WHAT IS PERSUASIVE WRITING?
Persuasive writing can take the form of
- essays
- letters to the editor
- cover letters
- proposals
- memos
- job postings
- resumes
- invitations
- ads
- reports
- lab reports
Persuasive
writing intends to influence how
someone thinks, feels, acts, and makes decisions in relation to a particular
issue, idea, or proposal. The writer is making a case and using language in a deliberative manner.
Persuasive writing can lead to
decisions, clarification of issues or positions, and consensus. It
is an essential skill and consistent
practice in political activism, community action, participation in
organizations and democracy, and in families, as well as credible academic
discourse.
Persuasive
writing is more dialogical than monological. Your sense of your audience
and of who you are in relation to the topic and to your audience is critical
and should shape your argument and your writing.
To persuade effectively you must:
- take an informed position
- know your audience and your purpose and choose your strategy appropriately
- consider differing viewpoint(s) and anticipate counter arguments
- use information accurately
- avoid over-generalizing
- avoid drawing conclusions that are unsupported by data, evidence
- choose your words and organize your ideas and your data in a way that will build and assert a meaningful case to your audience
To
get started:
- clarify your beliefs and assumptions about your topic;
- frame several leading, centering questions and a working thesis (hypothesis);
- gather data and actively test your assumptions and beliefs;
- modify and add to your questions and working thesis;
- write exploratorily throughout the process of researching (What are you thinking as a result of what you have read? What did this piece add to your consideration? How does a particular source relate to your previous knowledge? What questions do you have? What assumptions are you making?. . .).
Here is a short example of
persuasive writing:
Books are very important for students in
school. They can learn many new things and improve their skills.
However, our school library sometimes doesn't have enough types of some
books. I think that the school fundraiser money should be used
to buy more books for our school library.
First, our class is doing reports on
different animals and there are only a few books
available on each kind. This makes it hard to do
research and write our reports if we all have to share books, or can't take
them home to use. If the library could buy more books, we would be able
to do our reports better.
Second, there is sometimes
only one copy of a fiction book on the shelf and kids have to take turns
checking it out. If the library could buy more copies of a book, then two
kids could check out the same book and partner-read together. This
would help us get better at reading, plus it's fun to read with a friend!
Third, there are many new
things happening in the world and new information needs to be there for kids
to learn and read about. For example, maybe a new
kind of dinosaur is discovered, or a new president is elected. Without
new books being bought for the library, kids will not be able to learn about
these things if we just have old books to check out.
So, it is
important to buy more books for the library and the school fundraiser is a
good way to get the money! Kids will have more
choices to read. We can keep up with new things that happen in the
world. Plus, we won't have to wait so long to have a chance to read our
favorite book!
|
PERSUASIVE LETTER
Persuasive Letter is a letter
written to persuade an organisation/s or individual/s towards accepting the
writer's (sender’s) issue, interest or perspective. It can be written to any
type of organisation i.e. school, bank, college, NGO, municipality etc. The
individuals can be a director, CEO, government official etc. The motive of the
persuasion letter is to ‘Get your work done’ in layman terms.
The persuasion can be related to any
matter, it can be:
- A complaint
- A sale
- A petition
- A request or any other matter which requires convincing
Taking that into note, persuasion
letter is a broad term inclusive of Cover Letter, Complaint Letter, Petition
Letter, Request Letter, and Sales Letter. This is because in all of the above
mentioned there is moderate to maximum amount of persuasion on part of the
sender.
Depending upon the region where you live a Complaint Letter or a Sales Letter may be an interchangeable name for a Persuasive letter. Persuasion letter comes under formal letter type and follows certain formats like Full Block Style, Semi-Block Style, Modified Block Style and Modified Semi-Block Style. As mentioned earlier about the formal nature of letters of persuasion, you can include certain informal elements depending upon the need. While a persuasive letter may or may not be successful in its objective, it does raise awareness about the matter addressed. And it can act as a source of inspiration for others when you are addressing certain important social issues.
