3 OUMH1203 TOPIC 6 PERSUASIVE WRITING

3 OUMH1203 TOPIC 6 PERSUASIVE WRITING 
1. Describe the nature of persuasive writing;
2. Identify different types of persuasive writing;
3. Explain the reasons for and purposes of persuasive writing; and
4. List the persuasive strategies. 

INTRODUCTION
In the previous topic, we learnt about argumentation essays which utilise a lot of persuasive skills. Persuasive writing is a type of writing that sets out to influence or change the reader's thoughts or actions to agree with those of the writer. This type of writing is often found in advertisements in the real world and in argumentation essays in the academic world. It uses logic and reason to show that one idea is more legitimate and true compared to another. It attempts to persuade a reader to adopt a certain point of view or to take a particular course of action. The persuasive essay uses sound reasoning and gives evidence by stating facts, giving logical reasons, citing examples and quoting experts. There is also a deliberate effort to avoid the logical fallacies highlighted in Topic 4. 

6.1  ARRANGEMENT OF PERSUASIVE WRITING
If you want to write a persuasive essay, structure your writing as follows.

(a) Introduction
Begin by explaining the subject matter. Sometimes, your readers might not have the background information to understand what the subject matter involves. A clear explanation would help them understand what the issue is all about and prepare them for any assertions that you may make later on.

(b) Body – Assertion
An assertion is when the writer strongly presents a certain opinion to the reader. After stating the issue or subject matter, you should clearly express your stand, usually in the topic sentence. This will help your readers know whose side you are on or the stand you intend to take. At this stage, it is important not to sound too aggressive.

(c) Body – Concession/Rebuttal
The next important stage is the concession or the rebuttal. You should discuss other opinions besides your own. Failure to do this will lead readers to think that you are not well informed or that you may be trying to cover up something. Remember not to exaggerate or distort other people's viewpoints. Just state what they are without defending them.

(d) Body – Proof
The next stage, which makes up the bulk of the writing, is proof. In an argumentation essay, this calls for the evidence to be presented. This can be done either inductively or deductively using examples, facts and observations. It is best to present proof in increasing order of strength, which means saving the best argument for last or as your closure.

(e) Conclusion
You should rephrase the topic sentence at this stage to emphasise the assertion.
Try to put it in a different perspective and remember not to introduce any new
argument at this point. The conclusion needs to be seen as drawing everything
together clearly so as to leave a strong impression on your readers.

ACTIVITY 6.1 What are the differences (if any) in the stages of arrangement between
persuasive writing and argumentation essays? In your opinion, when do 
you need to do persuasive writing?

6.1.1 Reasons for and Purposes of Persuasive Writing
There are, in fact, many reasons and purposes for persuasive writing. The first reason is to influence or change your readers thoughts and actions. Through your writing, you want people to believe what you say, remember what you have written and take appropriate action based on your written work. How convincingly you argue your points in your writing will determine whether your document works or not. To succeed, you have to appeal to your readers sense of reason, emotions and good character. 

6.1.2 Types of Reasoning Processes
There are two types of reasoning processes, namely induction and deduction.
Deductive reasoning introduces a general principle or premise and draws a
specific conclusion from it. The example below portrays this type of reasoning:

All people who drink liquor endanger their health. (Major premise)
My good friend, John, drinks.
Therefore, my friend is endangering his health. (Conclusion)
What do you think? Is the argument strong? You would need to support your
claim with evidence, and you might find it hard to provide this evidence or
prove the connection between John's drinking with his health.

Evidence you may want to consider which may lend support to your argument includes:
(a) The history of family members who drink and suffer ill health; and
(b) The statistics of people who have died due to drinking. 

ACTIVITY 6.2 Imagine the following scenarios:
(a) A group of students have put forth their arguments to the teachers and school principal that students should get a week away from regular classes to carry out fund-raising activities for local charities.

(b) A group of part-time employees at a local fast food restaurant are arguing with the employer that a workers' union would be beneficial.

In small groups, come up with at least three counter arguments to the positions taken. Present these to your friends at the next tutorial session and let them decide how to deal with the issue. 

Inductive reasoning, on the other hand, supports a general conclusion by looking at specific facts or evidence. For example:

My friend, John, drinks.
When John drinks, he becomes violent, angry and loses his temper.
He quarrels and fights with his wife and breaks things in the house.
He spends lots of money on liquor and is running into debt.
Therefore, my friend is endangering his health. (Conclusion)

Other evidence you may want to consider using in order to lend support to your
arguments:
(a) Alcohol intoxication statistics;
(b) Some form of statement by doctors/researchers;
(c) Financial costs; and
(d) History of adverse effects of drinking on family members. 

Basically, whether it is inductive or deductive reasoning, you need to appeal to your readers sense of reason, emotions and good character to persuade and win them over.

