• Argument
• Support
In persuasive writing, an author tries to convince the reader to agree with his or her position, or viewpoint, on an issue. Persuasive writing includes essays, speeches, newspaper editorials, and advertisements.
The writer’s position and the support he or she gives is called the argument. Different writers use different kinds of appeals, or ways of persuading readers.
| Persuasion Techniques to Watch for: |
|---|
| Unsupported Inferences: conclusions that aren’t supported by the evidence |
| Fallacious Reasoning: an argument based on a fallacy—that is, an idea that is misleading or false |
| Propaganda: persuasion based on faulty reasoning, stereotypes, and emotional appeals |
• Appeals to logic make sense, relate to the topic, and include support that can be proved. Such evidence includes facts, statistics, opinions of experts, and details from personal experience.
• Appeals to ethics speak to the reader’s sense of right and wrong.
• Appeals to emotions focus on readers’ feelings.
Study this passage to learn more about persuasive appeals.