Persuasive language: writing an essay on the author's persuasive techniques

1. Series 3: The Language of Persuasion: an
essay-writing guide (978-0-9924942-1-6)
This essay-writing guide consolidates the skills
acquired in Series 1 and 2. It helps students identify,
and concisely explain, the author’s point of view, the
progression of the argument and relevant contextual
features.
It consists of essay plans, paragraph maps and
explanations so that students can write more
insightful and accurate responses.
This workbook can be purchased online at:
http://www.englishworks.com.au

2.  Practise identifying points of view in media articles
 Achieve a balance between “summary and analysis”
 Focus on the “language”: ensure that students consider
the effect of specific connotative words at key points of
an argument
 Respond “authentically”
 Use a “wide range of tools that seek to persuade”
 Focus on the tone – why it is being used and how it may
change throughout the piece.
(Refer Assessment Reports)

3. Taking into account the assessors
comments, the updated workbook:
 provides students with a “variety of tools” and
strategies to analyse persuasive texts;
 focuses on the “big picture” concepts so that
students can turn annotations into a fluent
discussion; and
 encourages higher order thinking skills that
enable students to more effectively identify
the purpose and implication of an author’s
techniques and word choices.
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide.)

4.  Help! I think I am just listing the
techniques.
 If you simply list the author’s techniques
as you read the text, you will find
yourself writing a shopping list which
lacks a clear focus. In this case, the
longer the paragraph, the longer the list.
 For example: ‘Firstly, Mr Barry uses inclusive
language to appeal to all members of the
audience with regards to the congested roads,
and then he gains sympathy by showing the
“traffic tangles”. He moves to a forthright tone,
when he states that “enough is enough”. He also
encourages us to show outrage at the fact that
the Government appears to be very slow to act.’

5. Am I just labelling the techniques?
“Avoid technique identification; instead explore how
language is being used to persuade.” (Examination Report,
VCAA 2012)
“Technique identification” often occurs because
you do not accurately explain the author’s
purpose and how their persuasive words and
“techniques” reinforce their views and values.
To be as specific as possible, be sure to
improve your analytical vocabulary. (See pp.
25-37, 78-82.)

6.  While it is important to analyse tone,
do not ‘overuse’ tone words. “Students
should be thoughtful about how they
describe the tone, and should not simply
pluck words from a memorised list”.
(Examination Report, VCAA: 2013).
 If used well, an analysis of tone will help you
examine the author’s subtext, but it should
not become the sole focus.
 Do you rely on “tonal shifts” to structure your
essay? To strengthen the focus of your
paragraphs, it is preferable to link such
shifts with another significant strategy. (See
pp. 28-29.)

7.  Avoid comments such as
the author “states”;
“claims”; “asserts” and
“explains”. These verbs
tend to summarise the
author’s views.
 Use verbs that reflect the
author’s approval or
disapproval, their support
or criticism.
 Your sentence structure is
critical to a sophisticated
discussion. Study the
“sentence patterns”
modelled throughout this
workbook.
Analyse don’t
summarise
If you are simply
repeating, quoting
or paraphrasing the
author’s views then
you are not
analysing
accurately the
purpose of their
language choices.

8. (ReferTheLanguageofPersuasion:anessaywritingguide.)

9. (ReferTheLanguageofPersuasion:anessaywritingguidep.6.)

10.  What prompts the discussion?
 What evidence does the author
rely on?
 Facts and figures
 Surveys and experts
 Real-life examples and anecdotes
 (Which words best show the
author’s stance?)
 Reasoning strategies: clue to subtext
◦ Assumptions and connections
◦ Use of comparisons: compare and contrast
techniques
◦ Use of common sense and logic.
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, p. 10.)

11. ◦ Who is the author? What is their
personal and/or professional
experience?
◦ Does the author use real–life
examples and anecdotes? (What type
of language is used to describe the
people/main stakeholders?)
◦ Rebuttal and opponents: what type of
language is used to criticise and
depict opponents?
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide. pp. 11-12)

12.  What are the author’s values? (What
type of language is used to reflect their
priorities?)
 What appeals does the author make?
 Impact and purpose: which key phrases
elicit an emotional response?, eg. anger,
sympathy, hope, fear (reduction of fear),
frustration, respect, trust.
 A logical response: what connections and
links does the author draw?
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, pp. 13)

13.  To gain depth, it is important to analyse the
author’s strategic word choices.
 You need to show what the author implies or
insinuates by choosing one word and not
another.
 How does the author’s choice of words
reinforce their message and predispose us
to share their viewpoint?
 Language analysis involves putting this word
or that phrase under the microscope and
commenting on the writer’s intentions.
 If you do it well, you will already anticipate
reader response, without referring
constantly to “this positions the reader ... ”.
Don’t forget you are one of the readers!
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, pp. 14-17.)

