Persuasive Elements
There are seven.
Logical appeal
 Emotional appeal
 Rhetorical questioning
 Parallelism
 Exclamation
 Repetition
 Restatement

 All
of these elements are used
TO PERSUADE.
Logical appeal

What is logic?

A proper or reasonable way of thinking about
or understanding something.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sghncnGkFAo
• How does Spock always prove he’s right?
Logical appeal

Logical appeal

Using facts, figures, numbers, tangible
evidence, charts, graphs, statistics to
persuade.
Logical appeal

If you’re giving a speech about why there
should be stricter laws regarding drunk
driving, what are some examples of facts
you might use to persuade people to take
your side?
“Every day in America, another 27
people die as a result of drunk driving
crashes” (NHTSA).
 How do facts hold up in arguments?

Emotional appeal

What are emotions?

A mental state that arises spontaneously
rather than through conscious effort and is
often accompanied by physiological changes;
a feeling.

How does this make you feel?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc

What is its purpose?
Emotional appeal

Using emotion, visuals,
stories, or anecdotes that
produce sadness, empathy,
or sympathy with the intent
of changing someone’s
opinions or feelings.

Look for stories and situations
that pull at your heart strings.
Emotional appeal

If you’re giving a speech
about why there should be
stricter laws regarding
drunk driving, what are
some examples of
emotions you might use to
persuade people to take
your side?


“In 2011, 226 children were killed
in drunk driving crashes. Of
those, 122 (54% percent) were
riding with the drunk driver”
(National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration).
How does this statistic make
you FEEL?
Rhetorical questioning

What is a rhetorical question?

A question that is asked in order to make a point.
The question is not posed to elicit a response, but
rather to encourage the listener to consider a
message or a viewpoint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCK6wQ0BoxI
What is the purpose of the questions asked in the
commercial?

Rhetorical questioning

If you’re giving a speech about why there
should be stricter laws regarding drunk driving,
what are some examples of questions you
might ask to persuade people to take your
side?
• Why are people continuously allowed to have a license if
they break the rules so many times?
Parallelism

What is parallelism?


The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the
beginning of several successive verses, clauses, or
paragraphs.
Examples:
• “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we
shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills"
• -Winston S. Churchill
• “Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night, the
Japanese attacked Wake Island.
And this morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.”
- FDR, Pearl Harbor Address
• What was the purpose of this speech? What was FDR trying to get
America to believe?
Parallelism

Can you spot it?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oehry1JC
9Rk
 “Maybe I understand…”
 “Somewhere I read…”

Parallelism

If you’re giving a speech about why there
should be stricter laws regarding drunk
driving, what are some examples of
parallelism you might use to persuade
people to take your side?

Try this one yourself! Take three minutes with
a partner to discuss. We will be sharing out.
Exclamation

What is exclamation?

Using charged words to excite, anger, or rally
the audience to action.
• Look for exclamation points and loud verbal
tones.
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pdWAcK6Eh8
Exclamation

If you’re giving a speech about why there
should be stricter laws regarding drunk
driving, what are some examples of
exclamation you might use to persuade
people to take your side?

Take a minute to think, then we’ll share out.
Repetition


What does it mean to repeat something?
What is repetition?

Using the exact same words to produce the exact
same idea.
• What is the effect?
• The effect is placing emphasis on key points or ideas one
wants the audience to focus on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooM-RGUTe2E
• What is the purpose? Is it persuasive?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yx9xO98kcBU
• What is the purpose? Is it persuasive?
Repetition

If you’re giving a speech about why there
should be stricter laws regarding drunk
driving, what are some examples of
repetition you might use to persuade
people to take your side?

What might you repeat?
Restatement


What does it mean to restate something?
What is restatement?



Using different words to produce the same idea.
Look for key points and main ideas to be restated
(using different words) but emphasizing the same
idea.
Example: “He's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased
to be! He's expired and gone to meet his maker! He's a stiff!
Bereft of life, he rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed him to the
perch he'd be pushing up the daisies! His metabolic processes
are now history! He's off the twig! He's kicked the bucket, he's
shuffled off his mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the
bleedin' choir invisible! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!”
Restatement

If you’re giving a speech about why there
should be stricter laws regarding drunk driving,
what are some examples of restatement you
might use to persuade people to take your
side?

For as long as cars have been around, drinking and
driving has been a danger. Countless lives are lost to
the senseless act of getting behind the wheel drunk.
Many families have been torn apart. Drinking and
driving is never safe.
Which elements are seen here?
Which elements are seen here?
Which elements are seen here?