Depending upon the region where you live a Complaint Letter or a Sales Letter may be an interchangeable name for a Persuasive letter. Persuasion letter comes under formal letter type and follows certain formats like Full Block Style, Semi-Block Style, Modified Block Style and Modified Semi-Block Style. As mentioned earlier about the formal nature of letters of persuasion, you can include certain informal elements depending upon the need. While a persuasive letter may or may not be successful in its objective, it does raise awareness about the matter addressed. And it can act as a source of inspiration for others when you are addressing certain important social issues.
PERSUASIVE ESSAY
Persuasive
essay is an essay that is meant to convince the reader of
a writer's argument to agree with a given debatable issue. It is also known as
argument essay, it utilizes reason and logic to show that one idea is more
legitimate than another idea.
You are asked to write persuasive or argumentative essays for the CXC CSEC English A exam. This type of essay is presented in section 4, paper 2 of the English A exam.
One type of persuasive essay is
the essay where you are asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
the essay topic. Sometimes you are not asked outright to dicuss the advantages
and disadvantages but you have to do so anyway. The examiners expect that you
will understand when they say "discuss" you are to present arguments
'for' and 'against' the essay topic.
We have been advised that CXC does
not penalize CSEC English exam candidates for writing beyond the
suggested word limit for section 3 - the short story/ descriptive
essay, or for section 4 - the persuasive essay.
In a persuasive essay, it’s the writer’s job to convince the reader to accept a particular point of view or take a specific action. Persuasive essays require good research, awareness of the reader’s biases, and a solid understanding of both sides of the issue. A good persuasive essay demonstrates not only why the writer’s opinion is correct, but also why the opposing view is incorrect.
Persuasive writing is a fixture of modern life—found in advertising, newspaper editorials, blogs, and political speeches. Often persuasive writing assignments and test prompts concern contemporary issues, for example: “The school board is debating on whether or not to ban cell phone use in school. Write an essay convincing the board to adopt your position.” As shown in this persuasive writing prompt, the main purpose is not to inform, but to “persuade” or “convince” an audience (the school board) to think or act a certain way.
So to recap: For the CSEC
English A exam, you cannot go beyond the suggested word limit
for section 1- the summary question, but you can
go beyond the word limit for sections 3 and 4.
Tips on Writing a Persuasive Essay
Writing a persuasive essay is like being a lawyer arguing a case before a jury. The writer takes a stand on an issue—either “for” or “against”—and builds the strongest possible argument to win over the reader. In a persuasive essay, it’s the writer’s job to convince the reader to accept a particular point of view or take a specific action. Persuasive essays require good research, awareness of the reader’s biases, and a solid understanding of both sides of the issue. A good persuasive essay demonstrates not only why the writer’s opinion is correct, but also why the opposing view is incorrect.
Persuasive writing is a fixture of modern life—found in advertising, newspaper editorials, blogs, and political speeches. Often persuasive writing assignments and test prompts concern contemporary issues, for example: “The school board is debating on whether or not to ban cell phone use in school. Write an essay convincing the board to adopt your position.” As shown in this persuasive writing prompt, the main purpose is not to inform, but to “persuade” or “convince” an audience (the school board) to think or act a certain way.
Click on the link below for more tips on how to write a
persuasive essay
ACTIVITIES AND VIDEO ON PERSUASIVE ESSAY
For the most delicious, delectable,
delightful and delightful and distinctive taste
Try the new
STRAWBERRY BLAST
It’s a new sweet made from succulent
strawberries and kiwi
The new STRAWBERRY BLAST is a
delicate blend of flavourings and juices;
STRAWBERRY BLAST is fortified with all the essential vitamins and minerals necessary
for growth and development.
Its yummy and pleasant taste
designed to tantalize and please the palate and appetite has the kids coming
back for more!
And there’s even more!!
