Features of

Persuasive Texts
MARLON D. NUEVO
SST-III, English
What will you do?

You are hanging out with a group of friends and

suddenly you all decided to go grab dinner? Trouble
is, you're all in the mood for different kinds of food.
One person wants pizza, another wants burgers, and
you really, really want Chinese foods. Someone has
to step up and convince the others, and you decide
that person is you. What will you do to effectively
convince your friends that Chinese food is the best
choice?

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What is a persuasive text?

A persuasive text is any text where the main

purpose is to present a point of view and seeks to
persuade a reader.

A persuasive text is a written argument that tries to

convince you to believe or do something.

A persuasive text can be an argument, exposition,

discussion, review or even an advertisement.

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How is a persuasive text
structured?

A persuasive text is organised to include a

‘statement of position’, ‘arguments’ and a
‘reinforcement of position statement’
The statement of position gives an overview of the
argument and reveals the position to be argued.
Next is the arguments section which is a series of points
with supporting evidence. Here is where you try to
convince the reader into believing your point of view on a
particular issue. As a basis, you should have at least
three main argument points and can include more if
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necessary.
How is a persuasive text
structured?

A persuasive text is organised to include a

‘statement of position’, ‘arguments’ and a
‘reinforcement of position statement’

After you have put forth your arguments you then need
to sum up. In this section you will strongly repeat what
you believe in with a summary of your argument points.

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Features of a Persuasive Text

1. Present tense – consider the singular and plural

form of the verb
2. Connectives and conjunctions – to connect ideas
3. Powerful verbs – use action words in an active
voice
4. Single exclamation marks – decide one only
5. Strong adjectives – colourful and imaginative
descriptive words
6. Emotive words – words which can touch
emotions
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Features of a Persuasive Text

7. Paragraphs – one paragraph in one idea

8. Repeated words – for words to emphasize
9. Rhetorical questions – question to be posed as a
guide in discussing ideas
10. Exaggeration – may use hyperbole for an
important idea to emphasize
11. Facts and statistics – are pieces of information,
data, facts and figures as evidences to support
12. Personal pronouns – be consistent of the first,
second, or third person used
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Getting a good start

Persuasive texts need to make a point, or

persuade the reader to agree with a particular
point of view. As such, their introductions need to
be clear and summarise the main message. The
writer may use a title that is bold, inspiring or
controversial. They must engage the reader and
their emotions so that they want to keep on reading.

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 Getting a good start

Some interesting ways to grab a reader’s attention in persuasive

texts are to:
• use a title with powerful language
– Students injured in another sporting tragedy
– Government fails to solve environmental disaster
• start the introduction with a rhetorical question
– Why on earth would anyone want to use public transport?
– What’s so good about dogs?
• start the introduction with highly emotive language
– It is obvious that people have been ignoring playground
safety for far too long.
– Quite clearly people in the local area are fed up with the
lack of action 9
 Getting a good start

Some interesting ways to grab a reader’s attention in persuasive

texts are to:
• start the introduction by using personal pronouns to involve
the reader
– I am certain that you wouldn’t agree with the ridiculous idea
that cats make better pets than dogs.
– You have got to be joking if you think that it is safe for young
children to be riding dirt bikes!
• start the introduction with a clear statement of the topic
– Each year countless animal species are added to the world’s
endangered list.
– Climate change is constantly in the news, but there are still
people who disagree over what causes it and how its effects
can be slowed. 10
Features of a Persuasive Text

Triumphant Return Ten Years After

Ten years ago this month, a gigantic forest park was a
sea of flames. The news media and politicians fanned the
flames even higher. The park was devastated – devastated!
Night after night, horrific images of ash and flame flashed
across TV screens. One evening after showing an enormous
expanse of blackened forest, network news anchor concluded:
“This is what’s left of the park tonight.” But guess what? Fire
didn’t destroy the park.
Ten years later, we realize fire had the opposite effect.
Fire rejuvenated the park. Wildlife is healthy. Tourism is
thriving. Biodiversity is booming. New forests are rising from
the ashes of old ones. The recovery is so dramatic. It
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deserves a closer look.
Features of a Persuasive Text

In April and May, as fires raged across the park,

business owners fumed. “Our future is ruined,” they said.
Tourism is dead. But today, tourism is very much alive. It has
set numerous visitation records. Fire has not repelled tourists;
it has attracted them –-just as it attracts many species of
wildlife.
Ten years later, the number one question asked of
naturalists remain: “What are the effects of the fires?” The
answer is simple: The fires were therapeutic. Not one has
concluded the fires were harmful. That sounds too good to be
true. But it is. The science is there to prove it.

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 Ten years ago this month, a gigantic forest park was a
sea of flames. The news media and politicians fanned the
flames even higher. The park was devastated –
devastated!

13
 Night after night, horrific images of ash and flame flashed
across TV screens. One evening after showing an enormous
expanse of blackened forest, network news anchor
concluded: “This is what’s left of the park tonight.”

14
 But guess what? Fire didn’t destroy the park. Ten
years later, we realize fire had the opposite effect. Fire
rejuvenated the park. Wildlife is healthy. Tourism is
thriving. Biodiversity is booming. New forests are rising
from the ashes of old ones. The recovery is so dramatic.
It deserves a closer look.

15
 In April and May, as fires raged across the park,
business owners fumed. “Our future is ruined,” they said.
Tourism is dead. But today, tourism is very much alive. It
has set numerous visitation records. Fire has not
repelled tourists; it has attracted them –-just as it attracts
many species of wildlife.

16
 Ten years later, the number one question asked of
naturalists remain: “What are the effects of the fires?”
The answer is simple: The fires were therapeutic. Not
one has concluded the fires were harmful. That sounds
too good to be true. But it is. The science is there to
prove it.

17
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