(a) Appeal to Reason
 Argument in this context is not a physical fight or shouting match, but an appeal to a person's sense of reason. It is a conscious and deliberate action, using logic to make others agree with you. You must remember that there are at least two sides to every issue. Do not leave your readers after writing only about your side.

 In order to persuade others, you need to be clear of your own stand on the  issue you are writing about. How are you to convince others if you yourself  are not clear which side you are on?

 For example:
Should my friend, John, stop drinking?
 Position: Yes.

 Ask yourself these questions:
(i) Is there sufficient evidence?
(ii) Is my evidence trustworthy?
(iii) Are the assumptions I use in my argument fair?
(iv) When I make a claim, does the conclusion follow logically?

(b) Appeal to Emotion
While appealing to reason is a great way to persuade others, there is another way to go about this, i.e. by evoking their emotions. This can be done via creating clear images in their heads. 
For example, a child paints a mental picture when she appeals to her father to stop smoking: 
 "I remember when grandfather died of lung cancer. I saw you cry for the first time, Daddy. I remember hearing you promise Mummy you'd never smoke again." 

 However, remember to be very careful when you use emotional appeal, especially if you are using it on close friends or relatives. You must be sure that you are using it in a "real" sense. Do not use emotional appeal as a substitute for logical and/or ethical appeal. Try not to draw on stereotypes or manipulate emotional fears just to get an automatic reaction from someone. You may upset or hurt your readers if you use emotionally charged language or examples which have the tendency to create ill-feeling or hatred in readers.

(c) Appeal to Good Personality/Character.
 The last example is the appeal to ethics. The appeal to good behaviour or ethics can occur at several levels in an argument and is based on answers to the following questions:
(i) Are you reasonable enough to listen, compromise and concede a point of view?
(ii) Are you ready to listen and reason with someone?
(iii) Do you have the authority or power to stand by your decision?
(iv) Are you an ethical/moral person?

This moral/ethical appeal only works if your readers' perception of you, the writer, is good. In other words, if your readers trust you as the writer, they are more likely to accept your argument. This type of appeal can be the strongest way for you to win over your readers. Further elaboration and examples can be found in sub-topic 6.3: "The Reasoning Process".

ACTIVITY 6.3
You have been asked to design and put up a promotional poster in your workplace, inviting your colleagues to support a fund-raising project for your favourite charity. Before creating the poster, prepare the outline of a plan or proposal which includes objectives and 
persuasive strategies to give your campaign pattern and voice. In your outline, explain how you will attempt to establish your credibility. 

6.1.3 Source of Information, and Relating to Arguments and Evidence. 

Remember that the purpose of persuasive writing is to assert an opinion which you are going to defend and to offer supporting evidence (data) in order to convince the reader to agree with you. You must ensure that your evidence is convincing.

Ask yourself the following questions:
(a) Do you have enough evidence to present your case?
(b) Is the evidence trustworthy? Does it come from reliable, informed, valid sources?
(c) Is the evidence verifiable? (Can you corroborate it through sources other than your own?)

Convincing evidence is the first element of a good argument. You MUST have evidence which is valid, reliable, sufficient, trustworthy and can be verified.

The next element is appeal to authority. If you want to confirm that something or someone is authoritative, you must consider the following elements:
(a) Do people question your authority on a particular subject?
(b) Is your expert opinion current or up to date?
(c) Do your peers accept and respect your opinion?
(d) Is your expert advice free of bias? 

The last element is the proper evaluation of statistics. You must always remember that when you use facts, data and statistics of any sort, you need to use them ethically and accurately. Try to be as objective as possible. Have samples which are representative and unbiased. Have statistics accurately tabulated and see that they are not taken out of context. 

Remember that when you quote a source, you must quote it in context, never out of context. Do NOT change content to fit your case. Use your own judgement, which is only commensurate to the knowledge that you have at a given time. Be mindful that a celebrity endorsement of a product is not quite the same as an expert opinion, unless that celebrity really uses the product that he/she endorses. 

6.1  PERSUASIVE STRATEGIES
Understanding persuasive strategies can help you in two very important ways: 

(a) Knowing the strategies helps you to analyse strategies that other people may be using to persuade you. This way, you can protect yourself, for example, when unethical marketers try to take advantage of you.

(b) Knowing the strategies helps you to choose the most effective way to persuade your readers. 
If you wish to be a persuasive writer, you must plan what strategies to use to gain reader support for the actions you recommend and the positions you advocate. Possible persuasive strategies include:

(i) Emphasising Readers' Benefits
Explain to readers how they will benefit from performing the action, taking the position or purchasing the product recommended. If the targeted readers are members of an organisation, you can try stressing organisational objectives and growth needs.

(ii) Addressing ReadersÊ Concerns
It is always a good strategy to try and predict what readers' responses or concerns will be so that you can counteract any negative thoughts or arguments that may arise in their minds.

