1. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Persuasive Strategies
• Expert Testimony
• Anecdote (Self as Expert)
• Problem Solving
• Statistics
• Rhetorical Questions

2. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Expert Testimony
• Expert testimony - evidence in support of
a fact or statement given by a person
thought to have special skill or knowledge.
According to a noted authority…Mia Hamm says…

3. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Expert Testimony – example
“The effort put in reflects the outcome,”
says Professor Plum from the University of
Washington. I must say that I have to
agree with this powerful message.

4. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Expert Testimony – your turn
• Think about the essay you wrote on
school uniforms.
• Consider how an expert could support
your position.
• Who would that expert be and what might
he/she say?
• Decide where to add that expert testimony
and do so.
• Share this with your tablemates.

5. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Anecdote – self as expert
• Anecdote is a personal experience
inserted into your writing in which the
audience sees your own expertise or
knowledge, and as a result will support
your position.
I remember the time when I had to
carry my…As a seventh grader myself, I
happen to know exactly why…

6. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Anecdote – example
Even an A student like myself can forget
an assignment once in a while! I think
every student should be entitled to the
right of having at least one “late pass” per
quarter.

7. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Anecdotes – your turn
• Think about the essay you wrote on
school uniforms.
• Identify some stories you could use to
develop your position. Make yourself the
expert in the story.
• Write a short anecdote that might work.
• Share this with your tablemates.

8. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Compromise or Problem Solving –
examples
• Compromise or problem solving is
when you create a solution that is in
between the two points of view.
I have the solution to this problem,
too.
I think we can both agree that this
is a pretty good deal.

9. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Compromise or Problem Solving –
example
Even if you don’t choose my position on
this argument, at least consider this:
Make late work be at the teacher’s
discretion. Let the teachers decide a fair
punishment or penalty, or if late work will
be accepted after all. Thank you for taking
my ideas into consideration.

10. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Compromise or Problem Solving –
example
I also understand that some students would
choose not to do their homework and do it
later. But I have solutions to this problem, too.
A student could have to bring in a note
signed by a parent or guardian that says
why a student brought his or her work in
late. An alternative solution is that
homework can only be accepted a select
number of days after it was due.

11. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Compromise or Problem Solving
– your turn
• Think about the essay you wrote on school
uniforms.
• Identify a compromise or solution you could use
in your paper.
• On your own paper, write what might work.
• Share this with your tablemates.

12. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Statistics
• Inclusion of statistics – using facts and
statistics to support your position.
Sixty-five percent of this year’s
7th
grade students met the
standard on the writing WASL.
Four out of five doctors
recommend…

13. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Statistics – example
Sixty-three percent of teachers surveyed
on late homework say they would truthfully
rather give kids zeros than go through the
hassle of grading late homework.
Teachers don’t want to waste their time
with procrastinators. The No Late
Homework Rule will further support this
belief.

14. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Statistics – your turn
• Think about the essay you wrote on school
uniforms.
• Identify some statistics you could use to support
your position or argument.
• Insert one or more statistics that would
strengthen your argument.
• Share this with your partner.

15. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Rhetorical Questions
• Rhetorical questions are questions that
have obvious answers. They are often
used to involve the audience, create
interest, and to introduce your position or
argument.
Have you ever felt the glare of a
teacher’s eyes crisping the back of
your neck?
Hey, I did my homework on
time. They didn’t, and they
still get credit for it?

16. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Rhetorical Questions – example
“I’m sorry. I left my work at home. My mom
just had a baby, so I was taking care of
her, and I just ran out the door without it.”
Your teacher smiles at you. “It’s okay. I
understand. Just bring it in tomorrow.”
Isn’t that a better situation than “Oh, too
bad! You don’t get any credit for it”?

17. Copyright © 2007 Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. All rights reserved.
Rhetorical Questions – your turn
• Think about the essay you wrote on
school uniforms.
• Write a rhetorical question that might
work to strengthen your argument or
position.
• Share this with your tablemates.