PERSUASIVE DEVICES

IN
SPEAKING/WRITING
WHAT IS A PERSUASIVE
SPEECH?
• A persuasive speech is a specific type of
speech in which the speaker has a goal of
convincing the audience to accept his or her
point of view. The speech is arranged in such
a way as to hopefully cause the audience to
accept all or part of the expressed view.
Though the overarching goal of a persuasive
speech is to convince the audience to accept
a perspective, not all audiences can be
convinced by a single speech and not all
perspectives can persuade the audience. The
success of a persuasive speech is often
measured by the audience’s willingness to
consider the speaker’s argument.
Components of a Persuasive Speech

• While ethos is an essential part of a persuasive speech, pathos

and While a speaker can attempt to establish ethos, or
credibility, with an audience, it is ultimately assigned to them
based on the audience’s perception. If the audience does not
perceive the speaker as a credible source on the topic about
which they are speaking, they will ultimately have a hard time
considering the speaker’s argument.
• The logos in a speech, or logical appeals, are arguments that
present a set of information and show why a conclusion must
rationally be true. For example, arguments heard in court are
logical arguments.
Components of a
Persuasive Speech
• Pathos, emotional appeals, are appeals that
seek to make the audience feel a certain way
so that they will accept a conclusion.
Negative political ads, for example, often
incorporate emotional appeals by juxtaposing
an opponent with a negative emotion such as
fear
• logos are usually combined to form the best
possible argument.
 • Using an attention grabbing device is a powerful
way to begin a persuasive speech. If you can
make your audience laugh, think about a
personal experience, or tell an anecdote that
produces emotion, they are more likely to listen
to the content of your argument. Additionally,
HOW TO keeping a speech within 6-8 minutes makes the
audience less likely to let their mind wander
SUCCEED away from what you are saying.
• The effectiveness of a persuasive speech also
depends on factors beyond the words of the
speech. The willingness of the audience to accept
a new view, the body language of the speaker,
and the environment in which the speech is given
all can affect the success of a persuasive speech.
 • A successful speaker will do their best to
establish strong ethos with their
HOW TO audience, and combine pathos and logos
to form the best possible argument.
SUCCEED Audience analysis is an important factor
when giving a persuasive speech. For
example, if a speaker is trying to convince
the audience not to tell their children
about Santa Claus, using arguments that
relate and resonate with them, such as
encouraging them to remember how
they felt when they discovered he wasn’t
real, will be more successful than if the
speaker shared a negative personal
experience of their own.
The Goals of a • Convincing
Persuasive Speech: • A convincing speech is designed to
Convincing, cause the audience to internalize and
Actuation, and believe a viewpoint that they did not
Stimulation previously hold. In a sense, a
convincing argument changes the
audience’s mind. For example,
suppose you are giving a persuasive
speech claiming that Coke is better
than Pepsi. Your goal is not just for
the audience to hear that you enjoy
Coke more, but for Pepsi lovers to
change their minds.
 • Actuation
The Goals of a
• An actuation speech has a slightly
Persuasive different goal. An actuation speech is
Speech: designed to cause the audience to do
Convincing, something, to take some action. This
type of speech is particularly useful if
Actuation, and the audience already shares some or
Stimulation all of your view. For example, at the
end of presidential campaigns,
candidates begin to focus on
convincing their supporters to
actually vote. They are seeking to
actuate the action of voting through
their speeches.
 • Stimulation
The Goals of a • Persuasive speeches can also be used to
Persuasive enhance how fervently the audience believes
in an idea. In this instance, the speaker
Speech: understands that the audience already
Convincing, believes in the viewpoint, but not to the
degree that he or she would like. As a result,
Actuation, and the speaker tries to stimulate the audience,
making them more enthusiastic about the
Stimulation view. For example, religious services often
utilize stimulation. They are not trying to
convince those of another religion to switch
religions necessarily; there is an
understanding that the congregation already
accepts part or all of the religion. Instead,
they are trying to enhance the degree of
belief.
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES
FOR SPEECHES:

