Identifying Basic Persuasive Techniques

Purpose

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As part of each of these modules, there will be a purpose that connects back to VCE English.

Persuasive techniques form a critical part of how we analyse a persuasive text. It is important that students understand what a persuasive technique is, and how to identify one within a text.

Post-Module Learnings

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Following this module, these are the following skills you should have.

I am able to define different persuasive techniques.

I am able to identify different persuasive techniques in a persuasive text.

I am able to break down the specific words used in a persuasive technique contextually.

Content

Persuasive Techniques in an Argument Analysis

The first question that most students always ask is how many techniques (persuasive techniques) do I need in a Body Paragraph? The answer, for me at least 3 to 4 persuasive techniques. [Normally 4 is going to be enough techniques already though].

The combination of a Persuasive Technique and Effect on Reader is normally worth about 2 sentences of analysis.

The Basic Persuasive Techniques

I’m someone who believes that you can find a lot of this information online pretty easily, but here’s a whole bunch of them that we will start with. Naturally, there are more ‘unique’ techniques as well that we will go through too.

Alliteration. The repetition of words starting with the same letter to create emphasis, e.g. ”And I can tell you it is distressing beyond words to watch an animal suffer like that and not be able to alleviate its agony.”

Anaphora. A special kind of repetition where the first word of two or more adjacent sentences are the same, e.g. “When are we going home? When is the sun setting? When are they coming?”

Allusion. An allusion is a figure of speech that indirectly references something, such as a novel, song, play, television program, poem, a religious text, historical figure or event. Because allusions are indirect, the reader is required to make the connection themselves. In persuasive writing, allusion prompts readers to think about the issue in the context of such associations. The use this technique also allows the writer to ingratiate themselves with readers, who often feel clever if they pick up on a particularly subtle allusions.

Appeals. Writers often appeal to different emotions, including a reader’s sense of or desire for:

appeal to common sense
appeal to compassion
appeal to fairness
appeal to family values
appeal to justice
appeal to nostalgia
appeal to patriotism
sympathy

Anecdotes. Short, personal stories that help to illustrate a point, e.g. “For my three most recent books, on motherhood, cancer and nursing, I interviewed more than 300 people about the nuts and bolts of what our incredibly short time on this planet is really about – life, death, family and love. If there is one thing I can guarantee, it’s that there will never be a person who lies on their deathbed, shaking with rage, sobbing, ‘Dear God, I wish I’d spent more time watching MasterChef.'”

Colloquial language. Writers will often use everyday language to make themselves seem down-to-earth, e.g. “Fairness is the cornerstone of our constitution and our national identity. But as we head into an election year, I think we need to ask ourselves whether we really believe in a fair go for all.”

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. Imagine an argument about dangerous breeds of dogs, for example, there are lots of synonyms for the word ‘dog’—pooch, hound, puppies, mongrels. If you were making an argument that certain breeds should be banned, which words would you choose?

Emotive words. Words that provoke an emotional reaction from the audience, e.g. “But no, people from the bush were saying it is cruel to kill foxes with a poison that causes a slow, agonising death.”

Expert opinion. Sometimes writers will use the opinion of experts to give further weight to their argument, e.g. “A new research report by Victorian doctors illustrates why: because when kids are worried their parents will be told their private medical details, they simply don’t go to the doctor.”

Hyperbole/Exaggeration. Writers often exaggerate or overstate something to help persuade readers of their point of view, e.g. “Our experts will tell you a million reasons why it can’t or shouldn’t be done here. They have turned excuse-making into an art form.”

Inclusive/Exclusive language. Inclusive language – using the words ‘we’ or ‘us’ – is often used to get a reader onside, e.g. “We might not like it, but our kids’ right to confidential medical advice should take precedence over our right to know about it.”

Imagery. Descriptive writing can be a powerful persuasive technique. Describing something vividly can persuade readers, e.g. “Imagine the stars shining brilliantly above the night sky.”

