Persuasive techniques and how to analyse them
Identify persuasive techniques and explain how a specific choice supports an argument for its intended audience.
By ATARMAxxing · Updated
What makes a technique persuasive?
A persuasive technique helps a writer or speaker make a case. Inclusive language can invite a group to share responsibility. A contrast can frame one choice as preferable. An appeal to authority can add credibility when the source is relevant and trustworthy.
How do you connect the technique to the argument?
Imagine a local councillor saying: “We already fund a bus to the station. Extending its route to the library would give students a safe way home.” The inclusive “we” connects the proposal to an existing council commitment. The reference to a safe trip invites councillors to judge the extension through a concern relevant to families.
Name the argument, quote a small detail and explain what it asks that audience to value or accept. Describe the intended effect with language such as “invites” or “frames”.
How should you analyse an image alongside the words?
Identify what the image directs the audience to notice. Explain how the image adds evidence, changes the emphasis or introduces a tension in the written or spoken argument. Use a precise visual detail, such as framing or placement.