2. In this session, you should be
able to:
1 Identify appeals to reasoning.
2 Identify a variety of rhetorical
techniques.
3 Write sentences emphasizing &
minimising an idea.
4 Produce appropriate
persuasive statements to each
situation.
4. Activity 1
Watch the following video.
Discuss with your partner:
1. How the advertisements made you
feel?
2. Do you feel inclined to buy / like the
product?
3. What strategies did the advertisers use
to persuade you?
5. Persuasive language
1. What is language of persuasion?
2. How do you persuade someone to do
something?
3. What is the difference between
persuading and arguing?
4. In what situations do you use language
of persuasion? (home / workplace)
5. Do you use persuasive language in
writing or speaking?
6. Persuasive language
1. Influences or changes the audience’s
thoughts or actions to agree with those
of the writer / speaker.
2. Persuasive language is used for many
reasons:
• to help to sell products or services
• to convince people to accept a view or
idea
• to get their audience to agree with their
views on a particular topic (often by
politicians!)
7. Persuasion in advertising
1. Now everyone can fly.
2. Because you’re worth it.
3. Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.
4. I’m lovin’ it.
5. Life’s good.
6. Eat fresh.
7. I will follow you.
Can you think of other company slogans /
taglines?
8. Appeal to reasoning
Aristotle (ancient Greek philosopher)
uses persuasion to appeal to :
• Logos – logic
• Pathos - emotions
• Ethos – ethics of the speaker or the
author
9. Logos
1. Appeals to reasoning (logic).
2. Facts, numbers and information can
be very convincing.
Example:
A Snickers bar has 280 calories and 30
grams of sugar. That’s not very healthy.
10. Pathos
1. Appeals to emotion (empathy).
2. Getting people to feel happy, sad or
angry can help your argument.
Example:
Every RM 1 you donate will go towards
the re-building of the orphanage.
11. Ethos
1. Appeals to good behaviour (ethics).
2. If people believe and trust in you,
you’re more likely to persuade them.
Example:
According to Dato’ Seri Vida, her latest
music video has been viewed by more
than 1 million times, thus, makes her the
most popular recording artiste of all
time.
12. Persuade us…
1. Shopping online saves a lot of money.
2. The weekly petrol price fluctuations is
hurting the economy.
3. The healthcare system needs an
improvement.
4. Our public transportation has
become more reliable.
5. Free education for all would help us
to become a high income nation.
13. Rhetorical techniques
1. Questions where you give the answers
yourself.
2. Repeating sounds.
3. Repeating words / patterns of words.
4. Stop-and-start repetition.
5. Using opposite words / contrasting
ideas.
14. Emphasising a point
Emphasizing a point: (giving more importance)
Actually,…
In fact,…
Basically,…
To put it simply,…
Adding a second point:
What’s more,..
Besides (that),…
In addition (to that),…
Repeating more strongly:
It’s fast. In fact, it’s one of the fastest on the market.
15. Minimising a point
Minimising a point: (giving less importance)
I think…
I feel…
I tend to think…
It seems to me that…
Using ‘but’ as a balance:
To some extent…, but…
Perhaps…, but on the whole…
16. Activity 3
In groups, prepare a short role play
on the given situations.
Each group is given 2-3 minutes to
present their role play.
17. Check your understanding
1 Name the 3 appeals to reasoning.
2 Name the 5 rhetorical techniques
used in persuasive language.
3 Which expressions are used to
emphasize an idea?
4 Which expressions are used to
minimize an idea?
