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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

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