persuasive devices Flashcards
(20 cards)
alliteration
repetition of a consonant, especially at the start of words
Gains attention; adds emphasis
draws attention to key words
anecdote
A story about someone or something that the writer has experienced or heard about
- Personal experience leads weight/credibility to the writer’s viewpoint
- Gives a human angle, making the issue seem more relevant or ‘real’
Appeal to family values
Suggests that families are good, especially traditional nuclear families
- Invokes the reader’s desire for emotional security and a protective, nurturing environment for children
- Can be implicit when anti-social behaviour is blamed on broken or dysfunctional families
Appeal to fear and insecurity
Arouses fear and anxiety by suggesting that harmful or unpleasant effects will follow.
- Makes the reader want to lessen the threat to themselves or society by taking the writers advice
- Plays on peoples fears
Appeal to the hip-pocket nerve
Suggests that we should pay the least amount possible, either individually or as a society
Positive impact: makes the reader pleased about getting value for money
Negative impact: makes the reader annoyed about paying too much or about the misuse of money.
Appeal to loyalty and patriotism
Suggests that we should be loyal to our group and love our country
- Invokes feelings of pride, a shared identity and a common purpose
- Often uses inclusive language to emphasise these feelings
Appeal to tradition and custom
Suggest the traditional customs are valuable and should be preserved
- Traditional customs have positive associations
- Often compared positively with ‘modern’ lifestyles to make us feel we are losing social cohesion
Attacks and Praise
Attacks or praises an individual group
Attack: positions us to think badly of the person and therefore to dismiss their ideas or viewpoint
Praise: makes us regard the person and therefore their ideas or viewpoint sympathetically
Cliches
Overused phrase quickly understood by a wide audience
- Reassures the reader through a familiar expression
- Lulls the reader into an uncritical mindset
- Often has a comic effect. This can produce a light-hearted, amusing tone or a sarcastic critical tone
Emotive language
Language that has a strong emotional impact. Uses the positive and negative connotations of words to influence the reader’s response
- Encourages the reader to respond on an emotional level
- The reader’s emotional response positions them to share the writers viewpoint
Evidence
The use of facts and figures to suggest a rational or scientific basis for a point of view
- Makes the writer’s viewpoint seem objective rather than subjective/personal
Exaggeration, overstatement and hyperbole
Exaggerates the true situation for dramatic impact
Hyperbole uses a figure of speech to do this
- Attracts the reader’s attention through a surprising or extreme claim
Generalisation
A sweeping statement that suggests what is true for most of all
-Appeals to a widely held belief or prejudice
Graphs and diagrams
Evidence presented in a visual form
- Uses a visual presentation to give a clear picture of a situation
Inclusive language
Uses “we”, “our”, “us” to include the readers in the same group as the writer
- The sense of belonging to the same group positions the reader to share the same ideas as others within the group
- Invokes our desire not to be ‘left out’ or regarded as an outsider
Metaphor and Simile
Figures of speech that identify a similarity between two different things. A simile uses ‘as if’ or ‘like’.
- Creates a striking image, often working on an emotional level
- Often witty: more engaging than dry description
Pun
A play on a word that suggests a double meaning
Often plays on a word with similar sound but different spelling
- Often used in a headline to grab the reader’s attention
Reason and Logic
Used to link together and develop an argument in support of the main contention
- Suggest that the writer’s viewpoint is true and not just their opinion or emotional response
- Make the argument ‘watertight’ so opposing viewpoints seem less convincing
Repetition
Using a word or phrase several times
- Emphasises the main point or key term
Rhetorical Question
A question with an implied but unstated answer
- Forces the reader to supply the answer and see things from the writer’s perspective
- Implies the answer’s self-evident and therefore correct
