Recommended Reading
Persuasive Writing:
How to convince a reader
Inspirational videos
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Jamie Oliver’s TED talk about obesity in America- fantastic example of how to persuade a sceptical audience. Many of the techniques he uses in his speech can be easily transferred to writing.
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Dragon’s Den on BBC- entrepreneurs pitch to business moguls for investment with varying degrees of success. Watch a few clips on BBC iplayer for how/how not to persuade
Activity
Think about how you convince someone to do something. If you want your parent to give you money to go out or are trying to get a teacher to postpone a test, what do you say? What language and phrases do you use to put forward your case?
10 Top Tips for Persuasive Writing
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Assume that that your reader knows nothing about the issue. This will encourage you to use clear language.
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Tailor your language to your audience. Use words and phrases that will appeal to their concerns and motivations.
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Tell a story or use your words to paint an image in your reader’s mind e.g. ‘Imagine this...’ Readers will connect to personal stories.
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Use short and snappy language.
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Try to be original. Controversial or shocking ideas can be a powerful persuasive tool. Think about how charities ask for donations e.g. NSPCC’s Full Stop Campaign. Use statistics to support your points.
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Be passionate and emotive. Readers like to feel that the writer cares about their subject e.g. ‘I feel that...’, You should care about this because...’
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Use inclusive language- try to make your readers feel part of your idea e.g. ‘Here is what we can achieve together’, ‘If you support this idea then we can make a difference’
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A key way to persuade is to outline an effect then describe the consequence e.g. if a child doesn’t have clean water then they are more likely to contract cholera. Give the problem but also suggest the solution. How do you want the reader to respond to your writing?
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Have a clear structure. Persuasive writing normally has a central message but that may be expressed through a simple 3 point plan.
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Use persuasive phrases.
