Emotional
Appeals of
Persuasion
Persuasive Writing
• When planning a persuasive essay, follow these steps
1. PURPOSE: Choose your position. Which side of the issue
or problem are you presenting, and what solution do you
see?
2. SUPPORT: Research your topic. A persuasive essay must
provide specific and convincing evidence. It is necessary to
go beyond your own knowledge; quote an expert, or find
statistics to illustrate your point.
3. STRUCTURE: Figure out what evidence you will include
and in what order you will present the evidence. Are you
addressing the opposition and discounting its validity?
Why are you ordering the information the way you are?
Types of
Emotional
Appeals
•Loaded Language
•Basic Needs
•Bandwagon
•Testimonial
•Snob Appeal
Persuasive
Writing
Loaded Language Approach
The loaded language
technique uses words
that cause a strong
feeling.
Once the reader is feeling
strongly, he or she may
be more likely to agree
with the writer.
The phrasing of “Prolife” insinuates that if
you are not pro-life, then
you must be “Prodeath.”
Persuasive Writing
Loaded Language Approach
• So if a mother doesn’t
choose “Jif” what does
that mean? She isn’t
choosy?
• How can a parent argue
with “it’s part of a
balanced nutritious
breakfast.” Isn’t that
what parents are always
nagging about?
Persuasive Writing
The basic needs technique tries to connect your
need for
Love
Safety and security
Convenience
Health
Money
with the writer’s opinion.
Persuasive Writing
Bandwagon Approach
The bandwagon technique
appeals to the reader’s need to
belong and to do what everyone is
doing.
Should you buy a
product just
because it is the
most popular?
Persuasive Writing
Testimonials
The testimonial technique
uses a famous person
or someone who looks
like a normal, average
person.
The testimonial tries to
connect the writer’s
opinion to the reader’s
feeling about this
person.
Persuasive Writing
Testimonials
• This man seems like a
normal, likeable guy.
• The text is written as if
he is talking directly to
the reader.
• The picture also uses
another emotional
appeal. Can you
identify it?
Persuasive Writing
Snob Appeal
• Snob appeal is a
technique that uses the
reader’s desire to be
better than others and
connects this feeling to
the writer’s opinion.
• “Better” can mean more
beautiful, more athletic,
smarter, or richer than
the average person.
Emotional Appeals in
Persuasive Writing
This advertisement
combines a number of
the emotional appeals
to sell this product.
What are they?
In conclusion…
• The use of the emotional appeal techniques
can be extremely effective in persuading the
reader to have an emotional connection to
your perspective.
• By combining powerful, convincing evidence
with the emotional appeals of persuasion, the
written word can have the power to sway a
person’s opinion.
Purpose of APA
formatting
1) APA formatting communicates source
information in a universal form
2) Gives credit for ALL information that is beyond
“common knowledge” or beyond your opinion.
3) Uses the formatting so that there is as minimal
of a disruption to the flow of the essay as
possible.
Works Cited (MLA)
Fogerty, Mignon. Grammar Girl. Holtzbrinck Publishers Holding, LLC. 2009.
web. 22 July 2010.
Guide to Grammar & Writing. Capitol Community College Foundation. 2004.
web. 22 July 2010.
Hacker, Diane. Rules for Writers. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008.
Print.
“Persuasive Writing.” Essay Info. 2010. Web. 13 Feb. 2011.
<http://essayinfo.com/essays/persuasive_essay.php>
Snively, Susan. “Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism.” Amherst College. Web. 18
Oct. 2010.
Strunk, William Jr. Elements of Style. Ithaca, NY: Bartleby, 1999. Print.
The Purdue OWL. Purdue U Writing Lab, 2010. Web. 22 July 2010
Making Writing Persuasive
Through Structure: Thesis
• A thesis statement for a persuasive essay
must take a stand!
1.NOT PERSUASIVE: Smoking is the leading
cause of lung cancer.
2. PERSUASIVE: Because smoking is the leading
cause of lung cancer, smoking needs to be illegal
in public places such as parks and entrances/exits
to public buildings.
Making Writing Persuasive
Through Structure: Thesis
• A thesis statement for a persuasive essay
must take a stand!
1.NOT PERSUASIVE: Texting while driving can be
dangerous.
2. PERSUASIVE: Since texting while driving is
dangerous, every state needs to enact laws and
stiff punishments for those who text while driving.
Making Writing Persuasive
Through Structure: Thesis
• A thesis statement for a persuasive essay
must take a stand!
• Three-Pronged Thesis
1.NOT PERSUASIVE: Overweight parents have
overweight or obese children.
2. PERSUASIVE: Because children learn from
seeing their parents’ eating habits, activity levels
and food choices, overweight parents need to
change their habits for their children.
Making Writing Persuasive
Through Structure: Evidence
• The following are different ways to support your
argument:
• Facts – Facts can come from your research,
observation, or personal experience (still don’t use “I”).
• Statistics – Numbers are very convincing. Be sure
your statistics come from responsible sources. And
always use in-text citations to cite your source
• Quotes - Direct quotes from experts that support your
position are invaluable.
• Examples – Examples make your ideas concrete by
providing a specific experience. They are the proof.