Jargon. Jargon refers to highly specialised words or phrases often associated with particular areas of study or research. It is generally used to build credibility and expertise in a certain industry or area of study (e.g. medicine, using words like oncology [study of cancer] or paediatrics). It can lend an air of authority to their writing, its complexity conveying that a writer has taken the time to understand complex ideas and their contention is well-considered, e.g. “When it comes to improving education, the evidence is clear: focus on pedagogy, interdisciplinary learning, flipped classrooms and cultivating the metacognitive.”

Metaphor. Metaphors, when one thing is described as another, help to persuade by describing, e.g. “I’ve been dying of it all week and can hardly type this column because of the Niagra of snot pouring down my face and the painful fires of a thousand suns burning in my joints and muscles, which being manly muscles are able to carry a much heavier load of pain than lady muscles.”

Pun. A play on words often relying on homophones, homonyms or rhymes, e.g. “It’s been a trying year for rugby league, what with betting scandals, controversies over players’ alleged off-field behaviour and an unseemly on-field brawl that marred the sport’s reputation on approach to the finals.” Another example: “Racism is no black and white issue”.

Repetition. The repetition of words, phrases and ideas can be used to reinforce an argument and drive home the message to a reader, e.g “It has been well established here and overseas that if teenagers think they can see a doctor in confidence, they are more likely to do so, more likely to go back for repeat visits, and more likely to disclose sensitive information.”

Rhetorical question. A question where the answer is obvious, can help lead readers to a particular conclusion, e.g. “It has been well established here and overseas that if teenagers think they can see a doctor in confidence, they are more likely to do so, more likely to go back for repeat visits, and more likely to disclose sensitive information. And isn’t this the outcome we want? “

Sarcasm. A mocking tone, e.g. “Not all of us can do Further Mathematics, you know – for many people, an extremely difficult subject!”

Simile. Similes, when one thing is compared to another, can help to persuade by describing, e.g. “…as dumb as a sack of hammers…”

Statistics. Are used when an author or writer wants to bring in some sort of mathematical or quantitative proof, e.g. “33% of individuals are unable to“

Tone. The tone of an article or speech refers to its overall feeling. Is it passionate? Logical [NOT A TONE WORD]? Reasonable? Mocking? Humorous?

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You are not allowed to use the same name for a technique twice in a body paragraph, and preferably not more than once per essay.

Persuasive Technique Bingo

Here’s the secret guys. EVERYTHING in a Persuasive Text is actually a Persuasive Technique. Just because the technique itself doesn’t have a name does not mean it cannot be a Persuasive Technique. This is a critical learning that you must take away.

Just because you don’t know the name of a Persuasive Technique doesn’t mean what you’re looking at is not a Persuasive Technique.

The Generic Persuasive Techniques

Now, if you didn’t know, the best kind of Persuasive Techniques are not the ones that are very specialised or unique, but rather the ones that fit A LOT of different things. I’ll give you guys some examples of them!

Here are some Persuasive Techniques that are quite generic:

Euphemism [more tactical] - choosing a word that is softer than the actual word, e.g. replace ‘killed’ with ‘ended’

Dysphemism [more strong, more negative] - choosing a word that is harder/more negative than the actual word, e.g. replace ‘did not succeed’ with ‘his world shattered’

Long-winded syntax - long sentence, normally a list of things

Including a plethora of…

Lexical choice - ‘word choice’

