Persuasive Writing using Emotion,

Urgency, & Research

ISNP Intermediate Writing

Using Emotion to Persuade“Pathos”

ISNP2011-2012

Created by Dana Taylor

Pathos

• Pathos is a persuasive strategy that plays on the audience’s emotions to influence the acceptance of your argument.• When using this strategy, you want

your audience to feel a certain way.

Pathos

• “I need you all to help clean this room right now because it’s filthy!”

• OR• “I really need your help today. I have to get

my dog to the vet because he’s really sick. I have to leave right away to get there on time. If you could help me clean the room, that would be a great help.”

Pathos

• See the difference??• You probably felt a little sorry for me after the

second example because my dog was sick. Did that make you want to help out more than me telling you what to do?

• Now you try!

Pathos

• Topic: The amount of homework given.• Focus on persuading your readers by appealing to

their feelings. (Make them feel bad for you because you get too much homework!)

• Rather than using facts, use anecdotes (remember one-time-whens?) to SHOW why you shouldn’t have homework.

• Write a paragraph persuading your teachers to give less homework by making them feel a certain way.

Pathos

• Pathos is a persuasive strategy that plays on the audience’s emotions to influence the acceptance of your argument.• When using this strategy, you want

your audience to feel a certain way.

Pathos

• “I need you all to help clean this room right now because it’s filthy!”

• OR• “I really need your help today. I have to get

my dog to the vet because he’s really sick. I have to leave right away to get there on time. If you could help me clean the room, that would be a great help.”

Pathos

• See the difference??• You probably felt a little sorry for me after the

second example because my dog was sick. Did that make you want to help out more than me telling you what to do?

• Now you try!

Pathos

• Topic: The amount of homework given.• Focus on persuading your readers by appealing to

their feelings. (Make them feel bad for you because you get too much homework!)

• Rather than using facts, use anecdotes (remember one-time-whens?) to SHOW why you shouldn’t have homework.

• Write a paragraph persuading your teachers to give less homework by making them feel a certain way.

Using Urgency to Persuade

ISNP Intermediate Writing2011-2012

By Jeremy Thompson

Another strategy that can be used to persuade others is to create a sense of urgency.

This means that you need make your audience believe that they

must act or make a decision right away.

Here’s an example:

Pollution of the world’s oceans is threatening wildlife at an alarming rate. In the Indian Ocean alone, over 90% of all coral reefs have been lost. If something isn’t done to reduce the amount of pollution in our oceans soon what few reefs that are left will be lost forever.

(Before) (After)

If you don’t act now by writing a complaint to the school board recess time will be reduced to three minutes a day! Only you can prevent this unspeakable tragedy from occurring by expressing your opinion today!

Our turn. . .Imagine that you are writing to convince your parents to buy you a new puppy. Brainstorm some ways to make them feel as though this is the best possible time to get a puppy if they act now.

Example: There’s a puppy sale at Pets-Mart but it only lasts until tomorrow

morning.

Your turn. . .Use this persuasive strategy to write a paragraph for the following writing prompt. Remember, you need to make your audience think that they must act or decide right away!

Persuading Using Research

ISNP2011-2012

Research is a great strategy to use when trying to persuade others.1. Research must be reliable; making up information isn’t

considered actual research.

2. Facts, graphs, and charts can be used to encourage others to sway to your side of an argument.

3. Don’t forget to keep track of where you find information. If you are borrowing information to persuade, you MUST be able to cite your sources!

4. Facts must stay on topic. Don’t forget what you are trying to persuade readers to believe/think.

Rain forests are at risk, and we must all act to save them! “In the past 30 years, deforestation has destroyed nearly 80% of the orangutan’s habitat.” (Time for Kids, Vol.1 No.22) As companies continue to cut down trees, there is barely any room for the animals to continue to live! Forestry experts found that palm-oil companies are using the rain forests to remove this oil for things such as soap, cleaners, and even cookies. Environmentalists say that these companies clear so much of the rain forest, that it begins to look and feel like the desert instead. People need to become aware of this problem, and take a stand. We should limit the use of products that contain palm oil, and write letters to the companies that are doing this explaining the damage that they are causing!

Here’s an example:

The facts in the above paragraph were found in a Time for Kids article called “Rain Forests at Risk.”

Our turn. . .While I read the article “Elephant Camp,” listen and look for facts that might help us in trying to persuade others to help preserve the elephant community.

Your turn. . .Using that facts that we pulled out of the article, write a paragraph persuading your reader to take part in helping to save the elephants!