📝 Persuasive Language Techniques

🎭 Emotive Language

Definition: Words that create strong feelings or emotions in the reader.

Examples: devastating, brilliant, outrageous, incredible, shocking, wonderful, terrible, amazing, disgusting, fantastic

How to use it: "This devastating decision will destroy our community" instead of "This decision will affect our community"

❓ Rhetorical Questions

Definition: Questions asked for effect that don't need an answer - they make the reader think.

Examples:

• "How can we ignore this crisis?"

• "Is this really the future we want?"

• "Why should students suffer in silence?"

• "Don't we deserve better?"

🔁 Repetition

Definition: Repeating key words or phrases to emphasise your point.

Examples:

• "We need change. We need it now. We need it desperately."

• "Students deserve respect, deserve support, deserve a voice."

• "This policy is unfair, unnecessary, and unacceptable."

💪 Modal Verbs

Definition: Special verbs that show how certain, necessary, or possible something is.

Strong modals: must, should, will, cannot, have to

Softer modals: could, might, may, would, can

Examples:

• "Schools must provide better support" (very strong)

• "We should consider other options" (strong suggestion)

• "This could lead to problems" (possibility)

🎯 Quick Practice Activities

"The shocking news about the terrible conditions left students feeling devastated and outraged."

a) Students need more break time. → _________________________________

b) Homework is too stressful. → ____________________________________

Original: "This rule is unfair to students."

a) Students _______ (could/must/might) have a say in school decisions.

b) We _______ (may/should/can) work together to solve this problem.

📋 Reference Guide - Sentence Starters

Starting your argument:

• I strongly believe that...

• It is clear that...

• Without a doubt...

• The evidence shows that...

Adding reasons:

• Furthermore...

• In addition...

• Most importantly...

• Another crucial point is...

Concluding powerfully:

• Therefore, we must...

• The time for action is now...

• We cannot ignore...

• The choice is clear...

💡 Differentiation Support: Use this word bank as a reference during writing tasks. Highlight or tick off techniques as you use them in your persuasive writing!