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Persuasive Writing
Persuasive writing attempts to inform, persuade, and convince
readers to agree with the writer’s point of view.
Types of Persuasive Writing
• Advertisements• Billboards• Newspapers editorials• Speeches• Reviews
What is an Argument?
• An effective argument clearly makes a claim or states a position on an issue and supports it with good evidence and logical reasoning.
• It also presents opposing views and explains their weaknesses.
Strategies for Reading
• Look for a statement of the main issue or problem and the author’s position on it.
• Evaluate the evidence -- facts, statistics, and opinions -- that support and that oppose the author’s position.
Tracing an Author’s Argument
• Mapping the structure of an argument can help you read the argument critically and decide if it is convincing.
• Be sure to include the following elements:– Author’s position on issue– Statements supporting author’s position– Evidence given to support author’s position– Statements against author’s position– Evidence given to support those statements– Author’s conclusion
Evaluating Reasoning
• To be convincing, a proposal or other persuasive statement must show sound reasoning.
• There are four types of unsound reasoning to watch out for: overgeneralization, the either-or fallacy, the cause-and-effect fallacy, and circular reasoning.
Overgeneralization
• An overgeneralization is a broad statement that says something is true for every case, with no exceptions.
• Overgeneralizations often include the words all, none, everyone, no one, any, and anyone.
• Ex. Every school official who cares about students supports video monitoring.
Either-Or Fallacy
• The either-or fallacy states that there are only two possible ways to view a situation or only two options to choose from.
• Either-or fallacies often include the words either…or.
• Ex. Either video monitors are installed in the school, or students will be injured.
Cause-and-Effect Fallacy
• In the cause and effect fallacy, the writer makes the assumption that because one event follows another, the second event was caused by the first one.
• Ex. Westview School cut security staff, and two students fell down the stairs and were seriously injured.
Circular Reasoning
• Circular reasoning is an attempt to support a statement by simply repeating it in other words. (It does not include supporting facts)
• Ex. Using video cameras to monitor school hallways is good because it feels right.
Fact and Opinion
•A fact is a statement that can be proved.
•An opinion is a statement that cannot be proved.
Stereotyping
•A stereotype is a generalization about a group of people that doesn’t take individual differences into account.
Bias
•Bias is a preference for one side of an argument.
Propaganda
•Propaganda is a form of communication that may use distorted, false, or misleading information.
Emotional Appeals
• Emotional appeals are statements that create strong feelings rather than use facts and evidence to make a strong point.
• Be alert for statements that make you feel angry, sad, or even happy.
• They are directed at feelings rather than thoughts, so sometimes they are called unreasonable persuasion.