(iii) Showing Sound Reasoning
 Sound reasoning is your best weapon. In many cases, it is not enough to merely identify the benefits of taking a position or an action. You need to persuade readers that the decisions or actions recommended will actually bring about benefits and explain why, for example, the new computer will reduce costs because ; the book modification
recommended will boost sales because

(iv) Presenting Reliable Evidence
 Reliable evidence is the kind of evidence readers are willing to accept. What is acceptable depends on the situations. For example, in many business scenarios, personal observations and anecdotes by knowledgeable individuals are accepted as reliable evidence. In scientific fields, however, certain experimental procedures are accepted as reliable, whereas common wisdom and ordinary observations are not. You need to use common sense to determine what type of evidence is needed in what situations.

6.2  THE REASONING PROCESS
In order to have confidence in the writer, readers must understand:
(a) The Writer's Claim
 This is the position you, as the writer, wants readers to accept.
(b) The Evidence
 The evidence consists of observations, facts and other information provided in support of the claim.
(c) The Line of Reasoning
 The line of reasoning is the connecting link between the claim and the evidence – the reasons given for believing that the evidence proves the claim. 
There are two basic types or reasoning processes: deduction and induction, as
stated earlier in sub-section 6.1.2.

6.3  DIRECT AND INDIRECT PATTERNS OF ORGANISATION

The following paragraphs will look at the direct and indirect patterns of
organisation:

(a) Organising to Create a Positive Response
 It is not only the variety and amount of information that is critical in a communication, but also the way in which readers process that information. As a persuasive writer, you must carefully choose the organisational pattern which best suits your purpose. You must also ensure that all the parts of your persuasive piece fit together tightly.

6.4 SELF-CHECK 6.1
1. What persuasive strategies do you think you can apply in your writing? 
2. Based on your understanding, why is it important to address readers' concerns when it comes to persuasive writing? 

(b) Direct Pattern of Organisation
 In a direct pattern of organisation, you state your main point first.

(Evidence and other related information are given afterwards). For example, if you wish to recommend that a company makes a particular purchase, you begin with the recommendation and present the arguments in favour of the purchase.

 The direct organisational pattern works well when you are recommending a course of action or presenting an analysis which you expect your readers to view favourably. 

(c) Indirect Pattern of Organisation
 An indirect pattern of organisation postpones the bottom-line statement until all the evidence and related information have been presented. You first discuss the situation; then make your recommendations after presenting your arguments. By using an indirect pattern, you prepare readers for the recommendations about to be made. This pattern is particularly useful when you are conveying information which your readers might view as threatening as it reduces the risk of inciting the reader's initial negative reactions. However, it can frustrate some readers who may want to know the "bottom line" quickly.

6.5 VOICE AND CREDIBILITY
Voice, in the context of written communication, means: "Who am I as a writer?
Am I deputising someone else or do I assume another role?" It is good to be yourself when you write. Be sincere when you try to persuade others or win them to your side. People will accept you for being "you" because they know that you are credible and can be trusted. 

(a) Consider the Reasoning Process and Types of Reasoning
 You need to consider how you reason out things in your writing. This means that you have to reflect on what, when, and how to say things. Reasoning out is a process which takes time and perseverance. How do you argue or put forward your thoughts to the readers? You can do this using the deduction or induction method (refer to 6.1.2).

(b) Choosing an Appropriate Voice
 The voice you choose is an important element of your persuasive strategy;it represents both the role you assign yourself and the role you assign your readers. For example, if you intend to write for your peers but assume the voice of a superior authority, your readers may resent their implied role as inferiors. If your readers respond to your voice in a negative way, they will not receive your message openly.

(c) Establishing Credibility
 Your credibility is the belief your readers have regarding whether you are a good source of information and ideas. When people believe you are credible, they are more likely to accept the things you say. If people do not find you credible, they may refuse to consider your ideas seriously, no matter how soundly you present your case.

- This topic defines persuasive writing as compared with other forms of writing.
- It also presents the "dos and don'ts" of persuasive writing and provides you with examples in clarifying a position, preparing arguments and organising a persuasive written report or article.
- It gives opportunities for you to present yourselves and to respond to the persuasive writing of others so that you can decide, for yourselves, what makes an effective piece of writing.

SELF-CHECK 6.2
1. What is persuasive writing? What are the reasons for, and purposes of, persuasive writing?
2. Why is establishing credibility essential in persuasive writing? 
3. State the different types of reasoning processes in persuasive writing. How do you establish credibility in your writing? How do you choose an appropriate voice? 



Appeal to emotion
Appeal to good personality/character
Appeal to reason
Assertion
Concession/rebuttal
Conclusion
Credibility
Deductive reasoning
Direct pattern of organisation
Indirect pattern of organisation
Inductive reasoning
Introduction
Persuasive strategies
Persuasive writing
Proof
Voice



Sebranek, P., Kember, D., & Meyer, V. (2001). Writer's INC: A student's handbook for writing and learning. Wilmington: Houghton Mifflin Company. 

Stoll, C. (1991). Write to the point and feel better about your writing. New York: Columbia University Press.