• Rhetorical questions
• Personal anecdotes
• Tricolon
• Inclusive language
• Emotive language
 • 1. Rhetorical questions
5 PERSUASIVE • A rhetorical question is a question
that you ask for dramatic effect,
TECHNIQUES instead of acquiring answers.
FOR • This is one of the most commonly
SPEECHES: used persuasive techniques for
speeches because it is so
effective at engaging your
audience.
• However, overusing rhetorical
techniques can also make your
speech sound too repetitive and
uncertain. So, you need to find the
right balance!
 • 1. Force your audience to think
For example, “What do you think the
5 PERSUASIVE world will look like in 50 years?“
2. Emphasise a specific point
TECHNIQUES
• You can use rhetorical questions to
FOR emphasise your previous statement.
SPEECHES: This will make your audience think
hard about the importance of what
you said and agree with you.
• 3. Evoke emotions
• Let’s change the statement, “Future
generations will never see tigers or
polar bears again” into a rhetorical
question.
 • 2. Personal anecdotes
5 PERSUASIVE • A personal anecdote is a short story
about an experience in your life.
TECHNIQUES • It is usually provocative, interesting,
FOR humorous, shocking, and/or touching… You
name it!
SPEECHES: • If you watch any TED talk, you will see
that all their speakers use personal
anecdotes. Sometimes this lasts for a
minute or two. Sometimes this goes on
for 10 or 20 minutes.
• However, this doesn’t mean that you
should also make your whole 5-6 minute
speeches into a personal anecdote.
• Use it sparingly but effectively. We will
show you how!
 • 1. Have a message
• You can’t just use a personal
5 PERSUASIVE anecdote because you want to tell a
TECHNIQUES story. It needs to have a message
that supports your thesis. This way,
FOR you’re clearly showing your audience
what is beneficial or not through your
SPEECHES: own experiences.
• Which helps you convince them to
believe your speech!
• So, select a story that supports your
argument and hammer down your
message by telling the audience what
you learned at the end of your
anecdote.
5 PERSUASIVE
TECHNIQUES
• 2. Use it with purpose
FOR • Where you place your anecdote in
SPEECHES: your speech will determine it’s
purpose.
• a. Introduce a complex idea
• Use your anecdote at the
beginning of your speech to set
the stage.
5 PERSUASIVE • You need to use an anecdote in the
early stages of your speech, then
TECHNIQUES consistently refer to parts of your
FOR anecdote throughout the speech. This
will continually remind your audience
SPEECHES: about the message in your anecdote.
• d. Hammer down your message
• Use an anecdote at the closing of
your speech to hammer down your
thesis. This is a good opportunity to
highlight what you have learned from
your experiences and show your
audience that they can do the same.
 • 3. Be descriptive
5 PERSUASIVE • The audience wants to feel what you felt in your
story. They want to know what you were thinking.
TECHNIQUES • Describe what you saw, heard, smelt or felt. Tell
them what you thought!
FOR •
SPEECHES: • 4. But be authentic
• Don’t confuse descriptiveness with lack of
authenticity. Your whole speech will lose
credibility when your personal anecdotes sound
unrealistic.
• So, you mustn’t exaggerate or make up a story.
Your audience wants to know what you
experienced, not what you’re imagining.
• Also, use a conversational tone and easy
everyday language. This will make it sound more
realistic and relatable.
5 PERSUASIVE • Here is an example. Which one of
TECHNIQUES these statements seems more
authentic.
FOR 1.“I helped my ma pick tomatoes“
SPEECHES: 2.“I helped my mother pick Solanum
Lycopersicum.“
• The first statement is much easier
to understand and relatable. The
second statement is confusing
and remove the element of
relatability.
5 PERSUASIVE • 3. Tricolon
TECHNIQUES • A tricolon is another very
FOR commonly used persuasive
techniques for speeches.
SPEECHES:
• However, they are effective at
convincing your audience because
they leave a strong, lasting
impression on your audience.
• So, a tricolon basically refers to a
set of 3 words, phrases or clauses.
5 PERSUASIVE • For example, let’s see which
statement is more memorable:
TECHNIQUES
1.They killed the dog and stole the
FOR TV and car.
SPEECHES: 2.They killed the dog. They stole the
TV. They took the car.
• Notice how the 2nd statement is
much more interesting and
memorable!
• So, let’s see the all different ways
we can use tricolon:
5 PERSUASIVE
• 1. Words
• You can use a set of 3 different or repetitive words:

TECHNIQUES
• On its own:
• eg. Live. Life. Love.
• eg. No. No. No!

