Persuasive Writing Notes

To persuade is to get a person or a group of persons to see something from your point of view or at least to understand how you see a situation.


In this type of writing you need to consider:

• Audience:-knowing the audience to whom you are speaking or for whom you are writing. This will determine your Register.

• Register:-this refers to the tone/language you use, for example, formal, informal, casual {formal to the Prime Minister; informal to a group of friends}This of course depends on the Subject.

• Subject:-What you are writing about

• Purpose:-reason for writing or talking about. Are you trying to:
-convince that your point of view is the correct one?
-appeal to someone’s weakness?
-get persons to change?

Persuasive Writing Must:
• be logical
• be based on fact
• take into account the age, education and interest of the audience

Persuasive Writing should:
• be convincing
• use references to authority
• use concise clear language without repetitions which make no sense
• have clearly defined arguments

Persuasive writing can:
Appeal to emotions
Come from the writer’s imagination as well  as from experience

Persuasive writing includes:
 Letters to the editor
 Articles in the editorial of newspapers, agreeing or disagreeing with issues
 Letters to members of the community, teachers, parents, presenting a point of view
 Speeches meant to persuade or dissuade the listener or to express one’s point of view
 Arguments, debates, speeches meant to express a point of view strongly