Its rich, luscious, fruity and
superb flavour renders it
Unbeatable
STRAWBERRY BLAST, a popular choice among sweet-lovers and children
The new STRAWBERRY BLAST is
ideal for kids’ treats and parties.
Parents, don’t delay; get this
mouth-watering and finger-licking treat for your kids today at an affordable
price!
1. Two persuasive devices used in
this advertisement are:
A. alliteration and repetition
B. exclamations and questions
C. repetition and rhyme and rhythm
D. alliteration and questions
2. STRAWBERRY
BLAST is written in bold to:
A. remind children to eat it
B. tell mothers to buy it
C. provide visual appeal
D. show the name of the fruit
3. The word ‘treat’ conveys a sense
of:
A. sweetness B. enjoyment C.
amusement D. delicacy
4. Which of the following phrases
suggest that the product is irresistible?
A. ‘yummy and pleasant taste’ B.
‘kids coming back for more’
C. ‘succulent strawberry and kiwi’
D. ‘kids’ treats and parties’
5. Which of the following pieces of
information from the advertisement is intended to be taken as factual?
A. fortified with all the essential
vitamins and minerals
B. ideal for kids’ treats and
parties
C. this mouth-watering treat
D. yummy and pleasant taste
6. An example of the writer’s use of
the sense of taste is:
A. the essential vitamins and minerals
B. necessary for growth and development
C. succulent strawberries and kiwi
D. ideal for kids’ treats and parties
7. The term STRAWBERRY BLAST
suggests:
A. a sudden loud sound produced by
forced air
B. a nutritious sweet made from
various fruits
D. a powerful, exciting and
enjoyable strawberry sweet
8. From the passage it can be
inferred that the product
A. is not enjoyed by sweet-lovers
and children
B. is expensive but the quality is
good
C. is widely consumed because of its
flavour
D. first choice for important
functions
9. Which of the following
expressions is an example of exclamation in the advertisement?
A. this mouth-watering and
finger-licking
B. at an affordable price!
C. delicious, delectable, delightful
D. luscious, fruity and superb
10. The advertisement is
specifically aimed at
A. lovers of snacks and fruits
B. fruitarians and strawberry lovers
C. health conscious persons
D. children, sweet-lovers and
parents
ADVERTISEMENT
An advertisement is a
notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service, or
event or publicizing a job vacancy.
Advertising is a non-personal form of
promotion that is delivered through selected media outlets that, under most
circumstances, require the marketer to pay for message placement. Advertising
has long been viewed as a method of mass promotion in that a single message can
reach a large number of people. But, this mass promotion approach presents
problems since many exposed to an advertising message may not be within the
marketer’s target market, and thus, may be an inefficient use of promotional
funds. However, this is changing as new advertising technologies and the
emergence of new media outlets offer more options for targeted advertising.
Advertising also has a history of being considered a one-way form of marketing communication where the message receiver (i.e., target market) is not in position to immediately respond to the message (e.g., seek more information). This too is changing. For example, in the next few years technologies will be readily available to enable a television viewer to click a button to request more details on a product seen on their favorite TV program. In fact, it is expected that over the next 10-20 years advertising will move away from a one-way communication model and become one that is highly interactive.
Another characteristic that may change as advertising evolves is the view that advertising does not stimulate immediate demand for the product advertised. That is, customers cannot quickly purchase a product they see advertised. But as more media outlets allow customers to interact with the messages being delivered the ability of advertising to quickly stimulate demand will improve.
Advertising also has a history of being considered a one-way form of marketing communication where the message receiver (i.e., target market) is not in position to immediately respond to the message (e.g., seek more information). This too is changing. For example, in the next few years technologies will be readily available to enable a television viewer to click a button to request more details on a product seen on their favorite TV program. In fact, it is expected that over the next 10-20 years advertising will move away from a one-way communication model and become one that is highly interactive.
