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What is emotive language ?
Emotive language is the deliberate use of
strong words to play on the reader’s
feelings. Such words can be used to evoke
strong emotional responses in order to
pressure, even coerce, readers to agree.
Are all examples of emotive words!
How does it persuade?
When writers and speakers use stronger words than normal to draw
attention to an issue, they bring into play an element of exaggeration.
A helpful strategy to understand the full impact of very strong words is
to substitute strongly emotive words with other words, then to look at
how that changes the impact of the language. For example, “Swearing is a
vile habit” changes if we say “Swearing is a bad habit”. The former
argument is clearly more powerful, it draws the message across and is
more emotional than the second statement that is
critical yet does not express overtones of disgust.
In (tone adjective) news article published in
Words/phrases in this article The Herald Sun, Peter Rolfe argues that there
such as;
is a growing number of women who are
becoming speeding drivers.
•“Lead-footed hoonettes”
•“Female petrolheads”
•“Illegal drag meets”
•“Flouting the law”
•“Major issue”
•“Slammed into a power-pole”
•“Highway pursuits”
•“Laud their behaviour”
•“Alarming trends”
•“Busted weekly”
Rolfe evokes a feeling of alarm in
the reader using the emotive
language ‘petrolheads’ and
‘lipstick leadfoots’ to describe the
drivers. By incorporating
exaggerated language, it persuades
the reader to feel negatively about
female (hoon) drivers.
Source; Herald Sun
Words/phrases in this article
such as;
•“Miserly $108”
•“Desperately short”
•“Giant price hikes”
•“Shocking neglect”
•“Labor failed”
•“A mere $55”
•“Rejected the claim”
•“Overhaul”
•“Bills are likely to soar”
Source; Herald Sun
In a passionate and
outraged news article
published in The Herald
Sun, Stephen McMahon
emphasises the lack of
government funding for
Victoria’s water supply and
its inevitable impact on
household water bills.
By highlighting the ‘shocking
neglect’ of the government
and stating that bills are likely
to ‘soar’, McMahon generates
a feeling of anger towards the
government and concern about
poor water infrastructure.
Words/phrases in this article
such as;
•“Notorious criminal”
•“Enjoying free rein”
•“Special powers”
•“Life of violent crime”
•“Victims”
•“Crime advocate”
•“Money before morality”
•“Thug for life”
Positions the audience to agree
with the writer, and persuade the
reader to feel disgusted at this
man. Also to be disappointed
with the government for not
doing something about it/him.
Source; Herald Sun
Change the following sentence using….
emotive language.
The dog ate the human head off the body.
The dog MAULED the human head right
off the INNOCENT body.
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