Persuasive Techniques

Modern politicians often make use of this ancient technique to hammer home a point. The repetition can have a empathic, powerful, confident, effect.

Tony Blair used it in his 'Education, education, education? speech, Julius Caesar used it in 'I came, I saw, I conquered', and Winston Churchill rallied the country with '...We shall fight them on the beaches, we shall fight on the ladning grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills...'

"Foxhunting is cruel, it is barbaric and it encourages mindless bloodlust.

Foxes are the victims of this mindless 'sport', their cubs are the victims of this thuggish 'sport', and the countryside, its people, its fields and its wildlife, the countryside, as a whole, is the true victim of this thuggish, mindless, and murderous 'sport'."

Why should you use questions in an argumentative or persuasive piece?

Well, because questions help to engage the reader in your text, they make the readers thank for themselves.

What is the effect of the questions there?

How does the writer follow them up?

Answering your own questions can also create the sense of you responding to the reader. This shows the examiner you are aware of the audience and are trying to shape and affect its response.

Third person address: Using the pronoun 'you' as if you are speaking directly to the reader.

Using the language of logical arguments: Propositions are opening statements that you are going to develop upon: 'If fox hunting is cruel then so surely is fishing...' Other useful words/phrases include 'but', 'clearly', 'obviously', consequently', 'therefore','in fact', 'hence', 'the result'.

Emotive language: Try improving on the following by appealing to the emotions of the reader and by using stronger, more charge and descriptive language: 'Imagine yourself as the fox being chased and eventually killed horribly'.