AP English--Persuasive Techniques

Persuasive Techniques (Martin Luther King, President Obama, Patrick Henry, Jonathan Edwards, and other great orators)

The following persuasive techniques are some ways, among many, that writers and speakers effectively persuade their audiences.  Of course, not every technique is used by each speaker; and there are also additional techniques that you will learn about as we read more literature.

1. establishing purpose and argumentative focus through claims/assertions
2. complimenting those with dissenting (different) viewpoints

3. metaphors

4. extended metaphors

5. allusions

6. words with religious connotations or religious imagery

7. ethical appeals (ethos)

8. logical appeals (logos)

9. emotional appeals (pathos)

10. rhetorical questions

11. loaded language

12. parallelism

13. cadence

14. anticipation of counter-arguments/providing counterclaims

15. repetition

16. variety in sentence structure (long/short) and punctuation; rhythm

17. an offered solution or plan

18. building to a climactic moment (or several) in the writing

19. strong conclusion

20. strong lead that grabs the attention of the audience

21. variety in diction (using formal as well as informal words to

      appeal to different audiences)
22. vivid imagery and description
23. figurative language (metaphors, simile, personification)

24. use of aphoristic language
25. finding common ground
26. establishing context for present occasion/providing background

      and history
27. clearly defining purpose/objectives/reasoning (logos)
28. awareness of multiple audiences or groups (constituencies) within

      the larger audience being addressed