14.  Quote and analyse words that
have a subtext or that have
connotations (an extra meaning).
 Look for:
 emotive and loaded language
 figurative language
 inclusive and exclusive language
 colloquial language
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, pp. 14-17.)

15. (Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, p. 30)
The Editor of The Age states that young footballers should
wear helmets. Some don’t because of the “fear of not being
seen as tough enough”.

16. (Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide.)

17. For each paragraph (and hence the essay) to “hang”
together fluently and cohesively, it is important to identify
the author’s “big picture” and the strategies that best
support the development of the author’s views. The
author’s key strategies are those that are critical to the
development of the author’s views, their values and their
priorities.

18. Ideally, the paragraph moves from the “big picture” to an
analysis of specific words and phrases that reinforce the
author’s key strategies and supporting reasons.

21.  The number of paragraphs
per text will vary according to
the length of your essay and number of
media texts.
 Generally, separate the text into “blocks”
according to:
 the sequencing of the author’s views and
 the tonal/semantic shifts in the
discussion. (See p. 6.)
 See signposts in the text.
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, p. 42)

22. (Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, p. 39)

23.  What is the issue? Why is it controversial?
 Who is the author(s); what is their purpose for
writing?
 On whose behalf do they speak?
 Who is the audience?
 Introduce the article, the title/headline;
the author’s main contention and tone/style.

28.  The paragraph moves from the big picture to specific examples:
 The student groups together common techniques/purpose
 The student uses sophisticated tone words and metalanguage
 The student uses sentence model that also cleverly embed
persuasive techniques so that she is not simply identifying
techniques.
 The student incorporates quotes into sentence
 The student also makes insightful references to purpose/
positioning of audience

29.  Reproachfully,(Censoriously)DrKrisanskidrawsuponhisprofessionalbackgroundasapsychologistandnumerousconsultationstosupporthisviewthatthe
demiseof“oldfashioned”parentingstyleisharmingchildren’ssocialdevelopment.DrKrisanskidecriesthemodern-styleofparenting,thathebelieves,is
leadingtoalackofinterpersonalskillsinchildrenandbreedingself-indulgentchildren.Certainly,parentswouldbeashamedatthealliterativereferencestotheir
“flipflopping”andtheirtameeffortsto“squashthesquabbles”whichimplythattheyareirresponsibleandcareless.Theywouldalsobealarmedatthefactthat
suchineffectualleadershipisalsolikelytodisadvantagetheirteenagechildren.Thereferencetochildrenas“narcissistic”whoare“usedtogettingtheirownway
witheverything”andwholackimportantlifeskillssuggeststhattheyarepoorlyequippedtocopewiththeworkplaceandarelikelytobeemotionally
disadvantaged.Thecomparisonsbetweenthepresentandpastparentingstylesremindsthoseparents,tologically,foregroundwhatthepsychologistidentifies
as,old-fashionedco-operativeinterpersonalskillsthatarelikelytobetterprepareteenagersforfutureroles.

30.  Taking into account the target
audience(s), sum up the author’s
views, persuasive language
choices and tactics.
 How do they seek to influence the
audience?
 Include a comment on the
direction of the issue
(if appropriate).

31.  Text 1: analyse the author’s
strategies and key word choices.
 Text 2: compare the second
author’s views with those in Text
1
 Explain whether this author shares similar or contrasting views
with the previous author.
 Explain the most obvious similarity or difference with regards to a
key persuasive strategy. Focus on specific word choice and
techniques of second author;
 Explain their impact and sum up with a cross-reference to the
previous text/author.
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, pp. 46-61)

32. See The Language
of Persuasion; an
essay-writing guide
pp. 62-64.

33.  Should I write a paragraph
on a persuasive technique
and compare each
author?
 this structure can be confusing
because an author’s
techniques” often overlap or
are intertwined; you may
sacrifice your depth of analysis;
 it may lead to repetition;
 it may be more sophisticated to
launch your discussion with
Text 1 and use Text 2 to make
comparative comments.

34.  Similar to Ms S’s views expressed in the
previous article, Mr X also discredits the
Government’s decision to [...]
 If the editor focuses our attention on [...],
Mr X contends that [...]
 In contrast to Mr R’s support for [...], Mr X
condemns [...]
 Although both the cartoonist and Mr X share
the view that [...], their tone differs markedly.
(Refer The Language of Persuasion: an essay writing guide, pp.
46;61)

35. Series 1. Techniques of
Persuasion
Series 2. Language analysis:
become an expert
Series 3. Language analysis:
an essay-writing guide
www.englishworks.com.au

36. Each workbook has a corresponding “Suggested Responses” file.
The Responses and “Taking it Further” extension activities are an ideal
correction resource for teachers.
They are also ideal as an independent self-directed learning program for
students.
E-books are also available for extra practice.
This workbook can be purchased online at:
http://www.englishworks.com.au
See Series of Lessons: (Orange Workbook)
www.englishworks.com.au