FOR • In a sentence:
• eg. “[The phoenix] recreate us, when we are torn, hurt and even

SPEECHES: •
destroyed” (Doris Lessing, On Not Winning a Nobel Prize Speech)
eg. “Good women who do good things for good reasons” (Margaret
Atwood, Spotty Handed Villainesses Speech)
•
• 2. Phrase
• You can also use a tricolon by making a set of 3 different or repetitive
phrases:
• On its own:
• eg. After all this time, nothing has changed. After all this time, people
are still suffering. After all this time, we are still learning.
• In a sentence:
• eg. “It is spending the sweat of its labourers, the genius of its
scientists, the hopes of its children.“ (Dwight Eisenhower, Chance for
Peace Speech)
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:
• 3. Clause
• Another way to use tricolon is making a set of 3 different or
repetitive clauses:
• On its own:
• “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” (Benjamin
Franklin)
• “We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers. We practised
discrimination and exclusion.” (Paul Keating, Redfern Speech”
• In a sentence:
• eg. “We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we
shall fight with growing confidence” (Winston Churchill, We Shall Fight
on the Beaches Speech)
• Note: Repeating the beginning of successive sentences in also
known as anaphora
 5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• 4. Inclusive language
• Inclusive language refers to pronouns that include your audience like 1st and 2nd person pronouns.
• They are persuasive because they directly engage with your audience, and give them a sense of
responsibility and inclusivity.
• So, let’s examine the different ways we can use inclusive pronouns:
•
• 1. “Us”
• Everyone loves to feel included. So, using first-person plural pronouns is a great way to engage your
audience and extend your message to them as well.
• These include “us” and “we”.
• For example, which statement sounds more convincing?
1.People must take action to stop climate change!
2.We must take action to stop climate change!
• The 2nd one of course! This is because using inclusive pronouns make the audience feel
responsible and included in your speech.
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• 2. “Us and them”

• The ‘us and them paradigm’ is one of the most effective
techniques to convince your audience to act one way and not
the other.
• So, how does it work?
• Let’s view an example from JK Rowling’s The Fringe Benefits of
Failure and the Power of Imagination Speech to help us
understand this.
• “They can refuse to hear screams or to peer inside cages.” vs “We
have the power to imagine better.”
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• Here, we see that Rowling clearly categories 2 types of people;

• Them: The people who lack empathy and aren’t willing to help
others
• Us: The people who have the power to help and are willing to do
it
• By using this paradigm, she excludes her audience from the
unfavourable group and aligns them in the favourable group.
• Therefore, she convinces the audience to believe in her
message because she places faith in them.
• This is how you should use the us and them paradigm.
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• 2. “You”
• Using 2nd person pronouns like “you” is very provocative. It
excludes you (the speaker) from the audience.
• So, it is not a good idea to use 2nd person pronouns when you
are trying to convince them to do something.
• Why? Well, let’s view an example.
1.We need to start planting more trees to help!
2.You need to start planting more trees to help!
• See how the 2nd person pronoun places the blame on the
audience? This will make them less convinced to act because
you made them feel inferior to you (the speaker).
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• Instead, you should use 2nd person pronouns to provoke

thought and/or questions or to confirm positive characteristics.
• For example, “You are all intelligent people.” or “Have you ever
felt this way before?”
• Notice how these sentences are still provocative, but it doesn’t
place the blame on the audience? This is how you should use
2nd person language.
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• 5. Emotive language
• Emotive language is another one of the most effective
persuasive techniques for speeches.
• Why?
• Well, emotive language refers to the particular selection of
words and phrases that appeal to the audience’s pathos… in
other words, emotions.
• For example, let’s examine Sir William Deane’s speech, It is Still
Winter at Home.
5 PERSUASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR SPEECHES:

