Persuasive writing in essays

1. Persuasive writing in essays Effective Learning Service

2. ‘To be persuasive, we must be believable. To be believable, we must be credible. To be credible, we must be truthful.’ (Hellmut Walters) • (Persuasion) ‘… a ‘process in which the communicator seeks to elicit a desired response.’ (Anderson 1971)

3. Rhetoric The persuasive power of words was discussed by Aristotle around 350 BC. He presented an analysis of rhetorical strategies, which included three elements: logos, pathos and ethos:

4. Logos An attempt to persuade the audience (or reader) through sound reasoning. Reliable evidence, e.g. facts, definitions, statistics and other data that appeals to the logic and intelligence of the audience.

5. Ethos Appeal of the speaker or writer in terms of his / her credibility and experience Presents, directly or indirectly, a profile that sets a stamp of authority on the words used to persuade.

6. Pathos An appeal to the emotions of the reader or audience. Attempt to induce a particular state of mind in e.g. anger, understanding, sympathy, tolerance Taps into the sentiment or feelings of the audience or readership.

7. Aristotle’s model of persuasion

8. Emotion and academic writing • ‘Emotion’ not a word usually associated with essay. • What words do you associate with ‘essay’?

9. Conventional essay style • Description and analysis • Carefully referenced evidence • Substantiated argument • Presents writer as ‘serious thinker’ • Respects the reader’s intelligence • Measured style • Objective voice e.g. ‘It can be argued that …’ • Yet paradoxically present, even champion, a particular view

10. Rationalist style – potential problems Garfinkel argues that the relationship between the act of representation and represented object is dialectical not unidirectional. The character of the representation changes in the attempt to explain the perceived nature of underlying reality while the object ‘changes’, in turn, to accommodate the language employed to represent it. Representation, in other words, is a dynamic, interactive process in which the ‘actor’, and the form of representation, that is language, ‘constructs’ some at least of the reality under investigation (Garfinkel 1967).

11. Avoid emotive language • It is important to pay attention to the logical (logos) and credibility (pathos) elements • You can also write in a way that connects with the experiences, senses and emotions of the essay reader. • But avoid emotive language

12. Avoiding emotive (manipulative) language • Identify the emotive language used in Examples 1 & 2 (page 6) Not appealing to … …popular sentiment … pity … fear … authority

13. A place for emotional connectionin academic writing ? • ‘New and valuable lines of argumentation, prompting critical questioning and steers the argument in a constructive direction.’ (Walton 1992) Make ideas more … … accessible … understandable … relevant to the reader Especially by appealing to the senses (see page 11)

14. Logos, Pathos & Ethos in essay writing

15. Effective pathos techniquesin essay writing(p 13) • Quotations • VAK words connecting with the senses • Rhetorical questions ? • Variety in style • Active form

16. Words appealing to the senses

17. Suggested reading on this topic Walton, D. (1992). The Place of Emotion in Argument. USA: Pennsylvania State University Press. References Ahmad, R. and McMahon, K. (2006). The Benefits of Good Writing: Or Why does it matter that Students Write Well? In Writing Matters. Royal Literary Fund. Available at http://www.rlf.org.uk/fellowshipscheme/research.cfm [Accessed 5 Feb. 2007]. Andersen, K. (1971). Persuasion Theory and Practice. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.