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Understanding Persuasive Writing

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Understanding Persuasive Writing

Read the reef-boat message, then explore how writers persuade. Use evidence from the message and try the writing challenge.

A message from the reef

The research boat is heading back to shore. Ivy has written this message for the crew’s next meeting: Keep the reef clean: make reusable drink bottles part of every trip. Plastic bottles can drift overboard and break into tiny pieces that harm sea life. Reusable bottles are easy to refill on the boat, and they create less rubbish. Some crew members worry that washing bottles takes extra time. But a quick rinse after each trip is a small effort to protect a place we all depend on. Do we really want our rubbish floating beside the reef? Choose reusable bottles—less plastic, cleaner water, healthier wildlife.

Spot the persuasive choices

Use the message above to answer each question.

1.What does Ivy want the crew to do? Choose the best answer.

Stop taking research trips
Use reusable drink bottles on every trip
Wash the boat every day
Collect coral samples

2.Write Ivy’s position statement: the sentence that clearly gives her opinion or recommendation.

3.Which reason does Ivy give to support her position?

Reusable bottles make the boat travel faster
Plastic can harm sea life when it breaks into tiny pieces
The reef is too far away to visit
Bottles are difficult to refill

4.Match each persuasive technique to the example from Ivy’s message.

Emotive language
Rhetorical question
Repetition

“reusable bottles”
“healthier wildlife”
“Do we really want our rubbish floating beside the reef?”

5.In the phrase “a small effort to protect a place we all depend on”, which words are intended to make readers feel that the reef matters to everyone?

6.Ivy includes a concern some crew members might have. What is it, and how does she respond?

7.Which sentence is a rhetorical question—a question asked to make readers think rather than to get an answer?

“How many bottles are on the boat?”
“Do we really want our rubbish floating beside the reef?”
“When does the boat leave?”
“Who rinsed the bottles?”

8.True or false: Ivy’s message is persuasive because it gives a clear opinion and reasons to support it.

TrueFalse

9.Rewrite this weak position as a clear, confident recommendation: “Maybe the crew could possibly bring different bottles.”

10.Write a persuasive paragraph (3–4 sentences) asking the crew to take one practical action to protect the reef. Include a clear position, at least one reason, and one persuasive technique such as emotive language, repetition or a rhetorical question.