• “Their loss is a profound tragedy for their families and friends”

• “Their deaths represent probably the greatest single peacetime
loss of young Australians.”
• Now, let’s remove the emotive language from these lines and
see the difference:
• The deaths are hard for their families and friends.
• Many Australians died in the incident.
• See how there are no longer any emotions or ‘life’ in the speech
without emotive language [pun not intended]. We are no longer
concerned with the speech.
• So, how can we use emotive language in our speeches?
WHAT IS PERSUASIVE WRITING?

• Persuasive writing is a form of argumentative writing that presents

logical arguments with emotional appeal in order to sway readers to a
particular point of view. Where an argumentative essay introduces
both sides of a debate and allows the reader to make an informed
choice, a persuasive essay is about the inclusion of information that
supports your thesis statement, only involving counterarguments as a
means to discredit them.
• Persuasive pieces appear in various forms of marketing.
Advertisements often tug on heartstrings to influence people to buy a
product or service. Health magazines publish columns about new
must-try diets. Travel brochures convince you where the next
trendiest vacation spot is. Persuasive writing is everywhere, but the
writing process is not as simple as just sharing an opinion.
8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing

1.Pick a topic you’re passionate about. You’ll do your best persuading

when it’s something you truly believe in. If you have the option to
pick a topic, choose one that appeals to your own sensibilities. There
will be research to do regardless, but already having a strong opinion
about your subject will make its defense a bit easier.
2.Know your audience. If you want to convince readers to believe and
agree with you, know who you’re talking to first. For example, if
you’re writing a persuasive letter about why standardized testing
should be removed from school systems, your audience will likely be
parents: Keep that in mind when writing to your targeted
demographic.
8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing
3. Hook the reader’s attention. A persuasive writer should present their
opinion with a declarative statement that clearly expresses their point
of view. Starting with a fact, research findings, or any other evidence
that explicitly states information supportive of your thesis will
immediately clue the reader in to what the essay will be about, what
your position is, and if they’re interested enough to read on to see if
they’ll be on your side.
•
8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing
4. Research both sides. In order to convince the reader to agree with
you, you also have to know what you’re trying to get them to disagree
with. Your audience may be completely stuck in their ways, so knowing
both sides of your argument—and how to effectively counter the
opposition—will assuage any followup questions a reader may have
that can cast doubt on your position.
 8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing
5.Be empathetic. An effective persuasion technique is the use of empathy.
A reader is more inclined to believe you if they feel like you can relate to
and understand their experiences. Emotional appeal is important for
persuasive writing, as it targets the audience’s sensitivities, while also
providing a logical explanation for why their beliefs should change.

6. Ask rhetorical questions. Presenting questions that the reader will be

forced to answer for themselves later on is another good persuasive
strategy, especially when the information provided to help make that
decision is supportive of your point of view.
8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing
7.Emphasize your point. The use of exaggeration in order to express
urgency, exclusivity, or just to make a point is another useful persuasive
technique. Hyperbolic statements aren’t meant to be taken literally, but
are used instead to convey an impactful image. For example, if you’re
attempting to persuade a reader not to go to a restaurant, you might
say their bad service “nearly starved you to death.” Although likely
untrue, it still creates a vivid picture. In marketing, another example is
Disney’s slogan: “The happiest place on Earth.” It’s a subjective
statement that makes use of hyperbole to immediately create a
desirable feeling for its audience—children and their parents.
8 Tips for Better Persuasive Writing
• Repeat yourself. Strategic repetition can be an effective way to
gradually remind the reader of your message. Finding different ways
to make the same point by use of rephrasing, true stories, metaphors,
or other literary devices all serve to reinforce your point without
bogging down the reader with repetitiveness.
QUESTIONS