Harsh/gentle semantic field [words] - a collection of words in paragraph

Using Persuasive Techniques

Outlining the decline of their once-glorious club, Ansari despondently alludes to the club closure as an inevitable and imminent fate. His commencing “welcoming” into this “catchup” immediately fabricates a sense of familiarity; listeners are intended to feel as if they are being warmly confided in as peers rather than the club’s customers. Comparable to a eulogy, Ansari fondly tangents into celebrations and experiences he is reminded of by “seeing [everyone] here tonight,” before launching into an inventory of the unforeseen disasters— losing revenue, skyrocketing expenditure, weather damage. Thus, a somber atmosphere is created where club fans are first imbued with a sense of loyalty in possessing the admirable “Jacksonville spirit,” then horror-struck at the club’s potential demise. Avid players are inclined to cling to Ansari’s following words, desiring a bit of optimism from their earnest speaker. However, instead of revealing the proposed solution, Ansari continues to recount the tribulations that “set them back even further” during what was hoped to have been “relief”, characterising the club staff, and indeed himself, the president, as like-minded sport enthusiasts that wearily sustained the club through its financial descent. The repetitive “we” in his terse proclamations of being “in danger,” coupled with the compassion he aims to foster for leading a hopeless defence against the club’s hardships, encourages listeners to feel as if they are a significant enough part of this club to be privy to such heavy, upfront information and carry the burden alongside their diligent club president. Therefore, Ansari’s candid description of the downwards-spirally club that brought so much shared joy encourages attachment to the club and the president, while invoking sorrow at the impending doom.

Having established the Committee’s immense efforts in keeping the club alive, Ansari beseechingly presents a merger with Meadowhaven to be the last available option. Once again depicting himself to have equivalent aspirations and attitudes as the club members, he admits to “[having] trouble letting go of [the] longstanding rivalry [with] Meadowhaven.” The reluctance to let go of a sporting rivalry mirroring that of invested players and parents reassures those listeners that he acts according to the best interests of sport fans; Ansari plants the notion that such a president who wholly understands and shares the misgivings of the club members must surely have a sound judgement. Keen to appear as pragmatic, Ansari’s enumerates the benefits of a merger. He impresses upon listeners that this solution not only will “patch things up”, but actually bolster it to “greater success.” Parents of young kids, particularly of girls who may not previously have had a chance to participate in the largely male-dominated realm of footy, are promised bigger, thriving teams. Painting a fantastical reality of better “training equipment” and a “critical mass of talent,” Ansari intends for qualms regarding the rivalry to be overridden by the desire of better sporting accomodations— the word “critical” inducing urgency in believing that this is a sudden opportunity not to be passed up. Self-assured throughout his arguments, Ansari culminates to an assertive, succinct proclaiment for listeners to “trust him” that inspires excitable optimism in listeners that the president has considered every angle. As such, Ansari prefaces with spurring empathy to lessen doubts, before logically championing advantages of the solution that is the club’s “drastic” last-ditch effort.

Concluding his address, Ansari passionately rallies the listeners to support a merger between the clubs. Contrasting his earlier decisiveness, the power dynamic shifts to favour the audience, who are “[looked] to for support” and implored to direct any concerns to his inbox. Echoing earlier segments of the speech, power seems to be placed in the hands of club members, suggesting that the strength of their allegiance will make or break the club. The provoked sense of duty and solidarity is aimed to be particularly evocative to Ansari’s audience, all of whom are not only fans of netball and football— team sports prioritising teamwork and commitment— but are club members that persist in club activities even amidst the hardships brought about by COVID-19 restrictions. Additionally, a slogan of “together stronger”, again reminiscent of sentiments in team sports, is applied to the proposed solution to buoy attitudes. This slogan is emblazoned across the meeting’s accompanying visual, under which a venn diagram subtitled Jacksonville and Meadowhaven are depicted. At the centre of the visual, drawing viewers’ focus is a trophy symbol in the diagram’s overlap area, emphasising that glory awaits within the future of a “strong, united” club. The slogan’s uppercase, black lettering, intended to draw attention as it is reinstated in Ansari’s final words, strikes the idea of collaboration being advantageous to be indisputable. Audience members are prompted to feel revitalised and bold, wishing to unite under a confident leader and unambiguous slogan. Consequently, Ansari’s address stimulates club members to corroborate in order to revitalise their beloved sport, proving their mettle in the process.

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