Another characteristic that may change as advertising evolves is the view that advertising does not stimulate immediate demand for the product advertised. That is, customers cannot quickly purchase a product they see advertised. But as more media outlets allow customers to interact with the messages being delivered the ability of advertising to quickly stimulate demand will improve.
5 Tips for Writing an Advertisement
For an advertisement to
be effective, it should be able to catch the readers’ attention, keep them
curious for more, and lead them to buy the advertised product. You can write
effective ads by following these five short tips.
- 1. Use Short Sentences
Long
sentences will not sell your ad, let alone your product. People’s attention
span tends to drift fast these days, so don’t bore your readers with long
sentences. Instead, be direct and to the point.
- 2. Use Different Sentence Structures
Do not be
afraid to be creative in your writing. Employ different sentence structures
within your ad to keep your readers interested. The more varied your presentation is,
the less boring your ad becomes.
- 3. Keep Your Ad Short
You don’t
have to cram all the information you have into your ad. On the other hand, your
ad should make your readers curious and leave them wanting more. Short
ads will accomplish this for you.
- 4. Close With a Statement That Calls Your Reader to Action
If the
opening statement needs to catch attention, the closing statement should call
your readers to action. It should be written creatively enough so that the
readers will be interested to know more about your product and buy it.
- 5. Re-Read and Rewrite as Necessary
After you
have written your ad, read it again. Proofread your writing and rewrite as
necessary. The proofreading stage is just as important as the writing stage
because having errors in your ad easily destroys your credibility. Most people
ignore ads that have grammatical errors. If you are not an expert in English
proofreading and editing, then you can employ the help of English editing
software.
FIGURES OF SPEECH
A Figure of Speech is where
a word
or words are used to create an effect, often where they do not have their
original or literal meaning.
One meaning of "figure" is
"drawing" or "image" or "picture". Figurative
language creates figures (pictures) in the mind of the reader or listener.
These pictures help convey the meaning faster and more vividly than words alone.
Click on the link below to play game
REFERENCE:
One meaning of "figure" is
"drawing" or "image" or "picture". Figurative
language creates figures (pictures) in the mind of the reader or listener.
These pictures help convey the meaning faster and more vividly than words alone.
We use figures of speech in
"figurative language" to add colour and interest, and to awaken the
imagination. Figurative language is everywhere, from classical works like
Shakespeare or the Bible, to everyday speech, pop music and television
commercials. It makes the reader or listener use their imagination and
understand much more than the plain words.
Figurative language is the opposite of literal language.
Literal language means exactly what it says. Figurative language means
something different to (and usually more than) what it says on the surface:
- He ran fast. (literal)
- He ran like the wind. (figurative)
In the above example "like the
wind" is a figure of speech (in this case, a simile). It is important to
recognize the difference between literal and figurative language. There are
many figures of speech that are commonly used and which you can learn by heart.
At other times, writers and speakers may invent their own figures of speech. If
you do not recognize them as figures of speech and think that they are literal,
you will find it difficult to understand the language.
In this lesson we will look at a few common types of figure of speech:
ACTIVITIES, GAMES AND VIDEO ON FIGURE OF SPEECH
Choose the correct figure of speech.
1.
|
He was as brave as a
lion.
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
2.
|
"All the world's a
stage and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and
their entrances;" William Shakespeare: As you like it
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
3.
|
"Death lays its icy
hands on kings."
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
4.
|
"My luv is like a
red, red rose..."
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
5.
|
"Death! Where is
thy sting? O Grave! Where is thy victory?"
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
6.
|
He is a lion.
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
7.
|
The wind wrapped its icy
fingers around my body.
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
8.
|
The boat was tossed like
a cork on the waves.
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
9.
|
"Shall I compare
thee to a summer's day? Thou art more lovely and more
temperate:"Sonnet 18: William Shakespeare
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
10.
|
Blind justice was not on
his side.
|
A.
|
simile
|
B.
|
metaphor
|
C.
|
personification
|
Click on the link below to play game
REFERENCE:
No comments:
Post a Comment