelty on such an animal?
> e.g. Although Kakmi describes the symptoms of the poison in a very detached, almost clinical manner, he explains that watching an animal die like this is
'distressing beyond words’. This underscores the cruelty of this bait and encourages the reader to support his point of view. In the next paragraph, he uses graphic
and disturbing imagery—’they were screaming and chewing off their lips’—to describe the death of his dogs. This highly emotive description encourages the
readers to feel a sense of sympathy for these animals and encourages them to believe that the use of this bait is cruel and inhumane. Similarly, the image of a
foxes who ‘chew their paws off to escape’ is equally upsetting.
How you should structure your body paragraphs:
1. Identify a technique.
2. Give examples of how it is used in the article.
3. Explain how it makes the reader feel and builds support for the writer’s argument.
Conclusion: Summarise the main techniques that the writer has used to persuade the reader.
> e.g. Throughout this piece, Kakmi uses a range of rhetorical techniques to encourage the audience to have sympathy for the plight of foxes and oppose the
continued use of 1080 fox bait.
In English, you will often be asked to write an essay about how writers or speakers have used language to persuade.
Introduction: Describe the issue generally. Mention the article’s title, it’s author and the author’s contention.
> e.g. There has recently been considerable controversy over the use of 1080 fox bait to control Victoria’s fox population. In his article ‘They’re pests but cruelty is
inexcusable’, writer Dmitri Kakmi puts forward a logical and, at times, emotive argument about how cruel and inhumane the use of this bait is.
Body: Identify a range of techniques and explain how they are used to persuade the audience. Always make reference to how different techniques make the reader feel or react.
> e.g. Midway through his argument, Kakmi turns his attention to the foxes themselves. After describing the ‘cruel’ and ‘barbaric’ fox bait, he uses imagery to
describe the foxes in very favourable terms which further helps to persuade the reader that this fox bait is reprehensible. He describes the foxes as ‘beauties of
the animal kingdom’, describing how people are ‘wonderstruck’ by a ‘sudden flash of auburn bushy tail’. The phrase ‘wonderstruck’ helps to highlight how
beautiful these animals are. Similarly, he describes their gaze like being watched by ‘an intelligence from another world’. This make the reader feel that they are
aware, intelligent. Who would want to inflict cruelty on such an animal?
> e.g. Although Kakmi describes the symptoms of the poison in a very detached, almost clinical manner, he explains that watching an animal die like this is
'distressing beyond words’. This underscores the cruelty of this bait and encourages the reader to support his point of view. In the next paragraph, he uses graphic
and disturbing imagery—’they were screaming and chewing off their lips’—to describe the death of his dogs. This highly emotive description encourages the
readers to feel a sense of sympathy for these animals and encourages them to believe that the use of this bait is cruel and inhumane. Similarly, the image of a
foxes who ‘chew their paws off to escape’ is equally upsetting.
How you should structure your body paragraphs:
1. Identify a technique.
2. Give examples of how it is used in the article.
3. Explain how it makes the reader feel and builds support for the writer’s argument.
Conclusion: Summarise the main techniques that the writer has used to persuade the reader.
> e.g. Throughout this piece, Kakmi uses a range of rhetorical techniques to encourage the audience to have sympathy for the plight of foxes and oppose the
continued use of 1080 fox bait.
Sample analysis - "They're pests but cruelty is inexcusable."
Here is a sample analysis of how language has been used to persuade in the article ‘They’re pests but cruelty is inexcusable’.
There has recently been considerable controversy over the use of 1090 fox bait to control Victoria’s fox population. In his article ‘They’re pests but cruelty is inexcusable’, writer Dmitri Kakmi puts forward a logical and, at times, emotive argument about how cruel and inhumane the use of this bait is.
In the introduction of the article, Kakmi relates an anecdote about how his dogs died ‘horribly’ after eating fox bait. The use of the word ‘horribly’ helps to position the audience to believe that this form of population control is particularly cruel. The anecdote itself also helps to personalise the issue, readers may imagine how horrible it would be if their own pets died in a similar manner.Early in the article, he describes the death of foxes as ‘slow’ and ‘agonising’. The use of these adjectives helps to convince the reader that the use of this bait is
cruel.
Farmers, who have to deal with the devastation caused by foxes, are one of the groups who may support the use of such baits. Kakmi attempts to get these
people on side by taking a self-deprecating tone, calling himself a ‘dweeb from the city’, which values the experience of rural readers and builds support for his case.
Midway through his argument, Kakmi turns his attention to the foxes themselves. After describing the ‘cruel’ and ‘barbaric’ fox bait, he uses imagery to describe the foxes in very favourable terms which further helps to persuade the reader that this fox bait is reprehensible. He describes the foxes as ‘beauties of the animal
kingdom’, describing how people are ‘wonderstruck’ by a ‘sudden flash of auburn bushy tail’. The phrase ‘wonderstruck’ helps to highlight how beautiful these animals are. Similarly, he describes their gaze like being watched by ‘an intelligence from another world’. This make the reader feel that they are aware, intelligent. Who would want to inflict cruelty on such an animal?
Although Kakmi describes the symptoms of the poison in a very detached, almost clinical manner, he explains that watching an animal die like this is ‘distressing beyond words’. This underscores the cruelty of this bait and encourages the reader to support his point of view. In the next paragraph, he uses graphic and disturbing imagery—’they were screaming and chewing off their lips’—to describe the death of his dogs. This highly emotive description encourages the readers to feel a sense of sympathy for these animals and encourages them to believe that the use of this bait is cruel and inhumane. Similarly, the image of a foxes who ‘chew their paws off to escape’ is equally upsetting.
To round off his argument, Kakmi provides an alternative to the current bait, describing an ‘ingenious’ plan by CSRIO scientists to put a contraceptive vaccine inside ‘yummy bait’. The use of language here describes the alternative as much more favourable than the ‘cruel’ and ‘barbaric’ 1080 fox bait.
Towards the end of his argument, Kakmi asks, “How would we feel if some sunny day a remorseless higher authority posited a convincing argument for our
eradication and came after us with an arsenal?” This rhetorical question asks the readers to sympathise with the foxes and the cruelty of this measure for controlling them.
Kakmi’s argument ends comparing this issue with the ‘abolition of torture’. Comparing the death of foxes with human torture again encourages the reader to sympathise with the plight of these foxes and makes the issues of cruelty towards animals seem particularly important.
Throughout this piece, Kakmi uses a range of rhetorical techniques to encourage the audience to have sympathy for the plight of foxes and oppose the continued use of 1080 fox bait.